semi or pump?

[MM]

For my next trick, ill be looking for either a 3 shot semi, or a pump (12g). what would you lot recomend? Whats the pros and cons of each?

[al4x]

semi, you will shoot a lot better with it. Just get a decent second hand one not a hatstand

[mossy835]

i liked all the pumps i had, they dont jam

[Katash]

Depends on your proposed shooting type? ..... Clays & game go for semi

[MM]

IM GETTIN A SEMI!

[marlin vs]

IM GETTIN A SEMI!

Good for you i'd have a semi anytime before a pump,with a semi you just aim and pull with you'r trigger finger, no acrobatic's. :blink:

[Mr_Logic]

I would have agreed with you but I spent some time in the US shooting my brother's Remington pump action, and it was a good laugh, I found nothing that would slow me down in the field. For clays, a semi, but otherwise, get the pump and save some cash!

[Paul223]

semi :blink:

 

i picked up a nice franchi 520 hunter 3 shot semi in the auction for 150 notes, nice too

[brian28]

you cant turn up at a game shoot with a semi or a pump.

semi can be cartridge fussy some dont like short cases , one onze loads etc

semi and pump not as easy to clean as s/s or o/u.

Pump will cycle any dam thing you put in it.

some peeps not happy if shoot DTL with a semi.

And i would think hard before you buy you dont want to end up selling it like your nightvision

[vole]

Break the mould and try a pump action. I bet you could make it work for you . If those American exhibition shooters can do what they do then why not you ? I am not a seasoned shooter by any means but mine has done me proud on crows and foxes . The fact you ask means you are tempted !!

[MM]

you cant turn up at a game shoot with a semi or a pump.

semi can be cartridge fussy some dont like short cases , one onze loads etc

semi and pump not as easy to clean as s/s or o/u.

Pump will cycle any dam thing you put in it.

some peeps not happy if shoot DTL with a semi.

And i would think hard before you buy you dont want to end up selling it like your nightvision

 

 

I understand Brian Ive already got a 12g O/U and a 12g SBS, just wanted to add to the collection. Im going to end up getting both in at some point, but wanted the most useable first.

[tigger]

Ive always had a semi until this year i love my sbe 2 but wanted something completley reliable will cycle anything homeloads the lot went for a supernova its awesome i though the pumping would put me off but find i concentrate more on the second shot so miss very few. As i use it primarely for wildfowling it is ideal its been dropped in mud,creeks the lot and never failed love the damn thing. Also its easier to find my spent shells the semi launches them to the horizon the pump will drop them to the side of you.

[bullet boy]

Semi for me.Don`t particularly like a Pumps-thats my own opinion.

[coneyhunter]

semi evertime mate, i owned a mossberg 500 for a while and although releiable was a bi**h to take apart, also you cant pump the forened as fast for a second shot, where as my webley 812 i can fire three rounds in about 4 seconds, just make sure they are cleaned regualry becuase they jam.

[Scully]

I have both pumps and an auto,and I wouldn't be without either.Yhe only advantage the auto has over the pump is when we bolt rabbits to guns(we do a lot of this)and when there are more than one rabbit bolting at the same time that second and even third shot is so much faster with the semi.

Saying that,the sound of a pump being 'racked' is a great sound isn't it!

[ellebarto]

You wont know until you try both. Most people find it unatural to pump mid swing or between shots and its takes a while to get it into your head. If you havent had a 3 shot before then an auto will give you best results but you need to spend reasonable money to get hassle free no jam results (or get lucky with the gun) You can get many top line pumps for half the price that will feed forever with no jams!

[Nicky T]

Go for the pump; the Mossberg 88 I have is robust and will cycle anything - very taken with it

[al4x]

MM notice how the pump users mention fun and liking the sound of them being racked rather than I shoot well with it. Simple fact is the racking action means moving your arm and its hard to do that while focusing on the next shot and the one after that, the whole point of three shots is rapid firing at multiple targets so why hinder yourself. As for cost just look for a decent second hand older semi of a decent make. i've a browning B80 fired tens of thousands of shots and always cycles and rarely gets cleaned its a functional vermin day. Shot everything from rabbits and jays etc up to muntjac with it

[Imperfection]

Have a go with both.Me personally i dont get on with pumps cos i cant rack the action while shouldered.Its like patting your head while rubbing stomach syndrome in that i cant do it so i prefer to have self loading where the thinking is taken away from me!

