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20 vs 12, bird hunting, engraving

Ernst said:
Susie, welcome to the forum. Just one clarification please given that you've posted on the 590 SHOCKWAVE thread.

I assume you're looking for a shoulder fired shotgun for bird hunting? While a Shockwave is a great home defense or work gun, bird hunting would certainly be easier with a standard model 500 or 590.

Both are excellent guns with a multitude of barrel and choke combinations plus takes only a couple of minutes to change barrels. I'd recommend you handle both and see which one is a good fit from both a weight point of view and proper length of pull (lop). LOP is very important for efficient tracking and leading birds.

12 vs. 20 is a personal choice. I'd prefer 12 gauge for heavy bird hunting like geese and ducks. But 20 gauge is fine with the right loads. As someone has already mentioned recoil probably not an issue with birdshot .

Again welcome.

Regards
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Thank you for taking the time to reply. When I went pheasant hunting, I used a 12 gauge that was loaned from the PA State Game Commission. It was my first and only pheasant hunting experience and it was AWESOME! If I go bird hunting again, it will be for pheasant, chukars, and turkey. I've been to a few educational events that allowed me to handle many different guns. This will be the first gun that I own, by myself. I saw the 590 Shockwave and the Remington 870 at an event, read many reviews, watched videos, and asked a few friends who are gun owners. I love the look of the Shockwave 590 and the reviews say it is a lot of fun to shoot. I can always get another gun at a later date. I would like to practice shooting with the Shockwave, then try it for a few small hunts. It doesn't hurt to try. I'm still uncertain about the gauge and the particular model. They're all so nice!
 
Djcala said:
Welcome enjoy as for questions Mike d, pretty much answered. I've killed enough birds to feed a small country and used every guage imagined. I'm pretty set on 20 anymore but I do break out a 12 for dove shoots only cause IL take all help I can get once they speed up. But honest other than maybe waterfowl with steel I believe ya can do anything with a 20 a 12 will do. Maybe go try a couple at local skeet or clays club. Enjoy
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Thank you for writing to me. I am leaning towards the 20 gauge. I will be looking for a gun club and/or a target places to practice. What was your favorite bird to eat?
 
Ernst said:
Susie, welcome to the forum. Just one clarification please given that you've posted on the 590 SHOCKWAVE thread.

I assume you're looking for a shoulder fired shotgun for bird hunting? While a Shockwave is a great home defense or work gun, bird hunting would certainly be easier with a standard model 500 or 590.

Both are excellent guns with a multitude of barrel and choke combinations plus takes only a couple of minutes to change barrels. I'd recommend you handle both and see which one is a good fit from both a weight point of view and proper length of pull (lop). LOP is very important for efficient tracking and leading birds.

12 vs. 20 is a personal choice. I'd prefer 12 gauge for heavy bird hunting like geese and ducks. But 20 gauge is fine with the right loads. As someone has already mentioned recoil probably not an issue with birdshot .

Again welcome.

Regards
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Thank you for the nice welcome. I am solely searching for info about the Shockwave. (The engraved gun photos are most welcome, even though it is the standard shotgun. I'm glad he posted those.) I've watched the videos and I understand the differences between the standard and the Shockwave. I'm mostly looking for clarification and thoughts from owners about gauges, usage, etc. Any info is welcome and much appreciated. I watched one video of a guy who put the shorter shotgun up to his face, pulled the trigger, and knocked a tooth out. That won't be me. From what I've seen on videos, it may take a little getting used to, but target and bird shooting are possible with this Shockwave. It will be a fun challenge.
 
Scoop said:
Susie, mamma has some very good advice for you.
Let me add: SHOOT BEFORE YOU BUY

When I bought my wife a shotgun about 7 members of my gun club brought their guns out to the range for her to try. She decided on the 500. But the important thing was she had a chance to handle and operate all of those before she made a choice.

Find some friends who will help you out. Just about every shooter I know loves to share. Keep us up to date. There is a lot of expertise on this Mossberg forum for you to tap, also. Welcome.
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Thank you for this great advice. I'm not buying a gun for bird hunting. I'm buying this gun because I can't stop thinking about it since I saw it at an event. I was just wondering what owners have used it for and how they like it. Does your wife like her 500? I will consider something like that in the future. Thank you for the nice welcome. I appreciate you taking the time to write.
 
Susie said:
Thank you for writing to me. I am leaning towards the 20 gauge. I will be looking for a gun club and/or a target places to practice. What was your favorite bird to eat?
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Well i enjoy quail and pheasant, but dove are special treat
 
'mamma jamma' said:
Hello Susie, I'm a new member here who joined looking for feedback on the 590 shockwave myself. My research tells me it's the wrong firearm to get for your idea, I'm sure it can be done but aiming towards the sky with that little blaster would not be that comfortable when you set it off. The key to shooting these guns is the technique, pushing it out away from you just about shoulder level and nowhere near your face. And it's not hip shooting either.

