Bolt action shotguns

[Leon123]

Good day I am very new to shotguns and saw a mossberg 410 bolt action shotgun and love the look of it. Have never shot a bolt action shotgun how are they for just shooting some birds and so one most shotguns I have shot is pump action 12ga

 

[Red Leg]

A lot of kids in the states were given cheap bolt action .410 shotguns over the years as a first gun. Pretty awful choice. They fire such a small shot charge, that the .410 (in a very different gun) is really a caliber for experts - not beginners. They also tend to balance nothing like a real shotgun. All of which led to poor shooting and frustrated kids trying to learn to shoot. I would think of it as a behind the kitchen door garden gun to dispatch the occasional vermin (very small vermin) or snake. Some years ago, Browning made a run of extremely well made bolt action shotguns partially based upon their A-Bolt design. These were twelve-bore, had fully rifled barrels, and were designed for scope mounting. With the right slug, they make a wonderful 150 meter deer gun in areas where rifles are not allowed.

 

[Shootist43]

As a kid I was the recipient of a Mossberg Bolt Action 410 shotgun. As Red Leg said, it is a terrible gun for kids to learn on. Although it is still in my safe, it hasn't been fired for 60 years.

 

[JakeH]

Savage makes an exceptional bolt action slug gun, the 220/212. Works very well for areas where rifles aren’t allowed.

 

[Mcameron]

My current deer gun is a savage 212.....handles just like a rifle and is very accurate out to 100 yds.

Cant hunt with rifles in my state....but even if you could i would still probably choose the slug gun......a lot of power and a lot of surface area on those big slugs.

Just wish they would make it in 3.5"......or 10gauge....

 

[Hogpatrol]

My first shotgun was a bolt action 16 gauge given to me by my father. I never really did any good with it. It was clumsy and heavy. I swore when I got the money I was going to step up. I did, to an 1100. My advice, stick with a pump or autoloader and don't go any smaller than 20 gauge..

 

[Hogpatrol]

My current deer gun is a savage 212.....handles just like a rifle and is very accurate out to 100 yds.

Cant hunt with rifles in my state....but even if you could i would still probably choose the slug gun......a lot of power and a lot of surface area on those big slugs.

Just wish they would make it in 3.5"......or 10gauge....

The trend in slug guns is 20 gauge. A 12 gauge one ounce slug is 437.5 grains. 2o gauge shoots a 5/8 ounce slug, 273 grains. You can kill a deer with a 25 grain bullet in a .17 Fireball, probably hundreds of thousands have been killed with a .22 long rifle. Modern saboted ammo in rifled shotgun barrels has negated the need for anything bigger than 20 gauge. Besides that, how much meat does one want ruined with that sledgehammer? I took the entire front quarter out with a 3" 12 gauge slug before I got the 20 gauge religion.

 

[Leon123]

Thats good info I just saw it at the shop and thought its a strange thing because you never realy think bolt actoin shotgun

 

[GuttormG]

I would love to get my hands on a 410 bolt action, would be perfect for mink and crows. And it can be suppressed. Just perfect.

 

[Mcameron]

The trend in slug guns is 20 gauge. A 12 gauge one ounce slug is 437.5 grains. 2o gauge shoots a 5/8 ounce slug, 273 grains. You can kill a deer with a 25 grain bullet in a .17 Fireball, probably hundreds of thousands have been killed with a .22 long rifle. Modern saboted ammo in rifled shotgun barrels has negated the need for anything bigger than 20 gauge. Besides that, how much meat does one want ruined with that sledgehammer? I took the entire front quarter out with a 3" 12 gauge slug before I got the 20 gauge religion.

well for deer i agree 20G is just fine, and almost went with a 220 over the 212....i went with the 12G largely because all my other guns are in 12G, and it would reduce the number of calibers i need to buy ammo for.....also if i lose or run out of ammo on a hunt, everyone else i hunt with is carrying 12G.

however i would like the 10G or 3.5" for larger game like bear, buffalo or moose.

