# Recommendations for 12 ga semi-auto for duck/goose hunting?



## Keith Rich (Dec 25, 2006)

My last duck gun was a 12 ga 2 3/4" Remington 1100. That was 20 years ago. I never did have any problems with that gun in the marshes and liked the way it handled. Would like to hear about today's guns/recommendations/reasons. Thanks in advance.

KEith Rich


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Why change?

I have a Beretta 390 semi (shiny), a 3.5" BPS stalker, and an almost 30 year old Mossberg 20 pump, my first gun. Trap, skeet, clays, or field I still shoot the too short stock ill fitting 20 pump better than the rest.


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## JeffroSoup (Jan 19, 2013)

Well it all depends on your price range. There are alot of good semi autos out there and the market is very competitive. There is the winchester sx3, Browning maxus, remington versamax, remington 1187, benelli sbe II, a bunch of berettas, and that's just to list a few. In my opinion the best bang for your buck is either the sx3 or the versamax. Both you can find in 3 1/2 with a 28" barrel and camoed out for under $1000. I use a Browning maxus only because I bought it almost new for a once in a lifetime deal.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

Buy an older (i.e.1980's) 870 Express and be done with it. Gas guns, inertia guns, blah blah blah....none of them are built to withstand what a waterfowler puts them through. They are fickle beasts...that is for sure. 

You can buy five 870's for what you will pay for an expensive autoloader that will inevitably jam on you at the worst possible moment. 

JMO...and I have two autoloaders (X-2 and 11-87)...but have gone back to the pump. No reason for 3.5" shells either...unless you like spending more of your hard earned money.


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## lefty421 (Dec 7, 2012)

3" or 3-1/2" chamber? 

Do you have any preference as far as inertia driven or a gasser? that may help you narrow down your choices also. 

There are lots of good guns available today. Comes down to what you want to spend, and what feels good in your hands.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

New: Benelli M2 American.
Used: HK M1 or SBE


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Oh man, you're going to get all kinds of feedback on this one. Read it all and soak it in. While I'm sure you're going to have some guys post opinions claiming they're sure the brand they own is the best for reasons X, Y, and Z, my personal opinion is that semi-auto offerings from the main brands such as Benelli, Beretta, Browning, etc are all great guns, as well as some of the limited models from Remington such as the VersaMax, it just depends on personal preference. I have a Benelli SBE2, and I love it. Benelli's other models are also great. 

How the gun feels and swings in your hands should be the NUMBER ONE factor, so I think it's best to visit a gun store with the widest variety of shotguns and just feel them out. 

Once you have that narrowed down to perhaps a few guns, then you can look at some of the more subtle differences in what each company and specific model is offering. For example, if you have your heart set on the shotgun having the ability to shoot 3.5" magnum shells, that right away narrows things down. You might also want a shotgun that has a nice variety of additional barrels (although new barrels on guns like Benellis are almost like buying a whole new shotgun, making it kind of silly). You may also care about having a gas operated gun, as opposed to inertia driven actions such as what Benelli uses (although I don't think the differences between those two types of actions are significant to trump other things such as feel). The location of the safety may also play a role in your preference, and that may be driven by what your used to on your 1100.

One reason to go with a more premium brand such as Benelli, over the more bread-and-butter offerings from a company like Remington, is customer service. My observation with owning a Benelli has been that they will do pretty much anything to make sure you like your shotgun and that it is functioning properly. I don't think you'll find the same thing with Remington or Winchester. 

When I'm faced with tough decisions on gear such as guns, I find that it helps to make a spreadsheet laying out all the things I care about, and organizing the options I'm considering so I can see everything and make the best decision.


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

Lamarsh really hit it on the head ;

Make a list of must haves and then your wants/desires and then costs.

It's a good decision tree to go trough for any evaluation.

Like car buying- if you have a hard cost payment ceiling, it might wipe out a number of makes/models right off the list.


My personal reco (just ran this myself when picking up a gun for my son)

Value to price: stoegger m2000

Overall best spend: beretta a300

$650 in blk syn, 3". (You don't need a 3.5 gun)

We went beretta for the growth potential (variable lop as he grows) and there's nothing softer shooting than the ber gas gun


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## lefty421 (Dec 7, 2012)

Branta said:


> Value to price: stoegger m2000


The M2000 was replaced/upgraded to the M3000 a few years ago.
Another bonus is that their customer service is carried out by Benelli/USA since they are owned by Benelli.


