JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Messages
99
Reactions
0
I am going to be in the market for a new or used shotgun hopefully soon.
I have been seeing both smooth bore and rifled barrels.
I am assuming the rifled barrels are for slugs for deer hunting etc.
The one I purchase will primarily be for home defense and possibly some trap shooting or clays.
which barrel style do I need?
 
Rifled shotgun barrels are meant for slugs & can induce odd shot patterns - not good for trap/clays. I'd recommend getting something with choke tubes so you can change the choke to meet your intended use. A pump gun w/ a short barrel for home defense and long barrel for other purposes might be your best bet. Barrels on pump guns aren't hard to change.
 
I've been looking at some rifled barrel guns and there are some good deals on two barrel Remingtons out there

I think Big 5 has some on those and Mossbergs with a HD and a Choked/hunting barrel
 
Centerfire,

When you buy ammo for your gun, don't go overboard.
Filling a felon's @$$ full of #6's, or even #9's, will most likely be enough deterrent to keep them from trespassing your property ever again.
Remember, distances are short inside your house. Give yourself a max of 30 feet (10 yards).
Once the intruder goes outside of the house, consider him the Police's problem and call the local authorities.
A fairly open choke, maybe even no choke (i.e., "cylinder bore") will work best.
Average sized shot, like 6s and 8s are less likely to penetrate walls and thus, offer less danger to loved ones who may be hiding on the other side of whatever you are using as a backstop during that particular moment.
Also, a pump action might be in order, as Law Enforcement has noted in the past that the actioning of a pump shotgun, alone, is often enough to grab a perp's attention.
Thus that sound is a deterrent all its own.
Since your other purpose is trap and skeet, might I suggest 3 choke inserts for your gun - "Skeet1", "Sheet2", and possibly, "Cylinder Bore" (for home defense use).
These are all fairly loose chokes and will work well for the either of the gun's intended purposes.
...and if you ever do decide to go deer hunting, you can still use your smooth bore shotgun, with any of those chokes.
Just make sure the ammo you get features "Rifled Slugs".
If you ever decide to do any bird hunting, "Skeet 2" may prove suitable, but chances are, you'll need something a bit tighter.
Depends on your skill level at that time.



Dean
 
Just buy one of the two barrel sets that most stores/shops have on sale regularly. The set includes the long vent rib for hunting birds or shooting clays but the shorter barrel is not usually a rifled barrel it is smooth bore for rifled type slugs. This shorter barrel will also do just fine for the home defense just buy some of the same sporting target ammo as this is light enough for in home shooting without tearing the house down in the process.

The rifled barrels are available to buy seperately for using sabot type slugs. If you decide to use the shorter rifle site barrel from the kit just buy some rifled slugs.
 
Bi-mart or Big 5 seem to have the best deals on entry level American made pump action shotguns. I believe Big 5 has the mossberg field/security combo for $269.99 right now. I believe rifled shotgun barrels were developed for 2 reasons, 1.) Allows people in areas where hi-powered rifle hunting is prohibited to get comparable accuracy out to 100 yards. (They don't have near the elbow room east of the rockies and the folks out there like to shoot each other by accident when hunting.) and 2.) As a gimmick to make money. Rifled barrels are only good for one thing and that is shooting sabot slugs. these slugs are very expensive and typically provided by the same manufacturer who sold you the rifled barrel. Are sabot slugs more accurate than rifled slugs? Yes, but unless you can't live with 4-6" groups at 100 yards and have to have 2-4" groups your probably just throwing your money away.

They make choke tubes these days which allow you to shoot pretty much anything and get the results you're looking for. You can shoot rifled slugs out of your smooth bore shotgun and get very good, not great results and you can also buy a rifled choke for shooting sabot slugs if you really can't live without it.
 
Sabots are accurate to 200yds now,with velocities up to 1800+fps.

A good choke tube costs around $100 and a rifled barrel for an 870 costs $200 I would go with the rifled barrel.

But most of the areas you would be using a shotgun in would have you shooting under 100yds, no?
 
Centerfire,

Would it safe to assume that the deer you would be hunting with this shotgun is not anywhere near your home?


Dean

Hey Dean.
I have no plans on hunting with a shotgun.
it will be used for home defense with occaisional outings for clay, trap etc
I was just curious since I have seen both smooth and rifled barrels.
So it boils down to:
If hunting large animals like deer, a rifled barrel is best.
HD , clays, birds a smooth barrel is best.
Does that sound correct?
 
