Really appreciate your channel. Certainly not the most boring gun channel. Your videos are like sitting down with a friend looking over some really nice old guns. Refreshing to have someone else, and fellow viewers, appreciate crafted wood and steel.
Agreed. While many of my peers are black rifle tactical jocks, I enjoy the wood and blue steel of the H&R, 458 Win, 460 Weatherby, and even my latest, a 416 Ruger Hawkeye African. Before finding your channel a few months ago I thought I was a throwback to a bygone era. Appreciate the history you weave into the technical discussions. Some day I hope to afford an H&H. Meanwhile, I enjoy you sharing your collection with us.
I agree, Paul. Old World for me. In fact I despair of modern trends. Everyone wnats a shortcut: high-powered telescopic sights and bipods are expedients that prevent a shooter from acquiring true shooting skills. Not for me. I'm Australian, but on a recent visit to London, went to the H&H shop in Mayfair. They were very accommodating, and let me handle any firearm of my choice. If you're ever there, visit. It's well worth it.
Like stepping back in time isn't it Robert. With all our technology and brilliance we've made more and more of everything and no one knows the value of anything; well, I guess there are some.
Thanks Paul. There is something about the wilds. Or a quiet evening at home in the gun room. One can reflect on life without a screen or any sound. In guns and hunting I've often found or learned some meaningful things - or thought I did; and once in awhile, often when I least expect it, I've caught a glimpse of even more.
I have a few of them in 12, 16, and even one in 20ga.... I been shooting them for over 35 years, and have yet to have one explode, implode, attack me, or go on a crime spree all by themselves.... They are a Great Shotgun.... They used to be stacked up like cord wood in all the gun shops... I remember them going for $50, in some cases even less.... Ahh, memories!.... Haha!... Great Video!....
the first shotgun i bought was an old 12 gauge JC Higgens for $60. the stock looked like driftwood but after refinishing it with tru oil it was a nice looking gun. most people think bolt actions are corny but i like them and they work pretty good
@@douglaspollard4585 hey I just bought the same gun a few months ago for 185.00. Dollars.. but however mine is the 12 guage version.. from my understanding they made 12 and 16 guage..
Back in the 50's and 60's, bolt action shotguns were "all the rage". Bolt actions were the shotguns of my youth, simply because they were selling at bargain basement prices (used) with the advent of inexpensive pump shotguns in the late 60's and early 70's.. My father thought that each of us should have a shotgun and so, with 8 kids for $10-$15 each, he could purchase a bolt action shotgun for each of us and we'd all have a gun for "driving deer". They've recently made a comeback but, not at the prices my father paid.
How the prices of things have changed. If they keep printing soon one shell will be $15. Anyway, those bolts are fine guns at $15. or $1500.Thanks for writing.
My parents have passed away but, my brothers still own the bolt-action shotguns that we hunted with growing up. These are fine weapons and still function just as well as I remember as a child.
That's touching Larry; I realize that life much like the tide comes in and then must go. Still, it's a sad thing. A little warmer for you all to have those shotguns . If I didn't say so already, Have a Merry Christmas!
The Mauser conversion gun was really cool! The Browning looked cool and I'd bet the it really does feel smooth. Because my state allows rifle hunting, shotguns are pretty much limited to the early seasons for dove and squirrel. I've never seen one of those Browning A-Bolts, tons of beat up old Mossbergs though and many of them are 16's. Great video, I'll keep my eyes open at the next gun show for one of the A-Bolts.
Thanks Paul - I like that old Mauser - I think with a barrel band front sight and decent rear sight it would be a real contender. I hope you get an A Bolt though.
I was a kid during the 60s. My Dad owned over and unders and a semi auto. I only encountered bolt actions in gun digest articles. I had the impression these were inferior. Now in my senior years,. I am looking around for a Savage bolt action. Thank you Sir for another wonderful video !!
I aquired an old 12 gauge H&R 349 gamester bolt action a couple of years ago. I have heard many stories about unsafe and this and that, but after about 2000 rounds plus whatever the previous owner put through it, it seems to work flawlessly. Shoots true and never had a hang up and still looks as though it was manufactured a couple of years ago. I think a lot of youtube negativity is just trolls, lack of experience, and jealousy because someone else has something cool and they dont. Personally i think it took a lot of ingenuity to set that shotgun up the way it is or at least more ingenuity than any youtube trolls have. Nice vid.
Hello Ironman Inc. - wise words and thanks for writing. I may be naive but I've always believed people are good and feel best when they do good things and say good things. From time to time things go wrong and maybe the times we live in affect each of us and we are not at our best. and then, in time, the truth in us comes out - and everything can be good again. As for your H&R - excellent just as you say and they seem to work just about forever. All the best to you.
My first 12 g was a Stevens model 58 set up to shoot slugs. Kicked like a crack out mule but was very accurate with everything I shot in it. I sold it a few years back but now I'm in the process of finding it once again.
Hi there, great video! I own a JC Higgins 16 gauge, bolt-action shotgun with a tube that holds 5 shells plus 1. I also have a single shot, break open 20 gauge that I use for hunting and plinking about with caliber inserts. I really like the feel and fluidity of the bolt action, not to mention it was a gift from the wife. I once purchased a large Savior 55 inch tactical case, wondering if I would ever own a gun so large as to need this case. I am so glad that I now do. I nicknamed the JC Higgins "Captain America" and the single shot 20 gauge, "The Land Cannon". Both reside in the bag and both are a pleasure to shoot. My next purchase will be a JC Higgins bolt action chambered in 12 gauge. Thank you for listening to my words and it is always nice to find a fellow firearms aficionado!
The first time I viewed this video it got me thinking. I am now in the middle of building up a 16g JC bolt for deer season next year. Thanks for your very imformative and interesting offerings, never a dull moment.
I used to see Mauser conversions at flea markets years ago, not much anymore. You are correct. There is nothing unsafe about them. I have worked on quite a few bolt shotguns over the years, and the biggest problem is always the magazine, especially with different length shells. When the copper and sabots started to gain popularity, the weight difference really made it tough to get reliable feeding. It is not that long ago that bolt action slug guns became a big thing. I will never understand why the new slug guns did not have a tube feed in stead of a box feed. I guess marketing had something to do with that? Years ago I built my buddy a slug gun. 20 GA Mossberg rifled and ported barrel on a 1936 MAS rifle. 2 in the box, 1 in the chamber. Short scope mounted over the center. It took a lot of time and experimenting, but it was fun. He has shot quite a few deer with it. I really like your videos. You come up with some really odd topics.
Hi OG - I like your thinking - the idea of the tube fed bolt repeater is very sound. I have no idea why they thought they have to be box fed. Perhaps the concept of easy reloading, road hunting, or shooting box mag over box mag made the difference. I think there were some bolts with tube mags in the old days. I'm glad you see something in my videos. I try.
Good video as always. The only bolt action shotgun that ever made any in roads in the uk/irish market was the Webley and Scott .410. Great little gun for around farm buildings.
Hey Rick! You've been a great help from day 1! Means a lot to someone like me. I tried to add a video sent to me by a friend from Germany. I hope I succeeded in adding the video to my channel. It is very funny. I hope it is there and I hope you like it. : )
I own a savage 220 and it is a deer hunting monster! I'd go with a 20 ga. over the 12 for performance reasons. Much better past 100 yards. Took a doe at 312 yards last season. Hit her high shoulder and she was dead instantly. I've killed 12 so far with that gun. 10 drops with 1 going 10 yards and 1 going 60 yds. Absolutely in love with it.
my Marlin 512 Slugmaster out shoots the A-bolt in accuracy ...but the A-bolt feels so good to hold, looks so beautiful ...Tarhunt on a different level of accuracy all by itself nothing comes close to it ....Savage 212 is another great choice ......
I like the bolt shotguns too. My father has a mossberg 16 gauge with muzzle brake and adjustable choke. I think it's a model 190. I loved carrying it in the woods as a kid.
I finally got to shoot a 16ga and a bolt action 12ga last night finally and loved both so much I wanted to get something like that so I ordered one of those Mausers in 16ga. I can't wait to try it out. It's a hard hit heart.
It's true Danny - the A Bolt especially opens all kinds of possibilities. I may have said it in the video but when I head into the hills hunting on short notice I take the A Bolt. I may not hit at 400 but I usually come back with a grouse or two, a duck or two and am completely comfortable hitting a deer responsibly at 200. Close to universal firearm. And anyway, I think I've hunted enough to be able to get closer than 400.