[kent]

Never owned a pump though always fancied one, i like the idea of having control over feeding the next round into the chamber or not. That clunk clunk load up thing that came from Holliwood action movies has scared our minds though

[theshootist]

My browning gold 3.5" seems to eat everything I throw in it. Its good for rough shooting, wildfowling, clays and I've even stuck a scope on it and used it with slugs on driven wild boar abroad. If I was reduced to one gun it would be this one. I love the kind of rubberized coatings that the synthetic brownings have, much nicer to the touch than most synthetic guns.

 

I also have a super nova for PSG, thought I would have a go with a pump gun first, I think the super nova is one of the best pump guns out there.

 

There are lots of cheaper classic semi and pump guns about, I have always fancied a browning auto 5 or remington mod 11, especially in something other than a 12 bore, 16 or 20 bore maybe. I have also always fancied a winchester 1897 pump but I'll have to wait till I've got some space in the cabinet.

[NorfolkPoacher]

i have a mossberg pump 20ga great gun reliable and never jams, ive had semi autos but find they do jam frequently. semis are easier to use i will agree and are good for clays. have a look about and budget wil dictate no doubt. wasnt keen on my hatsan though! much prefered my beretta al390. horses for courses

[Guest cookoff013]

Ive always had a semi until this year i love my sbe 2 but wanted something completley reliable will cycle anything homeloads the lot went for a supernova its awesome i though the pumping would put me off but find i concentrate more on the second shot so miss very few. As i use it primarely for wildfowling it is ideal its been dropped in mud,creeks the lot and never failed love the damn thing. Also its easier to find my spent shells the semi launches them to the horizon the pump will drop them to the side of you.

+1

 

i bought a nova just for shooting steel loads, first airing it got was a good 800 rounds through it. at first it is slow, but you get used to it. i practice like crazy. i have taken a pair driven high clays with it (simulating phesent) the steward was amazed i did it.. the supernova is alittle twitchy with 2.5" cartridges, i`ve had a few jams where the cartridge mouth caused ejection problems, go to 2.3/4" and they spit out nice.

you get used to it. as i`m a low gun shooter, the gun is down for the first shot. up and fire, gun down and swing in the direction of the other clay, pump while its moving and down, gun up and shoot.

 

i`ve got to admit my other guns are awsome pieces, costing double and nearly 8x times that of the supernova. but the nova has earned its place. my scores did dip, but i shoot double pairs and true pairs. then they went up and stayed the same.

 

on a side note, i still wish i bought a M2. in 24". but thats the only gun i`d trade the nova up for.

[rtaylor]

I've got an old Beretta pump action and its ok but I can't get off two shot as quick as I could with a side by side/under and over or semi auto. I would say go for a semi auto thats what I'm looking for. Basically I don't really get on with it.

[Field Shooter]

+1

 

i bought a nova just for shooting steel loads, first airing it got was a good 800 rounds through it. at first it is slow, but you get used to it. i practice like crazy. i have taken a pair driven high clays with it (simulating phesent) the steward was amazed i did it.. the supernova is alittle twitchy with 2.5" cartridges, i`ve had a few jams where the cartridge mouth caused ejection problems, go to 2.3/4" and they spit out nice.

you get used to it. as i`m a low gun shooter, the gun is down for the first shot. up and fire, gun down and swing in the direction of the other clay, pump while its moving and down, gun up and shoot.

 

i`ve got to admit my other guns are awsome pieces, costing double and nearly 8x times that of the supernova. but the nova has earned its place. my scores did dip, but i shoot double pairs and true pairs. then they went up and stayed the same.

 

on a side note, i still wish i bought a M2. in 24". but thats the only gun i`d trade the nova up for.

 

 

As quoted above it takes practice to use a pump as it does with any other gun, I started with a single 12 gauge went to a side by side and finally settled on a mossberg 835 3.5inch chambered pump. Mine also does not like 2.5inch shells and will jam for a past time with them but will cycle everything from 2.75inch training shells right through to 3.5inch magnum sg shells.

The absolute twodle and **** take from al4x really makes me laugh, yes they are fun to use as is the single barrel I still have, they are very practical and I do shoot very well with mine although I would prefer a 24inch barrel as it handles like a 30inch brake barrel with its present 28inch one.

Both my Wife and son also shoot with pumps as stated in previous posts and very well to.

At the end of the day it is down to what you want to use the gun for and if you really want a pump try one out first before you buy as you will then know if you can get on with it and you wont be lumbered with something you don't want.