New hunter and gun advice

[Scoutfish]

Okay, on the count of three...everybody sigh and roll your eyes.
GOOD! Now that we got that out of the way, I'll give a bit of background info:
I am 41 years old and new to hunting. Very new. Taking the NC hunter safety course in about 3 weeks( soonest open enrollment in my area).

SO, while I will be new to hunting, I am not new to guns. Spent my youth shooting bb guns, As I got older, I bought a few rifles here and there. SKS 56 that I used for target shooting until the local gun shop sold out of the military surplus rounds and shooting hunting rounds was too expensive. Owned a 270, but also too expensive. Had a 410, but wasn'r much of a thrill shooting targets or cans.I currently have a .22 rifle ( very cheap for shooting cans or targets) and two 12 ga break action shot guns.

For the most part, I always hunted witha fishing pole. My father and his father were fishermen, so naturally, I folowed suite.
About thre months ago, moved from being 100 yards off the intracoastal waterway to being smack in the middle of of deer, turkey and rabbit country.
Actually , we are next to family and my nephew took my son along a few times to sit in a deer stand while bow hunting deer. That progressed to me going along with my son so that my son could hold a shotgun while in the deerstand ( he would be hunting on father in laws property underv father in laws license.

Naturally I told my wife that if I am gonna be sitting there while we watch deer walk by, I am going to want to shoot too, hence we are signed up for the safety class.

Okay, I have drug that out longer that I planned so heres my actual question:

For a couple of new hunters starting out, whats a good shotgun to buy. I am looking at a break action 12 ga for him and maybe a 20 ga pump. I am thinking of a
12 ga pump for myself. Really liking the Mossberg 535 waterfowl/turkey combo.

First I plan on the shotguns. For rifles, I am thinking something along the lines of a 30-06.

So again, what - in your opinion - would be good guns to get started with? You know what I mean? I don't want a baby gun, but not there yet when it comes to the high tech high $$$ guns.

Thanks - Mark

Oh, I'm thinking that deer, turkey and rabbit with occasion dove is where our interests will be.

[Sierra]

Hi there. I am kinda sort-of a new hunter in a way, but not new to shooting either.

For the pump action, I would go with the tried and true Remington 870 combo. You'll have both barrels for your multiple interests. I love mine, and it was my first gun as well. It is moderately priced, and you can find it on sale here and there too.

For the break action, I would be of no help, I have tried them but it didn't stick. We also have a 12g bolt action Marlin that is a good gun.

Good luck!

[Deebz]

Ditto on the 870 pump... I can hunt literally anything that you hunt with a shotgun with mine. Especially if you get a rifled slug barrel to extend your range on the deer... Very versatile, and very affordable

[kellory]

The 870 is a nice weapon, but you may want to check out the Mossberg 500 as well. It has interchangeable barrels, that swap with one hand twist nut (no tools) and will do all you have asked for. I have a smooth bore (field barrel for small game and birds, with a rifled sabot barrel for deer. If I run short of sabot rounds, I can swap out for the smooth bore, and run rifled slugs. It is a 5 shot pump, with bead sights, (as well as the scope and sight through mounting rings) and I like mine quite well.

[Sierra]

The 870 is a nice weapon, but you may want to check out the Mossberg 500 as well. It has interchangeable barrels, that swap with one hand twist nut (no tools) and will do all you have asked for. I have a smooth bore (field barrel for small game and birds, with a rifled sabot barrel for deer. If I run short of sabot rounds, I can swap out for the smooth bore, and run rifled slugs. It is a 5 shot pump, with bead sights, (as well as the scope and sight through mounting rings) and I like mine quite well.

I don't need a tool to change mine, it just unscrews. I know Mossbergs are good as well, though, so keep them in mind for sure.

My previous 870, I had the 18" rifled slug barrel. The combo I have now has the smoothbore shot barrel and a smoothbore slug barrel, with which I use rifled slugs. Each that I have used liked Winchester ammo, for whatever reason, not Remington or Federal, etc. So whichever you pick, obviously run some rounds through to see what it prefers as you're sighting it in.

An additional piece of info was that when this gun was given to me, I was unsure of what to think of the smooth slug barrel. But I am hitting tight groups at the same distance as my rifled barrel. I didn't expect that to happen when I got it. (Anyone have any insight on this? As far as slug barrels?)

Anyway, I am sure both shotguns are good, try them both out.

[First_Gen]

Both the 870 and the 500 are good platforms for what you are looking for.

I would, however, recommend an earlier model 870, I have heard some complaints of the newer ones being less durable and reliable. I've only seen and had problems with the newer 887 however. The quality just isn't there anymore from past years. Not trying to throw in a wrench, but I'm more shocked that Remington would let their quality slide like that.

I shoot a Benelli Nova, which I use predominately for turkeys. Chambers 3 1/2 shells. With a 26 inch barrel, a hevi shot turkey choke, and hevi shot your looking at great patterns to 50 yards. I have not shot a turkey with it yet (he hung me out to dry at 75 yards this past spring), but I know its solid. It cycles very quick, and is light enough to haul around the mountains all day. I don't believe in the shorter barrel for turkey hunting either.

[Deebz]

I'll ditto the Mossberg 500 as well... I actually went to buy a rifled slug barrel for my 870 and found a mossberg 500 12 ga pump for basically the same money... So I now have a "dedicated slug gun" for hunting deer. With the Nikon SlugHunter scope I'm REALLY happy with the performance.. I shot it last night to check for slug season opener tomorrow... the first shot went wide right, but I definitely flinched.... the 2nd shot was about a 1/2 ince outside the bulls-eye (it always takes me at least 1 shot after not shooting for awhile to get the trigger pull down...After this season I think I'm going to take it to a gunsmith and see about improving the trigger pull)

I really like both guns. The mossberg has a lot of options for converting to a home defense weapon during the off season as well...

[Scoutfish]

Thanks for the replies.

I was kinda looking at the Mossberg for two reasons - both having to do with being new to the sport.

1) Mossberg is a gun I have shot before and not an unheard of brand. It's also affordable for starting out.

2) You generally do not put a 16 year old teenager - who just earned his driver's license - into a Ferrari for his first car. He first has to get experience and used to driving before he works his way up to sportier and faster models.

I know that shooting at targets is not close to shooting living, breathing, and thinking ( READ : RUN FAST IF YOU SPOOK THEM) animals.

AS I mentioned before, I have fished most of my life and depending on what I was fishing for, a $20 rod can actually work better than a $120.00 rod. Of course, when it comes to reels, you get what you pay for.

So I have no qualms about throwing down good money for a great shotgun, but figured I needed to go through a learning / experiencing curve first.

I also don't mind keeping my budget in check while doing it too.

Thanks for all the replies