Shotgun Questions

infinitywarrior

infinitywarrior

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I'm thinking of picking up a shotgun to play around with. The Maverick .88 security 12gauge to be exact. I'm completely new with shotguns and their's alot i don't know. If you guys could help me out with some questions i would appreciate it.
1. Is Maverick a decent brand to start with for the price?(This one only costs $219.99)
2. What are chokes and are they hard to install for a not handy noob?
3. Do i need a choke to shoot slugs from an unmodified version of this gun?
4. What standard shotgun shell types can i shoot with this gun with no mods?
5. Please tell me all the important things i should know as a new shotgun owner, most of my experience is with handguns and rifles.

Thanks!
 
Good shotgun. If there is an Academy Sports and Outdoors near you, you can get it for under $200. It doesn't take chokes on the 18.5" barrel but comes with I think a 26" also that does, and slugs will be fine. 2 3/4" & 3" shells. Pretty simple pump, point, shoot. When you first get it, there will be a dowel rod in the mag tube. Remove this, after that, slip the barrel into the action and screw on the end cap and you're golden.

This was my first shotgun and I wish I still had it but I traded for my AK.

Also, Maverick is a subsidiary of Mossberg. The only difference between the Mav 88 and Mossberg 500 is the position of the safety. On the 88 it's behind the trigger, on the 500 it's on top of the receiver, just forward of the buttstock.
 
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Mavericks are a brand of Mossberg, one of the best makers of shotguns out there. The only competition Mossberg has as far as quality and price goes is Remington with Benelli sneaking into the higher price category for not much more utility.

Chokes are used with buckshot and determine the amount of spread your shotgun will pattern, generally out to a specific range. Theres no real hard and fast rules about chokes other than that you want to hit the range shoot your chosen shot loads with them and choose the one that patterns best for YOU at the distance you expect to be hitting targets at. Some chokes are also dependant upon the TYPE of shot you are using, i.e Steel or Lead or Tungsten etc.

You dont use Chokes to shoot Slugs. It is important to choose the right slugs for your shottie though. Will your shotgun have a rifles barrel or smooth bore? Sabots for rifled barrels and standard/rifled will work in either but perform better from smooth especially if they gotta squeeze through an internal barrel choke.

just about all 12 gauges will eat 2 and 3 quarter shells and a vast majority will eat 3 inch shells as well. your shotgun will have what it can handle either on the reciever or on the barrel.

important things to know are that you will want to cycle about 100 shots to break in your gun. Bird shot is not good for defense, and you still have to aim to hit things with them.
 
Thanks guys, exactly the info i was looking for. Lastly to make sure i understand, with slugs they are fine in this gun as long as they are 2 and 3 quarters or 3 inches? Since the barrel is smoothbore i'll need a rifled slug right?
 
What is your intent with this weapon? If you plan on hunting with it makes a difference when it comes to slugs.
 
infinitywarrior said:
Thanks guys, exactly the info i was looking for. Lastly to make sure i understand, with slugs they are fine in this gun as long as they are 2 and 3 quarters or 3 inches? Since the barrel is smoothbore i'll need a rifled slug right?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's correct. Consult your manual to verify that it takes both 2 3/4 and 3". I can't imagine it wouldn't but you never know.
 
That shotgun does take 3" shells. If you use 2 3/4", the magazine can hold 7.
 
RevMrBlack said:
That shotgun does take 3" shells. If you use 2 3/4", the magazine can hold 7.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, prior to this i had one week job training with a Rem 870 but that is it for my shotgun experience, pretty green with it all.
 
infinitywarrior said:
Thanks for the info, prior to this i had one week job training with a Rem 870 but that is it for my shotgun experience, pretty green with it all.
Click to expand...

My pleasure.

If you're going to shoot skeet, you may need a choke. What size shot are you going to use?
 
infinitywarrior said:
Thanks guys, exactly the info i was looking for. Lastly to make sure i understand, with slugs they are fine in this gun as long as they are 2 and 3 quarters or 3 inches? Since the barrel is smoothbore i'll need a rifled slug right?
Click to expand...

No, you do not need rifled slugs. Rifled slugs are made to use air resistance to put a spin on the round after it has left the barrel. If your shooting up close it's irrelevant. And even at range the amount of spin it will give it will not give a smooth bore rifle like accuracy.

If you want to up the accuracy on shotgun though for slugs. Get a rifled barrel and use sabots. You'll get roughly the same perfomance that your would from a rifled muzzleloader.

Be aware though. Slugs and espcecially sabots are not cheap. And both from a 12 guage will put out some serious recoil.
 
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Since we are talking shotgun questions, would anyone happen to know if the Keltec KSG shotgun, the one with the double ammo tube, is legal for hunting? I know the gun was designed with a tactical purpose in mind, but if is legal for hunting, always good to know.
 
MadSquabbles500 said:
Since we are talking shotgun questions, would anyone happen to know if the Keltec KSG shotgun, the one with the double ammo tube, is legal for hunting? I know the gun was designed with a tactical purpose in mind, but if is legal for hunting, always good to know.
Click to expand...

After reading up on it I would say it will not meet the three round maximum (is that nationwide or just my state?).
But even if legal, it is an 18.5 barrel with a maximum effective range of 50 yards with slugs.
Also, why are so many guns that are in video games get so much real life talk?
man, 600 bucks is a lot for a shotgun.
 
The three shot max in Texas at least is only if your hunting migratory game bids. If say you are hunting varmints or hogs in Texas you could use it. Ther is no max ammo reg.

Would not reccommend tryign to tell a game warden though that your hog hunting in the middle of duck season.
 
Can anyone give me a general idea what a used beretta "sport" is worth?
It is in very good condition. It is at least 15-18 years old.
 
I thought the three round maximum meant you can only load three rounds. Dont most shotgun tubes hold more than three rounds anyways?
 
MadSquabbles500 said:
I thought the three round maximum meant you can only load three rounds. Dont most shotgun tubes hold more than three rounds anyways?
Click to expand...

Most shotguns are sold with a removable plug to help owners conform with maximum capacity regulations while hunting.
 
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