Single farm gun recommendations

[JB4310]

870 does have alot of options, but what about Ithaca Model 37.

I've got 2 older ones.

Ordnance Notes -- by Bob Stoner GMCM(SW) Ret

JB

 

[Bird]

The only advantage I've ever seen to a semi-auto gun of any kind is that you can use up more ammo faster.:laughing: When I started on the police department, we had several different brands of pump .12 gauge shotguns; the result of different ones winning the bids in different years. But eventually, the department standardized with nothing but the Remington 870s and I suppose that's what they still have. And as many hog and beef killings as I've seen my dad do with a Remington bolt action .22 rifle, and never more than a single shot . . . it just always seemed to me to the one necessary gun on a farm. Ideally, if I thought I might have to dispatch cows, I'd probably want a 30-30 but it's not necessary.

 

[canoetrpr]

Bird, did your dad dispatch full grown adult cattle with a 0.22 with a single shot to the forehead?

 

[Bigfoot62]

The only advantage I've ever seen to a semi-auto gun of any kind is that you can use up more ammo faster.:laughing: When I started on the police department, we had several different brands of pump .12 gauge shotguns; the result of different ones winning the bids in different years. But eventually, the department standardized with nothing but the Remington 870s and I suppose that's what they still have. And as many hog and beef killings as I've seen my dad do with a Remington bolt action .22 rifle, and never more than a single shot . . . it just always seemed to me to the one necessary gun on a farm. Ideally, if I thought I might have to dispatch cows, I'd probably want a 30-30 but it's not necessary.

Bird, (and others),
Please understand, I have absolutely nothing against a Remington 870. I have six of them. One has an 18" police barrel and it's my "house gun." My first shotgun, other than a single shot .410, was a 20 gauge Wingmaster. I still have it. They are GREAT guns.

BUT, the original poster said he wanted just one shotgun and that he wanted to shoot skeet. I shoot skeet. Quite a lot actually. Several thousand shotgun shells per year. I just finished reloading about 500 shells. It's what I do on a rainy day. (when I'm not playing on the computer) I've shot skeet with an 870 pump. I can do pretty well with it, but I would NOT recommend it for a beginner. A semi is just easier to deal with and a much quicker follow-up shot for the pairs.

Canoetrpr, don't be scared off by the prices quoted by some. A brand new Xtrema can be bought for $1150-1200. I bought mine, barely used, for $600. The Urika can be bought new for under $1000. Go on GunBroker.com and search the semi-auto shotgun section for 391, Xtrema, or Urika.

As I said earlier, I don't shoot 3.5" shells. I bought an Xtrema, with the 3.5" chamber, because that's what I found a deal on. And, it doesn't matter. It will still cycle the 7/8 ounce super light skeet loads without a problem.

 

[mroldstyle]

Bird, did your dad dispatch full grown adult cattle with a 0.22 with a single shot to the forehead?

Thats all our local butcher ever uses on cattle or swine. Course he pretty quick to get in there and slit the throat also.

 

[Bird]

Bird, did your dad dispatch full grown adult cattle with a 0.22 with a single shot to the forehead?

I'm not real sure at what age you call them full grown, but I guess not.:laughing: They were no more than a year old. We had a jersey milk cow, bred her each year to a hereford bull, and butchered the offspring, whether male or female, for our own meat. I think now, the commercial operations raise them to two years old before slaughtering, but ours were younger and smaller at the time we butchered them.

 

[westcliffe01]

You should consider a now out of production gun - the Savage 24. These were made in a variety of configurations, all double barreled. The lightest is .22 and 410 shotgun, all the way up to 30-30 with 12ga shotgun barrel.

The one I have is a 222 top barrel with a 20ga lower barrel. You can load both barrels and then with a selector pick to shoot top or bottom barrel. You can get these used, sometimes unfired for between $400-$600.

This is a private website not affiliated with Savage that describes them Savage24.com

 

[creekbend]

I have worked on the Kill Floor of a slaughterhouse. We used a captive gun with a blank round that pushed the rod into the front of the animal's forehead. This stunned the animal so you could bleed it in the next process down the line. Using this method, you could still use the tongue and cheek meat. It really doesn't take a large caliber to kill cattle. Just my experience.

 

[studor]

A couple of things to remember -- the used gun market is much smaller in Canada and more modern used guns like the Berettas tend to hold a higher price, especially the wood stocked ones.
In most cases a 2 3/4 12 gauge is not a big disadvantage. Given your "smaller stature" you may wish to look at youth models which might fit better and therefore you will shoot them better and feel less recoil.
Bird is right on the .22 -- it will kill a cow or horse up close and hard to visualize a farm without a .22 -- but .22 shotshells are pretty difficult to shoot skeet with
A lot of old skeet shooters I know use Winchester pump model 12's with really nice wood stocks and do pretty well with them. :thumbsup:
This week when I go out duck hunting I probably will have a semi with me but the backup will be a model 37 (I am left handed). JMHO (again)

 

[brewdog]

I chose the Savage Axis (formerly Edge model) rifle in 223 caliber as my all around utility gun. The price was very reasonable and I ordered it with a scope. It comes with a clip for quick loading.

It is amazingly accurate at 100 yds+ for an inexpensive rifle (sub 1" groups). This caliber will dispatch anything from squirrel size to deer size game. The ammo is readily available and inexpensive. I didn't have $300 bucks in the whole setup. Hands down the best choice for me.