If you set that thing up to take a bird out you may take your teeth out with it. Or bust your nose.

These firearms are design primarily for close quarters in the home and make a good truck/car blaster.

To give you some perspective of how powerful the 3 major shotshells are, a .410 bore has twice the energy of a .45 a.c.p. 2x __ a 20 gauge has twice the energy of a .44 magnum 2x ___ a 12 gauge is just about off the charts.

Did you get all that.

Take a look at this video for the proper shooting technique with these little blasters.






Be mindful that if you modify the gun in anyway you no longer have a firearm as classified by the NFA and run the risk of violation which means fine and possible prison but most definitely loss of your gun rights.

If you put an arm brace on it you lose the true beauty of this firearm, which is compactness in a chambering that within 20 feet with the right load no matter if it's .410 bore, 20 gauge or 12 gauge the threat will be stopped and within 50 feet they will at least know they got blasted.
(note we said feet not yards)

I personally have my eyes set on getting the 12 gauge version because I like a little wider patterning, but it will depend if I can get strong enough to handle it as I restart my exercise program as I have some medical issues. The good news is I can run a .357 magnum snubby one handed and from both sides so I have somewhat of an idea how bad the recoil can be.

But even so that won't compare to how powerful these Shockwave blasters are. I once own a S&W Governor and shooting the .410 bore out of that was an eye opener. It didn't scare me but surprised me at how powerful it was.

Susie the bottom line to all of this is getting the right tool for the job. If you want a bird gun then get a bird gun.
The Shockwave is trench warfare, down and dirty, up close and personal.

Good luck to you. (and be safe)
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Thank you for this nice reply. I totally understand everything you wrote. I am getting a Shockwave, for no exact purpose. I just wanted to know what owners have used it for and how they like it. I am not an avid hunter, but I would like to try a few things. This will be my first gun purchase and I will be the sole owner. I am all about safety first. The PA State Game Commission holds safety classes which I attended. I have also taken their lengthy on-line classes, every year, for refreshers. Anyone, in any state, can log on and take these classes for free. They are packed with so much info. I also went on a ladies-only pheasant hunt, using a heavy 12-gauge borrowed from the PA State Game Commission. A State Game Commission instructor accompanied me, as did a guide with a dog that fetched my pheasant for me! I'm near an area of Pennsylvania that has plenty of gun ranges, and rod and gun clubs. I'm also friends with many police officers and, in the past, had access to a police range with a range-master present. If I begin to go bird hunting on a regular basis, then I will consider getting a true bird gun. I hope you are feeling better soon! Thank you, again, for writing and for posting the video.
 
Susie said:
Does your wife like her 500?
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Not any more. I converted it to the Knoxx Sidewinder drum magazine feed for 3-gun competition. She has other guns I didn't ruin for her.

images

That is not me in the pic. Scoop
 
Susie: I know I'm not the only one here thinking "the Shockwave is NOT a hunting gun". It is a personal defense scenario solution gun. Or a plinker designed to be fired from the hip or extended arm. To hunt fowl you should have a gun with a shoulder stock, longer (28ish) barrel with proper choke and bead sights that will allow you to "lead" the shot. While a Shockwave may bring down a bird, I would be more concerned that it would only INJURE the bird because the shot pattern was so erratic and/or off-target and that is unacceptable in any hunting situation...
 
TC, if you ever do end up taking a Shockwave on a hunting trip, then please post your results here. I would be interested in hearing about how well it faired when improvized into a role which it wasn't designed for.

Granted that such would be more of a testament towards your own skill than the firearm itself, but I would be interested in hearing how it went regardless, so if you're still around to read this, please do provide a report of your daring hunting expedition with the 590 Shockwave.
 
I don't know guys. My Grandfather would seldom ever take a cheek weld on a bird. He'd barely even get the stock up to his shoulder most times before you'd hear boom and see a bird tumbling through the air in a nose dive. He just lined up the barrel with the direction he wanted to shoot and shot rather well instinctively just looking over the barrel.

I don't know if it's something he learned to do or what, but he was quite good at it.

FWIW, he even hunted with a break down single shot and to my knowledge didn't even own a pump. He sure didn't own an autoloader, though I'm sure he would've if he could've afforded one.
 
Mossbergermeister said:
TC, if you ever do end up taking a Shockwave on a hunting trip, then please post your results here. I would be interested in hearing about how well it faired when improvized into a role which it wasn't designed for.

Granted that such would be more of a testament towards your own skill than the firearm itself, but I would be interested in hearing how it went regardless, so if you're still around to read this, please do provide a report of your daring hunting expedition with the 590 Shockwave.
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Thank you so much for your input. I did aquire a 20 gauge Shockwave, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. The gun shop owner recently showed me an aftermarket attachment for the Shockwave to make it into a longer shotgun. The attachment cost is about $130.00. I'm not sure who the manufacturer is. Have any of you heard about this? I doubt I will purchase an attachment. Until I fire this Shockwave at a range, I won't know if I would hunt with it.
 
