# Firearms and Shooting > Shotgunning >  Shotgun Choice

## cambo

Ok guys, here's a good couple of questions regarding shotguns and their purchase...

What shotgun did you buy?
Why did you choose that particular shotgun?

Interested as it's getting very close to duck shooting and there may be a few out there looking to upgrade (me  :Wink:   ) or purchase their first shotty.
What recommendations/advise do you shotgunners have?

----------


## Wirehunt

The flash ones don't get more birds.  Get it fitted properly, or at least the best you can.

I bought ATA for the auto and can't remember the breed of SXS, both in 20 ga.  Shoot as many or more than the flash as 12 ga sitting beside me in the mai mai, and he is a fucking good shot.
The ATA holds six as standard in 20, don't know about the 12 ga.  So no mag extensions etc needed, unlike those expensive ones.

----------


## cambo

I've heard a few good things about those ATA's.

Any particular reason you went for a 20g rather than a 12g Wirehunt?

----------


## PerazziSC3

perazzi, get a perazzi! 

My first real duck gun (once i had out grown the 410 single shot) was a remmy 870 pump, i killed some serious amounts of shit with that and still do. I have used an extrema for a season and a benelli M2 for a season, personally i like the feel of the berettas but i still grab the benelli from the safe as it has a 8shot mag extender.

If you want to go down the inertia route i would probably just get a stoeger for $1000 (approx) instead of spending $2500ish for a benelli, same gun basically, both kick a lot more than your gas operated semi's like the berettas.

Im seriously considering getting a beretta A400 as they are seriously nice to shoot, but it is a lot of cash to folk out

----------


## Toby

I have always used a 12g. Just cheaper ammo here thats all. 

I have a GC 870  :Grin:  . For the price I paid and the shit I gave it last year its still going strong. 
My little bro has a Stoeger P350 I love that thing then there is the U/O Bikal I have in the 
Cupboard. Use that sometimes. Sold my SxS but regert it as I shot really good with it.

Looking at getting a new SxS at some point. A Yeildz or Khan something like that they look
Good and price is right.

----------


## Wirehunt

Ammo is lighter and less bulky so I can carry a lot more. Kicks less, better sight plane, swings heaps easier because of the lighter gun.

----------


## R93

Personally I dont think you can go past an M1 or M2 benelli for an auto. We have used the M1 super 90 on venison and rabbit control for as long as I can remember. The original one bought in mid the 90's is still going strong as are the others which are newer. 
If your after a double gun I doubt I will be of use, I run an F3 Blaser. I like the flasher type guns, Blaser, Perazzi, Fabbri and Caesar Guerini. I hear Yilditz make reasonable doubles.

----------


## Wirehunt

I had one of the first M2's here after using a mates M1 and loving it.  That M2 I couldn't hit shit with it, just never able to get it setup right.

----------


## R93

> I had one of the first M2's here after using a mates M1 and loving it.  That M2 I couldn't hit shit with it, just never able to get it setup right.


I hear ya. I prefer the M1 as it is what I have used the most. There is certainly a difference between the M1 and M2 as far as they feel. The M2 20g is growing on me. My son will have it set up for him so I will go back to a 12g for now.

----------


## gadgetman

I started with a GC 870 a couple of years ago, was a cheap intro to see if this knackered old body could handle a shottie. After getting the initial feeding issues sorted by Greg Meniatis (sp?) it has been flawless and whatever I pointed the thing at seemed to fall down. I took Greg's advice and upgraded to something better and bought a genuine Rem 870 second hand. Better quality and I bought a set of Briley chokes to go with it; the GC 870 seems to fit me better and I shoot the cheap thing better. Finally bit the bullet about a year ago and bought a very second hand (10's of thousands of rounds by first owner) Fabarm Lion H368 Italian gas operated semi. Really nice to shoot, very soft recoil, and with my Scottish blood a lot less expensive that the other Italians.

Sing out if you want to try them out.

----------


## Bonecrusher

A shotgun manufacturer that starts withe the letter B is a good start i.e. Browning, Benelli, Beretta Miroku were always a superb U/O before the advent of semi auto's. I had a Miroku SXS that I enjoyed for a number of years.
I have been down the path of cheap shotguns -Gaucha, Lanber, ATA
Currently have a Browning Gold Hunter 30in 76mm and this won't be leaving the gun cabinet I like the extra length compared to a 26 or 28in  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## Druid

I have a Benelli M2 , I had to pattern it to get the stock shims sorted now it shoots perfectly to point of aim , I use it for bird control in the Vineyard and fire about 250 shots a day for 10-12 weeks depending on how fast the grapes are harvest , it has fired 90000+ shots in the last 5 years and still works perfectly and shows little external wear , as a back up and loaner  gun I have a Winchester black shadow because it is cheap and reliable and very fast ,but dont need it use it . I have a Remington Wingmaster 20ga and a Beretta 470 double 12 ga , as well as a single shot 410 .
If I was only alowed one gun it would be a Remington 870 Wingmaster with a 28" barrel , the 870 expresses are fine but the Wingmaster is supurb , that is my next shotgun purchase .

