Remington Vs Mossbergs Vs Benelli Opinions

Azshios84

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Apr 28, 2011
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I'm looking to get a shotgun for waterfowl, and general pigeon clean up for around our farm. Im not looking to spend a fortune on this shotgun, because it will be my first shotgun, and I plan on keeping it for a while. Im looking for a workhorse than can go through duck hunting and still be reliable enough.
My top recommendations have been:
This is all online pricing, not from a local dealership.
Remington 887 Nitro Mag Standard for $436
Mossberg 500 Turkey Standard Trigger $453
Benelli Nova Pump Black Synthetic $449
Remington 870 Express Turkey Camo $485
Remington 870 Express Super Magnum $462
Ive taken a liking towards the Nitro Mags but I haven't really had any hands on experience with most of these. Just some older 870s ever few years. I also like the Nitro Mags protective coating, if that's worth really anything. But Im open to any and all suggestions.
Im trying to stay relatively low on the price. Just seeing what peoples opinions are on this, and any, and all advice would be helpful. Haha. Thanks
:D:D
 
Hi have owed all of the shotguns listed except the Mossberg I can probably help you out. Let me just start out by saying all of these shotguns will to what you want just fine. The only one I didn't lie was the Mossberg hence me not owning one. If you never plan on deer hunting with it I would prefer the benelli, followed by the 887 then 870. If you ever plan on deer hunting the 870 is the way to go. Rifled barrels are inexpensive for these and shoot good. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the reply
Im not really planning on deer hunting with it. I have a deer rifle already, so basically just what I said with some clay pigeons etc etc. So, thats not a huge benefactor for me. Out of the ones you owned, what was your personal preference, with action cycle and malfunctions coming into play?
 
I recommend you look at the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag. I have been shooting one these for the last 12 years. I have well over 6k rounds through it. It is my go to gun for everything that requires a scatter gun. It still shoots like a dream and it has NEVER had a malfunction!

I have owned the 500, 870 and Nova and still grab the 835. On cold icy hunts, I still take it over my SBEII. It can shoot 3.5" for waterfowl, buckshot, turkey or coyotes loads. And it is just as happy shooting light trap loads for all day clay shooting. It goes for $400-$450 online. It has a 10 gauge "overbored" barrel with porting and the felt recoil is less than the others IMO. Wood or synthetic furniture, camo options and different barrel length options. I recommend the 28" for the best balance and versatility. It really is a fantastic pump gun!
 
I hunted with a Remington 870 Express all through college. The gun is a tank and always runs. It made me a good shot too, not wanting to pump that thing for a follow up shot. My first year out of college, I wanted an auto loader, and like most college kids, I was dirt poor. So I bought myself a Steoger M2000. Does everything I ask of it, and I have used it to smack just about everything from Doves to Gobblers. I have beat the **** out of it too. It has a screw loose, but with 6 years of abuse under its belt, I am stoked with the weapon. I think I got it for around $399 on sale. I would seriously consider that shotgun. It came with 5 chokes and really can be used for any type of bird hunting.
 
Out of all my guns I prefer the super nova. That being said I have ha great luck with it and the 870. Cant go wrong with either. I have shot thousands of rounds through both guns with no problems, even in horrible weather. My advice would be to hold both or all three nd see what feels better to you. If I ha to choose it would be my super nova ,887, then 870 in that order. Hope this helps good luck.
 
All are good choices but the most important thing is to get what fits you. I've own/owned a number of 870s but was never really happy with my performance with them because they've got too much drop for me and my preferred aiming picture (bird just above the bead, probably due to years of trap shooting). Also, a gun that fits is going to be more comfortable to shoot than one that doesn't.

To see if it fits, wear your hunting/shooting clothes or coat into the store and ask to throw up a couple of them. Close your eyes and throw up the gun tight to your shoulder and face. Once it's there, open your eyes and see where the bead. If it's left or right, that's a cast problem that you probably won't be able to correct with an off the shelf gun. If you can't see the bead, it will shoot low. If you can't see any rib but do see the full bead, it will shoot right behind the bead (typical field gun sight picture, aka cover up the target). If you see rib, it will shoot above the bead and the more rib you see, the higher it will shoot (I prefer about 1/8-1/4" of rib so it will shoot about 1" above the bead).
 
I too have an 835 turkey gun and like the other poster said it's a dream come true when shooting magnum rounds thru it. Could point a little better if shooting at a bird in flight, but I never use it that way anyway. Another shotgun well worth the look in pump actions is the Browning BPS. I have the upland bird gun with the English cut stock and either a 20" or 22" barrel. Once I got that shotgun, the 870's had to go! Yes it's that nice. Great little pheasant gun and swings fairly well (nothing like a good side by side with the splinter forend and English stock). Another great little shotgun I own is a Baretta A390 (or 391) in 20 gauge. Very light weight, and shoots extremely well (not far behind my O/U's). But for anything the OP is going to do with it, I'd simply buy a Mossberg 500 or 535 and be done with it. They are not all that bad on birds, and are really well built. Extra barrels are very common. The only thing I ever saw shoot slugs better than one of them was the Savage bolt action slug gun and a custom built Mod. 700 Remington that shot slugs. But a slug gun is not a bird gun, and vise versa.
gary
 
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