Hi, I recently got interested in hunting and I am looking for recommendations for my first shot gun. I have been looking for mostly pump action shot guns- Remington 870, Mossberg 500, Browning BPS and Ithaca M37. My reasoning for leaning towards pumps is affordability and simplicity, but I am open to semi-autos. I have never hunted before and don't want to spend $1500 and not like hunting. I am looking to hunt small game, turkeys and deer, so I have been looking at 12ga. with a 28" barrel in the $600-$700 range. I have read some bad reviews on new 870s and would like to know if I should stay away from them? Any suggestions on how to test the fit, valuate used guns or something else I should look for- the more information the better.

Your new friends at the local gun club is a good way to start.

For ducks I love the BPS in 3” chamber. Also really like the function, if not looks, of the Benelli Nova. For birds I prefer the 870 wing master. Feel like it’s just a faster handling gun and I like the side port for more frequent load checks.

For fur hunting I’m not sure what’s best suited. Turkeys and deer would probably benefit from a heavy gun like the bps. Rabbits and squirrels I think would be fun with a 20ga 870.

Have shot Remington guns since the 80s , to include newer ones ( ‘15 870 Express, ‘17 V3). No issues with any of them. Wingmasters may be out of your price range now.

Pumping a shotgun well to shoot is an art form. But I suspect in 2021, you’ll find way more semi auto shooters out hunting. For low cost well made guns look at the Tristar G2 gas semi auto. Top of line Bronze goes for $750 and they have a silver, wood, and synthetic model for much less.

https://www.tristararms.com/series/viper-g2/

Don’t buy anything Tristar and expect it to last.

For you and your description I would recommend a bps or a moss berg pump. Nova rattle like a tin can full of marbles.

I got suckered into the tristar thing with a cheap over under in the past and they just are flat out junk. A cheap 870 will run thousands of rounds, so will a bps or mossberg. A tristar will break or wear in the first thousand rounds to the point of needing a gunsmith or factory service. There is a reason they are half of a comparable brand for the same product. There are the odd exceptions out there but overall their product is substandard.

In my opinion all the guns you list are good pump guns. Finding one on the shelf right now may be difficult. I would recommend a 3" 12 ga pump with choke tubes and maybe with a slug barrel if you can find one. A fixed choke 2 3/4" chambered gun would not be a deal breaker to me if it was a good deal, but it can affect the versatility of the gun. I used to see Mossberg combo shotguns with 2 barrels and a scope on special for $299 from big box sporting goods stores in the not too distant past. Those days seem to be gone for now.

If you decide to go semi auto, the Beretta A300 is a made in the USA semi auto 3" 12 ga. It was retailing for about $600. In my opinion it is one of the best deals on the market for a semi auto. Good luck with your search.

I think you are painting the entire line from Tristar with a broad brush from your one bad experience with their O/U.

I don't believe that your experience with an O/U from Tristar is of necessity transferable to their Viper G2 gas autos. Mine has gone over 2,000 rounds with only a recoil spring breaking at about the 1,000 round mark. I had the replacement spring in my hands, 4 days from making the call. I don't consider their semi auto Viper G2 to be substandard but then that is just my opinion.

A friend has a 28 gauge Viper G2 and has had zero issues with it. Go figure.

I don't know anything about their O/U models but agree that really low cost doubles from any maker are for the most part not a wise purchase.

OP do not fall into the trap da “bear guy” did. A cheap OU that costs less than a comparable auto from any company that is reliable is a “unicorn.” It’s like looking for the fountain of youth. Many try and all universally fail. Those cheap OU, if shot with any regularity, have problems. The tristar G2 is well proven; however, if you want more comfort Armsan makes this same gun branded Mossberg so you can check that out as well.

Ranger95,

If you want a good reliable pump gun pick up a Winchester Model 12, I have one in 16 gauge and have never had one problem with it. Opened the choke up to IC for Grouse hunting, the gun is light and works incredibly well. I purchased mine used for $650.00 a few years back. It is used as one of my home security weapons also.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

I hunt with Remington 870 20ga and am sure you will like that.

OP hasn’t been back since his first post. Time to shut this one down.

Agree.

Thank you for all of your responses! Sorry for the delay, I never saw the e-mail notification for my first reply (it was in the spam folder). I should have just looked here sooner. Thank you for the semi auto recommendations, I have added them to my list of potential candidates. I guess I picked the worst time to get into hunting and purchasing a shot gun because the pickings have been slim in my area. I was hoping to get lucky and find some 2020 panic buys on the used racks, but no luck yet.

Thanks again for all of the information!

Ranger95

If your near S.W. Ohio I can let you shoot a few different models and action styles to help you with your decision making process.

P.M. me

Doug