Shotgun Tier Lists

Howdy everyone,

Are there any good tier lists for shotguns and the various manufacturers that make them?

I am thinking something divided up by use (sporting, hunting, tactical, etc.), maybe action/style (pump, semi, O/U, SxS, etc.), and maybe price (budget, middle, premium, and super premium).

I have seen tier lists for ARs, CCW handguns, and I think I've seen some for revolvers, but never shotguns. I don't know enough about them to judge appropriately myself, so I wanted to ask the community. I'd be happy to edit this top post to include the list for the next guy to find.

Here is the general ranking system:

S - Over A-tier, collector, custom, or otherwise ridiculous. Often non-production models

A - Top-of-the-line tier, premium quality production guns

B - Great quality, better than average, probably more affordable than A-tier

C - Average quality, the benchmark, great starting guns

D - Budget quality, passable

F - Avoid at all costs

------------------------------------------------

Category: Sporting Over/Under Shotguns (thanks to dontpanic)

S -

A - Blaser F6, Beretta DT11, Caeser Guerini Invictus, Perrazzi, and other customs

B - Blaser F16, Caesar Guerini Summit, Beretta 690 series, Zoli

C - Beretta Silver Pigeon, Browning Citori

D - Rizonni, FAIR, CZ

F - anything under about $800.

------------------------------------------------

Category: Tactical Semi-autos (thanks to erwos)

S -

A - Beretta 1301, Benelli M4

B - Benelli M1/M2, Remington Versa-Max, FN SLP

C - Stoeger M3000, Mossberg 930 SPX, Remington 1100

D - Mossberg 930 non-SPX (I know this is a controversial take)

F - All those < $300 budget shotguns from Turkey

------------------------------------------------

Category: Tactical Pump-action for defense (thanks to mopar92)

S -

A - Mossberg 500-series, Benelli Supernova

B - Remington 870, Kel Tec KSG, Winchester SXP,

C - Ithaca, S&W, High Standard, RIA (copy of High Standard)

D - Turkish guns with old English trademarks

F - Pancor Jackhammer

------------------------------------------------

Category: 3-Gun/Sporting Semi-autos (thanks to erwos)

S - ?

A - Benelli M2 3gun, Beretta 1301 Comp (Pro)

B - Franchi Affinity 3, FN SLP Competition, Remington Versa Max 3gun

C - Stoeger M3K Freedom, Mossberg 940 JM Pro

D - Mossberg 930 JM Pro (and this is generous)

F - Pretty much anything else

------------------------------------------------

Category: Side-by-sides (thanks to Viewers like you!)

S - ?

A - ?

B - ?

C - ?

D - ?

F - ?

I've never seen anything that was objectively ranked by people who really knew the topic. Plenty of us are happy to offer opinions though...

Browning A5 top tier! Huge rabbit hole you're looking into there.

Are you interested in something?

Bountied said:

Browning A5 top tier! Huge rabbit hole you're looking into there.

Are you interested in something?

Click to expand...

Nothing specific... right now. I have a lot of respect for the versatility of shotguns, and even more respect for my own guns, and not only wanted an at-a-glance guide to some of the reputable brands and models for my own use, but also to provide for anyone else interested.

I'd like to crowdsource it here, and put the guide together and update it as needed.

How about best brands (overall quality) first, following this guide:

A - Top tier, high quality, heirloom

B - Great quality, better than average, probably more affordable than A-tier

C - Average quality, the benchmark, great starting guns

D - Budget quality, passable

F - Avoid at all costs

And if a brand has lots of offerings and would fall in many tiers, how about ranking them to their average, or most common tier.

Off the top of my head, these are some shotgun brands I can name: Remington, Mossberg, Winchester, Stoeger, Stevens, Beretta, Benelli, Browning, Franchi, Ithaca, Henry, aaaaand thats all I got. Anyone want to take a swing at ranking them? I'll update the top post with the results

There are so many shotgun manufacturers out there. Prices can get into the stratosphere. It's a huge undertaking.

teratos said:

There are so many shotgun manufacturers out there. Prices can get into the stratosphere. It's a huge undertaking.

Click to expand...

Yeah the range is so wide. The super high end fancy Beretta ones are $10k+, and I have seen some super custom ones a few times more than that. Hopefully I can focus on the most reputable ones for later lists. Starting with the brand/manufacturer list is a good place to start.

The AR lists I have seen are also pretty big, but it still comes down to the same dozen or so "usual suspects" of what is and is not reputable.

Krieghoff K-80 is top tier idolized by a few skeet shooters I know, in the O/U category

****I'm kind of partial to Perazzi. Several of my range friends really like theirs. You probably won't see too many used as a spare trunk gun, or in the value bin at the local gun shop.... Having shot a few - uhh... they are really nice.

USArmyJoe said:

Yeah the range is so wide. The super high end fancy Beretta ones are $10k+, and I have seen some super custom ones a few times more than that. Hopefully I can focus on the most reputable ones for later lists. Starting with the brand/manufacturer list is a good place to start.

The AR lists I have seen are also pretty big, but it still comes down to the same dozen or so "usual suspects" of what is and is not reputable.

Click to expand...

For shotguns, $10,000 is mid-range.

I love Holland and Holland's offerings. Purdey & Sons are gorgeous.

FlokiBear said:

Krieghoff K-80 is top tier idolized by a few skeet shooters I know, in the O/U category

Click to expand...

Bountied said:

Browning A5 top tier! Huge rabbit hole you're looking into there.

Click to expand...

