Thinking of buying an O/A shotgun

[OntarioHunter]

I’ve learned some stuff here. All this time I thought I enjoyed carrying my over/under because it was lightweight, carries easily, and fits me well, but it turns out it’s just a status symbol. I’m lacking the Cuban cigars and fancy bourbon, and my waterfowl gun is an old 870 Wingmaster, so I’m not sure where that leaves me....

It may leave you blind like mine nearly left me. Any of you who are nearsighted, especially those just passing middle age, should give some serious thought to going auto for heavy waterfowl loads. You are a prime candidate for spontaneous retina detachments. If you fall in that category at least know the symptoms of detaching retina. I didn't and almost cost me my left eye. Get to ER immediately! Took three major surgeries and six laser patch jobs to save my eye. I can see through it but that's about all. I shot that old Wingmaster Magnum from 1968 till about six years ago when I finally smartened up and bought the A5 auto.



And to the chap with the 870 Super Magnum: you are really rolling the dice with 3.5" shells in a fixed breech shotgun!

 

[Art Vandeley]

What does O/A stand for ? I thought O/U is over/under.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I would like everyone to know that the last thing I drank was a PBR, the last tobacco I smoked was a Backwoods, and the last thing I shot with my 870 field was a juice jug full of water. The last bird I shot was a ruffy with a .22 pistol from about 5 feet away. You’re welcome for the shotgun advice.

 

[Nick87]

I would like everyone to know that the last thing I drank was a PBR, the last tobacco I smoked was a Backwoods, and the last thing I shot with my 870 field was a juice jug full of water. The last bird I shot was a ruffy with a .22 pistol from about 5 feet away. You’re welcome for the shotgun advice.

Literally laughed out loud.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I've been eyeing O/A shotguns for a while now for quail and dove. I love the look of them, and while the old pump works just fine in the field I think there is something classic about using one in the field.

Do any of you have suggestions on what to buy? They seem more expensive and unfortunately money is a bit tight right now. The cheaper ones seem to have bad reviews, but anything with good reviews I've found run in the 2k range which is out of my reach.

Is there any O/A around the $600-$800 range that would be a reliable field gun?

I’m not a shotgun guy by any stretch, but have done some substantial looking in the range you’re in. CZ seems to rise to the top pretty quickly if looking new. I’ve had good luck with used guns so tend that way myself.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’m not a shotgun guy by any stretch, but have done some substantial looking in the range you’re in. CZ seems to rise to the top pretty quickly if looking new. I’ve had good luck with used guns so tend that way myself.

I put thousands of rounds through a CZ Canvasback shooting trap and hunting. It treated me very well.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I would like everyone to know that the last thing I drank was a PBR, the last tobacco I smoked was a Backwoods, and the last thing I shot with my 870 field was a juice jug full of water. The last bird I shot was a ruffy with a .22 pistol from about 5 feet away. You’re welcome for the shotgun advice.

I guess that 870 had too much recoil for you. Not surprising considering a 12 gauge trap load carries a payload five times heavier than what you shoot deer with. How does the boneless method work with those mountain milk jugs?

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I guess that 870 had too much recoil for you. Not surprising considering a 12 gauge trap load carries a payload five times heavier than what you shoot deer with. How does the boneless method work with those mountain milk jugs?

For some reason you quit posting in my deer thread but feel the need to bring it up on this nice man's shotgun thread, so I'll fill you in on what transpired next...

Son: Dad, this backstrap from my buck is delicious!
Me: That may be, but I have some terrible news. There's an old guy from Canada on the internet...He (tearing up), he doesn't think we use enough gun.
Son: What do we do, eh?!
Me: The only thing to do is take his advice; after all, he is a random person online and that's more important than our experience and consistent success.
Son: Dad you have lost your mind.
Me: Probably, but he drinks one Coors Light at dinner so we're just gonna have to go with it.

 

[mtmiller]

For some reason you quit posting in my deer thread but feel the need to bring it up on this nice man's shotgun thread,

Weird those other "outdoor forums" didn't work out for him.

 

[A207X2]

I have a Tristar Sporting O/U. Have owned it since new (2014). Shoot it all the time for trap, skeet, and sporting clays. It's never failed me. Beautiful looking gun as well. It came with a full set of chokes. Ported barrels. Also have a Tristar Viper 28 gauge semi-automatic that my wife shoots. Great guns. Would not hesitate to buy another one.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Not sure how I’ve managed to kill birds all season long with fixed chokes.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Not sure how I’ve managed to kill birds all season long with fixed chokes.

Birds aren't real.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Birds aren't real.

Then again, I’m using puny bullets to kill deer and elk too. WTH do I know? I sure do look cool carrying a SXS though, amirite?

