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best shotgun buy around $250 or less?

8K views 42 replies 24 participants last post by  Alaskan 
#1 ·
i am in need of a shotgun by november, i'm saving now and by then will have around $250 or so, i have about $160 now if that will get one. i will be using it as a deer gun in thick woods with shots 50-75yds at most, also it will double as a home gun along with my lcr 9mm. i am wanting a 12 gauge as i have lots of ammo saved up and don't want another gauge. since it's been several years since i bought a shotgun, i thought i would ask what models can i get and the best bang for the dollar? thanks for any help
 
#3 ·
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#4 · (Edited)
You should be able to buy a useable Mossberg 500 for that kinda dough.

H&R Pardner Pumps sell new for about that kinda cash.
Its kinda like a chinese made version of the Remington 870.
My kids have a 20ga that has stood well by them for several years.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/H-R-Pardner-Pump-Synthetic-Pump-Action-Shotguns/1343625.uts

Stoeger p3000 pumps are a little on the high end your range.
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...uct&WT.ac=YMAL-2230575&WT.z_pg_ref=prd1343625

Another good one is the Armscor /Rock Island Armory M30R6 its the 21st century rendition of the reliable High Standard Flite King shotgun.
http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx?item=51330
 

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#7 ·
Just save up and get the Mossberg two barrel package.
Comes with 18" and 28" barrels. Well worth the wait.
Or he could just get the M88, and pick up the other M500 barrel for about $100 less. He is trying to get the shotgun by hunting season of THIS year, not next year.

Which game animal are you planning on hunting, as that may limit the choices, as the RIA M5\M6 have fixed barrels, so you are stuck with the one it has from the factory. The other options can be changed out as needed, but FWIW, the Maverick 88 will take 99% of the add ons and parts from a Mossberg 500, as they are, essentially the same shotgun.

Only parts that won't interchange are the trigger group\safety and the forend, without getting the rest of the foreend parts for a M500 first, as the M88 forend is riveted on the slide bars.

Everything else will swap between the two shotguns.
 
#8 ·
if you are going to buy a new one, hard to beat the Maverick Model 88. Maverick is owned by Mossberg, and it's essentially a Model 500 with minor differences. they are decent made shotguns, that are very reliable and perform well.

if you are going to buy used, there are lots of choices that open up for you. Mossbergs, Remingtons, Winchesters, ect.
 
#9 ·
I have two of the H&R Pardner Pumps. Bought the first, a 20 gauge on a whim. Needed a shotgun for an impromptu dove hunt and the H&R was cheap and available. I liked it so much that I later bought it's 12 gauge big brother. I've got about $360 in both of them.
I have a friend the recently bought one in 12 ga., I looked it over and shot it a few times, they are surprisingly well made and have a steel receiver like the 870 Remington, which is my favorite.
 
#14 ·
Mossberg maverick
No. Buddy has one. It goes click, no boom (thank God too, he dropped the hammer on a live round inside the house one day and thankfully it didn't go off)
 
#15 ·
No. Buddy has one. It goes click, no boom (thank God too, he dropped the hammer on a live round inside the house one day and thankfully it didn't go off)
Then your buddy needs to call up Mossberg, or he needs to clean the excess oil out of the firing pin hole in the bolt. loaned mine to a friend once, and it came back with the same issue. He over oiled it. soak in some solvent, dry with compressed air, then light ly oil it, problem solved.

Any model, in any make, can have that same issue, from over oiling, lack of cleaning, or both. SOP should always be, check the gun BEFORE you blame it.

Or have we all forgotten the runaway SKS issue caused by oil and carbon buildup?

All i'm saying is, as a longtime Mossberg 500\590 and M88 owner, is it's usually not the gun.
 
#16 ·
Then your buddy needs to call up Mossberg, or he needs to clean the excess oil out of the firing pin hole in the bolt. loaned mine to a friend once, and it came back with the same issue. He over oiled it. soak in some solvent, dry with compressed air, then light ly oil it, problem solved.

Any model, in any make, can have that same issue, from over oiling, lack of cleaning, or both. SOP should always be, check the gun BEFORE you blame it.

Or have we all forgotten the runaway SKS issue caused by oil and carbon buildup?

