Best waterfowl shotgun ~$1000 or less

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

Hey guys, getting into waterfowl hunting with a buddy of mine and am going on a trip this month. I'm planning on using my Remington 870 for this one but will be hunting waterfowl pretty regularly.

Looking for suggestions and experience on semi auto guns such as:

Stoger M3500
Winchester SX4
Remington Versa Max
Beretta A350

Any other suggestions are more than welcome. Thanks guys.

Chris · Jan 1, 2018

I have a couple of cheap O/U 12 ga shotguns made somewhere. Cheap wood cheap bluing but man do they shoot (or maybe I do). I don't worry about dings, mud, water or snow. I wipe them off oil them down as long as they work nice. They have killed a lot of geese over the years. At around $350 for one and $275 for the other. I got two for the price of one of the high priced guns plus drinking money. Chris

PS: For an auto loader go with the Stoger again a fair priced gun

StantonCree · Jan 1, 2018

Stoeger made by Benelli.......decent stuff.

RwWilly · Jan 1, 2018

Son has a A350. Loves it. Not a ton of experience with it but it is flawless. 2 3/4 & 3 1/2 all day. Light and swings fast.

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

Chris said:
I have a couple of cheap O/U 12 ga shotguns made somewhere. Cheap wood cheap bluing but man do they shoot (or maybe I do). I don't worry about dings, mud, water or snow. I wipe them off oil them down as long as they work nice. They have killed a lot of geese over the years. At around $350 for one and $275 for the other. I got two for the price of one of the high priced guns plus drinking money. Chris

PS: For an auto loader go with the Stoger again a fair priced gun

I can get it around $600 from my LGS. Not bad.

mpdc4511 said:
Stoeger made by Benelli.......decent stuff.

Yeah i read that. Got pretty solid reviews too. Thanks for coming Saturday, it was a good time.

Gcs7th · Jan 1, 2018

Skip the Stoeger and buy a Benelli. A synthetic stock Montefeltro can be had for $700 new. I bought mine used 7 years ago and haven't looked back.

http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/benelli-montefeltro-synthetic-stock-semi-auto-shotgun

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

RwWilly said:
Son has a A350. Loves it. Not a ton of experience with it but it is flawless. 2 3/4 & 3 1/2 all day. Light and swings fast.

They are super light, had one in my hands the other day. Can get it for $999.

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

Gcs7th said:
Skip the Stoeger and buy a Benelli. A synthetic stock Montefeltro can be had for $700 new. I bought mine used 7 years ago and haven't looked back.

http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/benelli-montefeltro-synthetic-stock-semi-auto-shotgun

Nice, but I would like the option of 3.5" shells.

JB62 · Jan 1, 2018

Have the Stoeger and so far has been flawless for me. Buddies all hunt with SBE's or other high $$ and whack as many birds as them. Broke in on some heavier loads and will cycle light target stuff. Heard they have a lower service life on ejectors but have not had any issues after 4 seasons.

rseymorejr · Jan 1, 2018

I picked up a Beretta 300 in August. I've taken it out trap shooting, pheasant, duck and goose hunting so far. I love it!

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

JB62 said:
Have the Stoeger and so far has been flawless for me. Buddies all hunt with SBE's or other high $$ and whack as many birds as them. Broke in on some heavier loads and will cycle light target stuff. Heard they have a lower service life on ejectors but have not had any issues after 4 seasons.

I'm leaning toward the Stoeger or Beretta.

rseymorejr said:
I picked up a Beretta 300 in August. I've taken it out trap shooting, pheasant, duck and goose hunting so far. I love it!

The Beretta felt very well balanced.

Ifdot · Jan 1, 2018

DJones2987 said:
Hey guys, getting into waterfowl hunting with a buddy of mine and am going on a trip this month. I'm planning on using my Remington 870 for this one but will be hunting waterfowl pretty regularly.

Looking for suggestions and experience on semi auto guns such as:

Stoger M3500
Winchester SX4
Remington Versa Max
Beretta A350

Any other suggestions are more than welcome. Thanks guys.

I'd go with any of those but the Stoger. Its a good CHEAP starter but will not last like the other 3. Of the other 3 you have listed will last a lifetime vs the stoger that depending on your shooting habits you'll get about 4-5,000 rounds and it turns into a paper weight. The SX4 or Beretta is where I would look to first. Weatherby makes a nice auto loader too.

davsco · Jan 1, 2018

skip restaurants and bars for a month and get the benelli super black eagle 2. mine doesn't cycle the really light stuff (because it's sprung for 3.5" loads) but anything heavier, it works 100%.

AlBeight · Jan 1, 2018

I own the Versa Max Sportsman ($730 ish right now at BPS) and like it a bunch. Will handle all shell loads without any physical adjustments necessary - really cool port system in the chamber operates depending on shell length covering proper # of ports. Got a good deal when Gander Mtn sold out, just under $700 w/tax. I really like the Beretta though, IMHO it’s a far better shooter, and that model can be had for equivalent cost. I’d have bought the Beretta except for the fact that the safety button is ahead of the trigger, which to a 37 year Remington shotgun shooter is too hard to get used to (for a hunting gun). For trap, sporting clays, etc... the speed of the safety deployment isn’t an issue and therefore Betetta will be my next shotgun, for those shooting disciplines anyway. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the ones not named “Stoeger”, not a slam against them I just have no point of reference for that one so I won’t speak about it.

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

davsco said:
skip restaurants and bars for a month and get the benelli super black eagle 2. mine doesn't cycle the really light stuff (because it's sprung for 3.5" loads) but anything heavier, it works 100%.

The benellis are way out of budget. I don't eat out and don't drink at bars. So that would do me no good.

AlBeight said:
I own the Versa Max Sportsman ($730 ish right now at BPS) and like it a bunch. Will handle all shell loads without any physical adjustments necessary - really cool port system in the chamber operates depending on shell length covering proper # of ports. Got a good deal when Gander Mtn sold out, just under $700 w/tax. I really like the Beretta though, IMHO it’s a far better shooter, and that model can be had for equivalent cost. I’d have bought the Beretta except for the fact that the safety button is ahead of the trigger, which to a 37 year Remington shotgun shooter is too hard to get used to (for a hunting gun). For trap, sporting clays, etc... the speed of the safety deployment isn’t an issue and therefore Betetta will be my next shotgun, for those shooting disciplines anyway. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the ones not named “Stoeger”, not a slam against them I just have no point of reference for that one so I won’t speak about it.

I love my 870s i have, so I'm leaning toward the Versa Max or Beretta if i don't buy the Stoeger.

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

rseymorejr said:
I picked up a Beretta 300 in August. I've taken it out trap shooting, pheasant, duck and goose hunting so far. I love it!

The Beretta feels super light. Recoil bad?

rseymorejr · Jan 1, 2018

DJones2987 said:
The Beretta feels super light. Recoil bad?

Not at all. Like someone else mentioned, the placement of the safety needs some getting used to, other than that it seems perfect for me.

Ifdot · Jan 1, 2018

DJones2987 said:
The Beretta feels super light. Recoil bad?

The Stoger will have the most recoil of the lot.

DJones2987 · Jan 1, 2018

rseymorejr said:
Not at all. Like someone else mentioned, the placement of the safety needs some getting used to, other than that it seems perfect for me.

Yeah I'm not real crazy about it being in front of the trigger.

Ifdot said:
The Stoger will have the most recoil of the lot.

For some reason I really like the Remington Versa Max.

3paul10 · Jan 1, 2018

Brother, stop over and check out my Benelli M1 and go shoot her.....she's pretty sweet.

Best waterfowl shotgun ~$1000 or less

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