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## duckbuster2 (Aug 14, 2008)

Stick with the 1100 can't go wrong.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Branta said:


> Lamarsh really hit it on the head ;
> 
> $650 in blk syn, 3". (You don't need a 3.5 gun)


Let me add, when I mentioned 3.5" I should have also noted that it is arguably unnecessary for waterfowl hunting. I don't want to turn this into a 3 v. 3.5 thread, but I suppose if people want to weigh in it may help Keith pick out a new gun. I know there's guys out there that are going to swear by them for late season goose, and so on, but I'm just not sold on it. Perhaps they help with pass shots on large geese, but that's not to say 3"s will do the job just fine. The key with this issue, IMO, is differentiating something that marginally may help with something and something that is necessary. Branta said it right, you don't NEED a 3.5" gun, but, I'll conclude in saying that, aside from cost and the possibility of the gun having difficulty cycling light 1oz 2.75" target loads, having a gun that can can shoot 3.5" shells will not hurt you (i.e., if you determine that you'll never shoot 3.5"s, but you like something like the SBE2, I say go for it). 

My SBE2 can shoot 3.5"s, but I only find myself using them for turkey, and I acknowledge that you can knock down turkeys just fine with 3"s. Honestly, it might be that it's just amusing to load 3.5" shells in a shotgun. In any event, I've found 3.5"s to be a pain for waterfowl with my SBE2 since I have to remove my plug for it to hold 2 3.5" shells in the tube mag, therefore I think I technically could be dinged by a C/O if I'm caught with any 3" shells in my possession while my plug is out because the SBE2 will hold 3 3" shells in the mag. The tube mag screw is a pain in the ass to back out on my SBE2, so I prefer to put my plug in at the beginning of the season and just leave it there all season until it comes out for spring turkey. (To remove the tube mag screw thing on the SBE2 you have to use ******* needle nosed pliers and it's awkward.....always blew my mind why it's such a pain, as compared to the simple regular screwdriver design on a cheap Remington 870... if anybody can shed some light on that for me I'd love to hear it).


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

lefty421 said:


> The M2000 was replaced/upgraded to the M3000 a few years ago.
> Another bonus is that their customer service is carried out by Benelli/USA since they are owned by Benelli.


One more thing about Benelli's customer service: in addition to my observation that Benelli will do pretty much anything to make sure you like your shotgun and that it is functioning properly, I've also noticed that, when you call Benelli, you will almost immediately get a guy on the phone that knows EXACTLY what he's talking about, and knows the ins and outs of every single Benelli shotgun. It has been very impressive to me.


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## Pat P (Nov 19, 2013)

I have also been looking at a few 12 gauges for waterfowl and general hunting and there was 2 that caught my eye. 

1. Weatherby SA-08 waterfowler 
2. Benelli Nova

I have not shot either of them yet but they fit a low price range and look to be great deals. If anyone has experience with either of these I would love to hear your input.

The Weatherby SA-08 is chambered 3" and has a 28" barrel and comes in the waterfowl camo version or a sexy looking upland wood stock, but the kicker is it only weighs 6.5 lbs. The gun can be found usually around $600-$700 and sounds like a great deal. They also make a pump version that is priced slightly more then the 870 and is beautiful looking.

The Benelli Nova is wicked with a 28" barrel option and chambered for 3.5" comes in MAX 4, weighs 8 lbs and can be found for under $500. This gun looks awesome! Its action is over-molded plastic/metal and the gun its self is not very traditional which makes me cautious. 


Again I haven't shot either of these guns yet, please let me know if you own one or have experience with them.


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## CougarHunter (Oct 2, 2008)

(To remove the tube mag screw thing on the SBE2 you have to use ******* needle nosed pliers and it's awkward.....always blew my mind why it's such a pain, as compared to the simple regular screwdriver design on a cheap Remington 870... if anybody can shed some light on that for me I'd love to hear it).[/QUOTE]

get yourself a pair of these-http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-3578-Universal-Snap-Pliers/dp/B000NPPAUC/ref=lp_553326_1_4?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1409253883&sr=1-4

makes it way easier. I was disappointed to see that setup in my SBE II. Not sure why they made it such a pain to pull that apart. Because of this design, I never remove my plug. No need to anyway