I found your channel a while back. Outstanding, intelligent, very informative. WOW, you shave and don't wear dirty camo!! I have some newer synthetic guns, but enjoy walnut and fine blue steel way more than plastic. wood and craftsmanship give them a soul. love my pre 64 Winchesters, Mausers and Manlicher Shoerners. Awesome Channel!!!!!
Hi R Van, I am still laughing - yes - I shave and don't wear camo : ) I like your comment about soul - that sums it up! Thank you for finding my channel and welcome on board!!! There are millions of like minded people around the world - we're just not usually in parades or easily found....its that 'Still waters run deep" thing.
In the uk shotguns that hold 3 shells with a fixed mag/tube are under a lower licence to one with a removable mag. Maybe some states have similar quirks, hence the camo shotgun having an integral mag?
Thes are excellent videos, and I want to express my agreement with Paul Edwards. While I enjoy the presentations of many Firearm UA-camrs, there are two in particular that are top of the tree: GunBlue490 and USOG. You have similar aesthetic sensibilities, a deep love and respect for your firearms, and a knowledge that goes way beyond anything else on the Internet.
Fine video friend, loved it. Thanks. I just scored a Mossy 190 bolt action in 16G. Great condition, $125. Took it apart and cleaned the heck out of it, bore is great, built in choke works good. Will test it at the range soon. I also just purchased a Mossy 183kc .410 bolt w/ selector choke also. It too is in great condition, $125 also. Mossberg collection getting large, sigh..
Thank you! Great purchase - fantastic price - what a fine shotgun you bought! And the .410 - one of my favorites - so useful! I used a .410 bolt for years - even dropped marauding coyotes with the little .410 slugs - worked great! All the best to you.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Thanks USOG, and I have no love for coyotes, so that is promising. I'll have to get some slugs for it, could be a fun gun to just blast on a sunny weekend, blow up water jugs. Take care and keep up the fun videos, I enjoy them immensely.
Great video and information ! I still don't care for the composite stocks and have a hard time accepting that this is common now ! I prefer the wood stocks with my guns and glad to see Browning offers it in wood ! Must be a sign that I'm getting old ! Haha Keep up the great work and videos ! GOD Bless
Thanks Deno - I remember a fellow I encountered in the forest - years ago - we talked about hunting and other things and we agreed we both loved the trees and hunting slowly through the snow - he had hunted those woods for 40 years - and then he told me God is in the trees - and we laughed and agreed that is true - and in everything else. God Bless you too and have a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas.
Still can't group as well as a Tarhunt RSG. I've gotten 3/8 inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards with the Tarhunt. The Savage is very accurate but not that accurate. Tarhunt is also far more expensive than the Savage so if you're on a budget then go with the Savage. Besides Tarhunt, Savage makes the best slug gun out there anyhow. Tarhunts last forever though and they really hold their value.
Are the barrels fixed as are rifle barrels? The new version of Ithaca Gun makes something called a Deerslayer, which is a pump action shotgun (Model 37) with a fixed, rifled barrel.They say that the fixed barrel is not only cheaper to produce, but also offers much better accuracy than a normal shotgun.
You're right - the Ithaca Deerslayer has been around a long time - one of the first "slug" shotguns and still one of the best. The A Bolt has a fixed barrel - and they discontinued it again. Thanks for the note.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I think the new ithaca company was the first to have the barrels fixed. Prior to that, I believe Ithaca made their Deerslayers with take down barrels.
I just bought a pair of Mossberg, 16 gauge, bolt action, shot guns. They both say "2 3/4 or 3 inch Shells" I bought the 2 3/4" Winchester white box ammunition from Walmart, And they're having trouble feeding..🤔 AWESOME little Pop Guns tho!! Lotta fun. Im sure the 3inch will be better
Hi Michael - both are excellent - sometimes the feeding improves if you set the shorter shells slightly forward in the magazine. The three inchers should feed well - I hope : )
Thanks for your immediate response. I have a curiosity question, that is if you own a smooth bore & a rifled barrel bolt action shotgun which one would shoot more accurately using slugs? I know we are all busy & to suggest a future project to someone is kinda I'll leave it at that but, then you might know the answer already? Thanks!
Hi again, I tend to walk into Cabelas or wherever and buy slugs off the shelf; so mostly they are Foster slugs - Remington mostly but Winchester or Federal and others are fine too. Anyway, with Foster slugs I tested rifled vs smooth bore and found almost no difference at 100 yards. If you buy sabot slugs then go with the rifled barrel as the projectile will be stabilized by the rifling and you can gain some yardage. The Fosters fly point on due to forward weight. The most accurate slugs I tested were Breneke from Germany - they are a little odd but work and are very accurate. For some reason I equate shotgun slugs with Foster slugs. I like the look of them, am used to them and 100 yards is a fine shot with a shotgun slug. Trajectory is not the best with any of them - sabot or Foster. Cheers.
Hi Justin - at close range - 30 yards and less - slightly more open patterns. Further than 30 and the patterns keep opening and there are dramatic difference between the rifled barrel and a smooth bore. I like smooth bores better.
Thanks for writing in. The action for the bolt rifle and shotgun are essentially the same - only the barrel and the dimensions of the receiver are different. The bolt shotgun has to accommodate the larger shotgun shells - which is why the bolt shotgun in bigger. A typical shotgun has no rifling in the barrel. As you likely know, rifling is spiral grooves cut into the inside of the barrel that cause the bullet or projectile to spin - which cause something like a gyroscopic effect and the bullets stay on course. A shotgun smothbore is just a smooth pipe for directing shotgun shot - hundreds of pellets - towards the target. Shotguns can shoot slugs - which stay on track due to their weight forward design; and some, like the A Bolt - are rifled like rifles and shoot best with special shells designed for rifled shotguns. Hope that all isn't too confusing. All the best.
Thats a beautiful Geha. Fantastic, light, fun guns. Also very safe. I think you may be incorrect about the lugs.....I'm quite certain the front lugs do lock up on the 20 and 16 gauge.
No J.C. Higgins? :< They were surprisingly light compared to their pump and semi offerings. Incidentally Paul Harrell does a video where he compares shooting rifled and unrifled slugs out of rifled and unrifled barrels, if anyone is interested in a direct accuracy comparison.
Man! You have the coolest collection! I really like obscure and inexpensive or economy guns. I'm really interested store brand guns, if you have a few I'd really like to see a video on them. Thanks for the great content.
Hello.That depends on the make and model. The older but excellent Mossberg and Marlin bolt actions were smooth bore; the Browning A bolt and Savage are rifled. Hastings and maybe other manufacturers offer after market rifled shotgun barrels for the Remington 870 and perhaps other models.
I’ve learned so much from your channel. It’s perfect. Please don’t start shooting watermelons. I have a 16 gauge JC Higgins shotgun, bolt action tube magazine, inherited from my uncle many years ago. It’s a really inexpensive gun but shoots just fine. I hunted pheasants with it many years ago. Cleaned it up this last year and tried to break some clay pigeons at the range. It’s still fun to shoot.
That's a fine bolt action and another undervalued gun. Harder to find one these days. I like watermelons in summer; you know, sliced on a hot day. Seems a pity to shoot them; although I guess some people shoot loaves of bread too. Free country.
What loads would you say are safe for the Sears/High Standard bolt actions in 20 gauge? I'm not too worried myself, but I've heard that on the ones sold by Sears the receivers could crack over time from heavy use, but from what I've seen people saying online that only seems to have been a problem for the 12 gauge models as (apparently) they had thinner receivers compared to ones chambered in 20 or 16. Basically, I've been firing just birdshot through the one I bought at a gun-show a few weeks ago, and I'm a little worried about firing slugs and high-powered shells through it, should I be?
As far as I can tell SAAMI shotgun pressures are generally around 11,500 psi (with statistical variance of say + - 1000psi) for all shot and slug loads. The .410 pressures run a little higher. Slug loads may seem to have more pressure as there is substantial recoil due to slug mass / overcoming inertia but the pressures are within SAAMI limits for all loads. I've seen stocks cracked and broken by slugs; at least according to their owners. The receivers we're thinking about are tubular steel and only absorb pressure at the bolt handle - which is the locking lug - and maybe there is another lug on the Sears/HS - I'm not sure as I could not find one to examine in the moment. Anyway, pressure would be transferred through the base of the shell to the bolt and through the bolt to the handle stem - and any other locking device. The receiver just holds the barrel and other parts etc... I guess there is fleeting pressure in the walls of the chamber and maybe the receiver ring could be affected by an off center barrel - but I doubt it. I'll have to examine the actual model one day but from what I know I can't see a 20 slug being an issue and if it is - same would go for any shell. Hope this helps. Sears recalled some due to a latch issue - unrelated to pressure.
