Need recommendations on shotgun

pj150

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Wife gave me the ok to look around and upgrade my hunting shotgun. I have always had pump action shotguns and she thinks I would have a better time and faster follow up shots with a semi-auto. Never really thought too much about it since I am used to a pump action. I suppose she's right.

I'm looking for a workhorse that will get abused with both upland and waterfowling. So in addition of being on the light side, it will need to handle the heavy 3" magnum loads. I already have a goose gun that does the 3.5" loads but that one weights like 12 lbs. I can't carry that along with my gear too far.

I was leaning towards a semi auto but the over and unders look interesting. Not sure if the O/U's can take 3" but I haven't really looked.

My old college roomate had a Benelli Super Black eagle that was awesome, but I can't afford shelling out 1,100 for one either.
 
I don't hunt, but shot a Rem 1100 for years . . . skeet and trap. Great gun. They have a newer model now, I think it is an 11-87 but Remington makes great shotguns.
 
I would recommend Benelli, Berretta, and Browning. I guess it all depends on what price range you are looking at... The three B's are pretty much solid buys..
 
If your primary use for the shotgun is waterfowling, I don't think an O/U is your best choice. Older used guns won't be able to handle steel shot, though many of them are set up for 3" shells (and many aren't, but it should be marked on the barrel). New O/Us, particularly those with screw-in chokes, can (arguably) take the beating of steel shot, but the only new ones that are worth owning, IMHO, are really too nice to take into a duck marsh. Either way, I think you'll miss that third shot from time to time - I know I would.

I figure that you should be prepared to use your duck gun for a canoe paddle if needed, so even though I've got a rack of O/Us it's an old battered 870 that goes duck hunting with me. I've thought from time to time about getting an auto, but the one I'd really want - a Browning A-5 - would have the steel shot problem. Second choice, and maybe your best choice given what you plan to do with it, would be one of the Remingtons mentioned earlier.
 
I'm about 6' 4" and have ape-like knuckle draggers. The Beretta Xtrema fit me the best by far, but the $1300 bucks is a hard thing to part with.

Proper sizing of this will be key, and every gun fits everybody just a little bit different. Many new shotguns come with LOP adjustable stocks now.

The Remington 1100, and 11-87 are great guns! The Mossberg 935 and the Stoeger (a Benelli company) are supposed to be great too, but I haven't shot either.

If cost is a big issue, a used 1100 rocks for short money!
 
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