Colorado Hunting Thread

Franchi affinity. Got my wife one in 20ga from sportsman's and I use it more than my 12. I'm gonna go pick one up for myself in 12 gauge before the opener

 

Most stuff is going to be anecdotal All the feedback you're likely to get is going to be based on personal experience or hearsay. Likely a lot more of the later than the former.
My Mossberg Maverick is the first firearm I ever purchased back in '91. It's basically a 500 with a crossbolt safety. It came with a long barrel and a short one and was dirt cheap. It's been thrown around and abused it's entire life and I just used it yesterday on a prairie dog. Never once gave me any issues. I thought I read that the Mossberg was the only shotgun to pass the military's recent torture test. I had to hunt for the trigger group breaks you mentioned. I would guess that the dumb things are so popular and there are so many out there that you're bound to hear about a few issues.

I don't own an 870 but I know plenty of people who do and I've used several and liked them. I did hear that quality suffered under Freedom Group and is improved now. All just stuff I've read.

Generally though, those two shotguns have a pretty universal reputation for reliability so it was strange to hear them dismissed as poor quality.

I have a general mistrust of semi auto shotguns that's based almost entirely on reports I've heard of them failing to cycle all loads. Most people probably don't use that wide a range of loads and are just fine if their gun cycles what they use.

If reliability is a major concern, I'll always trust simplicity over complexity. A wheel gun, bolt action, pump action, break action.... all are much more simplistic than any semi auto and therefore, in my mind at least, inherently more reliable.

One thing to consider about a double barrel (although probably outside your stated price range) is the ability to have 2 different chokes. Some people like to have a tighter choke followed by a wider choke for birds coming in and the opposite for birds flying away.

 

Bought the affinity 20ga impulsively 10+ years ago and it's one of my favorite guns to shoot. I liked it so much I got the 12ga elite. Great gun, just don't like it as much as my Vinci though

 

Come get your Coors

 

Love my 870. It's almost as old as me, but in better shape.

 

I have a Winchester SX4 and haven't had issues, but have not hunted with it, just clays.

 

I didn't know there was a black powder version

 

Another vote for the 870 if you're on a budget. It has its reputation for a reason. Mine looks like it's been thrown down a canyon or two, and still fires/ejects every single time like the good ol boom stick it is.

You should also easily be able to find one used for cheap, and can do subtle mods to make them your own. Same with the Winchester 1200. Plenty around, light, and don't break the bank if you're willing to grab an older-ish shotgun.

 

https://youtu.be/bx0KxHz2YoM

Some good ones in there. I'm partial to the "Shoot and Release Hunter"

 

shot a big orange deer over there

 

That's quite the intricate tie down scheme

 

Good way to offend some tree huggers

 

Dang... We head out in the am for 2nd season, hoping for some luck like that

 

Any luck out there? Saw 5 cows, tons and tons and tons of tracks, no bulls, but who knows maybe it was the same 5 doing circles around me. I bumped 1 car, called her back to me which I was pretty proud of. I'm no expert by any means. Went to the same area as last near and probably 1/4 of the hunters this time. Snowed about 8" up there on Thurs so that may have deterred some

I still have my eastern plains buck tag to hopefully fill now

 

It'll definitely push them lower

 

I got my bull opening day 2nd season. Had a crazy encounter with a red fox while my brothers and I were breaking down the bull to pack.
IMG_20221030_103909437_HDR by Tim Richard, on Flickr
IMG_20221030_104001732 by Tim Richard, on Flickr

 

The fox has learned that a gunshot is a dinnerbell.