Shotguns

[tim629]

not exactly a rifle but I figured closest forum for a shotgun question.


What shotguns do you guys own, what do you like/disslike about your particular shotgun?

I'm looking for an all around shotgun, leaning towards an over/under or a semi-auto. My biggest problem is I have about a 13 1/2" LOP so I'm thinking either youth model or a wood stock to be cut down.

Kicking around the idea of going on a pheasant hunt for a day with a buddy over thanksgiving, my father-in-law loves to hunt geese & sometimes ducks, and I enjoy shooting clays with friends/relatives.

I like the father-in-law's Benelli Super Black Eagle II, but the LOP is just a bit too long, brother in law just got a used Ruger Red Label with a shortened stock and that shoulders & shoots very well but looking for other suggestions/advice for what to look for

 

[Guy Miner]

There's actually a big difference in "all around" shotguns, depending if you're including waterfowling, and/or deer hunting.

If it's just upland game... I love the classic double barrels, side by side or over-under, preferably in 20 gauge. Mine is a 1960's "Ithaca" (by SKB of Japan) 20 ga side by side. Love that little ol' shotgun for pheasant, quail, chukar, huns & grouse! Classy looking, great handling, and I haven't been able to wear it out in 40+ years of hunting. Rarely has it been involved in anything having to do with a duck or goose blind.

For any other shotgunning, I really like my good ol' 12 ga Beretta 390 semi-auto. Hate the looks, all matte black and with plastic stocks. But my goodness does it shoot.... I rarely miss game with it, and have used it on waterfowl, as well as upland game. Dad took it to Argentina and put about a zillion shells through it in a week on doves, duck and wild pigeon. Literally averaged a thousand rounds a day or more.... It never missed a beat. Great gun. My first few shots dropped quail faster than I've ever dropped quail... I'm not a particularly good shot with a shotgun, except with this one, I can hold my head up. And it really, REALLY tames the recoil of those stout 12 ga loads.

Guy

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not a shotgunner... but I've got a few. Shotguns tend to be a bit specialized depending on what you're doing.

I've got a Benelli M2 that I'm really partial to...probably the closest thing to "all-around" I've got. Killed ducks and geese, grouse and ptarmigan with it. I'm a pretty big guy and it's not unreasonable to carry all day upland and it shoots 3" heavy loads pretty well in a duck blind on rare occasions. It's matte with plastic stocks and it's a pretty no-nonsense kind of affair.

 

[Guy Miner]

Your Benelli and my Beretta seem to be of a similar type. Weather resistant. Easy kicking. Reliable. Good shooting...

The Beretta is likely my best "all around" shotgun, though it doesn't hold a candle to a couple of the others for looks.

Guy

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have owned a number of shotguns in over 50 years. Presently, the only one that I have is an Over/Under Beretta 686EL. I have also owned several Browning and Beretta Autos (A5, Gold, 304, etc.)

 

[rjm158]

I realize you said you are looking at semi autos or over/unders but I'll be the odd man out and suggest a good pump, my preference being a Remington 870.

My reasoning is that you want an "all around" shotgun and there are a plethora of barrels and accessories to outfit an 870 for nearly any use. There are also ready made short stocks available precluding having to find someone to cut your stock who know what they're doing. Many people can cut stocks, not as many know how to do it right. This is presuming, of course, you don't find a youth model that fits you already.

Ron

 

[Oldtrader3]

Ron, I have owned a couple of short barreled 870's that I used for dove and quail.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

Hard to beat a classic rem 870 wingmaster

 

[salmonchaser]

Shotgunning is just plain fun. For an all around gun I use my Benelli m2. 12 gauge. 100percent reliable and ugly it fits me well. There are a lot of shot guns out there to choose from and can be more specialized than rifles. Like Guy, I love the old Ithaca side by side shot guns, but I won't shoot steel shot through them.
Over unders are great, but any worth owning make it tough to drag them into a muddy duck blind.
In my humble opinion shot gun fit is more important then how a rifle fits, not that it can be ignored in rifles either. For example, with my M2 I shoot 20+/25 on trap. With a Remington 1100: 17/25. In the field it is even worse. Nothing wrong with the 1100, they are great shotguns they just don't fit me.
Before you settle on which shot gun to buy spend some time reading about shot gun fit. My guess is you have a shop within a reasonable driving distance that can help you out as well. Granted, there is little true fitting done with production semi auto shot guns but if you have a basic understanding of the principles you're more likely to buy a shot gun you'll be successful with. There are enough differences in stock dimensions between the various manufacturers to make a difference.
In the long run you'll be much happier spending $1500 on a shot gun that fits vs. any amount on a shot gun that doesn't.

Don

 

[big rifle man]

The nice thing about Semi autos and pumps is that you can change barrels. I use a Beretta Semi Auto for Ducks/geese and a Ithaca model 37 for all my upland Bird hunting. I also have a slug barrel for the Pump. The nice thing about the Ithaca is that it doesn't make any difference whether you are right or left handed, loads and ejects through the bottom and it also is a lightweight shotgun. The snipe paid a price this past season with the Ithaca.

