# Shotgun for female newbie



## Piney Woods (Jul 5, 2006)

I'd like to get a pump action shotgun for home defense purposes. I've known of a few instances where all that was actually needed was the pump sound and the bad guys ran. But if not, I figure I don't have to be an expert marksman to get their attention. What brand / kind do you prefer?


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## HoofPick (Jan 16, 2012)

This Christmas I got a 12 ga. Remington 870 for my first gun and I love it. The recoil is a lot less than I was expecting.


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## charliesbugs (Feb 25, 2007)

Going to step on some toes. Why does about everyone suggest for someone not familar with a defense weapon get a short pump shotgun??? They and an auto.loader are the most complex type to master in a short time. Anyone ever hear of a short barreled double barrel. About as simple to load as you can get no pumping to jam unload the same way. a simple safe button on top not underneath, some do have a safety on top that you can see instant two shots. Been around guns 77 years and the only accidental firings were from pumps and autos. because they had their FINGER ON THE TRIGGER when they closed the action. Never saw that on a dbl. Some will think I am a crazy old man, but I have a little saying, You can acomplish a lot with eloquent speech and kind words but much more with a loaded double barrel shotgun. lock&load


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## Limon (Aug 25, 2010)

I just bought my first shotgun last month. One thing to consider is the length of pull (how long the stock is.) Depending on how tall you are, you might need a youth model. I'm 5'4'' and a youth model Mossberg Maverick 88 was a bit small, but a recoil pad fixed that. 

A 12 gauge has the most power but the biggest recoil. A 410 doesn't have much recoil at all, but it also has the lowest firepower. The 20 gauge is in the middle, but at least locally has the fewest shell options available.

One thing, though: Get over the notion that you don't have to worry about aim. Shot doesn't spread out over a short distance except in Hollywood. Shooting someone across the room will only give you a few inches of spread. 

If you can, go to a range and try some out. Get the one with the most firepower you can manage.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

check an 870 youth in 20ga w/3" chambers. you will get suggestions but nothing beats going to a shop and actually handling something actually handle everything


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

Remington 870 in either 12 or 20. The slide action absorbs a great deal of recoil. Even thew 12 doesn't kick bsd but the twenty I'd very tame. Holds several rounds. I'd steer clear of the single shot trappers or NEFs in 12. They are too light and consequently kick like a mule. My twenty I got used for $200 .good luck.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> The slide action absorbs a great deal of recoil


Pumps *don't* absorb any recoil
*Semi Autos* DO

A shotgun that FITS is more important than Gauge


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

870 Remington has been built for many years and the bugs are gone. It is more reliable than a 6:00PM bad new report. Holds several shells in the mag no fumbling around looking for more when needed.

Buy the adult model and cut the stock down to your size and add a good kick ese recoil pad. 
Ga depends on what you can handle, try out some of your friends or just chose a 20 ga as a light quick handling shot gun that can and will take a persons legs off inside 10 yards.
Auto loaders soak up a bit of recoil but have a more complex action that can and does some times melfuction

Keep it loaded at all times includeing the chamber, just keep in mind if you have kids and one gets hurt you will be in deeop CA CA. 

There are a lot of used ones on the market so finding a used one if the buget is tight shouldn't be a problem. If you think you may want to hunt deer with it later buy a combo model with the canilever barrel scope mount.

Read more about it here.
http://www.remington.com/en/products/firearms/shotguns/model-870/model-870-express.aspx

they also have a tupper ware stock model that holds 6 rounds in the magizine.

 Al


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

TV getting in the way of reality... 

While yes, the sound of a shell being chambered in a pump shotgun may grab someone's attention, it is NOT what you want, or would be doing in a real life situation... 

If you have a gun for home defense, you will have a round chambered already. The guns I have in my home for self defense have a round chambered, and a full magazine.... You DO NOT want to spend the time trying to get a round into the chamber, and also risk it jamming.... 

I know others have said this above, but I wanted to stress this... Hearing a shell being chambered is TV drama.. it's not what you want in the real world...

I ask that before you buy a shotgun, ,you go take a self defense gun safety course and get the TV drama out of your head... If you need to pull a shotgun in your home, you are in a lot more dire situation than you think, and things need to be second nature to you. Racking a shell in that situation before firing is not second nature..... 

I've been in the situation. I've held someone at my door with a shotgun until the police got there, and believe me, I did not rack a shell... It was already in the chamber. Even staring down the barrel of a shotgun did not make the guy leave.. He kept pressing his luck and testing me... but he did stay on the other side of the screen door.... thankfully for both of our sakes... 

Also believe me when I say that holding a shotgun on someone is NOT a position you want to be in... You can't imagine how much it screws with your mind.... I had no doubt I would have shot the guy had he of lunged towards me through the door.. but the whole time you are thinking of the huge legal (and physical) mess you will be in once you pull that trigger.... I was totally justified in defending myself, but it was not a good situation to be in.

Please, go take some courses, and also give some long hard thought to what you said in your original post..


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

One more thing I want to point out which is a mistake in your post.. .