Those Geha work just fine. My younger brother took 2 deer with his using fosters. If Browning wanted to make the best bolt slug gun possible they would have made a 20ga....The fact they didn't shows they don't really know the market.
Hi Brad - thanks for letting is know; they discontinued them once before. I know a lot of people wrote Browning that they missed the first run; then Browning re-introduced them...and now I guess gone. Maybe for good. Sad - fine shotgun.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Not qualified to comment on more recent bolt actions but owned a Mossberg 3 shot 50 odd years ago and it was a very "functional" gun. The TarHunt certainly looks the business.
Hi Scott - I had no problems with mine. I bought it years ago for something like $150. and the seller told me it didn't work - feeding and ejection issues - otherwise like new. I found a schematic and made sure all the parts were where they are supposed to be. Worked perfectly and quite pleasant to shoot and handle. I sold it awhile later. Mossbergs are usually well designed and made - as you likely know.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns mine is the slugster model with gold trigger and the cheek pad,had it since brand new,my dad bought it,been a great gun,hadn't been shit in years
I used to have a bolt action mossberg 20 gauge. I loved that gun, shoulda kept it around. Of course, that's how I feel about most guns I get my hands on 😂😂
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns mine was a slug gun. I bought it used, it had the barrel shortened, bead cut off and never replaced, but it came with a scope ( can't remember what scope), and it shot well enough for hunting out to 100 yards. Maybe I'll find myself another one 🤔
Beautiful video. May I suggest getting a very tiny flexible tripod for the camera, so you rest the camera on the table during close-ups? Like I've said before, these just keep getting better! And I've always had a thing for bolt-action shotguns.
Hey The Juice! That's a great idea - thanks - I'm going to look for one. Thanks for your support and writing. Some people tell me a bolt action shotgun is close to a universal weapon - interesting. Keep the faith : )
Hi Sentinal - I made a separate video for them - very fine shotguns and specialized due to the extra barrel length - so I gave them a stand alone video.
Thank you for the response, the SuperGoose is an incredible gun to me and I managed to secure one through a family friend and will be picking it up this summer. Your video really cemented my need to buy one. Once I have it I’m planning on recording some grouping/penetration data with bismuth waterfowl loads.
Last summer I purchased the Savage 212 and have had several issues that I found in forums online others are having as well. One of those is that they don't feed most shells - the front of the plastic shell gets caught on the sharp-cut feed ramp as the bolt pushes it forward. The other is the 3-position safety. When on full safety mode, the pin below the bolt doesn't come up and lock the bolt. HUGE liability/safety issue! Otherwise, my slug gun shoots the Federal Premium 3" Trophy Copper sabot/tipped 300 grain rounds the best. So far it's killed a 320" bull at 106 yards and a cow elk running straight away at 150-175 yards... right through the top pelvic and spinal area, through the innards and vitals. Instant kill. I suppose I need to send the gun into Savage if they'll honor the warranty. If not, I did buy the lifetime warranty through Buds Gun Shop online.
Good stuff! Keep em coming! I own one of those Mauser GeHa`s and I havent heard that they aren`t strong enough, have one Berdan shotgun too and that isnt ment for smokeless powder unlike the GeHa.
I think they are great! I see no design weakness but people like to doubt things I guess - which is probably good too. Anyway, glad you own one - I think they will go up in value - quite unique. I may put sights on mine. Thanks for writing.
Another informative video. I handled once or twice Marlin goose guns. Impressive beasts. I don't know if you came across this. Do google Ed Hubel and 12 gauge from hell. He built it on a Savage 210 shotgun action. Must be an extremely strong action.
Hello! Yes - that is a fine shotgun. I'm glad you mention it. The older Mossbergs are great too - and they are all very affordable. Thanks for writing.
I have a mossberg & sons model 390kb 16 GA c-lect-choke and I've shot it around 10 times and it's very fun! I sadly don't have a magazine for it but I'm currently looking, if anybody can help me I'd greatly appreciate it!
No mention of Tarhunt? I agree, the A-Bolt is a great slug gun, but the Tarhunt is in a league of it's own, the most accurate slug gun out there, the Bugatti of slug guns.
So sorry - I forgot the Tarhunt! I was distracted and quite busy driving around in my Bugatti : ) Seriously, I'll find one someday and I'm sure you are correct. I just visited their web site and their guns look supreme and no doubt accuracy is to match. Also, I have to mention an O/U slug gun which I own but is with a friend right now - that is a fine performer - although not a bolt action. I'll have to make a video on "other" action type slug guns. Thanks for writing and I'm glad to have a Tarhunt owner on the channel!
Depending on where you live, I would by happy to loan you mine! It really is a masterpiece, by far the nicest gun I own and will ever own! The guy who makes them has been at it for longer than anyone else and knows more about slug shooting than anyone on the planet. I found out about Randy Fritz (the owner of Tarhunt) in a book called "Shotgunning for Deer", a great resource and something I would highly recommend! I've shot about every slug gun out there. Idk why but I'm very big into slug shooting, there is something fascinating about squeezing such accuracy out of something so inherently inaccurate. As for other actions, well bolt actions are the cream of the crop in slug guns, the most accurate and well built guns on the market. Pump actions are pretty common. Problem is the barrel vibrates and affects accuracy pretty greatly. It often helps to tighten the absolute shit out of the barrel nut. If you're strictly sticking to sabot slug shooting with a rifled barrel, the Ithaca Deerslayer is the most accurate I've shot. And tbh I haven't really had much luck with any rifled pump action shotgun besides the Ithaca Deerslayer. I know Tarhunt will modify an 870 pump into a slug gun, that's something I haven't shot but I'd imagine it'd be the only pump that is as accurate or more accurate than the Deerslayer. Now for smoothbore slug shooting, I absolutely prefer pump actions. With Foster and Brenneke slugs you usually are using iron sights and not looking for the insane precision that you have with sabot slugs. For Foster slugs, I prefer the Remington 870 Express Deer. Comes with an improved cylinder choke and Foster Slugs really like it. For Brenneke slugs, get a Mossberg 500 with their cylinder bore barrel, or get a Mossberg cylinder bore "slug" barrel and put it on an 870. And remember to tighten the barrel night! But yeah, general rule of thumb is Foster slugs like Improved Cylinder, Brenneke Slugs like Cylinder Bore. Semi-autos are one of the most inaccurate slug shooting platforms period. Too much motion going on every time you pull the trigger. However they will reduce recoil and allow for quick follow-up shots. It's been a while since I've shot one, so I forgot which ones seemed to like slugs the best. Break barrel are not as accurate as bolt action, but are the second most accurate slug guns out there. H&R Ultra Slug is probably the best break barrel out there, probably a gun most people have heard of. Still very accurate and a great cost-effective slug gun. I've never heard of someone shooting slugs from an O/U. If it works, it works, but if I were trying to get rifle-like performance I wouldn't think shooting a gun with a barrel stacked on top of another is the way to go. Interesting though, what kind of grouping are you getting? For fun, I'd like to mention lever action slug guns. I've only seen these in .410 (shot a 9410 and it was really a fun gun!). I know Henry Repeating Arms has a 410 lever action that does well with slugs, might be something I'll get!
Just thought I'd let you know - I share your enthusiasm for slugs and have shot many since you wrote. And the other day I hit a pie plate at 200 yards with open sights - my Ithaca Deerslayer. I followed the rules of shooting and upon reaching the pie plate and seeing the near dead center hit - I immediately packed up the shooting gear and went home. The shooting simply could not get any better. I hope you have your Henry .410 and Merry Christmas!
