Gonna start hunting....

[Naptown]

870 COMBO - do buy the combo. It'll teach you how to break it down and clean it. Enjoy. Don't forget about those ducks and geese!

 

[zombiehunter]

wow, thanks a lot for the info guys! I definitely came to the right place for answers!

As for shooting, I do have some experience (my brother has a glock 19 and a walther p22 that we go out shooting at our parents' house in Winchester) but I am always wanting more experience!

My son is still kind of immature and does a lot of whining so that makes me think I'll wait on taking him out hunting for a couple of years and in the meantime that will give me time to learn a lot more about everything...I like to be proficient before trying to give pointers to someone else.

Thanks a million for all the help so far guys and thanks to clfergus for the PM with all the info (would have thanked you in a PM, but I don't have enough posts yet)

I went out to Walmart tonite and checked the practice ammo and found it to be a lot cheaper ($22 for 100) so I will pick THOSE up once I find a good shotgun.

Does anyone have some shop recommendations for the 870? Our Walmart doesn't carry any shotguns at all and I refuse to go to Ludco in Parker City (disrespectful old man will NEVER get my business!)
I've been told Dicks Sporting Goods and maybe even Bass Pro shops but I really don't know.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Does anyone have some shop recommendations for the 870?

I'd start right here looking through the Classifieds / Firearms / Any FS ad with Remington 870 in the title and make a folder with all of them started in the last 2 months. Then figure the low dollar ask in any of them locked / sold as about the average sale price for a used one.

Then go to http://www.galleryofguns.com/GunLocator/ to find a fair price on a new one in your area.

Now the question is which one do you want bad enough to pay the piper for?

A new gun is a new gun. Anything wrong and you are sending it back to the manufacture for warrantee work any way no matter if you buy it from Mao Mart or Best Buddy's Gun Shop on the corner a half block away. I like Harder's Gun Shop on Gun Shop Road near Shoals Indiana.

 

[swbster]

Glad to see your progress. I have 4 kids that I continue acquainting them with guns at opportunities that make sense and at a pace them seem to be able to handle. I would suggest getting over to any gun shows that come to a town near you(check out the calendar on this site for some). A good opportunity to see a lot of guns in all sorts of conditions. Also, Gander Mountain is a good location to put your hands on a lot of guns without having to bother a sales associate - they are displayed and tethered so you don't run away with them but you can pick them up and get a good feel. Just some thoughts that I think fit into your approach to moving up the knowledge curve. Enjoy and keep asking questions. Throw other threads out there and the great folks on this forum will get you taken care of.

 

[redsuperduty]

Very good answers!
On a lot of automotive based forum boards people show their horns very quickly when someone says they are a newbie. They start with how expensive everything is, how dangerous, and how it will take them years to do half of what they have... You guys gave this man the friendly & informative answers and I commend you all for that. This is a great website.
Tim.

 

[zombiehunter]

Very good answers!
On a lot of automotive based forum boards people show their horns very quickly when someone says they are a newbie. They start with how expensive everything is, how dangerous, and how it will take them years to do half of what they have... You guys gave this man the friendly & informative answers and I commend you all for that. This is a great website.
Tim.

I couldn't agree more! This is exactly why I love this place now!

 

[choppers]

I will start by telling you that my sons first gun was a small .22cal made for kids. He was about 7 yrs old. I taught him all about gun saftey and then let him practice shooting to practice the lessons he learned. When he was 8 I took hunters education with him, now he is 14 and we have so much fun together hunting squirrels & deer. He has a 410 mossberg that he shoots squirrels with and I just bought him a 20ga mossberg slug gun that he hunts deer with. I preffer remington but he likes mossgerg. Mossgerg is cheaper in price. Take note that if you buy a combo shotgun that comes with a shot barrel for hunting birds and small game and a slug barrel for hunting deer be aware there are two types of slug barrels. Riffled & smooth bore. Riffled barrels shoot sabots, they look like a bullet for a handgun just bigger. Smooth bore barrels shoot riffled lead slugs, they look like a lead ball with grooves cut in the sides. Sabots are really expensive.

 

[choppers]

I agree with the guy that said don't go to a pawn shop. I found that Dick's sporting goods has some good sales from time to time on shotguns. You might check them out.

 

[paperboy]

Treat yourself to a 22 as well. A ruger 10/22 or Marlin model 60 would serve you very well. You can hunt small game with one and be able to practice shooting a lot with little expense. You can have a ton of fun with a 22 and a couple bricks of ammo.....