All i'm saying is, as a longtime Mossberg 500\590 and M88 owner, is it's usually not the gun.
good points Mr. Kfox.

old oil can congeal and hinder the travel of the firing pin when fired as well.

sometimes, people are surprised at what a good proper cleaning can do with the function and operation of a firearm!
 
#17 ·
Like I said, 2 mavericks straight out of the box, never once had a problem. I broke my 870 express in the meantime, but not my mavericks.
I think the finish leaves something to be desired, but if you're worried about finish, you're not buying the cheapest shotgun you can find.
Plus, iirc, the maverick 88 fits the 500 series furniture, meaning you can add sweet magpul accessories, but you still have to grow your own beard.
 
#19 ·
Like I said, 2 mavericks straight out of the box, never once had a problem. I broke my 870 express in the meantime, but not my mavericks.
I think the finish leaves something to be desired, but if you're worried about finish, you're not buying the cheapest shotgun you can find.
Plus, iirc, the maverick 88 fits the 500 series furniture, meaning you can add sweet magpul accessories, but you still have to grow your own beard.
i have read that the wood fore-end for a Mossberg 500 will work on a Maverick 88 if you use the fore-end tube for a 500 along with the fore-end grip.

and yes, the finish isn't the highly polished blued finish of a higher grade shotgun, but still durable if one takes cares of the shotgun by cleaning and oiling it.
 
#21 ·
how good is the savage 320?, my local store has a sale for $139. i called savage and they don't have any parts, not even small ones if i have a problem i would have to send the whole gun in for just the firing pin or ejector under warranty. thanks
Their not a bad option, from the little bit of time i have spent with a friend's 320, and his son's 320 Security. Don't have a lot of trigger time on one, but they seem to be well made IMO.

If it's a non-covered repair, Numrich has 31 parts listed for the 320 on their site.

FWIW, I'd pay the little bit more, and get the M88, as it could be shipped to Mossberg if needed, but you can get pretty much any part for it, or the the M500, from several different vendors for less money, and chances are, you could do the repairs at home instead.

and $139 is a great price on the 320. Can't find one here for less than $200.
 
#22 ·
i went today and found a great deal on a new mossberg maverick 88, i got the gun for just over $150 otd. it has the 28" barrel but i can get a slug barrel for it to deer hunt if the field barrel doesn't shoot them well. the guy at the shop said he uses his 88 28" field barrel to shoot slug to 50yds and does good so i'm hopeful. thanks everyone.
 
#23 ·
My husband and I lover our old Winchesters. They were right around the price range you are talking about. I have a 20 gauge Winchester 50 built in 1957. He has a 12 gauge Winchester 50 built in 1959.
 
#24 ·
My husband and I lover our old Winchesters. They were right around the price range you are talking about. I have a 20 gauge Winchester 50 built in 1957. He has a 12 gauge Winchester 50 built in 1959.
Some of the best deals out there are the older models. the newest ones I own are from 2004 to 2006, and that's only 2 out of close to 2 dozen. most of what I own is from the 1940s, with a few from the 50s and 60s.

Most of which I picked up, looking a little rough, for well under $200. A few of them were hand me downs or inherited from family.

Most folks these days want the newer, high speed, low drag firearms, so the older wood stocked, non-tactical ones tend to go for less, as they are not what's in vogue. granted, i do like synthetic for certain uses, such as hunting on days with wide temperature swings, or wet conditions, as wood can swell, but I just like the way the old ones work, and some of the stories attached to them.
 
#26 ·
Some of the best deals out there are the older models. the newest ones I own are from 2004 to 2006, and that's only 2 out of close to 2 dozen. most of what I own is from the 1940s, with a few from the 50s and 60s.

Most of which I picked up, looking a little rough, for well under $200. A few of them were hand me downs or inherited from family.

Most folks these days want the newer, high speed, low drag firearms, so the older wood stocked, non-tactical ones tend to go for less, as they are not what's in vogue. granted, i do like synthetic for certain uses, such as hunting on days with wide temperature swings, or wet conditions, as wood can swell, but I just like the way the old ones work, and some of the stories attached to them.
Our shotguns are absolutely beautiful and in excellent condition.
 
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