Holy cow now that's an impressive shot! I'm assuming the original Deerslayer smoothbore with foster slugs? No Henry for Christmas, but a good Christmas nonetheless. At the moment I'm in Wyoming and my Tarhunt in New York. It'll be about a month till I could get it to you. Do you by chance live near the finger lakes region? Or could give me a rough idea of where you live? I'd be happy to drive it out to you, but with such a nice gun I don't really want to pack it and ship it off. Send me an email if you like: sawmaster609@gmail.com
I'll take my marlin 512p over anything you have on the table. I've shot the browning and wasn't impressed. My 512p has Williams fiber optics from factory, detachable mag, factory ported. And a nicer polymer stock then the browning. Browning has thinner plastic to the stock then the marlin.
check out the mossburgh 12 gauge slug gun, bought mine on sale back some yrs ago for 180 bucks, me n my son has won many slug shoot tournaments n prizes over the years, had a dozen guys try buying it from me, last guy offered a 1,i000 bucks, although the gun shoots great, I believe it has a lot to do with who is shooting and what their skill is, either way its accurate, one guy i talk to has a scope on his and hunts deer n takes deer often at 150 yrds which is great for a slug gun
When the price of pump actions dropped below the bolt action; it killed the sales of bolt action shotguns. They have developed a bad reputation in America, because of the "blow up stories" which almost none can be confirmed. Not even the cases which recalls we're based on were investigated properly or fully understood. But, this to hurt sales. Browning discontinued the A Bolt Shotguns, Mossberg stopped production of their last bolt shotgun in 2003 (695) after making bolt shotguns for 100 years, Marlin quitting on the Slugmaster. Only Savage continues today with the 212 and 220. There are high end exotics being made in small numbers like Tar Hunt. The used market is as dead as it could be, and bolt shotguns sit in gun stores unsold for years. There are lots of bolt slug guns that can be found very cheap. That shoot more accurate than any autoloader slug gun at any price! However when purchasing a cheaper older smooth bore always check the lug behind the bolt handle for cracks most of the time below the wood of the stock. If it's cracked it is unsafe to shoot and really can't be fixed. If you think you do have a crack below the wood clean to verify it's not just wear in the blueing from the stock. My theory on most of the "blow up" stories is a misfeed happens, the shooter tries to force bolt, plastic shell bends pops shell out of extractor, and the extractor hits the primer causing an out of battery detonation. I always enjoy your videos, keep up the good work!
Hi Darcey - You have a sharp eye and thanks for the note. The scope is actually an Aimpoint though and it is installed correctly. Your perception is entirely understandable though. All the best to you.
Good point! I forgot to mention I tested spreads through rifled barrels. I tried various brands of shells and a 4X4 metal sheet with white paint which I added oil to so it wouldn't dry - but would record the pellet hits. After each shot I took the roller and rolled over the whole surface eliminating the prior pattern. As usual the results were not what I expected. Patterns were more open for sure - yet not that different from cylinder. Not a scientific test for sure - but at least I learned something.
It's true - and my old Mossberg bolt action shoots about the same. People tell me about the Tarhunt www.tarhunt.com/ If I sell my car I may buy one. My best to you.
1) The A-Bolt is the one of the three bolt actions you should stay with. Top quality throughout. Genuine 2" groups at 100 yards. 2) The Savage looks like it was made in the bowels of Southeast Asia - and should have been left there. 3) As for the Model 98 conversion: Yikes! 3" groups @100 meters with a smooth bore shotgun, no front site and a bead front sight? Foster slugs.....well it doesn't matter because smooth bores don't shoot sabot slugs any better than Fosters. You'd be lucky to hit the side of a garage. Yes, it's a clever modification, but likely a dangerous one. Only the 3'rd recoil lug, which was designed as an emergency safety lug, remains on ONE side at the end of the bolt. Stuff like that's okay for low thrust cartridges like rim fires, however, the thrust of a 16 gauge shell isn't much less than a 12 gauge's - and more than that of a 30-06. Yes, the 30-06 operates at 50,000 cup or so, while the shotgun operates at only 10,000 - 11,000 cup, and shotgun proof loads go up to only 17,000 proof. However, the internal bolt face area of the inside of a 16 gauge shell is about 3X that of a 30-06. And Newton's 3rd law gives the shotgun a lot more recoil than the 30-06, even if the latter has about the same kinetic energy. Because recoil varies as the square of the momentum [mass x velocity] of the ejecta. In other words, a stiff 16 gauge load has as much or more recoil than a 375 H&H. So to risk life or limb on an emergency, unbalanced recoil lug to absorb heavy recoil seems unwise at best. PO Ackley discusses (in his old manual from the 60's) what happens to shooters when recoil lugs give way, as with the 1903, 30-06 Springfields. He singles out locking lugs at rear of the bolt as particularly risky because of bolt stretch during firing. A good while back, I had a Model 54 Anschutz in 222 Remington that also had a rear locking lug. The German engineers told me that was as large a caliber they dare make with rear locking lugs because of bolt stretch. I immediately got rid of it and bought a 222 Sako Deluxe. Glad I did.
Hi Will - good thoughts on all subjects; not that you need to hear that from me. As for the Mauser bolt, despite the theoretical weaknesses many of these have fired countless shells with slugs etc... and they seem to hold. From what I know, so long as headspace is proper, shearing the bolt handle and safety lug off would be unlikely. I sold my last bolt Mauser shotgun and can't remember if the bolt handle contacted the receiver ow enough as to comprise a locking lug. Thanks for writing.
Really appreciate your channel. Certainly not the most boring gun channel. Your videos are like sitting down with a friend looking over some really nice old guns. Refreshing to have someone else, and fellow viewers, appreciate crafted wood and steel.
That means a lot to me Paul. I'm convinced there is a fellowship among gun owners around the world. Thank you for your kind words.
Agreed. While many of my peers are black rifle tactical jocks, I enjoy the wood and blue steel of the H&R, 458 Win, 460 Weatherby, and even my latest, a 416 Ruger Hawkeye African. Before finding your channel a few months ago I thought I was a throwback to a bygone era. Appreciate the history you weave into the technical discussions. Some day I hope to afford an H&H. Meanwhile, I enjoy you sharing your collection with us.
I agree, Paul. Old World for me. In fact I despair of modern trends. Everyone wnats a shortcut: high-powered telescopic sights and bipods are expedients that prevent a shooter from acquiring true shooting skills. Not for me. I'm Australian, but on a recent visit to London, went to the H&H shop in Mayfair. They were very accommodating, and let me handle any firearm of my choice. If you're ever there, visit. It's well worth it.
Like stepping back in time isn't it Robert. With all our technology and brilliance we've made more and more of everything and no one knows the value of anything; well, I guess there are some.
Thanks Paul. There is something about the wilds. Or a quiet evening at home in the gun room. One can reflect on life without a screen or any sound. In guns and hunting I've often found or learned some meaningful things - or thought I did; and once in awhile, often when I least expect it, I've caught a glimpse of even more.
I have a few of them in 12, 16, and even one in 20ga.... I been shooting them for over 35 years, and have yet to have one explode, implode, attack me, or go on a crime spree all by themselves.... They are a Great Shotgun.... They used to be stacked up like cord wood in all the gun shops... I remember them going for $50, in some cases even less.... Ahh, memories!.... Haha!... Great Video!....
the first shotgun i bought was an old 12 gauge JC Higgens for $60. the stock looked like driftwood but after refinishing it with tru oil it was a nice looking gun.
most people think bolt actions are corny but i like them and they work pretty good
I would absolutely love to own a Mauser 16 ga. bolt action shotgun like that. Are they quite expensive?
@@douglaspollard4585 hey I just bought the same gun a few months ago for 185.00. Dollars.. but however mine is the 12 guage version.. from my understanding they made 12 and 16 guage..
I have always liked bolt action shotguns, Yours are very nice
Back in the 50's and 60's, bolt action shotguns were "all the rage". Bolt actions were the shotguns of my youth, simply because they were selling at bargain basement prices (used) with the advent of inexpensive pump shotguns in the late 60's and early 70's.. My father thought that each of us should have a shotgun and so, with 8 kids for $10-$15 each, he could purchase a bolt action shotgun for each of us and we'd all have a gun for "driving deer". They've recently made a comeback but, not at the prices my father paid.
How the prices of things have changed. If they keep printing soon one shell will be $15. Anyway, those bolts are fine guns at $15. or $1500.Thanks for writing.
Larry Kool 15 dollars in 1970 is about 100 dollars today people forget that inflation doesn't actually make things anymore expensive.
What a great dad! A bolt shotgun for each of you - and driving deer; amazing.
My parents have passed away but, my brothers still own the bolt-action shotguns that we hunted with growing up. These are fine weapons and still function just as well as I remember as a child.
That's touching Larry; I realize that life much like the tide comes in and then must go. Still, it's a sad thing. A little warmer for you all to have those shotguns . If I didn't say so already, Have a Merry Christmas!
The Mauser conversion gun was really cool! The Browning looked cool and I'd bet the it really does feel smooth. Because my state allows rifle hunting, shotguns are pretty much limited to the early seasons for dove and squirrel. I've never seen one of those Browning A-Bolts, tons of beat up old Mossbergs though and many of them are 16's. Great video, I'll keep my eyes open at the next gun show for one of the A-Bolts.
Thanks Paul - I like that old Mauser - I think with a barrel band front sight and decent rear sight it would be a real contender. I hope you get an A Bolt though.
You can buy a Mauser conversion on gun broker for around 150 dollars.
