Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

I am looking to buy my first shotgun. I have done some resaerch on forums and many state that the 870 is a good multi-purpose shotgun. I would like a shotgun that one, I can learn the fundamentals of shotguns and two shoot skeet with and possibly hunt fowl. I am not looking to spend an arm and a leg until I know if I want to get into shooting skeet and hunting. Opinions and advice welcome.

The 870 Express is a good gun to start with for skeet/trap, but if you decide that you like shooting and decide to get more serious about it, you will probably want to move away from a pump shotgun into an auto-loader.

I'm not very serious of a skeet/trap shooter - no leagues, just for fun. I shoot an OLD 870 Express SuperMag and it does me just fine. It's an old beat up thing that I bought at a yard sale for $125.00.

strangely enough, I have a Mossy 500 too. It has an 18" barrel. People looked at me funny the first time I wanted to shoot trap with it. That's why I bought my old beat up 870.

grumpyMSG wrote:You really can't go wrong with a Remington 870. Another possibility would be the Mossberg 500, the differences between handling the two are the safety and slide release. If you are left handed you may find the Mossberg's safety a little easier to use.

+1

I'm not left handed and prefer the Mossberg because of the location. That being said, both are fine shotguns. Beware the more tactical variants don't always allow a barrel swap for fowl hunting (e.g. 590).

gunderwood wrote:

grumpyMSG wrote:You really can't go wrong with a Remington 870. Another possibility would be the Mossberg 500, the differences between handling the two are the safety and slide release. If you are left handed you may find the Mossberg's safety a little easier to use.

+1

I'm not left handed and prefer the Mossberg because of the location. That being said, both are fine shotguns. Beware the more tactical variants don't always allow a barrel swap for fowl hunting (e.g. 590).

I am looking at the 870 Express Supermag with Synthetic Stock. I comes with a modified choke.

TonyInVa wrote:I am looking to buy my first shotgun. I have done some resaerch on forums and many state that the 870 is a good multi-purpose shotgun. I would like a shotgun that one, I can learn the fundamentals of shotguns and two shoot skeet with and possibly hunt fowl. I am not looking to spend an arm and a leg until I know if I want to get into shooting skeet and hunting. Opinions and advice welcome.

I think you have made a fine choice. The 870 is a very solid platform.

I've got a few, and like 'em just as much now as the day they came home.

Now it will chamber a 3 1/2" shell, but you probably won't want to shoot a second one. The non-gas guns really put a hurt on you with the big shells.

TonyInVa wrote:

gunderwood wrote:

grumpyMSG wrote:You really can't go wrong with a Remington 870. Another possibility would be the Mossberg 500, the differences between handling the two are the safety and slide release. If you are left handed you may find the Mossberg's safety a little easier to use.

+1

I'm not left handed and prefer the Mossberg because of the location. That being said, both are fine shotguns. Beware the more tactical variants don't always allow a barrel swap for fowl hunting (e.g. 590).

I am looking at the 870 Express Supermag with Synthetic Stock. I comes with a modified choke.

That's exactly what I have. It's a nice shotgun, works great, don't use the Winchester cheap target ammo from Walmart, it causes ejection problems.

Jim

I bought it. I got the Remington 870 Express Super Mag Synthetic.

Congrats! You have purchase a FINE shotgun!

Congrats.

How do you like it?

Ha, great! I was thinking about getting this through an old friend/shooting instructor/martial arts sensei, as he's a dealer and can get it cheap.

As for shooting skeet with it, I brought an OLD (like 80 years old) pump action to shoot skeet the only time I've done it, to this super snooty gun club, and they all frowned at me because I couldn't walk around with it split open like their double barrels. Or maybe it's because of how I was dressed.

Anyway, glad to see the positive reviews here. Makes me think more about getting one.

I've had experience with one, and a positive experience is not something I can say I had with it, but I figured it wasn't any point in posting it since he'd already gotten it.

The only 870 I'd consider would be a Wingmaster.