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okay fellas , i need a little advice.
i'm 52 years old and used to hunt birds quite a bit , but haven't done so in almost 15 years.

i know for sure that i'll never be an avid hunter again , but i'm going to buy a new shotgun so i can dove hunt with my son and son-in-laws occassionly.
nothing serious , just fun in the field and then a few cold beverages AFTER the hunt.

i want something light and simple so i think i'm gonna buy a remington 870 express 20 guage. would you guys suggest 26" or 28" barrell. if it matters i'm 5' 10" kind of short arms.

do you guys have any advice on any or all of the above.

thanks for your help,
longhorn mike

The 870 is a great shotgun, but I personally would go with a 12 gauge and 28" improved cylinder barrel. The additional number of shot and the little bit of extra power you get on 12 ga vs. 20 ga. field loads would be worth the difference IMO.

for dove hunts I would leave the pump gun at home.... the gun may be fine, but I personally have parts that don't work as well as they used to. I do have friends that can handle the pump guns for fast action birds, but not me. I would recommend a light semi-auto, maybe along the line of the Beretta 390 series. A little search of the pawn shops will turn up many, many good used shotguns that would be fine for the seasonal bird hunts, and a bit of fast action five stand clay shooting as well.

My joints just don't work as well as they used to... YJMV (your joints may vary )

surv

Mike, I think a 20 ga. is an excellent choice for the occasional shooter. I'm in that same boat. It doesn't have near as obnoxious kick as a 12 or even 16 gage. I used to shoot my mom's 20 when we went dove hunting and it was a fun gun to shoot.

However, I have to agree a semi-auto would be my choice. I'm not as young as I used to be, and I find working a pump to a little more trying.

Here's one 20 ga. I'd LOVE to have. S&W 26" vent rib barrel with a fixed FULL choke. It's used but I'd pick it up in a heartbeat!
The price is right too!

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displ ... um=9218949" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is still a personal choice - so - suggest you go to well stocked gun shop and shoulder a bunch of long guns to see what fits best and swings the best. You need to mount several guns to see what gives the best cheek weld and sight picture. Personally - I would go with what others have recommended - a 12 ga with a 2-3/4" or 3" chamber (the bigger magnum loads are not for me). I just think the 12ga with a 28" or 30" barrel with plenty of chokes will give you more versatility (IMHO) for different birds and/or clays if you decide to practice before the season. I prefer my O/Us shooting 2-3/4 for both birds and clays, but a good semi is also a great choice (I'm 60 and am disabled - but I can still pull the trigger and the O/U babies me a little). Again, just my personal opinion, but I would avoid some of the very low end $$ guns. Recoil can be a problem with the bang and clangers (heck - can be a problem in a worn out Browning or Beretta B&C as well).

Here is a nice looking S&W 1000 for $400.00 over on the Texas Hunting Forum http://www.texashuntingforum.com/ubbthr ... w/1#UNREAD

there's a nice import P. Beretta 12 ga O/U in a walnut presentation case at the Longview gun show right now. Only $7,700 (plus change) ... even though my b-day is in a couple of weeks, my son and grandson both said "no" to the birthday present idea.

surv

Academy imports an over/under called yildiz, listed at $400. I just bought one in 12ga and love it. They also stock a 20 ga.

Can't go wrong with an 870 or Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge. For birds I like the shorter barrel.

edit.

If your arms are shorter than average you might want to look at the youth models the length of pull is shorter and you may get a gun that fits you better without having to have the stock worked on. Just a thought.

Let me ask this different, but shotgun-related question:

My son, the one who lightened the robber of an AK-47, wants to know about
20 gauge rock salt rounds.

Are these available in stores, or do you have to load such rounds yourself?

He is considering them to shoot at any drive-by revenge vehicles that come into
his cul de sac, which has many closed-spaced neighbor houses around it. They wouldn't
be lethal but they'd give the BG's a reason to motor on down the road.

The shorter bbl is probably better for you, but try both at the store and see how they move for you. A great upgrade, and very economical is a Tru-Glo fat dot bead front sight. It's a fiber optic bead that is MUCH easier to sight with that the traditional shotgun beads.

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:Let me ask this different, but shotgun-related question:

My son, the one who lightened the robber of an AK-47, wants to know about
20 gauge rock salt rounds.

Are these available in stores, or do you have to load such rounds yourself?

He is considering them to shoot at any drive-by revenge vehicles that come into
his cul de sac, which has many closed-spaced neighbor houses around it. They wouldn't
be lethal but they'd give the BG's a reason to motor on down the road.

#7 bird shot is also generally non-lethal outside of a few yards, and much easier to find.

However, if someone does come by shooting a gun at me out of a car, I'd rather have my AR Handy...

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:Let me ask this different, but shotgun-related question:

My son, the one who lightened the robber of an AK-47, wants to know about
20 gauge rock salt rounds.

Are these available in stores, or do you have to load such rounds yourself?

He is considering them to shoot at any drive-by revenge vehicles that come into
his cul de sac, which has many closed-spaced neighbor houses around it. They wouldn't
be lethal but they'd give the BG's a reason to motor on down the road.

Rock salt is a load your own proposition who says they aren't lethal? The correct terminology is LESS LETHAL you can kill with air if the pressure is high enough. Firing anything at anyone for just driving through the neighborhood is not a good idea. He could wind up in a heap of trouble that could take everything he owns to get out of.