----------


## scottrods

I have a mossy 88. Got it because it was cheap and have used one before. It takes 500 series barrels, so was easy to convert between the 28inch and something smaller for bunnies. Also because it had chokes.

----------


## jakewire

I had Benelli M2, Beretta xtrema and urika, of the three preferred the urika but now have the Browning maxus and I shoot better with it than any of the others
Nothing wrong with the other guns just find the Browning better for me.

----------


## keen fella

Just do what I did Cambo when I couldn't decide.  Bought both the Benelli M2 and Beretta Xtrema KO.  You won't regret it!  
Yell out if you want to try them.

----------


## Maca49

> I have a Benelli M2 , I had to pattern it to get the stock shims sorted now it shoots perfectly to point of aim , I use it for bird control in the Vineyard and fire about 250 shots a day for 10-12 weeks depending on how fast the grapes are harvest , it has fired 90000+ shots in the last 5 years and still works perfectly and shows little external wear , as a back up and loaner  gun I have a Winchester black shadow because it is cheap and reliable and very fast ,but dont need it use it . I have a Remington Wingmaster 20ga and a Beretta 470 double 12 ga , as well as a single shot 410 .
> If I was only alowed one gun it would be a Remington 870 Wingmaster with a 28" barrel , the 870 expresses are fine but the Wingmaster is supurb , that is my next shotgun purchase .


Had a couple of awesome days shooting birds over grapes in Hastings many years ago you just reminded me

----------


## Maca49

Old sxs hi quality english guns turn me on, lovely yo handle and works of art

----------


## Munsey

+ 1 benelli m2 .

----------


## Rich007

I've got a M1 and an M2 SBE. They are great shotguns. That said I still miss my light contour rem 11-87. I pointed like a dream.

----------


## scottrods

I like auto's but I prefer pumps. For me it's safety thing. I can load a mag, rack the slide open and drop a round in the breech when on the farm. I just step out of the truck, close the slide and shoot in one fluid motion. I know it's safe at all times because it's open. It's easy to change round type and easy to manual feed.

And the slide racking is sexy.

----------


## longrange308

> I like auto's but I prefer pumps. For me it's safety thing. I can load a mag, rack the slide open and drop a round in the breech when on the farm. I just step out of the truck, close the slide and shoot in one fluid motion. I know it's safe at all times because it's open. It's easy to change round type and easy to manual feed.
> 
> And the slide racking is sexy.


nothing means business than the sound of a pump getting cocked

----------


## kotuku

Have an Escort magnums/a 12g(manual2stagegas regulator  ) with 3"chamber bought 2nd hand .yes been ridiculed but its in its fith season with me and very rarely misses a beat.when it has I was responsible.
   lucky to be gifted a carton of spares from a former member of other forum(mostly from a new one modified by 4wd on opening morning).nought been used yet.etxension mag =$20.00 chokes =$25.00each. Extension gives me 7x3"roundsfulled laden or 8x 2 3/4 rounds.letting the 8 go in a single burst is a real showstopper.spare is the venerable Bently A5"Pointer" by Yamomoto inductries in japan(actually they also manufactured under Miroku!
    Singular problem was claybirds -guns dont handle usual tucker. However Barry Foster of fosters stihl shop in blenheim rd sells the very good "Hull DTL300"trap ammo ,and my two love it like kids love maccas!bloody good price.
   too.
 why; well ive aslways loved the style of the browning A5 and the Bentley in particular;price was sweet.the Escort suited me despite being pressured to buy a Stoeger,a decision ive never regretted.maintainence is my byword.

----------


## Pointer

I think owning just one shotgun is an excuse for getting another!

----------


## mikee

> I think owning just one shotgun is an excuse for getting another!


I already have 3 + set of 28g inserts for my U/O 20, Still have an U/O 12g on shopping list (for Sporting Clays), a 28g and an A400 just because.
Mind you might be a while my taste seems to be on the expensive side  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## Spudattack

Get a Purdey :Thumbsup:

----------


## PerazziSC3

> I like auto's but I prefer pumps. For me it's safety thing. I can load a mag, rack the slide open and drop a round in the breech when on the farm. I just step out of the truck, close the slide and shoot in one fluid motion. I know it's safe at all times because it's open. It's easy to change round type and easy to manual feed.
> 
> And the slide racking is sexy.


you can have a mag full and action open in quite a few semis, eg berettas. I dont think pumps are any "safer" than semi's really

----------


## kotuku

> Get a Purdey


   saw a cased job in a certtain CHCH gunshop.a right sexy wee beast,just ripe for fondling...but i couldnt persuade the mrs to join me in borrowing $50,000 from the bank to give it a new home in me safe.
  ah well dreams is free eh!

