Pump or semi-auto

[devon deer]

I know zip about either as i have only ever used/owned over under's.
So, I am after a 12g that can be used for wild fowl or just blasting at rabbits.
I have heard pump action is more reliable than semi-auto's?
What make is preferred?
Chamber?
Steel shot?
Also, i am only permitted to buy a gun with a max 3 shot capacity unless i jump through a lot of hoops with my local police, don't ask!

Thanks guys

Richard

 

[GSP4EVER]

I have both kinds. I have a Mossberg 500 pump action. Its a great shot gun, no complaints with it. MY main, "go to " shotgun that I do most of my hunting with is a Browning Maxus semi auto. I use it for pheasant hunting so the dura touch coating of the stock is great on those mornings when everything is a little wet. My Browning is pretty reliable. You can shoot alot of rounds through it before you start to have problem with it. I bought mine used, and I think the previous owner never cleaned it. As I was having cycling issues with it the first time I took it out. I spent 2.5 hours cleaning it and now it works like new. Most come with a chamber that accepts both 2 3/4" and 3" shells. Some have the capability of 3.5" shells. I personally don't see the need for shells like that, but to each there own.

 

[buckykm1]

I own both, either 1 is fine, the recoil may be a little less with a semi-auto.
I prefer lead shot, if it is legal where you are.

The Remington model 870 is 1 of the most reliable pump guns there is. IMHO

Kevin

 

[mixedbag]

I've had a lot more problems with my pump shotguns then my semi-auto

 

[putm2sleep]

What pump shotgun do you own mixed bag!?

Not any real issues with semi autos that I know of

I am a pump guy - ofcourse my son who is 10 wants a super black eagle II
??

Have had a Remington wing master 870 since college

Killed quite a few geese this season - change is sometimes good

Often times there is no need for change!

O / U will work for waterfowl and rabbits

Save yer money for your next trip over the pond!!!!

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Maybe in the old days.... "pumps have less trouble then semi-autos". Now a days they have very few problems. Lots of guys use them for sporting clays and put 10,000's of rounds through them each year with out issues. (keep them clean).

I have a two semi autos that I use. 1. a Berretta Urika. A very nice gun with very little recoil. Not a good goose gun because it only holds 3 ...... 3" shells. Hols 4... 2 3/4 shells.

2. An old Ithaca XL300. Made by "SKB" in Japan. One of my most favorite and reliable guns. Light accurate and practically indestructible. Been with me 40 years and still goin' strong.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[putm2sleep]

Note : 20 gauge will be fine for ducks and rabbits if recoil is an issue
Lots of good loads and chokes too to make shooting interesting many many combos
I shoot a 12 gauge sir.
Remington wing master express is what gets used
I shoot a modified choke with 2 shot steel and
It's good medicine for geese!
No need for more than 3 shells IMO anyway

 

[Dave N]

Start out with a pump. Always easier to work the action yourself than to wonder what is wrong when an auto doesn't seem to work right. Pumps are lighter as well, normally. Look for a 3" chamber so you can use bigger loads for waterfowl. More powder and shot plus a bit more yardage gained towards effective shooting distance. Geese are tough birds to drop. If you can find a 3 1/2" chambered one for a reasonable price, get it. More better! Even if you never use it, it will still shoot the other shells. Lots of folks around here use 3 1/2" shells for goose and turkey hunting.

We also have a 3 shot limit for shotguns but they will hold more. They come with a "plug". It's a piece of wood or plastic that is inserted into the magazine to imitate ammo being already loaded, denying any more than 2 rounds to be loaded. You also count the one in the chamber to make 3. It is removable for target shooting or having fun, then reinserted for hunting. Your choice to do so or not, of course.

Steel shot is used when REQUIRED. Where I live that means waterfowl, although I believe some places require it for Doves as well. Check your regulations. If needed you will need a more open choke to keep from bulging the barrel since steel shot does not constrict like lead does when passing through a choke. A shotgun with changeable choke tubes is the way to go. That will cover all of your needs and tubes are available in lots of choke sizes.

As far as makes go, there are lots of good ones and the "bad" ones are getting a lot better. The Remington 870 has always been a workhorse of pump shotguns. Mossberg has improved over the years, and Winchester has been around for years and years! Your odds of finding a "junk" gun are pretty low when buying a major brand.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[coppermushroom]

With the proper cleaning and care either should last you a lifetime. I have a 20 year old Mossberg 500 that rattles like a box of bolts but still goes bang everytime I pull the trigger. My go to gun however is an SBEII that is nearing the 3000 round count mark. Many of those rounds have been in wet, muddy, freezing, etc conditions while in a marsh or lying is a cut cornfield. Go shoulder a few if you can, some come up to your eye better than others and make hitting ducks / geese much easier.

 

[TheJason]

Not knowing specifically what kind of fowl, I'm not sure if you need a 12 gauge. If you're talking partridge/grouse then a 20 is fine. A 12 is certainly very versatile, particularly if you go with a 3" chamber for any waterfowl needs. I've never felt the need for 3.5" shells, plus they are very expensive.

I have a Beretta Urika and find it to be very reliable. Pumps are fine, but they are not necessarily lighter than semi autos. Whatever you get, make sure it has interchangeable choke tubes. You can put a "plug" in the magazine tube of any shotgun to limit how many shells it will hold. Two in the magazine and one in the chamber is standard here if you are doing any waterfowl hunting.

Here in the states steel is required. It works fine for upland and small game if you have to use it, lead is cheaper and may give slightly better results.

 

[cowboy]

I have all 3 types: pump, O/U and semi auto

As mentioned the 870 Rem is tried and proven. I have one that has been rebuilt twice by Rem. - I used it for many years shooting competively. Was first rebuilt with about 125,000 rounds out the barrel.

