Help choosing a shotgun

[Bookworm007]

I have decided it is time to get a 12 gauge, but I am having a hard time choosing a model. I know I want a pump, and have looked at a new Weatherby PA-08 which seemed like a nice gun for the money, but for a pump would I be better getting something used? I plan on using the gun for the occasional trap shooting, hunting grouse and maybe turkey. I also like old Winchesters so I have looked around for a model 12, or 1200 but it seems rare for the model 12's to have changeable chokes which is a slight turn off when looking for a versatile shotgun. Thanks for the help in advance!!! 

[scottcrb]

For the price I love the benelli supernova. I use mine for the range turkey ducks geese dove upland and it is very durable and shoots well. Mine is in max 4 camo and.think I paid right around $500 for it.

[Sportfury]

Time to go to the gun shop and handle a lot of guns. Fit, feel, and price are what will get you. You will know the gun when you feel it. I tried out a new Winchester pump the other day and absolutely hated it. Didn't like the feel of where the swell of my palm/thumb fit on the stock of the gun. It would absolutely drive me nuts and I would think about it every time I picked the gun up. I have a Browning BPS that I like, but the thing kicks like a mule. My son has a Remington 870 that worked great for him. In all reality most of the pumps out there will function great for what you want. Now you get out there and spend some time at a lot of different guns shops and try out everything you can get your hands on.

[coachcw]

the stoegers are a good gun for the money

[Lingcod]

For the price I love the benelli supernova. I use mine for the range turkey ducks geese dove upland and it is very durable and shoots well. Mine is in max 4 camo and.think I paid right around $500 for it.

  use mine for everything and not worried about beating it up. The wetlands camo finish has held up really well and I haven't had any mechanical issues with it. Plus easy to get different choke tubes for it. I snagged a jelly head turkey choke in Cabelas bargain cave for $15. I got mine used for $300. 

[Bookworm007]

I am planning on going to the Portland gun show on Saturday to try and get a feel for some of the guns. I have handled Win model 12's, and 120's. I liked the 120 especially with vented rib. I am also a sucker for wood stocks which the supernova doesn't come in, but I have heard they are work horses.

[AWS]

If you find a model 12 you like you can get Choke Tubes installed for around $50 + the cost of the tubes you want.  Very fast turnaround and very good work, I have him adjust the chokes on my sxs's.

PM me if you want specifics

[whitey]

I have decided it is time to get a 12 gauge, but I am having a hard time choosing a model. I know I want a pump, and have looked at a new Weatherby PA-08 which seemed like a nice gun for the money, but for a pump would I be better getting something used? I plan on using the gun for the occasional trap shooting, hunting grouse and maybe turkey. I also like old Winchesters so I have looked around for a model 12, or 1200 but it seems rare for the model 12's to have changeable chokes which is a slight turn off when looking for a versatile shotgun. Thanks for the help in advance!!! 

why a pump?
The model 12s are great. The Remington 870 is awesome. The Stoegers are very good and pretty affordable. (I have the auto love it)

[netcoyote]

For durability, reliability, multi-function use, reasonable cost and ease of modification it's hard to beat a Rem 870. If you plan to be carrying it around a lot in the field you may want to look at something lighter weight.

[Bofire]

  870 steel receiver puts the weight between the hands, aluminum receivers(winchesters) are barrel heavy for me.
Carl

[Bookworm007]

The other reason I kinda want a winchester is we have a model 1897, and a model 120 in the family collection. So it would be cool to complete the set. Autos are great guns but I had a bad experience with one, whereas I have never been failed by a pump. Okay 870 maybe a wingmaster? Got to have that wood  Any others? BPS, Ithaca 37 any thoughts on those models? I like having unique things which is my only real turn off to the 870 because everyone has one. Probably silly but if you are going to have something for the rest of your life might as well love it right?

[bobcat]

870's are nice because they're so easy to take completely apart to clean. That is needed more often if you hunt ducks with it. If not, it's not really a big issue.

