One of the most often used deer hunting guns is the shotgun. And since deer hunting remains one of the most popular outdoor sports, with fathers teaching their sons and daughters the safety of hunting, more and more manufacturers have developed shotguns that have more features.

Maybe you’re an avid bow hunter or you’ve mainly hunted with rifles, and you’re buying your first shotgun to add to your collection of deer hunting guns, the first thing to think about is getting the right shotgun, one that will be a perfect to you.

To do this, head to your local gun shop or hunting outfitter and test a few different makes and models of shotguns. To test the weapon, pull it to your shoulder and tuck it into your shoulder. Never point the muzzle towards anyone though. Only point it in a safe direction, and check to make sure the gun moves into place easily.

Feel the weight of the gun to make sure it’s not too heavy or bulky for your size. If you’re not able to hold it steady for any amount of time, or it feels too heavy to be able to carry it for any length of time or distance, then move on and check out a different model.

This one is not going to work for you since hunters often level their deer hunting guns at their prey for periods of time, and that’s after they’ve trudged through the woods to get to their hunting spots.

You don’t want to buy a shotgun that’s going to leave you too tired from hauling it to even be able to use it once you reach your location.

When you’re shopping for the ideal shotgun, remember, it doesn’t matter how sleek and good the gun looks, it’s got to do the job and it absolutely must fit you. And buying a bigger gun isn’t the best solution either.

A 12-gauge is actually perfect for deer hunting because of its intermediate power and on some models you can also retrofit it with a rifle barrel.

The 410 gauge is a good choice for the young, beginner hunter. 10-gauge shotguns are good for turkey hunting and 20-gauge are usually used for small game.

So for deer hunting, look first for a good 12-gauge shotgun and models that use slug shots.

What are slug shots? They’re not bullets like you would use in handguns or rifles. These are called slugs and when they’re fired, they spiral out of the gun and then mushroom on impact like a bullet, but they make a much larger hole.

Before you head out to the woods or go on a guided deer hunt, get familiar with your shotgun at a gun club where you can do some practice shooting. Use different size loads and shot sizes in the weapon and do some target practice to get familiar with how it handles.

Realize that it might take some time to find just the right shotgun for you, so get an early start. Don’t wait until deer season is right around the corner because buying any deer hunting guns, not just a shotgun, isn’t something to be rushed. They can be pretty expensive and they can also be dangerous if you find you can’t handle the weapon correctly once you’re out in the field.

In part one of this series you learned a little bit about geese and flyways. Now that you have some basic background information, its time to add to it so your tall goose hunting tales, that is to say the lies you decide to tell, will have an air of credibility to them. Nothing is more obvious to someone who is familiar with firearms than the babbling nonsense of someone who has actually never touched a gun but speaks as though they single handedly tamed the frontier with one. You do not need to be an expert on nomenclature or ballistics, but you must know some basic differences.

In general there are two types of long guns, the rifle and the shotgun. A rifle shoots bullets that vary in size or caliber. Caliber is a measure of the diameter or the bullet, the larger the caliber of gun, the larger the bullet diameter that is fired from the gun. In addition, some cartridges are longer or larger then others and basically house more gun powder which correlates to the speed at which the bullet leaves the barrel of the rifle after the trigger is pulled. If you regale your audience with tales about your goose hunting trip and the rifle that you used, you run a real risk of being exposed as a blow-hard as goose hunting is done with a shotgun. A shotgun fires shells that vary in size or gauge. The smaller the number associated with the gauge, the larger the diameter of the shotgun shell. By far the most popular size shotgun is the twelve gauge, its shells are smaller than a ten or eight gauge, but larger than a sixteen or four-ten.

Shotgun shells are loaded with several small metal balls referred to as shot. If you have not heard of birdshot or buckshot, be assured you will at some point on your goose hunting adventure. There are numerous types of shells, some with larger shot some with smaller shot. It stands to reason, there is less shot in a shell if the shot is larger, and more if it is smaller. Shotgun shells also vary in their overall length. Similar to bullets, a longer shell allows for essentially more powder, which translates to the ability to fire the shot faster and achieve a higher distance. This is particularly relevant when goose hunting as geese will be flying overhead. A shorter shell with a smaller load will not do as good of a job as a longer shell with a larger load with respect assisting your goose dinner in falling from the sky.

When spinning your yarns about goose hunting, or preparing for your first goose hunting adventure. Do not get too carried away with the overall fanciness of the shotgun you use, or claim to have used. There are many very nice guns on the market, but try to keep things simple. A semi-automatic or gas gun is nice, but a regular pump action works fine too. There are great side-by-side or over-under guns, but reloading these in a blind can be a bit difficult, particularly if you are not experienced with these types of guns. If you do not know what reloading in a blind means fear not, it will be covered later in this series. Whatever type of gun you decide to use, make sure it will hold longer shells and that you are all allowed to use the gun in its configuration under the state laws where you are hunting.

