16ga.com ~ View topic

Guest

Hey all,

I'm a new member...who has extremely limited experience with the 16ga (i.e I've shot 13 rounds of it). Glad to be a part of the society.

I don't own my own shotgun. I always borrow them. In my closet I have a old Remington 870 16ga that a friend left here. It has a full fixed choke and is built on a 12 guage frame. It's the only 16ga I have shot. The other gun I usually shoot is a Remington 870 Express in 20ga. I'm a decent shot. I guess I could be poor.

I shot a round of Skeet (11 of 25) and a round of 5-Stand (6 of 25) last Friday. It was my first time. I know they aren't good scores, but I blame the gun. Wink

Anyhow...I want my own gun. I don't know what gauge or style or anything. That said, I am leaning towards the 16ga, 20ga, or 28ga. I like to be different.

Here is my question: How do I start out? I bought an issue of Shooting Sportsman and drooled over the beautiful guns in the magazine. I could never afford many of those, but I am going to have a budget for a gun of $1000. This gun would have to hold me over 5-10 years before I could get another. What would you get if you were starting over?

I have looked a lot at the new Ithaca Model 37 (I have a bias towards the nostalgia) and they look great. I also looked at DeHaans for a O/U or SxS.
Other than that I'm stuck. I'm not sure where to look. I would consider a good condition used gun. I don't mind a pump gun, and I shot a Ruger Red Label in 20ga and it was very good feeling.

I should mention the gun will be used for some fun Sporting Clays as well as dove hunting to start.

Please offer some advice.

Thanks so much,
Brett Ratzlaff

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

Brett,

First, dont rush out and make a purchase. Use the gun you have for now and shoot at a local range and see and borrow a lot of guns for a shot or two. If you handle yourself well most shooters will be glad to show off their guns.

This part should be like dating before marriage......Figure out what suits your shooting style before making that first purchase. When you do buy, buy a used gun. Consider this to be like a prenuptial agreement. As long as you don't do anything stupid you can always sell a used gun for about what you paid. This part is like an uncontested divorce.

This gives you latitude to go through an evolution, and it will take a while to settle in on a gun that is really right for you. This last piece is like waiting a few years to have kids.

Eventually you'll own a gun that you can pass on to your kids, unless your wife gives it to her boyfriend that you never knew she had all those years while you were out at the range, bird hunting, at gunshows etc.... Shocked

Jeff

Member Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 398 Location: S Fl

I'm going to agree with what Jeff said, and add some heresy.

Your first gun (intended primarily for skeet and SC) should be a 12. It's just no contest in terms of quantity and type of guns and ammo available to choose from. Later on you can expand the collection to 16 and 28.
Stay the hell away from 20s though!! Laughing

May I recommend a Ruger Red Label 12 for your purposes. You should be able to find a new one for your target price, or a used one and a few flats of target loads.

Good luck
Pete

Take a look at http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/gun/gun-index.jsp?hierarchyId=11657&cm_re=gl*left*americanshotguns. The cabelas sight under american guns has a few examples of 16g oldies. There is a Flues, a mdl 37, and a great looking Western Arms Long Gun all in 16g. They are all within the $1000.00 range and could be the one you want.
Best,
Ron

Guest

Thanks for the replies guys.

Jeff:

The reason I want to get my own gun is because I don't like borrowing them. I'm a gun care fanatic and I don't ever get to clean those guns, so I feel guilty using them.

I will definitely look at used guns. That is a great tip!

Foursquare:

The gun won't be primarily a skeet/SC gun. I will just use it for that occasionally. Why do you not recommend the 20ga? I just don't like 12ga as they kick a little to hard for my liking...although I'm 6'2" 250lbs. I just don't like the recoil.

Thanks again guys!

Brett

Guest

All good advice......most important, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! I once had a Ruger Red Label 12 that did not fit me and probably never could without bending, shaping etc. It impacted my face so hard (no, I was not away from the stock) that I ended up with a bruise and swelling every time I shot it. One instructor and one fitter told me "Your mount is fine, sell the gun, this is the rare instance when the gun is absolutely wrong for you and will not fit without major modification." There is nothing worse than shooting a gun that does not fit. I sold it, discovered the guns that fit me just fine, and moved on. Good luck with your quest.

Brett,
Welcome on firstly.

I'm gonna tell you how I started - maybe you'll get something from it - no refunds if you don't. here goes:

I started by getting single shot (16) as a training tool - turned out to be very instrumental in my life. Then I borrowed a gun from a coworker of my Dad and hunted a whole season. That spring he & I went to K-Mart and picked out a remington 1100 and put it on lay-a-way...I worked it off all summer and was cruising that fall.

My gun model found me - My Dad shoots a Browning A-5, light twelve he bought new once upon a time. The borrowed gun was a remington 1100 and fit the budget of a 15 year old better than the "cheap Japanise" models of the time - happened the same year steel shot got introduced to waterfoul hunters.

Over the years I developed an affinity for the A-5 but never moved on picking up one - tough call between the mag 12 or the Sweet Sixteen for me.

My hunting/shooting has a duck bias to say the least - only recently have I considered other types of birds - oh I dabbled with pheasants here an there and I'll take a shot at rabbits if I see one but the major focus is ducks with a goose minor.

