Thoughts on Combination guns

[salmonchaser]

Hmmm, when I think of combination guns I think of drilling. A double 12 over a 243 or 7x57.

[hrd2fnd]

Having owned a Mossberg 835 for a couple of years and wishing I had bought the rifled barrel at the same time is what got me thinking of 1 gun instead of 2.

I bought the 835 in October 2012 after my partner I talked about doing our first turkey hunt the next year which didn't happen. Not knowing what it would take, having never used a shotgun for anything but grouse and it was a single shot 410.

When asked what I wanted to hunt I wasn't aware until it was mentioned a 12 gauge can be used for elk. Elk hunting would be a bonus for me after reading some of the stories here, listening to fishseekers elk camp stories and having never experienced elk hunting. I would think elk hunting by myself would be harder than deer from what I've read.

I like the idea of the scope for deer hunting, grouse not so much so. Bonus in home defense that the spousal unit already knows how to use.

Wadu mentioned the Rossi in 243. As I expected to budget up to 650 including scope from what I've been reading.    now.

[AWS]

I use combination guns a lot, but to get a decent one they can be spendy.  Savage 24 work alright if you can get away with open sights, put  a scope on them and they get very awkward.  It really sounds like a pump shotgun with a spare rifled barrel would be what you are looking for.  A Rem 870 with a spare slug barrel and cantilever mount would work great as you can leave the scope or red dot on the barrel and put the shotgun barrel on for grouse and ducks.

Drilling 16ga x 16ga x 6.5x58R Sauer that I use for coyote hunting.  I bought it as a non functioning wreck and spent a year repairing it and finding ammo.



O/U Combination in 12ga x 5.6x50R Mag

[lokidog]

Mossberg 500 12g combo w/ cantilevered barrel  $416 +sh+ffl
 
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/mossberg-combo-shotgun-54243-gauge-rifled-ported-chmbr-dual-comb-wood-accu-choke-scope-p-84706.html

Mossberg 835 12g combo camo synthetic $480

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/37_336/products_id/79849/Mossberg+835C+12+3.5%22+24UF24ISB+MOI

[Bofire]

  the only combo guns I have fired much are the Savages. overunder with rifle and shot gun, misc. cartridges. To this date I have never fired one that the rifle, when sighted in, was in the center area of the shotgun pattern.
I am sure some of the 5-20,000.00$ guns do well!!
I agree with the two barrel shotgun idea.
Carl

[j_h_nimrod]

I use combination guns a lot, but to get a decent one they can be spendy.  Savage 24 work alright if you can get away with open sights, put  a scope on them and they get very awkward.  It really sounds like a pump shotgun with a spare rifled barrel would be what you are looking for.  A Rem 870 with a spare slug barrel and cantilever mount would work great as you can leave the scope or red dot on the barrel and put the shotgun barrel on for grouse and ducks.

Drilling 16ga x 16ga x 6.5x58R Sauer that I use for coyote hunting.  I bought it as a non functioning wreck and spent a year repairing it and finding ammo.



O/U Combination in 12ga x 5.6x50R Mag

AWS, that is great to see those rifles used in this manner!  Love seeing a classic gun in use today.

[AWS]

Carl, all of the combos and drillings I use for coyote hunting cost less than a 1/4 of the lowest price you quoted and are regulated very nicely.  Most Euro combo guns are  very good as nobody would tolerated shoddy craftsmanship in the firearms industry, I'm talking guns made for local consumption not for export.   Tikkas, Bernardellis , BRNOs, Valmets, Marrochis can be found under a thousand and sometime closer to half that if your willing to deal with odd calibers. Note my two are in 5.6x50R Mag and 6.5x58R Sauer and will shoot sub MOA groups at 200 yards with the 1x4 scopes mounted on them if I wait for the barrels to cool between shots.  I just sold a Marrochi in 222 Rem that would hold under an inch at 100 yards without having to wait for it to cool, it had separate barrels that were adjustable for impact

[Ripper]

For hunting the brush on the West side I think the 12 or 20 ga. is the way to go. I have shot more deer with my 12g than anything else. I was going to use it for bear hunting but a lot of the clearcuts pose too long of a shot for a shotgun. A 12 gauge will kill any animal that walks in North America. I shoot 385 g Nosler Partitions out of my Thompson Pro Hunter with a 28" rifled barrel. I would take a shot out to 150-200 yards with it. I've read stories about people shooting deer out to 240 yards but that's pushing it for me. So far my longest shot was 116 yards. If you want to keep your smooth bore barrel then I would second what was said earlier about Brenneke slugs. I killed a couple of deer in Indiana with them when I was a kid.  Good luck.

[hrd2fnd]

 I know this topic has been but I'm now trying to decide between the Mossberg 500 combo and Remington 870 combo. Why such a $$$ difference between the two? They both have their followers with good and bad feelings on one or the other. Decisions decisions

[lokidog]

I've got an 870 and have always loved it, however it is a 1963 Wingmaster and I think was made better than today, though I have not shot any of the newer ones.  As mentioned previously, we have a Mossberg 500 and have had no complaints about it.  The thumb safety can be handy.

My biggest tip is to make sure the rifled barrel has the cantilevered scope mount on it.

Good luck on your search.

[Bofire]

  I would go 870, about 12 million of them out there with all sorts of stuff for them. There is a big difference between the Express and Wingmaster. I have seen several Moss. 500's that the thumb safety on the tang is gone but many do like them.
Carl