Shotgun advice???

MarkD · April 7, 2003

I am looking to buy a 12 ga shotgun. I will use it mostly for skeet and sporting clays. It may see some waterfoul use. I want to purchase a quality, reliable, value holding firearm.

What would you do? Prices are between $800 and $1200 for me.

Wingnut · April 7, 2003

I have the M1 super 90 (Benelli).

Lightweight, VERY simple to clean (not that many parts), and really fast for an auto.

My .02

General Lee 01 · April 7, 2003

I'm partial to Berrettas myself. But that's beause the only guns I've ever touched were Berrettas. As they're the gun of choice for our Summer-Camp in Boy Souts.

cowboy02 · April 7, 2003

I'm with the general here.........

I have a Berreta AL 391 Gold Sporting that I love..... Has never jammed once on me and you can't beat the gas operated systems. It shoots everything from the light skeet loads to the Heavy magnum loads for geese. It's what I knocked down my goose with this year.

Benelli is a good gun also however they are a little pricey as your paying some for the name. As always I would recomend finding a good gun shop that would let you "try before you buy" and see what you like the best. Having owned both a Benelli and my AL I would take the AL everyday of the week. My Benelli has had problems in the past feeding the light loads......

Hope this helps.

k1500chevy97 · April 7, 2003

m-16 , m-4 or ar-15 :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Flight_RT · April 7, 2003

I have a Beretta Whitewing. 12ga. O/U. You can get it

for about a $1,000. Sweet shooter and looks great.

doverarjim · April 8, 2003

Mark, you may not want to hear this but my kids shoot a Remington 1187 (I think) it has a short barrell so that they can get on to the clays a lot faster and it is lighter than the Bennelli. The up side to this gun is you can get one for about $700 most of the time. We bought my son's used it had been shot 4 times when he got it for $500.00

The SPEEDY · April 8, 2003

If price isn't an issue, I would go for the Benelli.

MarkD · April 8, 2003

I have shot an 1100 and an 11-87, and didn't really like the way they "shouldered" and the way the cheek helped me (or didn't help me) align with the barrell.

For about 6 months now, I have used my bro-in-laws Super X2 at the local clulbs. I enjoy shooting it. We put about 400 rounds through it without cleaning without a single jamb on 2 7/8" #6 1/2's. It will cycle all five shells in less than .5 seconds. My local trainer let me shoot his Beretta 390 (he competes) and I didn't like it as much as the Super X2.

I have held a SBE and it is the first gun that "felt" better than the SX2, but I haven't shot one.

Shadowfax · April 8, 2003

From my experience hunting wise, I'll never own another Browning anything ever again. NEVER. My last 2 Browning pumps, have had nothing but trouble in the field with getting shells caught in the elevator and not ejecting them when I want too. I've cleaned em, rebuilt them, sent them to gunshops and they still do the same thing. Ever since they started making them in Japan their quality has gone down to nothing.

For a cost effective shotgun, and can be used all around and is durable as all heck, I reccomend something by Mossberg. I wasn't a real strong believer in them until lately, when my cousin James bought one of their 12 guage composite stock pumps in treebark camo. The sucker pounds the ducks and geese and with regular cleaning hasn't stuck a shell yet. Im still stuck with my browning for the moment, but when I get the time and money, a 12 gauge Mossberg like my cousins is what im going to get.

cowboy02 · April 8, 2003

I'll give you a little heads up Mark...........

I went down this road here about 1 year ago in a hunting forum and you end up getting about 10 different opinons about guns and what people like and your left scratching your head wondering what to buy. Personaly I choose the gun that fit the best, and was more reliable and was in my price range. If you like the Super X2 no gun is going to compare to it cause something is different. Although I agree that Brownings suck and would never own one, I know people that swear up and down buy them. Mosberg makes some great guns also and I've chambered many shells thru them. Personaly at the end of the day if you smoked the clays and killed the birds it's a great gun :thumb: :thumb:

However if you can't hit the broad side of the barn, it's time to look for a new one

My advice......... Find a buddy that has a SBE and see if he will let you shoot it, then shoot a Berretta, and whatever else your considering then you know what you like. It's possible that you only like the X2 as it's been the gun of late that you've been shooting.... If you were in CO. I would let you shoot mine however I don't think that is the case.

And good luck in your quest

MarkD · April 8, 2003

I am not a big fan of the Browning Automatics myself. I have heard great things about the Over/Unders though. Has anyone had problems with Brownings Double barrells?

Has anyone had any experience with the Benelli Super Black eagles? I have read that they are recoil operated, not gas. This leads to a slightly harder recoil, but is more durable in a rougher environment.

Again, this will be used mostly for sporting clays.

I can get a very good deal on the Over/Under (less than $1000/new), but I may have to wait on it.(to fall off a truck, j/k)

Although good values for the money, I haven't really enjoyed shooting my Bro's Mossberg.

City_Slicker · April 8, 2003

If you got the money, thats great. Me I have two shotguns that get everything I need done. A Mossberg 835 Ultimag in Mossy Oak Shadow grass and a Remington 870, black on black. The bad thing about those expensive guns is you cant rough them up. I know I am hard on guns when I am duck hunting. These things will take the punishment and still shoot. You can get them muddy and break ice with the butt and they still will help you limit out. Not that I wouldnt mind having one of those for skeet shooting or looking good in my gun safe. I would go with the Benneli if I had the money, but not the inertia operated, I have heard they dont work half the time and you have to spend another 3-400 to get switched to gas. My buddy has one and it is awesome. I like 11-87 as well. I am more of a pump action kinda guy myself.