I was a kid during the 60s. My Dad owned over and unders and a semi auto. I only encountered bolt actions in gun digest articles. I had the impression these were inferior. Now in my senior years,. I am looking around for a Savage bolt action. Thank you Sir for another wonderful video !!
I aquired an old 12 gauge H&R 349 gamester bolt action a couple of years ago. I have heard many stories about unsafe and this and that, but after about 2000 rounds plus whatever the previous owner put through it, it seems to work flawlessly. Shoots true and never had a hang up and still looks as though it was manufactured a couple of years ago. I think a lot of youtube negativity is just trolls, lack of experience, and jealousy because someone else has something cool and they dont. Personally i think it took a lot of ingenuity to set that shotgun up the way it is or at least more ingenuity than any youtube trolls have. Nice vid.
Hello Ironman Inc. - wise words and thanks for writing. I may be naive but I've always believed people are good and feel best when they do good things and say good things. From time to time things go wrong and maybe the times we live in affect each of us and we are not at our best. and then, in time, the truth in us comes out - and everything can be good again. As for your H&R - excellent just as you say and they seem to work just about forever. All the best to you.
My first 12 g was a Stevens model 58 set up to shoot slugs. Kicked like a crack out mule but was very accurate with everything I shot in it. I sold it a few years back but now I'm in the process of finding it once again.
Any old firearm deserves to be in my collection!
Hi there, great video! I own a JC Higgins 16 gauge, bolt-action shotgun with a tube that holds 5 shells plus 1. I also have a single shot, break open 20 gauge that I use for hunting and plinking about with caliber inserts. I really like the feel and fluidity of the bolt action, not to mention it was a gift from the wife. I once purchased a large Savior 55 inch tactical case, wondering if I would ever own a gun so large as to need this case. I am so glad that I now do. I nicknamed the JC Higgins "Captain America" and the single shot 20 gauge, "The Land Cannon". Both reside in the bag and both are a pleasure to shoot. My next purchase will be a JC Higgins bolt action chambered in 12 gauge. Thank you for listening to my words and it is always nice to find a fellow firearms aficionado!
The first time I viewed this video it got me thinking. I am now in the middle of building up a 16g JC bolt for deer season next year.
Thanks for your very imformative and interesting offerings, never a dull moment.
I used to see Mauser conversions at flea markets years ago, not much anymore. You are correct. There is nothing unsafe about them. I have worked on quite a few bolt shotguns over the years, and the biggest problem is always the magazine, especially with different length shells. When the copper and sabots started to gain popularity, the weight difference really made it tough to get reliable feeding. It is not that long ago that bolt action slug guns became a big thing. I will never understand why the new slug guns did not have a tube feed in stead of a box feed. I guess marketing had something to do with that? Years ago I built my buddy a slug gun. 20 GA Mossberg rifled and ported barrel on a 1936 MAS rifle. 2 in the box, 1 in the chamber. Short scope mounted over the center. It took a lot of time and experimenting, but it was fun. He has shot quite a few deer with it. I really like your videos. You come up with some really odd topics.
Hi OG - I like your thinking - the idea of the tube fed bolt repeater is very sound. I have no idea why they thought they have to be box fed. Perhaps the concept of easy reloading, road hunting, or shooting box mag over box mag made the difference. I think there were some bolts with tube mags in the old days. I'm glad you see something in my videos. I try.
I have a mossberg 395kb and I like it real well too. Thanks for sharing the video with us.
Good video as always. The only bolt action shotgun that ever made any in roads in the uk/irish market was the Webley and Scott .410. Great little gun for around farm buildings.
I have a BSA single shot .410 from the great, UK, - based on an Enfield bolt. I have to look up the W&S
Great and useful video. New info always appreciated. :-)
Hey Rick! You've been a great help from day 1! Means a lot to someone like me. I tried to add a video sent to me by a friend from Germany. I hope I succeeded in adding the video to my channel. It is very funny. I hope it is there and I hope you like it. : )
The Browning looks great, I'm thinking of getting one at some point.
I hope they don't discontinue them again - I guess there's always the used market. Thanks for watching.
The Browning A-Bolt 12 Gauge is one of the best 12 gauge slug guns. It is also the hardest kicking slug gun in its weight class (7lbs).
I own a savage 220 and it is a deer hunting monster! I'd go with a 20 ga. over the 12 for performance reasons. Much better past 100 yards. Took a doe at 312 yards last season. Hit her high shoulder and she was dead instantly. I've killed 12 so far with that gun. 10 drops with 1 going 10 yards and 1 going 60 yds. Absolutely in love with it.
I will agree with this...i got a nice scar to prove it lol
Awesome video. A video on a JC Higgins 583 would be amazing. Such a neat little gun.
my Marlin 512 Slugmaster out shoots the A-bolt in accuracy ...but the A-bolt feels so good to hold, looks so beautiful ...Tarhunt on a different level of accuracy all by itself nothing comes close to it ....Savage 212 is another great choice ......
Great comment - I like the Ithaca 37 pump and the old Mossberg bolt actions are great as well.
I like the bolt shotguns too. My father has a mossberg 16 gauge with muzzle brake and adjustable choke. I think it's a model 190. I loved carrying it in the woods as a kid.
I finally got to shoot a 16ga and a bolt action 12ga last night finally and loved both so much I wanted to get something like that so I ordered one of those Mausers in 16ga. I can't wait to try it out. It's a hard hit heart.
I appreciate it, thanks for your answer. Bolt action shotguns are an interesting subject they just encourage me to shoot strictly slugs.
It's true Danny - the A Bolt especially opens all kinds of possibilities. I may have said it in the video but when I head into the hills hunting on short notice I take the A Bolt. I may not hit at 400 but I usually come back with a grouse or two, a duck or two and am completely comfortable hitting a deer responsibly at 200. Close to universal firearm. And anyway, I think I've hunted enough to be able to get closer than 400.
I bought mine off buds gun shop for 650. The A-bolt is a beast of a shotgun. Love the thing to death...kicks like a mule though :)
Great buy! You're right about the kick for sure.
I found your channel a while back. Outstanding, intelligent, very informative. WOW, you shave and don't wear dirty camo!! I have some newer synthetic guns, but enjoy walnut and fine blue steel way more than plastic. wood and craftsmanship give them a soul. love my pre 64 Winchesters, Mausers and Manlicher Shoerners. Awesome Channel!!!!!
Hi R Van, I am still laughing - yes - I shave and don't wear camo : ) I like your comment about soul - that sums it up! Thank you for finding my channel and welcome on board!!! There are millions of like minded people around the world - we're just not usually in parades or easily found....its that 'Still waters run deep" thing.
In the uk shotguns that hold 3 shells with a fixed mag/tube are under a lower licence to one with a removable mag. Maybe some states have similar quirks, hence the camo shotgun having an integral mag?
Thes are excellent videos, and I want to express my agreement with Paul Edwards. While I enjoy the presentations of many Firearm UA-camrs, there are two in particular that are top of the tree: GunBlue490 and USOG. You have similar aesthetic sensibilities, a deep love and respect for your firearms, and a knowledge that goes way beyond anything else on the Internet.
Thank you Robert. I have a hunch you have similar knowledge and experience; which makes your kind words even more meaningful.
I appreciate that you took the time to write and that you value what I have to share and say. Thank you so much Robert.
That Abolt is Wow!!👍👍👍
Fine video friend, loved it. Thanks. I just scored a Mossy 190 bolt action in 16G. Great condition, $125. Took it apart and cleaned the heck out of it, bore is great, built in choke works good. Will test it at the range soon. I also just purchased a Mossy 183kc .410 bolt w/ selector choke also. It too is in great condition, $125 also. Mossberg collection getting large, sigh..
Thank you! Great purchase - fantastic price - what a fine shotgun you bought! And the .410 - one of my favorites - so useful! I used a .410 bolt for years - even dropped marauding coyotes with the little .410 slugs - worked great! All the best to you.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Thanks USOG, and I have no love for coyotes, so that is promising. I'll have to get some slugs for it, could be a fun gun to just blast on a sunny weekend, blow up water jugs. Take care and keep up the fun videos, I enjoy them immensely.
Good information ; just one question: is the A Bolt rifled or smooth bore?
Rifled. Such a fine firearm.
Thamk you, I apreciate
Great video and information !
I still don't care for the composite stocks and have a hard time accepting that this is common now !
I prefer the wood stocks with my guns and glad to see Browning offers it in wood !
Must be a sign that I'm getting old ! Haha
Keep up the great work and videos !