Even with a shotgun you DO need to be a good shot. You just don't point it into a room and everything in the room gets sprayed... 

At 15 feet (an average sized room) the pattern of even bird shot is going to be at most a couple inches wide... You want to be aiming... not just spraying and praying... I keep 000 shells in my shotgun when I have it loaded for my home. In a 15 foot room I'll be lucky if I have 2" of spread since I also have a very tight turkey choke installed.

If you are not a good shot, then you will be lucky if you hit someone... Shooting needs to be second nature. If you are in a high adrenaline situation, aiming and firing needs to be second nature... If it's not, you're too busy thinking about what you are doing... There is a really good chance you won't remove the safety, and a real good chance the gun won't go bang... 

Home defense is a very serious subject. You should be VERY comfortable with your weapon, and you shouldn't have to think twice about how to use it or on aiming... It has to be second nature... 

I am stressing very hard that you go take classes before you consider using a gun in your home. I am seeing way too much dis-information in your post, and I can easily see someone getting seriously hurt if a gun were to be in your home...


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

All good advice , but for a woman 20 ga youth,wouldnt mind having one for myself as I get older, but I already have enough guns.......


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## outgunu (Sep 14, 2006)

I agree with the above, a 20 gauge youth would probably be the best for you. You could use bird shot for snakes and practice then 00 buck shot or slugs for home defence. The 870 is a good shotgun, the Mossberg 500 is a little cheaper and will also get the job done. As also stated, a semi-auto will have a little softer recoil, but with a 20 gauge you should be fine with the pump.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

I agree with the 20 gauge pumper
Get a good one, a couple cases of shells and go shoot it
You need to know that gun inside out, and you need to be so familiar with it that you can use it in your sleep
In a high stress situation, you need to rely on muscle memory to operate the safety, find the trigger, point, shoot, all that stuff you aren't going to be thinking about when you are in trouble.
Get some training if available, safety first and practice practice practice.
So many people get a gun for home defense, go shoot it once and never pick it up again until the door gets kicked in.


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## Piney Woods (Jul 5, 2006)

This has been a very good discussion, which is what I was hoping for. I guess I came across as too girlie in my original post.

I grew up with guns. LOTS of guns. My dad was an avid collector and there were guns all over the house, meaning by every door, under every couch cushion, hidden in his bedroom, bathroom. And lots of practice took place. Unfortunately not for me 'cause I was a girl. But when I grew up, my brother would take me out back on his ranch and let me practice. But only with handguns. I have several friends who shoot and who I will practice with.

I would have no problem shooting anyone as soon as I ascertained it was not a friendly. I've been in too many situations, without a weapon, that I survived only by my wits and then by the grace of God. As an older, single woman, my daughter thinks I'm a prime target and has been pressing me to arm myself. I've been thinking about it and think now is the time to take action.

And the pump action being all TV hype is not true. My elderly brother and his more elderly girlfriend do guard duty at various places in their RV. Girlfriend is very thin and frail looking (looks can be deceiving) and has a distinct hunch in her back. My brother had to go a couple hours away for an emergency at home and while gone, one of the bad guys starting snooping around the RV. She let him snoop for a minute until he touched the door and then she pumped the shotgun. All she heard were footsteps running away. No more trouble the whole time they were there. My dad did the same thing when our house was robbed one day. They came back the next day to get the rest and he had taken off work and was waiting. He pumped the shotgun and they froze in their tracks. He held them until the police arrived.

As far as not having to aim, I realize you have to aim. I just know from practice with a hand gun that aim is a lot more important with a hand gun than a shot gun.

Working for lawyers, I have read and studied the legal stance quite a bit. I'm confident of my legal standing if I shoot an intruder in my home, or having broken in my front door. My personal feeling is that when someone crosses "that line", they cease to be a human being and become a predator. If they don't want to get shot, they shouldn't break into my home. I have every right to defend it and myself.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Go to a gun range that rents shotguns and shoot several. Find one that fits. It will seem to kick less and you will be more accurate if it fits properly. Settle on a 12 guage or a 20 based on fit. I do like the idea of cutting down the stock of a 12 to fit.

The heavier 12 guage gun will feel like it kicks less than a lighter 20 guage as long as the loads are the same. You are less likely to develope a flinch that will effect your accuracy if the recoil is less. Try a 12 guage loaded with light trap loads with 7/8 or 1 oz of shot and a 20 with the same load. This load is plenty to put down a bad guy at close range. Do not think that the light load will not go through walls and hurt someone. If you have to shoot inside the house, try to be careful of what's behind your target.

I vote for a pump action. It's more dependable than a semi-automatic and almost as fast. You can put more shells in a pump than in most semi-autos or double barrells which can come in very handy if you are subject to a home invasion by 4 or 5 thugs. You can even buy magazine extensions to increase the capacity of your pump.

I have has an 870 Wingmaster since the early '70s and an 870 Express for 10 years. Both are excellent guns. The Wingmaster has shot tens of thousands of rounds and is going strong. If cost is an issue you can get a new Express for under $300 or a used gun for less.


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