----------


## Spudattack

> saw a cased job in a certtain CHCH gunshop.a right sexy wee beast,just ripe for fondling...but i couldnt persuade the mrs to join me in borrowing $50,000 from the bank to give it a new home in me safe.
>   ah well dreams is free eh!


Hehe, i know what you mean, when i was clearing my firearms through customs there was an english bloke clearing a cased matched pair of purdeys with consecutive serial nos, he was busy paying the $18k excise on them!
They needed a mop and bucket to clean up the puddle of drool i left on the floor!

----------


## dirtyhabit

Use an M1, had it for maybe 5 years and love it, it fits well and points perfectly for me. I've spent some time on a Browning Maxus lately and rate it, its super light, points well and the mag cutoff feature of the Brwoning is real handy, its def worth a look if you're in the market for a new gun...

----------


## Toby

If you're into semis, Browning silver stalker my mate has is light and felt nice when I used it.

----------


## K95

With ya on that one! an old M1 which I have seen for $1500 is 100x the gun compared to those knock of stoegers etc. 

Quality is appreciated long after the price is forgotten.

----------


## Maca49

Ask if they have one in 4gauge better for steel

----------


## Survy

Brought my first ever shotgun on the weekend, got it as a fun gun, otherwise I would have gone mad trying to look at every single brand and model.
Got me Mossberg Maverick 88 20inch barrel $399 new, can't wait to get it out and shooting, sill going google eyes over the ammo so many combos to choose from

----------


## BTMO

Mossberg 500 pump. Lube it up good and it'll last forever and go like a $2 hooker on sailors pay day. 

 :Wink: 

Though I tried a Beretta 686 at the hunting and fishing shoot at Hutt Valley club last weekend. Got to be honest... I liked it. A lot.

----------


## 7mmwsm

My main gun is a SKB 1900. SKB had the record for shots per hour on clays, don't know if they still do. Good reliable gun. Don't know if they wear as well as the Benelli's etc but it has never let me down. And it is pleasant to use. Has a magazine cut off switch which I like as I can have a mag full, lock the action open, and be ready to go with the flick of a switch. I feel uneasy walking around with a closed action.
My knock around gun is a Mossberg Turkey gun. 24 inch pump with screw in chokes. Plastic furniture so it handles the rough stuff. The 24 inch barrel means it sits across the front of my bike and doesn't get hooked on things.

----------


## kotuku

seen a few hookers on sailors payday eh BTMO :Psmiley:

----------


## BTMO

No comment.

My time in the navy was one of wholesome goodness.

 :Wink:

----------


## Gapped axe

Browning Gold Hunter for the ducks and a Niko Shadow U/O for the upland Birds

----------


## kiwishoota

I recently bought one of the Winchester Black Shadow pumps, damn good price at 499. Didnt see them mentioned though in the last H&F mag so maybe no more availiable.

----------


## Lentil

Used a Rem 1100 (which was 2nd hand 40yrs ago) and it's still my favourite for pheasants (only 2 3/4"). Bought a Rem 1187 when steel came in, and shoot fine with it. I won a Browning Silver Stalker at a duckshooters shoot, and it is more reliable, but I just don't seem to shoot as well with it. It shoots high for me, and I should really get that sorted out. If I could afford it, I would love a nice SBS ou U/O from one of the big names. Was thinking about a 20g, but recent comments on this forum re F&G regs has dissuaded me.

----------


## mikee

> I would love a nice SBS ou U/O from one of the big names. Was thinking about a 20g, but recent comments on this forum re F&G regs has dissuaded me.


Buy it and F&G be damned, I did and its my favorite. Only reason I will be buying a 12g is Sporting clays and purely cause 12g ammo is cheaper, no other reason.

----------


## ishoot10s

> It shoots high for me, and I should really get that sorted out.


Your Stalker may have come with some shims which will change the drop for you. If you're seeing too much rib, you might be able to fix that with the right shim.

----------


## Wirehunt

> Buy it and F&G be damned, I did and its my favorite. Only reason I will be buying a 12g is Sporting clays and purely cause 12g ammo is cheaper, no other reason.


Don't do it Mikee.  Heavy bastards of thing's.

----------


## Wirehunt

> With ya on that one! an old M1 which I have seen for $1500 is 100x the gun compared to those knock of stoegers etc. 
> 
> Quality is appreciated long after the price is forgotten.


And yet a Stoeger served me really well as a full time rabbiting gun.
A mate has a flash snotgun, real flash.  But the checkering is a bastard cause it's so sharp.....

----------

