All Around Shotgun

[MinnesotaHunter]

M2 is a fantastic choice. I have owned an M1 Field for 20 years, and it is amazingly reliable.

 

[JohnCushman]

Mossberg 500

 

[MNElkNut]

Beretta fan here. Most of my hunting circle shoots Berettas with no problems. Love them. A LOT of rounds through mine. Use it for ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, trap, turkey and deer. My son has a Winchester SX3. The trigger was horrible when new and a gunsmith had to work on it so you didnt need 2 fingers to shoot it. Barrel heavy, it points different for sure. Daughter has a Browning Silver and it has been good. Balances better than the Winch. Similar to a Beretta. The way I look at it is this, buy a Beretta or a Benelli and you know you will have a great gun for a long time. Buy another brand and you might or you might not.

 

[Ovis Venator]

I picked up a Benelli Ultra Light this summer and so far have taken Sage Grouse, Sharptail Grouse, and Prairie Chickens with it. I think it is an ideal upland semiauto. Reliable and at about 6 pounds the lightest semi auto 12 gauge that I know of. If you are like me and often average hiking more than a mile per bird you'll appreciate the weight of it. It looks pretty too.

 

[OntarioHunter]

All upland birds and all types of conditions. I want a gun that will always work no matter the weather

The old long recoil system Browning A5 was hard to beat for reliability (not to be confused with modern A5 which is inertia operated). However no one makes long recoil shotguns now. Inertia system guns are more versatile in bad weather conditions. Gas operated guns generally require careful cleaning frequently and often have problems in cold weather. Gas guns have less felt recoil than inertia operated. For uplands a 26" or 28" barrel would be fine. Guess it depends on what is more important.

 

[SO7mm]

I've been very happy with my M2. It's been a very reliable gun in tough conditions and I like the way it comes up. My brother prefers the fit of the Montefeltro. All of the guns that have mentioned are good guns, I'd go with the one that fits you best and gives you the clearest view down the barrel.

 

[PeteTheBeat]

I love my old A5. Heavy but performs.

 

[morley.tyler]

In the world of shotguns, nothing abuses them like shooting Sporting Clays. If you can find a used Beretta 391, buy it. It is not uncommon at the range to find a shooter who has put 100K rounds through a 391 w/out a malfunction.

 

[jlmatthew]

Love my Browning Maxus 3.5"

 

[cwitherow]

Less than a week ago, I thought without a shadow of a doubt that the SX4 was my upgrade. Well....yesterday I handled a few and the Browning Maxus just felt better...now I just need to decide if it was $400 better...

 

[TN2shot07]

Like the post above I was also really liking the sx4, but left the gun shop with weekend with an M2. I will say my options were more limited because I wanted one in a 20 gauge.

 

[Frazier]

Buy once cry once. Benelli SBE 28 inch barrel. Last gun you’ll ever buy

 

[Durango Mike]

Looking to buy a new shotgun. I’m looking for a good all around auto loader that I can use for every upland bird and that will chambered in 3” or 3 1/2”. I’ve been looking at the CZ 1012, Benelli Super Eagle lll (expensive af), Beretta A300 or A400, weatherby 18i And finally the EAA MC312.

ive only shot two from the lost above, MC312 and A300. I’m not trying to break the bank but I also want to buy a quality gun that I can put through the paces. Any thoughts? Experiences? I’d appreciate it!

thank you!

I have both a SBE and Beretta 390 and actually got to test Winchester 3 1/2 inch #4 Bismuth duck loads sending them post cards on my impression of effectiveness. My SBE had long forcing cones and other mods to reduce recoil. After 10 rounds I wanted to send the other 10 boxes back as the recoil was severe, they could not take them, I gave boxes to other guys and no one wanted more! The most important thing is fit, so try and handle/shoot several before you buy, many of the new guns have the ability to make fit mods with wedges. For years competing I shot 40,000 12 ga a year and nothing will mess you up more than developing a recoil flinch, and shooting 31/2 12 ga duck loads will get you well on the way! I still have a few boxes of the 31/2 Bismuth I haven’t been able to give away!

 

[TheJason]

Shotguns are like boots. Fit is critical. Advertising one as an end-all-be-all for everyone is ridiculous.

Buy what fits.