[Rich Z]

Anyone willing to make up a little shotgun basic guide? I'll be honest, I don't know much at all about them myself, since I only buy ones that catch my eye and they tend to be riot guns, side by side coach guns, or things like a Streetsweeper. Stuff like chokes, shot sizes, etc, are pretty much out of my realm of interest. But after chasing around squirrels using a Beretta FP1201 (a riot shotgun) I think there are some things I need to learn more about.

Someone willing to 'splain this to me?

 

[.45 COLT]

You don't really need a whole lot of background for killing squirrels. Get yourself a NEF single shot 12 gauge for under $100 at Wally World and some 1 1/8 ounce, 3 DE, #7 1/2 loads (trap loads). That should bust them right smart out to around 30 yards. 1 1/4 ounce, 3 1/4 DE, #6 field loads will extend your range some.

I don't remember what the choke is on the NEF, mine is set up as a dedicated pressure barrel with the choke cut off and I don't use it in the field. Any choke from Modified to Full will work fine for your use.

One of the biggest myths ever perpetuated about shotgun "truths" is the deadly efficiency of the Streetsweeper / Riot Gun and a cylinder bore choke (no choke at all). To be effective at any range over about 10 yards, Buckshot should be used with a Full Choke. It still won't be very effective over about 30 yards (hits kind of chancey), but within that range can be devastating.

DC

 

[andy]

riot barrel works on men to 45-50 ft,

maybe even 25 yds, with a really good barrel and Magnum, 12 pellet buck loads. What you are looking for if 5 or more 00 pellets in the 10" chest circle, 5 times out of 5 shots at torso targets.

Depending upon the height of your trees (ie, distance of shot) a used, $200 20 ga autoloader might do just fine, using #6 shot and "heavy" loads, like 7/8oz or even 3" mags. Then, with a recoil pad on it, and 3/4 oz skeet loads (#9 shot) you'd have something to teach kids and women with, using one of the staked down, springloaded clay pigeon throwers.

If you aint got any kids you'd trust to hunt squirrels, it's cause you aint TRAINED any. Put up some 3x 5 cards at the Dairy Queen, across the street from the high school, and get some earnest 14-15 year olds. They are still young enough to learn something. By the time that they are 17-18, they already know it all, ya see.

 

[41mag]

So,223fan?Are you 17 or 18?








sorry,you left the door wiiiiiiiiiiiiide open

 

[andy]

I'm 51, and Like I said, There's any #

of things I don't know. It's just that none of them are of any importance.

 

[.45 COLT]

Re: I'm 51, and Like I said, There's any #

of things I don't know. It's just that none of them are of any importance.

You got the first half of that right.

DC

 

[andy]

I"ve forgotten more about THIS stuff

than 10 bozos like you are ever going to learn,and I ain't forgotten MUCH.

 

[KJUN]

If I may back-track to the original post, have you seen this link, Rich: http://64.49.238.191/index2c.shotguns.htm ?

I have reallt been impressed with Chuck Hawk's articles even though I do NOT agree with everything he writes, as have most of us on this forum, of course. I skimmed some of the shotgun things, and most of it seemed pretty well written to me. (I really liked the .410 one since he gives it the fair shake it deserves!)

If I only had one shotgun and my main harvest was one small animals, I'd get the Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge (comes with all three "standard" chokes, but I'd use the I/C most of the time, but the extra full choke for "LONG" shots, and keep the mod choke in it if the shots were variable). 2 3/4 or 3 inch shells would depend on which one THAT individual gun chambered best, and #6 HARD shot would be my first choice for squirrels. (Copper plated if you could find it.)

I like pumps (I trust them more in field conditions), the Mossberg has proven itself as a gun/boat paddle/brush gaurd/push pole in the mud/etc., while hunting, comes with a good warranty & great quality at the best price, and doesn't have that troublesome short pump strokes like many of the "Express" models of other companies do.

KJ

 

[Clint Boyer]

I agree with KJ, I just bought my son a Mossberg 20 ga. It came with an 18 in. riot barrel and a fully ribbed 28in. barrel with screw in chokes. It's very simple to change barrels. It was just over $200 and makes a great first shotgun.
I prefer my Beretta O/U 20 ga. for light birds. It wields quicker and points naturally for me.

 

[andy]

without an electronic shooting timer,

u just "think" it's faster, you have no way to KNOW that it is.

 

[Clint Boyer]

I don't need a timer to tell if something feels better or faster to me. I'm not shooting competition and don't plan to.

 

[41mag]

I doubt that 223 has ever been in a duck blind or has ever observed"fair chase" guidelines.
PS.I use a timer to cook popcorn.

 

[andy]

I knew that much, by the bs you post

about "fast". Many things "feel" fast, when all they really are is wasted movement. Anyone who's ever worked on the fast draw on a timer can tell you that much. I've shot a lot more ducks with a rifle than you have with a shotgun. I just sensibly wait until they are sitting, that's all. You clowns act like birds NEVER hold still. or that it's NECESSARY or effective to shoot birds, instead of trapping them. A small treble hook and a water engorged grain of corn suffices, tied to a stake, you know.

 

[Clint Boyer]

OK, so what bs have I posted about being fast? You must have me confused with someone else. If not, pull up the post, I'm curious to know what your talking about.

And how could you possibly know how many ducks any of us have shot?

So you admit to poaching ducks? It ain't shtf yet, that is a criminal activity you know.........

 

[andy]

because I"ve shot many hundreds of

them. Why would I bother with a blind, anyway? that's just a place for the game warden to notice and LOOK for you.

 

[Unregistered]

I know that you only asked for squirrell advice and got a earfull from GK/andy/223fan. Heres my take on it, the best hunting shotgun I owned was a New Englan Firearms 12ga 26" bbl with a MOD. choke. The single shot made me take my time, and set my shots a little better, and I cosisitently filled my bag, with shells left over. My compadres used Rem 1100's and emptied them during dove season, I waited, and usally got my limit in less time with shells left over. 12ga is about the most versitale round, can be loaded down, or up to suit whatever the quarry is. DO NOT worry about speed because a quail, dove, or squirrell do not have CCW, and will not track you down to harrase you if they see you shoot their peeps

 

[Half elf]

OOOPS I forgot to log in fisrt on the last reply I showed up as "unregistered" Sorry.

 

[andy]

ignorant people "think" many things that

just aren't so. They "think" that hunching their shoulders harder into the butt of the gun, and yanking harder on the trigger makes the bullets fly faster.