r/canadaguns • u/FrozenReesesPieces • Mar 25 '26
Application / Regulation advice Maverick 88 security hunting
So im new to firearms (like brand new) and I was gifted a mavy 88 security model, fixed smooth barrel 12 gauge (what i was told) and im on a budget, but plan on taking my hunting course for this year's seasons. Just wondering what could I humanely go for with this shotgun? What kind of game would work out?
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u/prosper_0 Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
go blast some clays, and get a feel for what you can accomplish. I have an '88 with the 20" cylinder bore, and a 28" modified choke. The difference in reach is readily apparent.
I would really only hunt birds with a shotgun. Maybe bunnies too. And I've definitely blasted ground squirrels with it, though that's not 'hunting' per se.
For big game, a rifle's a whole other level compared to a 12ga. Even with slugs, a shotgun's just not even comparable to a boring old 303, 308, 30-06, etc. Much MUCH longer ranges, and better accuracy permits ethical shot placement where 'aiming' a shotgun is really more of a suggestion. And I know, everyone looks at a slug and things 'whoa, big!' - but in reality, a decent hunting rifle round does a much better job. In a lot of places, slugs are only legal for the smallest of big game, and are not recommended (or permitted) for elk, bison, etc. They're just not the uber-lethal killers that they're perceived to be. Unless you're at bow hunting range, of course.
Unless I was starving and only had access to a 12g, I'd take a rifle every single time for big game.