Winchester Model 1300 Practical Defender - a good all-around choice?

[Steven Mace]

http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/images/512207m.jpg

I've been considering getting a new 12ga. shotgun. Something that will be capable of occasional hunting as well as home defense. I stumbled on to the Winchester Model 1300 Practical Defender (http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=512&type_id=207&cat=012C). I thought it would be a little more versatile the the regular Model 1300 Defender with a 22" barrel & screw-in chokes having front & rear open sights. Any thoughts on this choice or any similar alternatives?

Steve Mace

[Rew]

Haaa! Thats cool. Needless to say, I like it. ;)

[northernleitz]

I have what we can now call an impractical defender... 18-inch cylinder bore barrel. Great gun, actually, I just wish it had that 22" barrel with the screw-in choke. I am of the opinion that the 1300 is probably the best pump gun out there. Without the choke, though, it can never be a true hunting gun. Not long after I bought it, they came out with the camp defender, which was the same as this new thing except it had wood stocks. I wish winchester would sell the barrel only so I could just swap it in, but it looks like I will have to sell my 18" defender and swap out the hogue stock with the new practical defender if I want that 22" barrel.

[Steven Mace]

On my way home today, 10-09-05, from my vacation in Yellowstone, my wife & I stopped at the Cabela's store in Lehi, UT. The store is impressive but the sales person , 'J' (that's what I saw on his name badge), that I spoke to in their firearms department wasn't very helpful. I specifically asked about the price for a Winchester Model 1300 Practical Defender. He went over to the computer and began searching their database. He looked up at me and asked, "1300, that's a pump action, right?" I said "yes" and began to describe the shotgun in detail. The only thing 'J' could pull up was the basic Defender with an 18.5" barrel. He could find no reference to the Practical Defender. So no matter what I told anyone at Cabela's it wouldn't matter, if it's not it their database it basically doesn't exist as far as they're concerned. There's a lot to be said for dealing with a local gun - my next stop!

Steve Mace

[Rew]

I have what we can now call an impractical defender... 18-inch cylinder bore barrel. Great gun, actually, I just wish it had that 22" barrel with the screw-in choke. I am of the opinion that the 1300 is probably the best pump gun out there. Without the choke, though, it can never be a true hunting gun. Not long after I bought it, they came out with the camp defender, which was the same as this new thing except it had wood stocks. I wish winchester would sell the barrel only so I could just swap it in, but it looks like I will have to sell my 18" defender and swap out the hogue stock with the new practical defender if I want that 22" barrel.

I have hunted with my 18.5" defender. That was one long plug. I tend to shoot fast with dove and an open choke worked right well. My Savage/Stevens 311 SXS is choked mod and full, and I have a habit of not waiting till they get out there a bit. It has a very tight full choke and I have, when I remembered, hit dove at 45 yard's, but 10 yards, forget it. ;)