GOD Bless
Thanks Deno - I remember a fellow I encountered in the forest - years ago - we talked about hunting and other things and we agreed we both loved the trees and hunting slowly through the snow - he had hunted those woods for 40 years - and then he told me God is in the trees - and we laughed and agreed that is true - and in everything else. God Bless you too and have a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas.
Just got the savage 210 pretty excited to shoot it. I love bolt action shotgun I have a sears/ Roebuck in 12 and a mossberg 410
Fantastic! That Savage is something. If you don't mind please update me on how it performs. Thanks!
Great video and I would loved to have seen your targets! The German Mauser is cool by the Browning rocks!
Hi Ron - We're trying to get set up for more shooting and targets. Thanks for the note.
I have a mossberg 185 with an adjustable choke ...... very accurate ......perfect for turkey hunting
You bet Jay - far better than most people think - bolt shotguns are excellent.
I shoot slugs with a Savage pump modified choke. I line the bead with the receiver and snoots tight groups.
Savage 20 gauge 220F will hold it's own against any slug gun out there.
I agree. Nice gun.
Still can't group as well as a Tarhunt RSG. I've gotten 3/8 inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards with the Tarhunt. The Savage is very accurate but not that accurate. Tarhunt is also far more expensive than the Savage so if you're on a budget then go with the Savage. Besides Tarhunt, Savage makes the best slug gun out there anyhow. Tarhunts last forever though and they really hold their value.
Really ?
I wouldn't shit you. It's by far the most accurate, best built slug gun out there, as it should be given the price tag!
Does your's have a safety issue and also issues with shells not cycling through consistently, getting bound up on the feed ramp? My 212 does. Annoying
I have a 20ga wards bolt action shotgun. Interesting old thing. Its fro. The 20s I believe!
Easy to use and effective
That was very interesting, thank you.
Are the barrels fixed as are rifle barrels? The new version of Ithaca Gun makes something called a Deerslayer, which is a pump action shotgun (Model 37) with a fixed, rifled barrel.They say that the fixed barrel is not only cheaper to produce, but also offers much better accuracy than a normal shotgun.
You're right - the Ithaca Deerslayer has been around a long time - one of the first "slug" shotguns and still one of the best. The A Bolt has a fixed barrel - and they discontinued it again. Thanks for the note.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I think the new ithaca company was the first to have the barrels fixed. Prior to that, I believe Ithaca made their Deerslayers with take down barrels.
I just bought a pair of Mossberg, 16 gauge, bolt action, shot guns.
They both say "2 3/4 or 3 inch Shells"
I bought the 2 3/4" Winchester white box ammunition from Walmart,
And they're having trouble feeding..🤔
AWESOME little Pop Guns tho!!
Lotta fun. Im sure the 3inch will be better
Hi Michael - both are excellent - sometimes the feeding improves if you set the shorter shells slightly forward in the magazine. The three inchers should feed well - I hope : )
Thanks for your immediate response. I have a curiosity question, that is if you own a smooth bore & a rifled barrel bolt action shotgun which one would shoot more accurately using slugs? I know we are all busy & to suggest a future project to someone is kinda I'll leave it at that but, then you might know the answer already? Thanks!
Hi again, I tend to walk into Cabelas or wherever and buy slugs off the shelf; so mostly they are Foster slugs - Remington mostly but Winchester or Federal and others are fine too. Anyway, with Foster slugs I tested rifled vs smooth bore and found almost no difference at 100 yards. If you buy sabot slugs then go with the rifled barrel as the projectile will be stabilized by the rifling and you can gain some yardage. The Fosters fly point on due to forward weight. The most accurate slugs I tested were Breneke from Germany - they are a little odd but work and are very accurate. For some reason I equate shotgun slugs with Foster slugs. I like the look of them, am used to them and 100 yards is a fine shot with a shotgun slug. Trajectory is not the best with any of them - sabot or Foster. Cheers.
I just found your channel. Great work!
Thanks Michael!
Wow, the mauser. What a conversion. Like you said, the Germans kinda have a good record
Sure do Shannon! Amazing what variety and ingenuity there is in German guns.
Thought firing a rifled Foster thru a rifled barrel was a no-no? Maybe not. 'Need to check on that. Thanks for your through reviews!
Hi Stephen - I've tried many different slugs in the rifled barrel shotguns - they're all okay.
Help me out! I'm deciding between a 12 gauge Browning A bolt or a 20 gauge Savage 220. Which one should i get?
Get the 20.I shoot a 12 and my wife shoots a savage 20.Her 20 is about twice the speed and more accurite.
Very interesting. Thanks!!
Hi - I tried to email you but must have confused your address. Please send a note when you can. Thanks!
You need to do full comparison between the Marlin 512, Mossberg 695, Savage 210 and Browning A-Bolt Slug-Guns.
Okay - good idea - will do as soon as I have the 3. Cheers.
What are you patterns like with buck and birdshot outa the Abolt with rifling in the barrel.
Hi Justin - at close range - 30 yards and less - slightly more open patterns. Further than 30 and the patterns keep opening and there are dramatic difference between the rifled barrel and a smooth bore. I like smooth bores better.
should have thrown a Mossberg 395 in there as well. But as always, an awesome video from USOG.
um i kinda dont know about guns ..why does it look like a bolt action rifle....
whats the diff between rifle and a shotgun with 1 barrel?
Thanks for writing in. The action for the bolt rifle and shotgun are essentially the same - only the barrel and the dimensions of the receiver are different. The bolt shotgun has to accommodate the larger shotgun shells - which is why the bolt shotgun in bigger. A typical shotgun has no rifling in the barrel. As you likely know, rifling is spiral grooves cut into the inside of the barrel that cause the bullet or projectile to spin - which cause something like a gyroscopic effect and the bullets stay on course. A shotgun smothbore is just a smooth pipe for directing shotgun shot - hundreds of pellets - towards the target. Shotguns can shoot slugs - which stay on track due to their weight forward design; and some, like the A Bolt - are rifled like rifles and shoot best with special shells designed for rifled shotguns. Hope that all isn't too confusing. All the best.
Thats a beautiful Geha. Fantastic, light, fun guns. Also very safe. I think you may be incorrect about the lugs.....I'm quite certain the front lugs do lock up on the 20 and 16 gauge.
You may well be right - I'll check.
No J.C. Higgins? :< They were surprisingly light compared to their pump and semi offerings.
Incidentally Paul Harrell does a video where he compares shooting rifled and unrifled slugs out of rifled and unrifled barrels, if anyone is interested in a direct accuracy comparison.
Hi Jermaine - Very good point and I'll speak to that question. Thanks again.
The Mauser 16 Gauge looks very nice and simple. Do you know when it was made?
Hi - 1952 - sorry for being so slow.
No problem, thanks for answering.
I’m looking at a 12 Sears Roebuck bolt action they go for around 300
Man! You have the coolest collection! I really like obscure and inexpensive or economy guns. I'm really interested store brand guns, if you have a few I'd really like to see a video on them. Thanks for the great content.
Good idea - I'll try to put more store brand guns in the vault and then make a video. Thanks for the suggestion and kind words - much appreciated.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I have Kmart tools and such and I want to add a Kmart brand shotgun to my collection now
Love bolt action shotguns, so interesting and such a foreign idea to more modern shooters
Do the bolt action shotguns barrels have a smooth bore or are they rifled?
Hello.That depends on the make and model. The older but excellent Mossberg and Marlin bolt actions were smooth bore; the Browning A bolt and Savage are rifled. Hastings and maybe other manufacturers offer after market rifled shotgun barrels for the Remington 870 and perhaps other models.
Back then it was normal to buy a bolt action shotgun because the pump gun and guns he semi auto were expensive
I’ve learned so much from your channel. It’s perfect. Please don’t start shooting watermelons. I have a 16 gauge JC Higgins shotgun, bolt action tube magazine, inherited from my uncle many years ago. It’s a really inexpensive gun but shoots just fine. I hunted pheasants with it many years ago. Cleaned it up this last year and tried to break some clay pigeons at the range. It’s still fun to shoot.
That's a fine bolt action and another undervalued gun. Harder to find one these days. I like watermelons in summer; you know, sliced on a hot day. Seems a pity to shoot them; although I guess some people shoot loaves of bread too. Free country.
How is it on doubles at the range?
what about the mossberg 695?
What's your opinion on the Mossberg and Sears/High Standard bolt-action shotguns?
Both excellent and badly undervalued.
What loads would you say are safe for the Sears/High Standard bolt actions in 20 gauge?