MaxVO2 said:

****I'm kind of partial to Perazzi. Several of my range friends really like theirs. You probably won't see too many used as a spare trunk gun, or in the value bin at the local gun shop.... Having shot a few - uhh... they are really nice.

Click to expand...

teratos said:

I love Holland and Holland's offerings. Purdey & Sons are gorgeous.

Click to expand...

How would you all rank those using the letter system? I can start putting this list together.

FlokiBear said:

Krieghoff K-80 is top tier idolized by a few skeet shooters I know, in the O/U category

Click to expand...

Add to the top tier, Blaser F6, Beretta DT11, Caeser Guerini Invictus, Perrazzi there are other customs but those are the big players

Most of them offer a cheaper alternative that fits into the great quality tier.
Blaser F16, Caesar Guerini Summit, Beretta 690 series, Zoli are all in the great category. These start at about $4,000

Beretta Silver Pigeon and Browning Citori are in the good quality, great starting guns. So much so that most people don't go past this. At about $2,000 these guns are great value.

Budget and quality is becoming an ever bigger class. Rizonni, FAIR, CZ all make respectable guns.

As far as crap goes, you will have a hard time finding anything worthwhile for under about $800.

This is not an exhaustive list and only includes Sporting O/US because that's what I've been researching lately.

You know what? Tactical semi-autos:
A. Beretta 1301, Benelli M4
B. Benelli M1/M2, Remington Versa-Max, FN SLP
C. Stoeger M3000, Mossberg 930 SPX, Remington 1100
D. Mossberg 930 non-SPX (I know this is a controversial take)
E. All those < $300 budget shotguns from Turkey

Top tier is Boss Purdey Holland and from there Cosmi Greener Beesley Rigby
Kreighoff Berretta Perratzi come after

USArmyJoe said:

Yeah the range is so wide. The super high end fancy Beretta ones are $10k+, and I have seen some super custom ones a few times more than that. Hopefully I can focus on the most reputable ones for later lists. Starting with the brand/manufacturer list is a good place to start.

The AR lists I have seen are also pretty big, but it still comes down to the same dozen or so "usual suspects" of what is and is not reputable.

Click to expand...

I was about to tell you what Teratos told you. $10,000 for a shotgun is mid range, maybe slightly in the B category. When you start looking at high end Berettas with all the engraving, etc., you are talking about $30,000+. I keep debating which Beretta I want next. Thought I was going to get the DT11 EELL for my 50th, or the SL3, but neither of them are exactly what I want. IF the DT11 EELL had game scene options, that is the one I would opt for.

Here are some pics from a Beretta gun that I adored and could not afford. Still cannot afford it.

Got to shoot some clays with a friends Holland & Holland, #1 of a 2 gun set, did not break any more clays but I sure looked good not breaking them, definitely a top tier shotgun.

You're really going to have to break it out by action. Break actions range anywhere from $300 to six figures. Semi-autos don't hit six figures, but I have not seen one that costs over $3000. Pump shotguns don't really hit past $1500. And that's for new ones. Then it breaks down by model, because some brands put their names on guns made by somebody else (Weatherby, CZ). I don't shoot enough clays to warrant anything more than $1200, but I did drop $2400 on a Benelli M2 3-gun edition. Funny thing is it cost me more than the Benelli M4. But it shoots clays and steel targets, so it's a little more versatile versus the two OUs I have. Just putting down my thoughts here, because there are individuals who only shoot trap/skeet/sporting clays and don't really shoot tactical/3-gun shotguns.

Pump guns for defensive use
A: Mossberg
B:Remington, Kel Tec, Winchester, Benelli
C: Ithaca, S&W, High Standard, RIA (copy of High Standard
D: Turkish guns with old English trademarks
Z: Pancor Jackhammer

Mossberg is on top because for defensive use they're the only brand i would trust to walk into a gunstore plunk down cash and then use within 5 minutes.

Old Remmys are good but from 07 to recent QC/QA was on vacation and the new ones have no track record yet.

mopar92 said:

Pump guns for defensive use
A: Mossberg
B:Remington, Kel Tec, Winchester, Benelli
C: Ithaca, S&W, High Standard, RIA (copy of High Standard
D: Turkish guns with old English trademarks
Z: Pancor Jackhammer

Mossberg is on top because for defensive use they're the only brand i would trust to walk into a gunstore plunk down cash and then use within 5 minutes.

Old Remmys are good but from 07 to recent QC/QA was on vacation and the new ones have no track record yet.

Click to expand...

I will never own a Mossberg... I did but I chopped it down and then sold it. My 80/90s Remingtons are my favorite.

mopar92 said:

Pump guns for defensive use
A: Mossberg
B:Remington, Kel Tec, Winchester, Benelli
C: Ithaca, S&W, High Standard, RIA (copy of High Standard
D: Turkish guns with old English trademarks
Z: Pancor Jackhammer

Mossberg is on top because for defensive use they're the only brand i would trust to walk into a gunstore plunk down cash and then use within 5 minutes.

Old Remmys are good but from 07 to recent QC/QA was on vacation and the new ones have no track record yet.

Click to expand...

Personal opinion, but the Benelli Supernova beats the stuffing out of everything Mossberg makes, excepting maybe the genuine milspec 590A1s. Only real beef with the SuperNova is no Aridus and Magpul accessories. But out of the box... hard to beat.

I do have a kitted-out old 870, but while it's a decent enough serious use gun, I simply don't use it very much. Might buy a quick open long gun safe for the bedroom and permanently home it in there.

Bountied said:

Browning A5 top tier! Huge rabbit hole you're looking into there.

Are you interested in something?

Click to expand...

That Browning would be middle tier.