Recently, I got the itch for a double and for some reason it needed to be a side-by-side, 16 ga. due to my single shot. I lurked here and at Shotgunworld do comm and asked many Q's, etc - much like yourself.

my advise to you is to figure out the primary use for the gun and look at options - if it's just to break clay, there's nothing wrong with a 20 - lots of makes/model guns, inexpensive ammo/reloading supplies (compared to a 16) and it's versitle enough to use for many types of hunting.

check out the cabelas site (including the "sale" rack - it's where I found mine at the promting of a fellow board member here Wink

). gunbroker.com also is a greeat place to gauge cost vs condition of whatever particular model you are focusing on - or even to see the differences between various models before you get to that point.
Guys, whats the other site? Double gun dot comm or something? I don't remember.

Remingtons seem to have found you and I know many people like the Rugers too - I'd like a Browning A-5 for my own various reasons. You mention "vintage" too - that says a lot really.

16's have also seem to have your attention and there's nothing wrong with that either. 16's are very different, prolly more so than the 28's but I may be wrong.

Pay attention to the advise given here and look to try as many different guns as you can before you purchase if possible - your gun will find you and all will be good. Just be a little patient and do your homework. Enjoy the process and learn along the way.

Best,
Sprocket

Member Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 398 Location: S Fl

*Last edited by brdhnt on Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:38 am; edited 1 time in total*

Bret,

First off, welcme to the site. Alhtouhg most of us here are dedicated 16 guage shooters, we own and use guns in other gauges according to the game at hand. Most of us probably use a 12 gauge as a clay target competition gun, some use a 20 gauge for quail and others (myself included) have a deep and long lasting relationship with the 28 gauge.

Having said that, I would echo most of the suggetsions made and take it one step farther.

I have coached many first shooters over the years and many have asked my recommendations for a 'first gun'. Many are limited by budget, but your $1000 top end does not limit you at all. Browning, Remington and Beretta all make excellent 12 gauge semi-autos that will make a fine first gun. THe Benelli is an inertia operating system and to some has more felt recoil than the guns that operate by gas. Pumps and over/unders have no recoild reduction in the action, so actually require more of fitting of the gunstock to reduce the felt recoil.

Try some different guns at the range and then decide what you want to buy. With your size, you may want to invest $10 or so in a slip on recoil pad that will lengthen the stock and tell you if you need a longer stock than is factory.

Again, welcome to the site and the sonderful world of shotguns. You will find it will become a passion and an obsession, but there's nothing wrong with that!

TMB
________
BOWEL DISORDERS ADVICE

Guest

Thanks for all the replies.

I looked at auto's some time ago. I really liked the Beretta 391 Urika 20ga. The 12 seemed to bulky. I'm sure I would get used to it. I will continue to read a lot and I don't plan on buying the gun until the spring.

I considered this afternoon getting a nice pump with some different chokes. I can pump the gun fast and not get off target, usually. I will continue to look and maybe a 16ga will just have to come later...they're getting more popular anyways.

But please keep the suggestions coming, they are really helpful.

Brett

Member Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 450 Location: Indiana

All very good advice,but one gun I don't see mentioned and has withstood the test of time and is still going strong no matter what gauge and is well within your budget is the Model 12 Winchester.
The Next time you go to the gun club just bring up the subject and you probably have more subject about this one gun than all the others put together.
Myself I prefer the 16 or 28 in this model but I have them all.
I suggest giving one a try if you are thinking of a pump.

Brett - if you are thinking of a sxs, check this thread out - it was very helpful to me when I purchased mine.

http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=969

Brett, don't pass on contental guns, great value. Also unless your spending a ton of time on waterfowl the 20 shouldn't be overlooked.
Sprocket last couple of weeks have been insane, but I might be able to sneak up the street this weekend if your around.

Guest

Hi Brett;

Welcome to the site and the enjoyable people on it. In purchasing your first shotgun, the first question you really need to ask yourself is how good of a shot do you want to become? Shooting is no different than any sport that if you can take it up as a kid and stay with it, you'll be most likely be a better shot than someone who takes it up as an adult. If you really don't care how good of a shot you want to become, then following most of the previous posts can work for you. But if you really want to become a good shot, here is what you need to do to become a good shot.

1. Shoot a 12 gauge as your first gun. An adult male can handle a 12
gauge (see #3) especially if you stay with the low recoil 1 oz or 1 1/8
oz. Don't shoot the high speed loads. All they do is kick the fool
behind the trigger. You can shoot a 20 gauge with a 7/8 oz load but
that's a 25% less lead. When you're a start shooting, you need
every advantage to get your confidence up. Shooting is mechanics but
after you get a certain point, it's a mental and confidence game.

2. Get yourself a reliable gas auto. I like Beretta first, Browning second
the other brands will work okay but the first two are really built to
shoot a ton of rounds. Now if someone is still shooting their
Grandpa's Remington 1100, that was then but it isn't now. The first
two guns can handle alot of rounds and you can still get parts. Check
what the guys that shoot serious sporting clays and these two gun
make up the majority of autos being used.

3. Some people are pushing a pump but if you're shooting a Ithaca 37,
get ready to get your molars adjusted after putting a 100+ rounds
through a hour of shooting. I love a Winchester 12 but it's not a
good clays gun when compared with those two autos in #2. Someone
will remind me of the number of titles won with the model 12 years
ago but we're talking ancient history.

4. Learn how to shoot clays with Sporting Clays first, skeet second or
trap last. Plan to shoot a lot of rounds like at least one day on the
weekend. What you put into the sport will payoff. Shoot these
games with a low gun mount and get proper instruction from a
qualified instructor. Don't get your friends to teach you since very few
people have a clue on how to shoot.

Good luck....