 

[IvW]

Many years ago I could have bought a Marlin bolt action goose gun in 12ga, I still kick myself for not buying that gun! I remember it had a long barrel over 30 inches.

I believe Marlin also made a Supergoose gun which was a 3 1/2 inch 10ga magnum!!

 

[Ray B]

The problem which most of the comments indicate is that the bolt-action 410 is shot more as a rifle than as a shotgun. If what you want is a gun that shoots a bullet/shot with limited range and is aimed rather than pointed (as in shooting a crow in the corn) then it would be great. For shooting running rabbits or flying doves you're better off with a breakaction.

 

[Leon123]

I actualy need it for shooting puff aders that is becoming a large problem here the are like the african vertion of a rattle snake

 

[Ridgewalker]

Leon, I think you have the perfect reason for a bolt shotgun. I’ve shot several gauges of them from 410 to a Marlin 10 ga Supergoose. The 10 ga gave me a headache every time I fired it! Ugh!
IME bolt shotguns are very slow to reload especially compared to pumps and of course auto loaders. Nothing like a slick bolt rifle.
As a snake gun Marlin or Mossberg one use to make a 410 with a barely legal length barrel. It worked well for Texas rattlesnakes and water moccasins.
I’d suggest shot no bigger than 7 1/2. 8s or 9s use to work really well.
Good luck in your adder hunt!

 

[Ray B]

As a snake gun the bolt action 410 would work well, particularly if, as noted it has a fairly short handy barrel for those times when the snake is discovered much closer than desired.

 

[JimP]

Many years ago I could have bought a Marlin bolt action goose gun in 12ga, I still kick myself for not buying that gun! I remember it had a long barrel over 30 inches.

I believe Marlin also made a Supergoose gun which was a 3 1/2 inch 10ga magnum!!

A friend had one of those Marlin goose guns in 12ga and it kicked real hard on both ends.

He ended up bending the barrel around a tree trunk one day when we were out shooting.

 

[Timbo]

Good day I am very new to shotguns and saw a mossberg 410 bolt action shotgun and love the look of it. Have never shot a bolt action shotgun how are they for just shooting some birds and so one most shotguns I have shot is pump action 12ga

With bolt shotguns the ammunition needs to be either factory fresh, or reloaded with roll crimping and be free of external imperfections otherwise they tend to jam. There are lots of pump action shotguns on the market that are extremely good quality. For many years from 8yo I used a "Continental" 12g DB shotgun with selective ejectors, 2 triggers and cocking indicators. Beautiful in that it was robust, well featured, and at $300.00 new, very cheap! Also had a bit of weight without being chunky, that dampened the recoil to make it enjoyable for kids to use. (Try getting these same features on a comparatively priced shotgun! I garuantee you won't!). Mine was a 5th hand-me-down and I used it until I was 20yo without a hitch! Now I have a Beretta S65 and have never looked back!

Get yourself an elegant, or "Continental", double barrelled shotgun and you won't have any issues.

 

[Dinsdale]

One of the few guns I regret selling was a bolt action Mossberg 410. Killed hundreds of squirrels and rodents with that gun, but at the time I needed trade material for a rifle I needed for a hunt.

 

[IvW]

A friend had one of those Marlin goose guns in 12ga and it kicked real hard on both ends.

He ended up bending the barrel around a tree trunk one day when we were out shooting.

LOL!

 

[Red Leg]

well for deer i agree 20G is just fine, and almost went with a 220 over the 212....i went with the 12G largely because all my other guns are in 12G, and it would reduce the number of calibers i need to buy ammo for.....also if i lose or run out of ammo on a hunt, everyone else i hunt with is carrying 12G.

however i would like the 10G or 3.5" for larger game like bear, buffalo or moose.

Seriously? You are considering poking a hole in a buffalo with a shotgun?!? Or a moose for that matter?