I'm not too worried myself, but I've heard that on the ones sold by Sears the receivers could crack over time from heavy use, but from what I've seen people saying online that only seems to have been a problem for the 12 gauge models as (apparently) they had thinner receivers compared to ones chambered in 20 or 16.
Basically, I've been firing just birdshot through the one I bought at a gun-show a few weeks ago, and I'm a little worried about firing slugs and high-powered shells through it, should I be?
+zelpyzelp I'll do a little research and see if I can find more info. I wonder where the cracks were on the receiver.
Thank you!
As far as I can tell SAAMI shotgun pressures are generally around 11,500 psi (with statistical variance of say + - 1000psi) for all shot and slug loads. The .410 pressures run a little higher. Slug loads may seem to have more pressure as there is substantial recoil due to slug mass / overcoming inertia but the pressures are within SAAMI limits for all loads. I've seen stocks cracked and broken by slugs; at least according to their owners. The receivers we're thinking about are tubular steel and only absorb pressure at the bolt handle - which is the locking lug - and maybe there is another lug on the Sears/HS - I'm not sure as I could not find one to examine in the moment. Anyway, pressure would be transferred through the base of the shell to the bolt and through the bolt to the handle stem - and any other locking device. The receiver just holds the barrel and other parts etc... I guess there is fleeting pressure in the walls of the chamber and maybe the receiver ring could be affected by an off center barrel - but I doubt it. I'll have to examine the actual model one day but from what I know I can't see a 20 slug being an issue and if it is - same would go for any shell. Hope this helps. Sears recalled some due to a latch issue - unrelated to pressure.
Those Geha work just fine. My younger brother took 2 deer with his using fosters. If Browning wanted to make the best bolt slug gun possible they would have made a 20ga....The fact they didn't shows they don't really know the market.
Very good cs - I'm glad the Geha worked so well - I thought they were fine. As for the 20 Ga. - yes indeed that would be ideal.
According to the Browning site the A-bolt shotgun has been discontinued ,,,,, probably many used ones out there.
liked-sub.
Hi Brad - thanks for letting is know; they discontinued them once before. I know a lot of people wrote Browning that they missed the first run; then Browning re-introduced them...and now I guess gone. Maybe for good. Sad - fine shotgun.
Interesting selection of Bolt Action shotguns.
Hi george - viewers tell me the TarHunt is the best : )
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Not qualified to comment on more recent bolt actions but owned a Mossberg 3 shot 50 odd years ago and it was a very "functional" gun. The TarHunt certainly looks the business.
I have a mossberg 9200,what are your thoughts on it
Hi Scott - I had no problems with mine. I bought it years ago for something like $150. and the seller told me it didn't work - feeding and ejection issues - otherwise like new. I found a schematic and made sure all the parts were where they are supposed to be. Worked perfectly and quite pleasant to shoot and handle. I sold it awhile later. Mossbergs are usually well designed and made - as you likely know.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns mine is the slugster model with gold trigger and the cheek pad,had it since brand new,my dad bought it,been a great gun,hadn't been shit in years
I used to have a bolt action mossberg 20 gauge. I loved that gun, shoulda kept it around. Of course, that's how I feel about most guns I get my hands on 😂😂
Me too Chris - and the MBerg in 20 really is something great.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns mine was a slug gun. I bought it used, it had the barrel shortened, bead cut off and never replaced, but it came with a scope ( can't remember what scope), and it shot well enough for hunting out to 100 yards. Maybe I'll find myself another one 🤔
Beautiful video. May I suggest getting a very tiny flexible tripod for the camera, so you rest the camera on the table during close-ups?
Like I've said before, these just keep getting better! And I've always had a thing for bolt-action shotguns.
Hey The Juice! That's a great idea - thanks - I'm going to look for one. Thanks for your support and writing. Some people tell me a bolt action shotgun is close to a universal weapon - interesting. Keep the faith : )
USOG they shouldn't be too expensive, from what I've seen.
Looking forward to your next upload!
Just got one, never even knew they existed
Out of curiosity why didn’t your marlin super Goose make it to the video?
Hi Sentinal - I made a separate video for them - very fine shotguns and specialized due to the extra barrel length - so I gave them a stand alone video.
Thank you for the response, the SuperGoose is an incredible gun to me and I managed to secure one through a family friend and will be picking it up this summer. Your video really cemented my need to buy one.
Once I have it I’m planning on recording some grouping/penetration data with bismuth waterfowl loads.
Last summer I purchased the Savage 212 and have had several issues that I found in forums online others are having as well. One of those is that they don't feed most shells - the front of the plastic shell gets caught on the sharp-cut feed ramp as the bolt pushes it forward. The other is the 3-position safety. When on full safety mode, the pin below the bolt doesn't come up and lock the bolt. HUGE liability/safety issue! Otherwise, my slug gun shoots the Federal Premium 3" Trophy Copper sabot/tipped 300 grain rounds the best. So far it's killed a 320" bull at 106 yards and a cow elk running straight away at 150-175 yards... right through the top pelvic and spinal area, through the innards and vitals. Instant kill. I suppose I need to send the gun into Savage if they'll honor the warranty. If not, I did buy the lifetime warranty through Buds Gun Shop online.
interesting video, really i only knew about the russian TULA TOZ 106 bolt action shotgun
Hi Percy - hard to find - but excellent and has the Russian appeal.
has a type PPS 43 pistol grip and buttstock foldable... very popular in russia
I really like your videos I subscribed and liked . You seem very knowledgeable. Good shooting
Thanks Tom; I try - a little of a lot and a lot of some. I'm so glad you subscribed.
Like his videos but his hair! That dam tupay cracks me up!
Good stuff! Keep em coming!
I own one of those Mauser GeHa`s and I havent heard that they aren`t strong enough, have one Berdan shotgun too and that isnt ment for smokeless powder unlike the GeHa.
I think they are great! I see no design weakness but people like to doubt things I guess - which is probably good too. Anyway, glad you own one - I think they will go up in value - quite unique. I may put sights on mine. Thanks for writing.
Thanks enjoy very much 🤔
as always your videos are great
Thank you!
what do you think of the mossberg 695?
Excellent Scott.
Another informative video. I handled once or twice Marlin goose guns. Impressive beasts. I don't know if you came across this. Do google Ed Hubel and 12 gauge from hell. He built it on a Savage 210 shotgun action. Must be an extremely strong action.
Excellent - 12 Ga. BMG - thanks for mentioning. Have to admire the creativity of gun people!
good video I think the Steven's model 58 is a good one too
Hello! Yes - that is a fine shotgun. I'm glad you mention it. The older Mossbergs are great too - and they are all very affordable. Thanks for writing.
I have a mossberg & sons model 390kb 16 GA c-lect-choke and I've shot it around 10 times and it's very fun! I sadly don't have a magazine for it but I'm currently looking, if anybody can help me I'd greatly appreciate it!
Hi Jacob - try Gun Parts Corp and if they don't have try the next gun show; they are around.
You can go to lowes and buy a piece of pipe and make a shotgun(i dont recommend). If it can handle the pressure, those guns you have should be safe.
Fair enough 👍
Hard to get used to unless it is the only shotgun you have.
That's true - for me - I was used to bolt action rifles and was able to work the bolt action shotguns just as fast.
No mention of Tarhunt? I agree, the A-Bolt is a great slug gun, but the Tarhunt is in a league of it's own, the most accurate slug gun out there, the Bugatti of slug guns.
So sorry - I forgot the Tarhunt! I was distracted and quite busy driving around in my Bugatti : ) Seriously, I'll find one someday and I'm sure you are correct. I just visited their web site and their guns look supreme and no doubt accuracy is to match. Also, I have to mention an O/U slug gun which I own but is with a friend right now - that is a fine performer - although not a bolt action. I'll have to make a video on "other" action type slug guns. Thanks for writing and I'm glad to have a Tarhunt owner on the channel!
Depending on where you live, I would by happy to loan you mine! It really is a masterpiece, by far the nicest gun I own and will ever own! The guy who makes them has been at it for longer than anyone else and knows more about slug shooting than anyone on the planet. I found out about Randy Fritz (the owner of Tarhunt) in a book called "Shotgunning for Deer", a great resource and something I would highly recommend!
I've shot about every slug gun out there. Idk why but I'm very big into slug shooting, there is something fascinating about squeezing such accuracy out of something so inherently inaccurate. As for other actions, well bolt actions are the cream of the crop in slug guns, the most accurate and well built guns on the market.
