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Buck shot shotgun

TooBigToFit said:
As far as pump shotgun of choice... I'm gonna be a bit different than the guys here and say Ithaca 37. Well made, smooth loading (no spring loaded shell lifter unlike the 870), smooth pumping, bottom ejecting, barrel securely attached by interrupted thread as opposed to slip fit. New ones probably aren't going to be in your budget. But there's plenty of used ones.

Only downside is older models will be a mix of capabilities. Really old ones (pre 855000 serial) won't interchange with new style barrels. Most will be 2.75" chamber unless you get a Magnum marked one or one made after 1987 (either an Ithaca 87 or a later model 37). Older ones tend to be fixed choke as well.
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You are spot on, nothing like an Ithaca they are some sweet shotguns, smoth as glass, I picked up a few 870 special fields last year with the english stocks, always wanted one when I was kid and never had the money so I fallowed through finally, Ithaca’s are the smoothest factory made gun ever!
 
This is by far my favorite scope mount for the 870. https://www.opticsplanet.com/weaver-converta-mount-systems.html

It is discontinued, so you would have to track it down. The plate stays on the shotgun always and the scope can be removed by loosening the 2 screws. I have done a lot of testing and the set up holds zero very well.

The way I hunt with my shotgun is I have a rifled slugs coming out first. If the deer is walking and not spooked it gets the slug. If the deer is running through the woods. I jack the slug out, look under the scope mount at the iron sights and send the second load, usually 00 copper plated buckshot. If need be, the third round is 00 copper plated buckshot also. After everything slows down I will look for my ejected slug. If I don't automatically see it I will load another round and replay the scenario an jack another round and see where it flies too. Seems like a lot, but I have killed a bunch of deer with slugs, and I have killed a bunch with the 00. I have also never lost a slug after ejecting it to get to the buckshot on a running deer. The 870 is used by everyone , police, military, hunters..... For a reason, IT JUST WORKS.
 
I use a Baikal over under that my grandfather bought back in the late 60's. Gun shoots like a dream and minus a cracked front stock you'd never know its age.

I can't speak to the quality of their guns now but damn they build a good gun back in the USSR.
 
My dad's boss has about every nice shotgun they make. Wingmasters, Citoris, Benellis, Franchis, you name it. He carries an old Ithaca 37 unless he is hunting a social type hunt.
 
TooBigToFit said:
As far as pump shotgun of choice... I'm gonna be a bit different than the guys here and say Ithaca 37. Well made, smooth loading (no spring loaded shell lifter unlike the 870), smooth pumping, bottom ejecting, barrel securely attached by interrupted thread as opposed to slip fit. New ones probably aren't going to be in your budget. But there's plenty of used ones.

Only downside is older models will be a mix of capabilities. Really old ones (pre 855000 serial) won't interchange with new style barrels. Most will be 2.75" chamber unless you get a Magnum marked one or one made after 1987 (either an Ithaca 87 or a later model 37). Older ones tend to be fixed choke as well.
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I've probably shot 20 deer with my ithaca 37 with a 30" full barrel and 2 3/4" 00 buck. It works!
 
TooBigToFit said:
As far as pump shotgun of choice... I'm gonna be a bit different than the guys here and say Ithaca 37. Well made, smooth loading (no spring loaded shell lifter unlike the 870), smooth pumping, bottom ejecting, barrel securely attached by interrupted thread as opposed to slip fit. New ones probably aren't going to be in your budget. But there's plenty of used ones.

Only downside is older models will be a mix of capabilities. Really old ones (pre 855000 serial) won't interchange with new style barrels. Most will be 2.75" chamber unless you get a Magnum marked one or one made after 1987 (either an Ithaca 87 or a later model 37). Older ones tend to be fixed choke as well.
Click to expand...
I've got a Ithaca Model 37 Turkeyslayer and love that gun. "Butterslick action, bottom eject," I could easily shoot slugs out of it...... don't know why I never have.....just said it was my turkey/predator gun and that was that.
 
Some Shotgun Deer:

First Pic 7 Pointer that was shot up on the ridge and went all the way back down the ravine to die in his bed. Shotgun: 1957 Browning Auto 5 w/ Buck Barrel
Second Pic Non-typical 10 taken with 870 and red dot
Third Pic Little Doe with the 870 Truglow Red Dot combo
 

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I live up by the ADKs but the first time I got invited down south, back then shot gun only, I was just a kid and had a stevens savage pump 20 gauge and a pocket of miscellaneous slugs ,it was opening day and when the sun came up and the war started I didn’t know what the heck was going on being from up north LOL, about 15 minutes later a 140” + plus buck came by about 100 yards away and dirt flew every shot, I didn’t sleep for a month afterwards, I had an 870 with cantilever barrel quick before next year, if I had my rifle that buck would have been done for LOL.
 
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