Shotgun of Choice?

Rogers had a sale on paper shells a couple of weeks back, might want to check their website!
 
I shot a double gun for a long time, a dehaan O/U, but I often found myself missing that third shot. Switched to a Benelli M2 and loved it. A few years back I won a SBEII 25th Anniversary edition in one of Benelli's contests and have been using that as my primary waterfowl gun. Super reliable and I shoot it great.
 
Seems like theres quite a few benelli fans on here. I bought an SBE 3 when they were first released. Apparently a bunch of them were sent out with some major defects and it was affecting the pattern. I confirmed this when trying to clean up a crippled broadbill on the water and shot over it three times. It is safe to say I was not happy.

There was also another issue ive had with the bolt not locking all the way in (a common issue with the SBE 2). Benelli took the gun in and made the necessary repairs, which has seemed to fix the pattern and the bolt issue.

My more recent issue has been its ability to cycle 3.5 in shells smoothly. Fortunately, on one of my goose hunts this year someone pointed out that it could be an issue with the magazine tube plunger and we through some gun oil on it and it seemed to fix the problem.

My hopes are that I will have NO issues throughout this entire season....maybe wishful thinking.
 
I shoot a Benelli M1 super 90 and a browning gold. I always go back and fourth between guns so if I have a bad day shooting I can tell the guy I?m Hunting with I need the other gun for this type of hunting.
 
I shoot a 1950 Remington model 870 that was given to me by my uncle in 1973. It had a 2 3/4" chamber and came with a 28" full choke barrel and the old spindle type foreend, and one of the first things I did was march down to the local hardware store during my lunch break in high school with a Remington catalog in my pocket and order a new 26" IC barrel ($39.95 at the time). The full barrel in the lead days and the IC barrel in the steel days have accounted for a lot of birds.

It's interesting - over my career I did bagchecks on duck hunters for 35 years in both Utah and Minnesota, and saw an interesting metamorphosis occur over that time. Early on, all hunters shot wooden stocked guns and the majority were 870s, 1100, A5, Mossberg 500 and Winchester 1200 and 1400s, with the occasional double. By the time I retired, the standard waterfowl gun was a synthetic stocked 3.5" autoloader.

Joel
 
My Dad bought his 870 WM about 5 years after you.
His came with a 26" mod barrel and he bought a spare 28" full barrel for it. I think the extra barrel was $49.99.
Smoothest pump I've ever shot.
 
My go to gun is an American Arms Silver II 12 ga. I am more relaxed with the double gun, no urgency to get the third shot fired. My backup is a good ol' 870 Wingmaster.

Tom
 
I grew up shooting older A-5s and still do occasionally for dove and quail. I have acquired several more A-5s now, a 12 lite and 12 mag, along with a 20 of each, and a sweet 16. I used to shoot an M-2 20ga but is has now become my future wifes gun. When I moved to Florida I came across a Nova 12 pump and have been using it on saltwater hunts just because of the simpleness and reliability of it. It also makes me slow down on my follow-up shots which is usually a good thing. I have been tempted to get a new A-5 but after shooting them I decided against it unless a screaming deal comes up on one. If I do get another semi auto I have been looking at the retays but the jury for me is still out on them.
 
Being old fashioned, I still use walnut stocked O/U's, SXS's or classic pumps for my shotgun adventures. I'm the Old & Cranky Guy wearing the waxed cotton Filson or McAllister coat with a Chesapeake.

For waterfowl, a Browning Citori Satin Hunter 12 Ga. 3 1/2 version, however I seldom shoot the 3 1/2" shells. I also shoot an Ithaca M37 or a BPS; both in 12 Ga.

For pheasants and Huns, usually a 16 Ga. DeHaan SXS, BPS, M37, 50's era Wingmaster or M31 pump.

For Ca. quail or forest grouse, my current favorite is a Stevens Model 555 O/U in 28 Ga.; although a Weatherby SA08 semi-auto or CZ Bobwhite also in 28 Ga. see use.
 
Blake, I bought a Benelli Nova in August of 2003, the year I retired and have never thought about wanting another shotgun. The reason I picked the pump verses an auto would be the simplicity of the gun. New Mexico is blessed with an abundance of sand. I have hunted on windy days where all you could see was dirt in the air blowing in from eastern Arizona heading for west Texas. This Nova is a fantastic shotgun and like I told a friend of mine from Ohio, when I shoulder the gun, it feels like an extension of my body/arms. I really don't know how to explain it well but another thing I never do any more is look for the bead at the end of the ribbed barrel. I just pull on the bird and squeeze the trigger. Yes, ducks still fall and I guess at my age I should consider myself lucky.
Al

I do not recommend driving over a Benelli Nova with a four wheeler like I did mine. That morning when a drake widgeon came in feet first towards my set up, I pulled on him and almost had a heart attack when I tried to look down the barrel. I drove up to Albuquerque, that morning, to Charlie's Sporting Goods store, where I bought it and their gun smith began working on it right away. In fact, he called me at home and said, "Come and get your gun, it is ready to go." That was in the afternoon so I only had about 90 miles to drive and I got the gun. I asked him how come I got so lucky for him to work on it right away and he had mentioned that everyone in the store had bets going that he couldn't fix it. He did say, "I love challenges and this was right up towards the top of my range. Anyway, there still is a slight curve to the left in the barrel but it doesn't bother me. I shoot, the duck falls down and my dog goes and gets it. I love to hunt ducks. Please know that I like shooting ducks at ranges varying from 15 yards and way out to 35 yards. I prefer them to be in close.



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I started off with an Ithaca m37, moved to model 51 when I started layout shooting, then a 10 gauge BPS for geese. My ?current? gun is a AL390 Beretta Silver Mallard.
 
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