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Looking for advice on my first purchase.

TWO2SEVEN

TWO2SEVEN

.410
Hello everyone, sorry in advance for a long first thread.
I have been researching for my first shotgun purchase for quite a while, my many internet searches led me here.

I am looking for a basic hunting shotgun (it will be accessible for home defense, but that is not my first priority). Due to the low price (have a second child on the way) I have decided on the 88.

This gun will be used once or twice a year for turkey hunting and possible for some target shooting at the range. Last season I used my father in law's Remington 870 12ga. While the Remington is a quality weapon, I found it a bit unwieldy for me. Obviously, safety is my number one concern so I am looking for a more comfortable gun.

I am 5'8" so the 870 felt a little bit big for me. I feel like the standard length 12ga 88 fits me a little better, but it still feels a little uncomfortable. I also have a bad shoulder so I intend to use a Limbsaver to help with the recoil. I know a shotgun is going to kick, and I am ok with that, but I'd like to tame it a little if possible. That has led me to look at both a 20ga and a youth model 20ga.

I found that during deer season last year I shot much better with a youth sized Savage .243. As a result, I will be purchasing a youth model .308 for myself this year. This leads me to believe that a youth model 88 may be a good choice as well. I have no issues with using a youth sized gun, my goal is to be safe, not boost my pride. :)

Sorry for the long intro, here are a few questions:

1. How does a 20ga perform against turkey and other birds compared to a 12?
2. Does the 22" barrel on the youth model greatly decrease performance when compared to the 26" on the full size 20ga (and 28" on the 12ga)?
3. I believe the youth model still allows for interchanging chokes, is this correct?
4. Is there a preferred brand of choke for the 88?



Thanks in advance for the advice, sorry for the long post!
 
Follow up question:

If I do decide to go with a full size (12 or 20ga), it seems like a shorter stock would help. Any recommendations? I like the Magpul, but $100 is a little steep for my current budget.

Thanks again!
 
So what did you decide to do? Sounds like and interesting problem w/ a lot of interlocking parts.
 
I think I am going to go with the standard 12ga and buy a shorter stock. I am trying to decide between the Hogue and the Magpul.

Any advice on either?

Thanks!
 
Hogue all day long...



I have the Hogue 12" L.O.P. stocks on all my pump guns and they are perfect. The recoil pad is super plush as it is and adding a Limbsaver makes it feel like getting hit with a five pound marshmallow...
 
I'd do the Hogue without a second thought.

Recoil pad is plush. If length of pull is an issue, you can do the 12" and if need be add a limb saver and still be shorter than factory.

Nothing wrong with youth models, same gun with a shorter stock. Ithaca makes "women's" models and the shorter stock is the only difference.

Turkey loads are gonna kick, the Hogue will help.

There is little difference between a 22" barrel and longer field barrels.

There is a whole world of aftermarket chokes available, some with serious hype and serious price tag that don't seriously perform better than chokes with a lesser price tag. For turkey I would search ebay for TruGlo Strut Stopper Xtreme for accuchoke. They can sometimes be found for about $20.

Where are you on the rest of what you were asking about?
 
Rossignol said:
I'd do the Hogue without a second thought.

Recoil pad is plush. If length of pull is an issue, you can do the 12" and if need be add a limb saver and still be shorter than factory.

Nothing wrong with youth models, same gun with a shorter stock. Ithaca makes "women's" models and the shorter stock is the only difference.

Turkey loads are gonna kick, the Hogue will help.

There is little difference between a 22" barrel and longer field barrels.

There is a whole world of aftermarket chokes available, some with serious hype and serious price tag that don't seriously perform better than chokes with a lesser price tag. For turkey I would search ebay for TruGlo Strut Stopper Xtreme for accuchoke. They can sometimes be found for about $20.

Where are you on the rest of what you were asking about?
Click to expand...

That is a lot of great info, thank you very much!

I think I will go with the Hogue. The price difference helps and I think the Magpul looks a little odd without the matching forend. I know I could replace the tube and add the frorend, but that adds up even more.

My final decision is to go with the fullsize 12ga 88 with the 28" barrel. Since this will be a hunting gun first, I figure I can always pick up a shorter barrel later.

I have noticed quite a difference in prices on chokes as well. The Academy where I will be buying the gun has a tru glo choke with add on sights for $22.99, I will probably pick that up.

One more question about chokes, I see that some say they are for Mossberg, but do not mention Accuchoke. Do I need to specifically look for Accuchoke compatible models?

Thanks again!
 
Glad you are going with the 12ga.
As for recoil, a proper mount, locked into your shoulde pocket will decrease any felt recoil.

When my wife first stared trap shooting, she had a bruised shoulder after every range trip. That stopped after she learned to mount the gun properly.
 
That $22.99 is a good price on the set, the fiber optic sights are nice! It sounds like the Gobble Stopper set and I'm gonna say you won't go wrong with the TruGlo at that price.

If it says Mossberg but doesn't make specific mention of 835 or 935 or accumag, it should be the right one. The accuchoke is the same as a few other things including Winchester and invector I think. The sales guy should know or if you find the item, post something here and we'll see if we can figure it out. Is it academy sports? I'll look at their site.

Never heard a bad thing about the uncle mikes swivels and they'll work with standard sling points. On that set you linked up, you may not need that much, you may find you only need the swivels. The attachment points should be included with the gun.
 
Looked up Maverick 88 choke tubes. They're interchangeable with Browning Invector (not Invector Plus) Winchester and Mossberg 500 style chokes.

Additionally, I looked at both TruGlo and Academy. I couldn't make heads or tails of what was listed to find a part number. But I did find something else. The Gobble Stopper is a more open choke than the Strut Stopper but I have no idea the exit diameters of either. I found a Gobble Stopper for the 835 with an exit diameter of .695 which is what I use for 4 buck and heavy weight B loads.
 
I think I figured it out. Looks like anything by TruGlo for the Maverick 88 will be listed as Wincheter 12 ga. The only thing listed for Browning says Invector plus or Invector+ which won't work, and for Mossberg I only see accumag or its listed for 835/935. Packaging may show differently and list all that apply.
 
Thank you very much!

There were two packages. The Mossberg one did say 835. So I guess I need to go with the one listed for the Winchester.

Thanks again! You've been a huge help!
 
Ended up going with the Primos Tightwad choke.

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What is either the constriction or the exit diameter of that tube?
 
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