Comb. home defence & predator shotgun

J

jeff smead

New member
Anyone suggest a good camo., 12 gauge, short barreled, semi-auto shotgun that would fit both the self defense and predator hunting roles. I would prefer something that would handle 3 1/2", $500 max. I need a weapon that I don't have to worry about getting scratched, beat up a little.
 
With a budget of $500, I would forget the semi-auto and look for a good-condition used pump shotgun. Cheap semi-autos lack the reliability and ruggedness you demand for self-defense or tough use hunting. A Remington 870 would be a good choice in a pump shotgun. Mossberg, Benelli, Browning, Ithaca 37, and Winchester M12 would all be solid choices as well. The Remington and Mossberg will likely be the most common on the used gun racks. Forget the 3.5", no need for that. Look for a good used turkey gun. A Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 designed for turkeys will have a short barrel of 24" or less, usually around 21", have sling swivel attachments, and take screw in choke tubes. Perfection. Barrels for the 870 or 500 are readily available on the market so if you find an suitable gun but it has a 28" barrel, you can buy a shorter turkey barrel and keep the longer barrel for other hunting uses, or have the long barrel cut and threaded for choke tubes.
 
Last edited:
Pretty much what GC said if you insist on a 3.5" semi auto, your going to have to haunt the used gun market, I saw a used Stoeger 3500 turkey shotgun in GB with a starting bid of $350. If you go used look for a current production shotgun from a mainstream manufacturer.

And like GC said the 3.5" is highly over rated and can be brutal on the shooter enough that you aren't going to practice with it.

I kill most of my shotgun coyotes with 1 oz of NP BBs out of a 2 1/2" 16ga and 1 1/4 oz NP BBs out of a 2 3/4" 12ga.

I do have an 870 3" turkey shotgun set up for predators if I'm in a lead free zone, Rem HD BBS and Dead Coyote ammo do the trick.
 
I’d recommend a Youth 870 20ga. It’s compact and lightweight. The gun is the cheap part for home defense and predators. The expense comes with ammo and the right choke. My turkey gun, one mentioned, stays by my bed 365 days a year except when I’m out of State turkey hunting. I have dropped hogs out to 40yds and blown holes in closer ones that you could stick your fist in and not get blood on it. All this with TSS 1 5/8oz #9 shot, lol.
The only issue I’d never look forward to is firing that joker indoors.
 
Back
Top