Centerfire,

Despite other information posted earlier in this thread, research indicates that buckshot would be your best load for home defense.

Home defense is about ending a threat as quickly as possible. The point is not to deter an invader. It is to stop an invader.

Birdshot (6 or 9) may not stop an invader, and the sound of the shotgun being pumped certainly cannot be relied upon to stop an invader. Buckshot stops invaders.

If you are concerned about over penetration (pellets passing through the perpetrator and then through walls) relating to other people in the home or nearby neighbors, consider 4 buckshot.

In the event that the shotgun could be used by loved ones sensitive to excessive recoil, low-recoil buckshot can be purchased which will make the discharge experience more manageable.

This post should not be interpreted as trolling or flaming.
 
Hey Dean.
I have no plans on hunting with a shotgun.
it will be used for home defense with occaisional outings for clay, trap etc
I was just curious since I have seen both smooth and rifled barrels.
So it boils down to:
If hunting large animals like deer, a rifled barrel is best.
HD , clays, birds a smooth barrel is best.
Does that sound correct?
Not neccessarily.
A rifled shotgun barrel basically makes your gun a "rifle" and there are many, many better options for a rifle than any converted shotgun.
You can use slugs in a smooth bore, which allows you to do all your hunting with that single weapon and that single barrel, interchangeable chokes or not.
The nice thing about a rifled shotgun barrel is that allows the use of a more efficient projectile. Sometimes, this allows ranges to extend slightly, but this does not mean it will match any purpose-built centerfire rifle at all ranges.
You're still limited by the whole concept of a shotgun.
If you're able to live within those limitations, or if those limitations work better in regards to local hunting laws, then the rifled shotgun barrel would be a marginally better choice, only in regards of the type of projectile being fired.
However, the true beauty of the shotgun format is that you can shove a variety of different projectiles down the barrel of a shotgun, depending on your need at the time, and have the entire system work reasonable well.
This is exactly why it is the shotgun, that is now regarded as "the gun that won the west". It was one of the settlers essential tools.
My apologies for losing sight of your original question, and while I do not totally disagree with Felt Lizard's comments, I still say that whatever load you're using for target shooting will be sufficient for stopping the intruder, even if multiple shots are required.
Remember, in your typical home, your maximum distance should be considered 30 feet.
In reality, the distance will likely be much closer. Maybe 10 feet or less.
At such short ranges, the muzzle blast alone is likely to do great harm to anyone....lest we forget what happend to the actor Jon-Erik Hexum.


Dean
 
Sabots are accurate to 200yds now,with velocities up to 1800+fps.

A good choke tube costs around $100 and a rifled barrel for an 870 costs $200 I would go with the rifled barrel.

But most of the areas you would be using a shotgun in would have you shooting under 100yds, no?

I agree. A Remington Accutip is 1850-1900 fps, accurate at 200 yds, and just as important, jacketed with a brass case that expands to about 1", petal style.
Big, heavy, fast, expanding, accurate - nasty indeed.

However, he said he does plan to hunt with it, apparently not even birds so we're back to smooth bore?

Hey Dean.
I have no plans on hunting with a shotgun.
it will be used for home defense with occaisional outings for clay, trap etc
I was just curious since I have seen both smooth and rifled barrels.
So it boils down to:
If hunting large animals like deer, a rifled barrel is best.
HD , clays, birds a smooth barrel is best.
Does that sound correct?

For home defense, the shorter barrel with buckshot is more than adequate. Slugs, even rifled slugs (which tests show don't spin much anyway in a smooth bore) aren't necessary for home defense. Buckshot makes 9-12 wounds all at once, each about the size of a .38 special if using 00 buck in 12 gauge.

The longer barrel will do just fine for your clay, trap shooting. For a starter dual purpose gun and no hunting, I vote with those who suggest the ones which come with both long and short smooth bores.
 
Yeah just answering questions and adding some info.
The only reason to use a rifled barrel shot gun or any slugs for that matter is for restricted hunting areas.
Otherwise the isn't any good reason to use a shot gun instead of a rifle.Unless you just shoot that the best.

DeanMk has some good points.Someone in another thread said that bird shot is marginal for a defense load.
I'll call BS.
Even a 410 loaded with some decent loads,at close range is gunna really make a guy think about just calling it a day.
(A 410 would be one good example of using a slug for HD,though)

So yeah,a nice medium priced pump 12 ga with inter -changeable chokes should give you your skeet/clays/HD shotgun.

BTW the package deal at Big 5's is a hunting barrel and a 18" HD barrel not a rifled bbl
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top