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## lefty421 (Dec 7, 2012)

Lamarsh said:


> In any event, I've found 3.5"s to be a pain for waterfowl with my SBE2 since I have to remove my plug for it to hold 2 3.5" shells in the tube mag, therefore I think I technically could be dinged by a C/O if I'm caught with any 3" shells in my possession while my plug is out because the SBE2 will hold 3 3" shells in the mag. The tube mag screw is a pain in the ass to back out on my SBE2, so I prefer to put my plug in at the beginning of the season and just leave it there all season until it comes out for spring turkey. (To remove the tube mag screw thing on the SBE2 you have to use ******* needle nosed pliers and it's awkward.....always blew my mind why it's such a pain, as compared to the simple regular screwdriver design on a cheap Remington 870... if anybody can shed some light on that for me I'd love to hear it).


Thats strange... My M3500 which is a benelli clone, has no issue holding (2) 3" or 3.5" shells without removing the plug, while not allowing a 3rd 2-3/4" either... Its good to go for 3" or 3.5" shells out of the box. 

If removing the plug is a pain, you always have the option of ghost loading a shell. Most benellis will allow you to ghost load a shell, my stoeger does. Just leave the plug in and ghost load a round when using 3.5" shells.


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## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

Beretta Extrema2 or A400.


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## SL80 (Mar 5, 2012)

Pat P said:


> I have also been looking at a few 12 gauges for waterfowl and general hunting and there was 2 that caught my eye.
> 
> 1. Weatherby SA-08 waterfowler
> 2. Benelli Nova
> ...


My son shoots a mossberg sa-20 which is almost identical to the sa-08. They come out of the same factory, and most parts interchange. I'm glad I bought the sa-20, and it has been a great gun for a kid to use for a couple seasons, BUT it is absolutely no beretta or benelli. I can honestly say that I can't ever remember having a malfunction of any kind with my SBE or my SL80, and the SL80 has several thousand rounds through it. The sa-20 has rough fit and finish, is picky on ammo, and has to be kept clean. At $400 I still think it was a good deal for a youth gun, but we are about done with it this year. I personally would not pay $700 for a turkish gas gun. If that was the budget, I'd get a pump.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

CougarHunter said:


> (To remove the tube mag screw thing on the SBE2 you have to use ******* needle nosed pliers and it's awkward.....always blew my mind why it's such a pain, as compared to the simple regular screwdriver design on a cheap Remington 870... if anybody can shed some light on that for me I'd love to hear it).


get yourself a pair of these-http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-3578-Universal-Snap-Pliers/dp/B000NPPAUC/ref=lp_553326_1_4?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1409253883&sr=1-4

makes it way easier. I was disappointed to see that setup in my SBE II. Not sure why they made it such a pain to pull that apart. Because of this design, I never remove my plug. No need to anyway[/QUOTE]

Excellent! Just bought that thing on Amazon. Thanks man. While I'm sorry that you've had difficulty with that as well, it makes me feel a bit better that I'm not the only one. It's such a pain that I actually have thought that I was doing something wrong. The Remingtons are so much easier. You'd think Benelli would pick up on this.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

lefty421 said:


> Thats strange... My M3500 which is a benelli clone, has no issue holding (2) 3" or 3.5" shells without removing the plug, while not allowing a 3rd 2-3/4" either... Its good to go for 3" or 3.5" shells out of the box.
> 
> If removing the plug is a pain, you always have the option of ghost loading a shell. Most benellis will allow you to ghost load a shell, my stoeger does. Just leave the plug in and ghost load a round when using 3.5" shells.


I don't know what ghost loading is. Can you explain? Also, I'm almost 100% sure I cannot load two 3.5"s with the factor plug that came with my SBE2, however, I am going to double check tonight. If it continues to be the case, I'm wondering if I can shorten the plug to the point where 2 3.5"s can fit, while also disallowing the use of 3 3" shells from fitting in the tube mag....


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## Duckiller (Mar 26, 2010)

Would recommend a gas gun . They don't kick as much. I have problems killing geese with a 3" gun, probably me. If you like your 1100 get another and a 3' STEEL SHOT barrel or a 11-87. Stock dimensions are probably the same. I shoot a 3" gas gun that gets clean every two years unless it gets rained on. People that don't like semi-auto don't realise that plastic hulls don't expand when they get wet.


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