There are multiple things to consider when shopping for the best gun safe to fit your needs, and just like any other major purchase, you will want to do plenty of research to ensure you make the proper decision. If you are just beginning your search it may seem a little overwhelming at first, but once you understand the basics, your decision making process should be much easier.

Size

An optimally sized gun safe should comfortably be able hold your entire gun collection and gun related accessories without being too cluttered or messy. There are all sorts of sizes to consider, and most gun safes are marked with the maximum number of rifles they can hold, and this can range anywhere from under 10 to over 65.

One of the biggest regrets people have after buying a safe is that they wish they had purchased a larger one. This is because, as you will quickly find out, there are so many non-gun related valuables you can store in your gun safe as well. Luckily, there are several accessories you can use to maximize the space that you do have. For instance, a door organizer can hang on the back of the door and hold many small, loose items, including handguns and ammunition; pistol racks can hold and organize your pistols; and jewelry drawers and cash boxes can help protect your jewelry, cash, and other small valuables that you would like to keep separate.

Large, free-standing, gun safes are great if you have multiple guns, ammo, and other gun related accessories for it to hold. But if you only own a single pistol, or would like to keep a pistol separate from the rest of your collection, you can also consider a pistol or a handgun safe. They are much smaller than normal gun safes and can easily be hidden inside of a closet or under a bed. They are also a lot less expensive than traditional gun safes.

Security

A steel plate encased within the walls of your gun safe is what stops a drill from being able to drill right through it. The thickness of the plate is measured by gauges, and the lower the gauge, the thicker the plate. For instance, 10 gauge equals 9/64 inch and 12 gauge equals 7/64 inch, making the 10 gauge plate slightly thicker, and a little more secure than the 12 gauge plate. 10 gauge and 12 gauge are the two most common you will find, just remember that the lower the gauge, the thicker the plate.

You will also want to consider the different types of safe locks. Combination locks are the most common you will find, and they are tested, tried, and true. Electronic locks, also known as digital locks, are just as secure as combination locks and perhaps a little bit easier to open. They are basically a key pad with the numbers 0 through 9, and can be opened by entering a pre-determined code. A common safety feature associated with digital locks is that they temporarily disable themselves after several wrong code entries, usually for 10 to 15 minutes. Electronic locks require batteries that need to be changed from time to time. Most manufacturers give you the decision between a combination lock and an electronic lock, with the electronic lock being a little more expensive.

A little less common, but just as secure, is the biometric, or fingerprint lock. Biometric safes can store multiple fingerprints and are even quicker and easier to open than digital locks, especially in the dark, since they only require the scanning of the proper fingerprints to be opened. These locks also require batteries.

A couple of other important security features include fire and water resistance. Most gun safes, by their very nature, are at least somewhat fire and water resistant, but the degree to which they are able to withstand the elements varies greatly. To keep manufacturers honest in their claims, an independent agency called Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) tests for different levels of fireproof and waterproof capabilities.

For instance, “waterproof” and “water resistant” mean two different things. Water resistant means that the safe was tested in standing water for a period of time without damage to the contents, while waterproof means that the safe was completely submerged in water.

Certified fireproof safes usually come with a UL rating that labels the amount of time that the safe can withstand a fire without damaging its contents, and this can range anywhere from 30 minutes to up to 2.5 hours.

Another proactive measure you can take is mounting your gun safe to the floor. This prevents burglars from pushing it over to weaken the structure, or simply taking off with the entire safe. Safes often come with pre-drilled holes and the proper mounting equipment to properly secure your gun safe to the ground.

It may be odd to think about, but you will also need to protect your gun safe from itself. Highly secure safes are almost air tight, which creates a humid environment due to the minimal air circulation. This is especially true if you live in a humid region. Metal objects that are exposed to humidity for too long will begin to rust, and this includes your gun collection. Fortunately, you can easily combat humidity with safe dehumidifiers. There are all sorts of dehumidifiers and none of them are very expensive, including electric dehumidifiers, renewable dehumidifiers, and silica packets.

Pricing

Gun safe prices pretty much run the gambit. A large, free standing gun safe can run anywhere from several hundred dollars to well over $5,000. It usually comes down to a combination of size, looks, security features, accessories, and name recognition, with the median price for a good sized, high quality gun safe running in the $2,500 range. There are many different manufacturers for you to consider and they’ve all got their own features and benefits, and there are all sorts of places for you shop for a gun safe, both online and offline, so with a little bit of leg work you can really find a good deal.

Searching for online gun safe retailers is a good place to start because, through the magic of competition, they tend to offer wide selections at discounted prices, often with no shipping costs or sales tax. This also makes it easier to comparison shop.