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Upgrading to a nicer shotgun

2K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  terry_p 
#1 ·
So I’ve been wanting to upgrade to a nicer shotgun for awhile and now I’m going to finally going to do it. I currently have an old Maverick 88 with an 18” and 28” barrel. I bought It used and have shot it a ton and hunted with it a lot. It’s never skipped a beat. One FTF but I blame the ammo. I accidentally chamber 3 inches of sand on a crane hunt last year and the damn thing just kept shooting, but I think it’s time for something nicer and keep this as a home defense gun.

The top of my budget is $500. The primary focus of going to be for waterfowl and some turkey hunting and the occasional rounds of trap. I have been looking at 500s since I’m familiar with the platform, older 870s, Mossberg 835, and Benelli Supernova. Mostly looking for thoughts on the above guns and suggestions for any other shotguns I should be looking at.
P
Thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
At that budget, I'd just keep using it and keep saving. A $500 budget really will not buy you much of anything nicer. Even a good used 870 Wingmaster may go higher than that, unless it's really beat up.

If you simply must have a new gun... Well, you say you will be shooting waterfowl. If you mean geese, you might be one of the few people who could really take advantage of the 3.5" shells for steel shot payloads. Walmart regularly carries the 870 super-magnum 3.5" in camo (camo wrapped metal and camo plastic stock) for about $375. It's not going to turn heads in admiration at the trap range, but it's hard to beat as a basic, utilitarian gun.

I think the best value out there in an all-around gun is the Beretta A300, but even in a plastic stock it's going to be $50 to $80 over you budget. Here it is in the upper 500s....


With a wood stock it's going to be closer to $700. Also great in that price range is the wood stocked Remington V3. Those have been getting rave reviews. It's hard to beat the value of modern auto loaders, because the stocks are easily adjusted for drop and cast by changing the shims between the stock and action. This lets you fit the gun properly in the way most pumps cannot.

I'd keep using that Mossy for several years and set aside some gun money every month. It won't take long to get into A300 or V3 money. Or if you have the self discipline to save up over a grand, a pretty Beretta A400 or the Fabarm L4S which is probably the best semi-auto currently made, and possibly the best ever made.


Whatever you do, avoid the Siren's song of a "cheap" over-under. There are many out there right now and you will regret it.
 
#3 ·
I appreciate the input. I really do appreciate.

I am leaning forwards an 870 super mag. I think I am more itching for a new gun. The 88 has served me well.

Yeah by waterfowl I mean geese, sand hill crane, and I want to get into duck hunting. So with the geese and crane the 3 1/2 chamber would be nice.

I definitely am not looking for an over-under.
 
#4 ·
I have an old 870, Supernova, and a Winchester SXP. The SXP is newest and it was an impulse buy on sale and a rebate getting it to under $300. I can't say one is any better than the other. The Supernova takes 3 1/2" so that's the biggest difference.

If you're looking for another pump, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these. If I were you, which I'm not, I would go with something different that what I already have. The Mossberg is basically the same thing you already have.
 
#5 ·
It’s hard to beat the Benelli supernova in the pump shotgun arena, especially for waterfowl hunting. Unless you want a bunch of tacticool accessories, then you need to go Rem 870 or mossy 500. I’d consider the winchester sxp if you can find one.
 
#6 ·
it’s time for something nicer and keep this as a home defense gun.

The top of my budget is $500. The primary focus of going to be for waterfowl and some turkey hunting and the occasional rounds of trap. I have been looking at 500s since I’m familiar with the platform, older 870s, Mossberg 835, and Benelli Supernova. Mostly looking for thoughts on the above guns and suggestions for any other shotguns I should be looking at.
P
Thanks in advance
Just put an 18" barrel from Corson's on my Mossberg 600. Now it is HD gun out of season, whitetail gun in deer season with the original "selecta-choke" barrel. I've had it since 85 and paid...85 bucks for it, used.

I'd look at the 500s. They are robust and simple. My 600 New Haven is the same gun, but a cheapie version sold via Montgomery Wards. It has never, ever failed me in 35 years of use.
 
#7 ·
I like this thread, because a LONG time ago, I bought an 88 for a truck gun, and it traveled with me forever. It was the most rode hard, put away wet gun I’ve ever owned.

I was working out in western ND one season, and all there ever was to do was go to the bar or the range. I shoved so many rounds of 8 shot at clays through that 88. There were weekends where we shot so much, you’d just take a can of WD40 to the action: drench it to free up fouling, and keep shooting.

I pheasant hunted with that gun, shot a ton of grouse with that gun, left it cased in the backseat of the truck through MN seasons, year after year. It never skipped a beat. Not once.

Still working perfectly, I just sold it to a young guy I work with, who didn’t have a shotgun, and really wanted one. $50. He was tickled.

Long story short, in my opinion, the best case beater upgrade to the 88 is the straight up Benelli Nova. It’s the Glock of pump shotguns.

Unless you really think needing 3.5’s is important, you can keep a couple hundred of your $500, have a gun that will take a whupping, shoot like you spent your whole 500, and scratch that new gun itch.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
#8 ·
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing. 88s are hard to beat. I paid I think $100 for mine and found the 18” barrel for like $70.

The Novas are chambered for 3 1/2” shells as well. I can get a Supernova OTD for $450 locally and about $100 less for a Nova. I liked that the stock on the Supernova can be shimmed but I’m not sure if thats worth the extra $100
 
#9 ·
A shimmable stock may be worth it. If you mount an 870 properly with the shelf of your cheek bone (NOT your jaw or your teeth) pressed solidly on the comb of the stock, how much rib or bead do you see?

When I do that with most 870s, all I see is receiver. I, like Elizabeth Warren, must have high cheek bones. A shimmable stock keeps me from having expensive modifications to a gun in the form of an adjustable comb.
 
#10 ·
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