O/U: thev've come a long ways over the years. Used one for many years shooting doubles in trap as well as upland and waterfowl. I have owned some pretty expensive O/U that have incredible trigger lock time - very nice balance.

Semi auto: I hunted waterfowl for years with pump, then used the O/U. Decided to switch to a semi auto do to the fact that we hunt a lot in lay out (coffin) blinds. I'm going to get hammered for this but IMO - there is not a semi auto that will compare to a pump or O/U for reliability in all weather or elements. People say just keep them clean, I've never had a malfunction etc., etc. Yes - that is all true. Follow me for 3 days in a row in freezing rain, mud up to your azz and we'll see. Been there done that. In bad weather I use either the pump or the O/U.

Unless you feel you need more than 2 rounds at a time the O/U is more than adequate. I have been to Canada a number of times and when them birds come in the extra capacity is a plus with a pump or semi. Over here we have a spring snow goose hunt with virtually no bag limits and you can use an extended mag. for extra capacity also.

Unless you just need to scratch an itch for a new shotgun - there is nothing wrong with either a pump or O/U. Pattern the shotguns that you currently own and see how they shoot - buy yourself a case of ammo and do some practicing and you're ready to go.

 

[L. I. Yankee]

I own a mossberg 500 pump, a Rem 11/87 semi, Browning Gold Hunter in 20g semi, all three preformed flawlessly over he years as long as you keep um clean......

 

[kansasdad]

Seems as if you are planning on broadening your horizons beyond the hoofed part of the animal kingdom.

I am certain that many of the guns in use and mentioned above would get you into legal jeopardy with the 3 shells or less requirement in the UK. Plugs to reduce the shell count are legal here, I am nearly certain they would land you a spot of trouble over there.

Screw in choke tubes are quite useful for changing the pattern of shot spray from you shotgun. At our house we have WInchester and Mossberg 500 pumps, and Winchester semi-auto guns. They all share the same thread pattern thus the number of choke tubes can be slightly reduced. Please note that I mentioned it was a Mossberg 500 gun, as some other models of Mossberg chokes will not fit each other....(Mossberg, why did you do that anyway?)

One thing to keep in mind.......field stripping and cleaning varies in ease of use from maker to maker. My Winchester is super easy to take apart, clean and reassemble away from the gun bench. The 500's are a miserable piece of tinker toys parts that I find hard to position correctly in reassembly even under ideal conditions.

When living in Kenya in the 60's, I noted that most ex-pats had double guns (dont think I ever saw an O/U, all S/S) for their dangerous game, and their shotguns. And if it ever came to it, the PH would be likely to carry a shotgun into the thick stuff if it was supposed that the leopard was not stone cold dead. A lot of those guns had double triggers, to determine which tube would be used, as many of the guns were fixed-choked differently.

If you were to find one of these old guns, it is likely that you would be wise to not shoot steel shot through them, as the hardness of the shot, and the higher speeds/pressures of modern shotshells could wreak havoc on a fine fowling piece.

 

[Big Slick]

The biggest difference is not only recoil but also cost. Apparently the manufacturers think their autos are made of gold. The best pump for the price I would say is the Bennelli Nova. Both of my sons shoot them and have been very happy with them. Just my two cents. Good luck with what ever you decide to do. Cheers, Andy

 

[MNElkNut]

I am with Mixedbag on this one, I have had and seen way more problems with pumps than semi autos. I don't keep mine (a Beretta) particularly clean and have never had a problem. I am well over 10,000 rounds with it. I suppose if you plugged it full of mud, that would be a problem. Most of us don't. I shoot waterfowl, deer, pheasants, grouse, etc. with mine. I love it.

I don't think it is fair to say that pumps are lighter, in fact, I think it is the opposite. Most pumps are made of steel vs the new autos are made of a lighter alloy. Most of the pumps I have held feel to me like a heavy club, but that is my opinion only.

Best advice I can give you is go to a sporting goods store and fondle a bunch of them. I predict one of them will stand out as fitting you better than the others. That is your gun no matter what action it is.

 

[.280 Remington]

I like Beretta autos. I've had such good luck with them, I really haven't tried anything else. Started out with an 870 pump. It was reliable, but heavy.

Lately I've been carrying a SxS 16 gauge though. Haven't had much use of the autos of late.

 

[mixedbag]

I had a Mossberg deer shotgun that use to like to pump the shells on the ground rather then load them in chamber.Had a Remington that if you didn't pump it with full force it would just jam up.Now I use a single shot slug gun,and Beretta semi auto for upland game.My son still likes the Remington that you have to pump the heck out of to load.Mossberg is long gone and last I'll buy
Never once have I had any issues with my semiauto.Heck,I even have an old semiauto 22 that cost $50 new 25 years ago and its never given me a problem either

 

[hardscrabble]

I like a semi auto for hunting. Reason being it is way easier to stay on target after the shot. Most have a tendency to drop the gun slightly to pump & reload. This will force you to reaquire your target again.

I prefer an inertia driven over a gas any day. Just my two cents.

 

[devon deer]

Many thanks for all the advice and replies.
When i am next in town i will see what they have on the shelves.
Leaning towards the Semi-Auto after reading all the above.
Cheers
Richard

 

[MThuntr]

I'd lean towards a good mid range semiauto...Maxxus would be my pick or the equivalent Winchester. I agree that 3.5" chambers aren't needed and the punishment from the recoil isn't worth it.

I shoot an 835 for most of my hunting...it is a clunky gun but functions regardless of if it's clean (think AK47). I own 2 Rem 870s a Super Mag and a 16 gauge. Both were made within the last 10 years and they are junk. The 870 Super Mag I have is known to leave empties in the chamber. They both also rust even if I just think about taking them duck hunting.