Bolt action Shotguns

[Blu333]

I did a search before i posted and could seem to find anything.

Well bolt action shotguns, Love them? hate them? owned them? sold them and would never buy another?

I held a Browning A-bolt 12G last weekend at my LGS and it was saying take me home, but i need a little more in the way of opinions etc.

I'm sure i wouldn't be the first one to buy a firearm for no other reason than " i want it" It was the smooth bore model so obviously shot and slugs would be usable. If i purchased it, it would more be a farm toy then anything else useful, it would maybe accompany me on the occasional ride on the bike/quad around, but the underlying problem is i want it

Whilst at the LGS i was directed towards the 20" & 30" barrel Churchill combo 12G, but i just cant get the A-bolt out of my mind

[Ade]

Sounds like you should buy it. What size magazine? I had a mossberg bolt action 12 g with a five round mag. That was an ancient clunker, 596A or something like that with slugger stamped on the breech

[Noisydad]

I've owned two for ever - both Mossberg 395 K's; one in 12g with a homemade stock and the other a 410 (that I learned to shoot with) and both with Accuchoke's on them. They're the ultimate in toughness and reliability! LOVE 'EM!

[wrenchman]

I never seen them in a smooth bore but they are great in slug gun I have seen lots of the Mossberg and my dad had one in 410.

[FuzzyM]

I don't mind my Grandfather's Mossberg 195KA 12G bolt action.
It is my only experience with shotguns though, so I probably don't count

Particularly in a country where most shotgun's are a double barrel affair, I like the fact that the bolt gun is a bit different, I also think it looks pretty cool, beefy gun with the big CLECT choke on the end.

(Internet pic)

5042224_3140ZNB4U.jpg (7.19 KiB) Viewed 10942 times

[bigfellascott]

I saw one in action last year, bloody useless thing it was, a stupid idea at best, I wouldn't waste my money on one I can tell you that much.

[Bills Shed]

I saw one in action last year, bloody useless thing it was, a stupid idea at best, I wouldn't waste my money on one I can tell you that much.

My father had one as pictured above in 12 ga. I used it a a kid until I left home. As stated above is was not much chop. It pointed poorly, was super slow for a second follow up shot and was very heavy. A decent under and over with ejectors could run circles around it for speed and function.
If you bought it, it will last a life time as it is solid and well built and as a farm knock about gun it would be fine but is no better than a single shot.

Bill

[Odo]

I have a Sportco. Fun to have as something different. Recoil is reduced by the weight of the thing. And its just as much fun when you show the massive bolt to someone who has never seen one .

[Westy]

I saw one in action last year, bloody useless thing it was, a stupid idea at best, I wouldn't waste my money on one I can tell you that much.

That's another narrow minded statement from you right there again Scoot?? suppose it didn't have a floor plate so it wasn't any Bloody good I take it????

[nords]

Dunno about the shotties but thumbs up for the A-Bolt.

Have mine in 300wm and love it.

[keen]

Not trying to rain on anyone's parade here but...

With something like the triple barrel Akkar/Chiappa 12 gauge coming along isn't that a better option than a bolt action?

[Chronos]

Has anyone considered that a bolt action shotgun with rifles barrels may be such a powerful slug launching beast that you may never need a centerfire rifle over .24 cal?

Chronos

[Gregg]

It's a valid point keen.

The triple barrel obviously increases rate of fire and makes a second, if not third follow up shot possible which is advantageous.

3x a barrel = 3 times the weight however so there is that.

It'll come down to what the individual wants but the Akkar 3 is a valid option. Especially in the 20" barrel version I'd say.

[gherx]

Has anyone considered that a bolt action shotgun with rifles barrels may be such a powerful slug launching beast that you may never need a centerfire rifle over .24 cal?

Range and trajectory are pretty lack-lustre compared to a CF rifle though yes?

[Chronos]

Has anyone considered that a bolt action shotgun with rifles barrels may be such a powerful slug launching beast that you may never need a centerfire rifle over .24 cal?

Range and trajectory are pretty lack-lustre compared to a CF rifle though yes?

Yes but at close ranges it becomes irrelevant. A guy I worked with has a brother that he says can hit clays sitting on a bank at 50y with his slug master or what ever it's called. Sounds like sufficient accuracy for deer and pigs in the scrub.

Chronos

[on_one_wheel]

As good as it is getting the second shot off in a split second with a double barrel shotgun, I like the idea of a good bolt action 12 gauge as a all rounder. Pigs, goats, deer, rabbits, foxes, birds and anything else that stands in the way is history.

I have used a 12 gauge on goats using hollow point 1 &1/2 ounce slugs and they were pretty effective. With a rifled barrel and decent open sights a bolt action 12 gauge would be great.

[Westy]

I used a slug gun up in Iowa were CF rifles on deer isn't allowed or wasn't back in the 90's and to be honest there Bloody great to use!!!! from memory it was a Browning and 100yrd range wasn't to far of a stretch and deer didn't stand watching for long either 1 shot 1 deer

[brett1868]

Saw one of these out Horsley Park this afternoon....might be worth a look

http://www.chiappafirearms.com/products/69

[headwerkn]

I have a Slazenger .410 bolt-action shotgun, the one they (rather crudely) made out of shot-out SMLE No.1 MkIII*s just after WWII as an 'orchard pest gun'. They're reasonably rare, only 7000 or so were made. It's not a repeater though, single shot only, so there's no real benefit to be had. It does handle 3" shells like a champ and has accounted for several rabbits and dozens of clays over the past few years.

The Sportco Model 81 and 83 are on my 'to acquire' list, though for collection purposes rather than any practical field use. I think there's a very good reason why double barrels and semi autos (where possible) still rule.

[agentzero]

A guy I worked with has a brother that he says can hit clays sitting on a bank at 50y with his slug master or what ever it's called. Sounds like sufficient accuracy for deer and pigs in the scrub.

He must not be hunting the elusive pygmy deer! Like little 4 legged baseballs running round, tough to hit!

[meek]

agentzero,

I think you might be getting confused with "rabbits"

[Chronos]

agentzero,

I think you might be getting confused with "rabbits"

no, pygmy deer, you know...these









Chronos

[agentzero]

Yeah!

In your face, Meek.

[meek]

Well I'll be

I stand corrected.

[Milsurp98]

First shotgun i fired was a bolt action Sportco 12G. 30 years ago. Have always wanted to buy one. Sportco 81
Well I just bought one. Just have to wait for the PTA now and I will finally have one in my safe

[southeast varmiter]

Bolt action shotgun barrels are usually rifled, unlike other options described.
Result is you can use the sabot slugs the smooth bores cannot. They were designed for Europe were small danger template hunting areas forbid the use of centre fire cartridges.

[GLS_1956]

Several American states, or counties within some states, only allow deer hunting with shotguns. The blot action shotgun, especially with the rifled barrel, seems to have been made for these regions.

[NukeBOMB88]

I saw a video of one of the A-Bolt shotguns on Facebook and it had been modified with a big huge box mag and it fired something like ten shots in eight seconds if I remember correctly

[bigpete]

That would be Richard Rashleigh from RR Custom in Adelaide. I nearly bought a 695 Mossberg that had a homemade 10 shot mag once but it was pretty unbalanced. I did own a model 395 with the accuchoke for a while and I loved it,I just always wanted a 4 round mag though. It was great out spotlighting and I found it to point really well and found it quite light. I ended up shortening and porting the barrel and fitting a red dot just coz lol. It had a real big game rifle feel to it. Wouldn't mind another to run my new brass cased round ball loads through !