John A. said:
I don't know guys. My Grandfather would seldom ever take a cheek weld on a bird. He'd barely even get the stock up to his shoulder most times before you'd hear boom and see a bird tumbling through the air in a nose dive. He just lined up the barrel with the direction he wanted to shoot and shot rather well instinctively just looking over the barrel.

I don't know if it's something he learned to do or what, but he was quite good at it.

FWIW, he even hunted with a break down single shot and to my knowledge didn't even own a pump. He sure didn't own an autoloader, though I'm sure he would've if he could've afforded one.
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I like this comment, very much. I was using a borrowed, heavy (to me) 12 gauge, when I shot a pheasant. It was exactly as described here, a smooth, natural action, pointing the shotgun in the general direction of the bird and it's fight path. The State Game Commission man was snapping at me, all morning, to take a shot, but I never felt like it was the right time until I took this shot. It was a great experience, learning how the dog does his job finding the pheasant, how to flush the bird, safety lessons as we walked, etc. Thank you very much for taking the time to write to me.
 
Susie said:
Thank you so much for your input. I did aquire a 20 gauge Shockwave, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. The gun shop owner recently showed me an aftermarket attachment for the Shockwave to make it into a longer shotgun. The attachment cost is about $130.00. I'm not sure who the manufacturer is. Have any of you heard about this? I doubt I will purchase an attachment. Until I fire this Shockwave at a range, I won't know if I would hunt with it.
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AFAIK, The Mossberg 590 Shockwave can simply be fitted with an ordinary 18.5" 590 Barrel. I don't know the particulars of how it is done, but it's to my understanding that it's relatively simple to do. In fact, the Mossberg 500 & Maverick 88 have certain configurations which come with a pair of barrels in two separate lengths, or otherwise with one smoothbore barrel and one rifled slug barrel so that you can swap barrels to best suit your needs.
That being said, the 590 is a bit different from the 500, and being more geared towards self-defense than hunting, comes in fewer configurations, so it may not be quite as easy to swap barrels.
 
John A. said:
Susie, you were right not to take a shot you weren't comfortable with. I'm proud of you for that because you absolutely did the right thing.
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Thank you. It was a fantastic day for me, for many reasons. I had to laugh. A sponsor gave each of us a box of shells. I used 3 shells (2 of them being shots I took to keep the State Game guy quiet). Another lady used her entire box, plus half of a box that she brought with her! She didn't get a bird. It was a great way to be introduced to bird hunting. We also learned techniques for cleaning the birds. I thoroughly enjoyed it all.
 
That is so awesome and I'm glad that you enjoyed it, though I don't know anyone that really wouldn't if giving it a fair chance.

I remember the first grouse that I ever got. The gun that I got it with, where I was at on the mountain, and even who was with me.

My Aunt Christine later cooked it and we all 3 split a couple of bites of it. I'm not sure what all different spices she cooked it in the pressure cooker with, but it was delicious.

Those are just some of the things that make life so memorable. I am seldom ever more at peace than I am when I am in the woods and it's not even something that is easy to explain. Might be the indian in me, but there is a peace that very few things in life that can match it.
 
John A. said:
That is so awesome and I'm glad that you enjoyed it, though I don't know anyone that really wouldn't if giving it a fair chance.

I remember the first grouse that I ever got. The gun that I got it with, where I was at on the mountain, and even who was with me.

My Aunt Christine later cooked it and we all 3 split a couple of bites of it. I'm not sure what all different spices she cooked it in the pressure cooker with, but it was delicious.

Those are just some of the things that make life so memorable. I am seldom ever more at peace than I am when I am in the woods and it's not even something that is easy to explain. Might be the indian in me, but there is a peace that very few things in life that can match it.
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My pheasant was a white hen. They filleted it for me. I took it home and gently cooked it in water in a frying pan with just a little salt and pepper. I didn't remember ever eating pheasant, so I really wanted to taste it. It was delicious! I also kept the bird's white wings. Your comment about feeling at peace while walking in the woods is something I can totally relate to. I grew up spending summers at my grandfather's cabin in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. I go there, every year, even if it's just for a few days, and there is nowhere like it that brings me such calmness and pure joy. Part of that is the wonderful memories I have and part is from having a great appreciation for every little thing in the woods and at the lake. What mountain do you go to? What Indian tribe are you from?
 
I live in the Appalachians mountains on the Ky Tn Va border area near the Cumberland Gap and Pennington Gap. I could be in any of the 3 states within about 20 minutes or so.

My roots can be traced back to Cherokee and Creek tribes. More Cherokee than Creek, but they didn't really keep records back then and it's mostly oral history.

Since none of my immediate family ever put their names in any of the indian rolls that the gov't did because of the distrust of them, there is little way to prove any of it other than direct ancestry, but my family were able to avoid the gov't roundup and march out west on the trail of tears. They just pulled back deeper into the woods than the army was willing to go and look for them in an attempt to be left alone and live how they always did and after a couple of generations, here I am.
 
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