Why You Should Buy a Shotgun—Today!

Why should you buy shotgun today, you ask? Well, I am gonna tell ya.

Reliability

It is widely held that the 12-gauge shotgun is the most versatile firearm that you can buy. Whether your prey is a delicious Texas dove or a whitetail Ohio dear—the 12 gauge has an app for that. The versatile 12 gauge also does a great job of protecting the homestead as well; the bone-chilling sound of a Remington 870 cycling is instantly recognizable and conveys authority. The pump-action shotgun has also done a valiant job at serving alongside our protectors and will continue to do so for many years to come, making it the natural choice for you to rely on.

Hunting

Circling back to the hunting aspect of a 12-gauge shotgun, I want to talk about why hunters turn to the powerful 12 gauge when taking such a wide variety of game. It comes down to the wide variety of shells available for the 12 gauge. All the way from tiny-as-heck #8 shot used for small birds and squirrel to the mighty 1-ounce foster slug for large game such as deer, there is a load that is exactly the right amount of firepower to take your game.

Self Defense

Man stopping rounds are something I could write a whole post on. The ever-popular 00 buck sits in more shotgun tubes across the country ready to be called on in a time of need. Some folks even pepper a few slugs in there in case the unwanted guest is on Angel Dust or whatever voodoo the kids are doing these days in order to stop the most determined of intruders. When it comes to law enforcement use, many duty shotguns are loaded with 00 buck as well, but many also have less lethal rounds or some other super specialty round for a very specific use.

Versatility

If that wasn’t convincing enough, how about the being able to swap barrels? Want to go shoot some skeet? Take your 26- or 28-inch barrel on your gun and head to the range. How about taking a deer? Easy, just throw a 22- or 24-inch fully rifled barrel onto the gun and load up some sabot slugs. Home defense is an easy one, an 18-inch to 20-inch barrel is your friend there. Couple that flexibility with an interchangeable choke system and you have one gun that can do just about do it all.

Affordability

So, what shotgun should you buy? That really comes down to what you want to spend and what you think you might plan on doing with it, but a good bet is to pick up one of the combo kits that speak to you. I myself would go for an 18-inch barrel for around the house and a 28-inch barrel for birds because I enjoy shooting skeet and hunting some delicious Texas dove. As far as what brand and model is concerned, you can’t go wrong with the Mossberg 500 field and security combo. The 500 series of shotguns have proven reliable in the hands of hunters and professionals since 1961 and will surely serve you well for many, many years.

There are several other options as to what shotgun you should choose to buy, like my personal favorite, the Remington 870. I like them so much that I have four tucked away everywhere from my truck to under my bed. Sadly, Remington has changed the magazine tube on the 870 Express and has made it harder to swap barrels. No matter, just buy more guns!

All of the major manufacturers have some sort of field and defense combo that will fill your needs. It is up to you to spend some time deciding what model is right for you. While the 870 might work great for my needs, you may gravitate to CZ USA’s 612 combo or even the bargain-priced Stevens 320 field and security set.

I think I have laid out a convincing argument as to why you might need to buy a shotgun today, now you get to decide what new scattergun you want to add to your collection. Given the fact that the 870 is not offered in a field and security combo, I’m going to take a hard look at that reasonably priced Mossberg 500 setup. It really offers a lot without putting too big a hole into your wallet.

This post originally was run on The Shooter's Log - http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/buy-shotgun-today/