Pump actions are pretty common. Problem is the barrel vibrates and affects accuracy pretty greatly. It often helps to tighten the absolute shit out of the barrel nut. If you're strictly sticking to sabot slug shooting with a rifled barrel, the Ithaca Deerslayer is the most accurate I've shot. And tbh I haven't really had much luck with any rifled pump action shotgun besides the Ithaca Deerslayer. I know Tarhunt will modify an 870 pump into a slug gun, that's something I haven't shot but I'd imagine it'd be the only pump that is as accurate or more accurate than the Deerslayer.
Now for smoothbore slug shooting, I absolutely prefer pump actions. With Foster and Brenneke slugs you usually are using iron sights and not looking for the insane precision that you have with sabot slugs. For Foster slugs, I prefer the Remington 870 Express Deer. Comes with an improved cylinder choke and Foster Slugs really like it. For Brenneke slugs, get a Mossberg 500 with their cylinder bore barrel, or get a Mossberg cylinder bore "slug" barrel and put it on an 870. And remember to tighten the barrel night! But yeah, general rule of thumb is Foster slugs like Improved Cylinder, Brenneke Slugs like Cylinder Bore.
Semi-autos are one of the most inaccurate slug shooting platforms period. Too much motion going on every time you pull the trigger. However they will reduce recoil and allow for quick follow-up shots. It's been a while since I've shot one, so I forgot which ones seemed to like slugs the best.
Break barrel are not as accurate as bolt action, but are the second most accurate slug guns out there. H&R Ultra Slug is probably the best break barrel out there, probably a gun most people have heard of. Still very accurate and a great cost-effective slug gun.
I've never heard of someone shooting slugs from an O/U. If it works, it works, but if I were trying to get rifle-like performance I wouldn't think shooting a gun with a barrel stacked on top of another is the way to go. Interesting though, what kind of grouping are you getting?
For fun, I'd like to mention lever action slug guns. I've only seen these in .410 (shot a 9410 and it was really a fun gun!). I know Henry Repeating Arms has a 410 lever action that does well with slugs, might be something I'll get!
Just thought I'd let you know - I share your enthusiasm for slugs and have shot many since you wrote. And the other day I hit a pie plate at 200 yards with open sights - my Ithaca Deerslayer. I followed the rules of shooting and upon reaching the pie plate and seeing the near dead center hit - I immediately packed up the shooting gear and went home. The shooting simply could not get any better. I hope you have your Henry .410 and Merry Christmas!
Holy cow now that's an impressive shot! I'm assuming the original Deerslayer smoothbore with foster slugs? No Henry for Christmas, but a good Christmas nonetheless. At the moment I'm in Wyoming and my Tarhunt in New York. It'll be about a month till I could get it to you. Do you by chance live near the finger lakes region? Or could give me a rough idea of where you live? I'd be happy to drive it out to you, but with such a nice gun I don't really want to pack it and ship it off. Send me an email if you like: sawmaster609@gmail.com
I'll take my marlin 512p over anything you have on the table. I've shot the browning and wasn't impressed. My 512p has Williams fiber optics from factory, detachable mag, factory ported. And a nicer polymer stock then the browning. Browning has thinner plastic to the stock then the marlin.
check out the mossburgh 12 gauge slug gun, bought mine on sale back some yrs ago for 180 bucks, me n my son has won many slug shoot tournaments n prizes over the years, had a dozen guys try buying it from me, last guy offered a 1,i000 bucks, although the gun shoots great, I believe it has a lot to do with who is shooting and what their skill is, either way its accurate, one guy i talk to has a scope on his and hunts deer n takes deer often at 150 yrds which is great for a slug gun
When the price of pump actions dropped below the bolt action; it killed the sales of bolt action shotguns. They have developed a bad reputation in America, because of the "blow up stories" which almost none can be confirmed. Not even the cases which recalls we're based on were investigated properly or fully understood. But, this to hurt sales. Browning discontinued the A Bolt Shotguns, Mossberg stopped production of their last bolt shotgun in 2003 (695) after making bolt shotguns for 100 years, Marlin quitting on the Slugmaster. Only Savage continues today with the 212 and 220. There are high end exotics being made in small numbers like Tar Hunt. The used market is as dead as it could be, and bolt shotguns sit in gun stores unsold for years. There are lots of bolt slug guns that can be found very cheap. That shoot more accurate than any autoloader slug gun at any price! However when purchasing a cheaper older smooth bore always check the lug behind the bolt handle for cracks most of the time below the wood of the stock. If it's cracked it is unsafe to shoot and really can't be fixed. If you think you do have a crack below the wood clean to verify it's not just wear in the blueing from the stock. My theory on most of the "blow up" stories is a misfeed happens, the shooter tries to force bolt, plastic shell bends pops shell out of extractor, and the extractor hits the primer causing an out of battery detonation. I always enjoy your videos, keep up the good work!
Thanks G&G - maybe it is a cycle and they will return.
Iska price kya hai bhai
Qual calibre ..
Damm, my grandad has one of these they r so coooo
The scope is backwards on the savage 210!!
Hi Darcey - You have a sharp eye and thanks for the note. The scope is actually an Aimpoint though and it is installed correctly. Your perception is entirely understandable though. All the best to you.
The best bolt action shotguns where the old Mossberg shotguns from the 1950s
I have a Mossberg model 185, 20 gauge. Thing is a chunk of wood
you know what happens to shot when it goes through a rifled barrel? huge amount of spread, 5-20 ft would be maybe ok
Good point! I forgot to mention I tested spreads through rifled barrels. I tried various brands of shells and a 4X4 metal sheet with white paint which I added oil to so it wouldn't dry - but would record the pellet hits. After each shot I took the roller and rolled over the whole surface eliminating the prior pattern. As usual the results were not what I expected. Patterns were more open for sure - yet not that different from cylinder. Not a scientific test for sure - but at least I learned something.
The savage 220 is the Cadillac of bolt action shotguns
I like that.
I guess Oliver Stone has a youtube channel now.
Ha ha
cool channel. subbed
Thanks Hans.
Hm is the price
It's true - and my old Mossberg bolt action shoots about the same. People tell me about the Tarhunt www.tarhunt.com/
If I sell my car I may buy one. My best to you.
In my mind a bolt action shotgun would be more like a shorter range large caliber rifle
excellent
Thanks Jeff
1) The A-Bolt is the one of the three bolt actions you should stay with. Top quality throughout. Genuine 2" groups at 100 yards.
2) The Savage looks like it was made in the bowels of Southeast Asia - and should have been left there.
3) As for the Model 98 conversion: Yikes! 3" groups @100 meters with a smooth bore shotgun, no front site and a bead front sight? Foster slugs.....well it doesn't matter because smooth bores don't shoot sabot slugs any better than Fosters. You'd be lucky to hit the side of a garage. Yes, it's a clever modification, but likely a dangerous one. Only the 3'rd recoil lug, which was designed as an emergency safety lug, remains on ONE side at the end of the bolt. Stuff like that's okay for low thrust cartridges like rim fires, however, the thrust of a 16 gauge shell isn't much less than a 12 gauge's - and more than that of a 30-06. Yes, the 30-06 operates at 50,000 cup or so, while the shotgun operates at only 10,000 - 11,000 cup, and shotgun proof loads go up to only 17,000 proof. However, the internal bolt face area of the inside of a 16 gauge shell is about 3X that of a 30-06. And Newton's 3rd law gives the shotgun a lot more recoil than the 30-06, even if the latter has about the same kinetic energy. Because recoil varies as the square of the momentum [mass x velocity] of the ejecta.
In other words, a stiff 16 gauge load has as much or more recoil than a 375 H&H. So to risk life or limb on an emergency, unbalanced recoil lug to absorb heavy recoil seems unwise at best. PO Ackley discusses (in his old manual from the 60's) what happens to shooters when recoil lugs give way, as with the 1903, 30-06 Springfields. He singles out locking lugs at rear of the bolt as particularly risky because of bolt stretch during firing.
A good while back, I had a Model 54 Anschutz in 222 Remington that also had a rear locking lug. The German engineers told me that was as large a caliber they dare make with rear locking lugs because of bolt stretch. I immediately got rid of it and bought a 222 Sako Deluxe. Glad I did.
Hi Will - good thoughts on all subjects; not that you need to hear that from me. As for the Mauser bolt, despite the theoretical weaknesses many of these have fired countless shells with slugs etc... and they seem to hold. From what I know, so long as headspace is proper, shearing the bolt handle and safety lug off would be unlikely. I sold my last bolt Mauser shotgun and can't remember if the bolt handle contacted the receiver ow enough as to comprise a locking lug. Thanks for writing.
We take 12 gauge bolt action mausers and make block shot guns out of them.
I'll have to look that up. You outsmarted me on this one : )