Best Farm Shotgun?

[CajunBass]

When I was a kid the most common "farm shotgun" I ever saw was a single shot or bolt action Sears-Roebuck, usually a 12 ga. It was stored behind the back door, or in the rack of the pickup.

The "good guns" were saved behind the glass doors of the gun cabinet, for hunting season.

 

[Model12Win]

IMHO a good ol' fashioned single shot shotgun is an excellent farm tool. Cut him off to 18.5-20" and you have a lightweight, ultra handy package that still delivers the 12 gauge or 20 gauge goodness. Can fit in a tractor, work truck, or even a 4-wheeler with easy.

Also cheap and replaceable if God forbit it get damaged or "left" out overnight in the rain!

Just all around super rugged, reliable and simple cheap shotguns are perfect for farm chores. Always by your side, no wonder one brand calls them "Pardner"!

 

[Dirty_Harry]

Old thread, but I will play.

Lately I have become very fond of my Nova tactical with ghost ring sights. It shoulders extremely well, excellent sights and is light. I took a doe over the weekend with it.

Single shots are nice, but there is no advantage to them over a pump. (maybe a slight weight advantage) 4+1 vs 1+0 sounds better for pest control.

I am not a farmer, and only have .23 acres at my house. I am not the best source of info, but I love the nova.

 

[eastbank]

as a kid on the farm in the early 50,s, my dad(not a real hunter) had a bolt action 12ga a .22 stevens rifle with out a magizine and a 1917 enfield 3006. to my dad they were just tools and did not get much care and i don,t remember ever seeing a real cleaning rod. i kept them rust free useing plain motor oil. at the time i didn,t like the life style,but i sure miss it now. eastbank.

 

[SARuger]

I grew up on a beef cattle farm in rural VA. We had two weapons that handled everything from deer to snakes.

A Ted Williams 3T .22lr and a Mossberg 12ga bolt action "Goose Gun",


I later bought a 20ga 870 and a Marlin 336c 30-30 when I was in high school.

There wasn't much that the old Mossburg couldnt do on its own. Load buckshot and get deer in the freezer or twist the choke down and take care of the sky rats with some 8 shot

I still have the 3T, its 37 years old and still keeps 1" groups at 100yds

 

[publius]

Rem. 870 or Mossberg 500. It is inevitably going to get knocked around so you won't feel so guilty about beating up a high dollar gun. They are very reliable and can handle the neglect it is bound to see at times.

 

[bamaranger]

single

I'm with alfred and bama4. Some type of beater single, maybe a double barrel, and it doesn't have to be a 12 ga either. Tucked in next to the water heater here at bamahouse is an old single barrel .410, its sole purpose to shoot poisonous snakes, feral cats, and sick vermin/varmints that turn up now and again. At near point blank range, all those problems are solved with a light shotgun and one shot. Ours is a rather nice Win 37, I wouldn't necessarily abuse it on purpose, but one of the 75-100 dollar singles you see in pawn shops everywhere would work just as well, if not better.

A 20 might be a tad better, more useful variety of loads across the board, but for dispatching pests that bite and fly, the .410 is working fine.

 

[WV_gunner]

I realize it's an old thread firstly.

I'm surprised at the number of people recommending single shots. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and agreeing. Simple, small, and light. Used, they can be had for $35-$100. I like H&R myself, Iver Johnson is another good choice. I don't live on a farm, I don't live in town either, but I would keep a single shot handy. They have advantages over other guns, shorter and lighter than repeaters. Doubles and Triples would be the same length but heavier.
For the people saying a single isn't enough, how do you feel about hunting with a single shot? I prefer it actually. If you need more than one shot you're doing something wrong usually. Most animals will run after a gun is shot anyways.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Well everyone recommends their favorite or what they think best for the farm.

Well over 55 years ago when I was a kid the farmer across the road would go bird hunting and he took his very nice Browning A5 into the corn field's.

About a mile north of us was another farmer, he didn't like the newer auto-matics, didn't trust them, when he went bird hunting a Winchester Model 12 was at hand.

Not all farmers used the single shots!

 

[Creek Henry]

Our family ranch gun was an OLD Mossy boltaction, then it was a Mossy500 with a moblichoke. The boltgun was junk (cheap and not cared for). The pump is still servieable since I take care of it.

I think my uncle who runs the ranch now, uses a HR single shot 20. He put a coating of shellack on it to keep the rust off. Seems to help.

 

[Panfisher]

Even though it's an old old topic I couldnt help but think that all the various farm shotguns I have seen used or been around all had one thing in common. They were what was at hand. Everyone of them was different model style , .410, 28, 20, 16, and 12 but no 10 gauges. Never have I heard anyone discuss the best farm shotgun, it was just available and usually but by no means went bang every time. They were for snakes, hawks, cats etc. But don't ever remember one being kept around for defense per se.

 

[cowboy318]

H&R single shot 16Ga

 

[scotjute]

I carry a 20 gage pump, full choke. Its light-weight and effective out to 50 yds.

 

[BerdanSS]

Great gandpop always had what dad described as a wacked down ithica 37 12ga.

 

[Grant D]

A few years ago some friends and I went to a turkey shoot out at Repkas country store out in Monaville Texas.
I had taken with me my Browning Citori Lightning O/U with me to shoot.

We were sitting out back, and next to me was a young farm boy with his old H&R single shot 12 gauge that looked like it had been in a barn for the last 50 years, and his girl.
I noticed them whispering and pointing at my shotgun, and after a little while the young girl leaned over and asked me, sir, what does a shotgun like that sell for?
I said well, with the case, porting, and chokes, about $1,800.00
She turned back to him and said, you can keep look'in, but you aint gett'in.

He then proceeded to whip my butt with that old gun in the turkey shoot.
I guess if your good, that's all you need to do the job.

 

[redrick]

Grant , that's a good and funny story .

 

[lefteye]

I was born in 1946 and did not grow up on a farm. However, my dad and his dad grew up on a farm (my dad rode a pony to school.) They both had Winchester Model 97 shotguns. My dad gave me his and I regret selling it. I still have my grandfather's 97.

 

[smallbudget]

old quote

I can not believe that anyone would seriously suggest a used single barrel shotgun for anything. Maybe you didn't know this, or think about it, but no target is so big that you can't miss. If you do miss and you only have one shot, what do you think is going to happen to you? Do you think someone is going to give you time to reload? I own 6 SXS shotguns and 4 O/U shotguns, I would never consider any of them for home defense use. I would use a pump with an extended mag, or possibly a semi auto with an extended mag.

I didn't know there is a difference between a Farm shotgun, and a City Shotgun. Do you thing the shotgun knows which one it is? Maybe you can explain the difference to me...
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So many things I am tempted to say about this old post. I think I will just keep my mouth shut and consider it done. Thankyou Grant. Happy holidays all.