The Browning BPS pretty much requires a gunsmith for a complete cleaning.

I like the Ithaca 37's, nice and light, good chukar/pheasant gun.

[demontang]

Love the 870 myself. I wouldnt fork out the extra for a 3 1/2" for any shotgun, you really arnt gaining anything but the extra cost of ammo.  A 3" patterns better the the 3 1/2" shell its cheaper and less recoil    ive killed way more birds with 2 3/4" loads then anything and im not only talking upland.

[BigGoonTuna]

i'm very fond of older 870 wingmasters, especially the ones made in the late 70s-early '80s.  they can be had very cheaply, the only drawback is that most have fixed barrels.  however, they are steel shot safe, something that you can't say about a model 12.  if you look around you can find screw in choke barrels, since most have been that way since the late '80s.

[Bookworm007]

Are there any other big names in the pump game other than the 870, Moss 500, and the winchester line? Looks like I will have a nice little shopping list for the gun show this weekend! And of course I will be sure to post pictures 

[BigGoonTuna]

not a lot of "nice" pumps still offered besides the 870 wingmaster, ithaca 37, and browning BPS these days.  the only ones still made in the US are the 870, 37 and mossberg 500/535/835.

[WoodlandShooter]

Rem 870!!

and get the slug barrel !!!

got my last deer with mine!!!

[Bookworm007]

Can you change barrels on an 870 without having the headspacing addressed by a gunsmith?

[Bofire]

YES

[bobcat]

Switching barrels takes all of 30 seconds.

[Bullkllr]

i'm very fond of older 870 wingmasters, especially the ones made in the late 70s-early '80s.  they can be had very cheaply, the only drawback is that most have fixed barrels.  however, they are steel shot safe, something that you can't say about a model 12.  if you look around you can find screw in choke barrels, since most have been that way since the late '80s.

The price on nice older Wingmasters seems to be going up. I was rather shocked when I looked at a few a year or so ago. But I'd still get another one in a heartbeat.

not a lot of "nice" pumps still offered besides the 870 wingmaster, ithaca 37, and browning BPS these days.  the only ones still made in the US are the 870, 37 and mossberg 500/535/835.

Didn't they recently bring back the 37? Always liked those guns. BPS seems clunky in comparison.

[Bookworm007]

Well i searched and searched the gun show, but couldn't find anything that I had to walk out the door with. All the guns were either in too poor of condition to warrant the price or new guns that I could get a better deal on at bimart  Going to do one last sweep of local classifieds and gun stores. If nothing wins me over I will be bringing home a Weatherby PA-08. It fits me well, is the right price and come nicely optioned. I tried out the 870, it just didn't fit right. My dad did pull the trigger on an old winchester model 52 target rifle. Same kind he used on his high school target shooting team so that will be fun to play with! 

[Sportfury]

870's are nice because they're so easy to take completely apart to clean. That is needed more often if you hunt ducks with it. If not, it's not really a big issue.

The Browning BPS pretty much requires a gunsmith for a complete cleaning.

I like the Ithaca 37's, nice and light, good chukar/pheasant gun.

True that. My BPS is okay to take apart, but if you don't follow exactly how you took it apart when putting it together then it is going to suck for you. I found that out the first time and three hours later of trying and trying to get everything perfect.

[Jekemi]

Well I don't know how much you have to spend but there is a great review of the new Benelli Ethos in Shooting Times. I recommend you take a look at the article and the gun before you make a decision. I had a chance to hold one in my hands this week.  Beautiful AA Walnut, superb fit and finish, inertial drive, low recoil due to some amazing energy absorbing technology in the butt stock, fast cycling and silky smooth loading. The gun shoots thousands of rounds consecutively, of any size and load without failure. Cleaning is a breeze (very few moving parts). The SRP is $1,500 but the field tests predict this gun will last a lifetime. This will be the next shotgun I own and probably the last. It's the "all in one" gun.

[swalker]

Remington 870 wingmaster. You can get the extra barells for what ever you are hunting. The wingmaster is much smoother than the express.