 

[A207X2]

You are a prime candidate for spontaneous retina detachments. If you fall in that category at least know the symptoms of detaching retina. I didn't and almost cost me my left eye. Get to ER immediately! Took three major surgeries and six laser patch jobs to save my eye. I can see through it but that's about all. I

Not speaking specifically to your situation, but you can quite literally get a detached retina by doing normal, everyday life events. It does not take an auto accident, or shotgun recoil, or anything special. My wife woke up on morning seeing nothing but blood in one of her eyes. By that I mean she was looking out of her eye and all she could see were red smears. We went to the eye doctor who - that day - got her in on an emergency basis to a retinologist here in Ft. Myers. She had a detached retina. He said the cause was most likely aging; that it doesn't have to be a traumatic event. It is indeed an emergency situation.

 

[MTLabrador]

Not sure how I’ve managed to kill birds all season long with fixed chokes.

I’ve shot teal, mallards, and widgeon in the last two days with a fixed modified 870. Of course I may be only a few shots away from blindness.

 

[Guest member 25165]

So what happens if one shoots a 10 gauge?

 

[OntarioHunter]

Not speaking specifically to your situation, but you can quite literally get a detached retina by doing normal, everyday life events. It does not take an auto accident, or shotgun recoil, or anything special. My wife woke up on morning seeing nothing but blood in one of her eyes. By that I mean she was looking out of her eye and all she could see were red smears. We went to the eye doctor who - that day - got her in on an emergency basis to a retinologist here in Ft. Myers. She had a detached retina. He said the cause was most likely aging; that it doesn't have to be a traumatic event. It is indeed an emergency situation.

Correct. But as I said those who are near sighted and heading toward golden years are at most risk for detachments, spontaneous or otherwise. As we age the vitreous fluid inside the eyeball thickens and shrinks. Sometimes it grabs at the retina causing tears. Fluid gets through the hole and starts the detachment. Near sighted folks have eyeballs shaped the wrong way that puts them at higher risk. My first detachment August 2003 was spontaneous. I did not recognize the symptoms and by the time I could get to Winnipeg surgeon it was almost too late. Second detachment occurred early November after a morning goose hunting. I recall only one honker in the bag so I didn't do a lot of shooting. And yes, it was the Magnum 870. Probably fired less than three shots. Third detachment was January 2004 after several days (and nights) nonstop computer marathon trying to get my PhD thesis in before deadline. I finished the conclusion while waiting for the plane back to Winnipeg. That was a lower quadrant detachment. Those are very bad news. They didn't expect to save it. But it still works and no silicon oil.

I am saddened that some of you make light of this. It's no joke. Spontaneous detachments are more common than most folks realize. And heavy recoil is definitely something to consider, especially if you're in the high risk categories (forgot to mention diabetes).

 

[OntarioHunter]

I’ve shot teal, mallards, and widgeon in the last two days with a fixed modified 870. Of course I may be only a few shots away from blindness.

Maybe if you're shooting heavy 3" magnums, fifty-five or older, near sighted, and diabetic.

 

[OntarioHunter]

For some reason you quit posting in my deer thread but feel the need to bring it up on this nice man's shotgun thread, so I'll fill you in on what transpired next...

Son: Dad, this backstrap from my buck is delicious!
Me: That may be, but I have some terrible news. There's an old guy from Canada on the internet...He (tearing up), he doesn't think we use enough gun.
Son: What do we do, eh?!
Me: The only thing to do is take his advice; after all, he is a random person online and that's more important than our experience and consistent success.
Son: Dad you have lost your mind.
Me: Probably, but he drinks one Coors Light at dinner so we're just gonna have to go with it.

You're the one who showed up with the smartass here first. Sonny, I have been shooting deer since 1964, stopped counting them after sixty. I have never lost an animal and only shot two deer more than once: my second deer hit in the back ... immediately after flattening my first deer standing next to it. I was thirteen. And a muley buck I shot in the head with 165 CoreLok in 1984. That bullet deflected and hit his twin behind him in the boiler room. First buck got back up and I shot him in the heart through the chest. He went down. Second buck did the funky chicken and slid down to the edge of a cliff. I made a pack of him and crawled on hands and knees back to the other buck at the top of the ridge. Hooked their horns together with my belt, tied adjacent legs together with flagging tape and dragged them down the mountain together. Anyway, I have never heard of anyone shooting a deer three times with a 30-06, let alone three times "in the boiler room". You keep blowing them full of holes with that 95 gr popgun. Someday you'll lose one, probably several, if you haven't already. Three shots in the boiler room on that last one kinda says it all. You may count that as a "success" story. Well, okay. If you say so.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

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