 

[truck driver]

I've owned Mossburg, Winchester, 2 Remingtons ( 870&1100 )still have a 1100 and a Browning BPS which I still own. I use the BPS for slugs where I have to use a shot gun to hunt deer, very accurate 1-1/2" at 100yds.

 

[Oldtrader3]

It doesn't matter which side I shoot my Beretta on either except for cast off. The shells eject straight back, plus, I have 7 or 8 choke tubes for the Beretta. Being disabled, I don't shoot the shotgun much anymore anyway. That is why I sold most of my shotguns.

 

[Guy Miner]

As an aside, I clearly remember the first time my youngest son used a shotgun. I'd been very good about taking him to the range with rifles all his life, starting with .22's and working up to the .30-06, but I'd pretty much neglected his shotgun education...

He inherited a 12 ga Rem 870 from his grandfather and wanted to shoot it. I put up a target at the range, he chambered a low-base birdshot load, and fired it right at the middle of the silhouette target, at about 7 yards.

His jaw dropped open and his eyes were wide at the sight of that gaping hole in the middle of the target! :grin: It was pretty funny.

We went on to shooting some clay pigeons and he's doing okay with the shotgun anymore. Really likes it. Something very simple and satisfying about a shotgun.

Okay, back on track.

 

[.280 Remington]

Hard to beat a classic rem 870 wingmaster

Yep, and I might have one for sale..................

 

[tim629]

I'm sure I will end up with a pump as my wife really likes her brother's pump 12 guage but I've never been fond of pump rifles or shotguns which is why I'm leaning towards the semi's or O/U

I guess the main reason I threw the idea of an "all around" out there was although I know different ones have different specialties, I'm hoping to buy one nice shotgun that fits me well call it great for clays & upland and good enough for geese, which last year the pheasant hunting was worse weather than goose which is my only apprehension of a fine wood stocked O/U

I have eyed up the Benelli M2 compact, as well as some of their wood stock models but not set that it HAS to be Benelli, so keep chiming in help me (and hopefully others too)

 

[SJB358]

I'm actually really looking at the Winchester SX3, Browning A5, and the Franchi Infinity. All three of those seem to fit me, I just haven't coughed up the money for any yet. All three seem like great shotguns.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I had an SX3, gave it to my grandson. I really liked the shotgun though and he likes it!

 

[Darkhorse]

In my humble opinion shot gun fit is more important then how a rifle fits, not that it can be ignored in rifles either. For example, with my M2 I shoot 20+/25 on trap. With a Remington 1100: 17/25. In the field it is even worse. Nothing wrong with the 1100, they are great shotguns they just don't fit me.
Before you settle on which shot gun to buy spend some time reading about shot gun fit. My guess is you have a shop within a reasonable driving distance that can help you out as well. Granted, there is little true fitting done with production semi auto shot guns but if you have a basic understanding of the principles you're more likely to buy a shot gun you'll be successful with. There are enough differences in stock dimensions between the various manufacturers to make a difference.
In the long run you'll be much happier spending $1500 on a shot gun that fits vs. any amount on a shot gun that doesn't.

Don

Truer words have never been spoken. In wingshooting, shotgun fit is everything.
Salmonchaser does not shoot well with the Remington stocks because they don't fit him, but both the 870 and 1100 fit me great. In fact I literally wore out a 1100 skeet grade both on skeet and dove fields here in the south.
I traded that 1100 in on a Browning Citori and never shot it as well as the old 1100 and 870's, so I sold it.
The 1187's fit me well and I shot them good.
In 2012 I bought a Browning Maxus All Purpose. This is about as close to an all purpose shotgun as I could get. One of the main reasons I picked this gun is it comes with shims so you can adjust the castoff, drop, and Lop to fit yourself. Unfortunately the synthetic stock cannot be shortened, but you can make it longer.
Granted this is not a custom fitted gun by any means. But it comes pretty close to shooting where you look instead of where you aim. In wingshooting you want the pattern to go where you're looking.
You can get this gun with a wood stock that can be cut to your LOP and still be able to adjust the stock with the shims provided.
It just won't have a camo stock or a drilled and tapped receiver for your turkey optics.
Low felt recoil, fast cycling, I like mine.
A lot of other manufacturers now offer the adjustable stock with included shims with their automatics. I haven't seen this feature in many doubles except the discontinued Browning Cynergy. I think it's a very good feature.
Just got to do your research, mine is now outdated since 2012.

 

[Vince]

As much as I harp on gun fit for rifles is even more important for shotguns.
I learned to like my harder recoiling rifles when I had the stock cut to fit me. The same is even more true of shotguns.
I'd suggest finding someone that knows, really knows, how to fit a shotgun and take the time to get properly fitted.
I did this for my .300 Win Mag and .338 Win Mag and it made all the difference. You will be glad if you get a properly fitted shotgun. It really does make all the difference.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I have a few 870s and love them. I use them mostly for turkey hunting and then put the slug barrel on one for a back up deer drive gun. I like them because they are simple and can take a beating. I do not baby my shotguns at all but then again, I don't have a nice one or hunt upland game.