Semi-auto shotguns
 

I'm looking to expand the duck/goose hunting tool kit. What are people shooting for semi-autos these days? I've got pumps, and an o/u. I've had an A5 too. I now want something with a little less punishment from heavy steel loads.

I'm looking at both gas and recoil operated. Gold's, X2's, Bennelli's, 11-87's, 935's ......

What are your opinions on aftermarket chokes? What's a good non-ported one?

Berretta 391 sporting. Gas operated 12 ga. I could shoot it all day. Really smooth and soft. And problem free. I would be VERY embarassed to tell you how long I go betweeen cleanings (even multiple range days), and never a hiccup, with any sort of shell. Doesn't shoot 3 1/2's though, if that's important to you.

As for chokes, it comes with FIVE. What more do ya need?

Benelli Super Black Eagle is definitely one of the nicest semi-autos that I've shot. I shot over 100 3.5" rounds out of one during a morning shoot once and couldn't believe the small amount of recoil.

Make sure it's stamped Made in Italy.:lol:

Try a few out and see what fits you... Fit is much more important than the brand name. Benelli's are nice but the high rib on them sucks.
Beretta's are not only extremely nice, the are the best handling and most trouble-free gun on the market today. I've got an A390 Super Trap with more than 50,000 rnds though it and it will shoot 3" mags or cheap trap loads all day long. The new AL391 Urika and Urika 2 are my favorite.

There's no need for 3.5" shells. I mostly shoot 2.75" shells, and if you don't think they work on ducks and geese you are welcome to come and hunt with me anytime you want and I'll prove you wrong, before you waste your money on them.

Ill give my opinion on a few popular guns;

Gold- Handle like a 2x4" and unreliable
11-87's - Reliable but heavy and not balanced. Very little felt recoil.
X2 - Not bad but some reliability issues
Mossberg- Cheaper gun, hit and miss. You get what you pay for as far as fit & finish. Not balanced and heavy.
Benelli's - Been shooting them since they came out - Reliable, nice guns but I can't stand the high rib for hunting. A little expensive for an auto-
Franchi - nice if you can find them on sale somewhere
Winchester pumps - avoid at all cost - Unless it's a model 12 in mint condition and you'll resell it to me.

Chokes - Can't go wrong with Briley. But, the chokes that come with higher end autos (benelli, beretta) are good enough for hunting. That's all I use.

If the Beretta's fit you, you absolutely cannot go wrong with them. I think you'd be taking a gamble with any other brand.

Maybe the first generation but it seems pretty solid now. I was actually quite impressed when I shot it in January.

All depends where and what you are hunting my friend. There is a whole world out there but I agree that for most Alberta hunting 3" shells do the job just fine.

Yeah the newer ones are better, and the X3 just came out last year. Worth checking out, I've got a few buddies who shoot them and I've never heard any complaints. I prefer my Beretta's, but that's a matter of personal taste.

Take a look at what the wingshooting operations in S America use as loaner guns- Mostly Beretta's, and a lot of Benelli's. This is where there is no bag limit, and the Italian's come and want to shoot 500-1000 birds a day. The guns get hot, get abused... A much better field test than some deer-hunter/magazine writer from the States who might only hunt birds twice a year. Those guys will endorse any gun, as long as it's free and the hunt's free.

There is NOWHERE on this planet where you need, or gain any advantage with 3.5" shells.

Now that did make laugh. I didn't know that you'd hunted the entire planet.

That's like saying there's deer somewhere that only a .300 Mag will kill, because they are immune to a .270 or .30-'06

Let me guess, you hunt birds with a single shot, too?

LOL....you are fiesty today DUK......nope I hunt with a pump, O/U or an auto primarily. I have shot waterfowl a few times with blackpowder...that's a gas and I guess I have shot a single a time ot two as well.

Your analogy is lame at best. 3.5" shells are most definitely better suited to some applications than 3" shells and they most definitely give you an advantage is some (note use of word "some") applications. When was the last time you hunted snow geese in Texas or even Saskatchewan for that matter? Can you do it with 3" shells. Of course but do 3.5" shells give you an advantage...of course. There are even some late-season applications in Alberta where the 3.5" shells stack the odds in your favour. Just as a 10 gauge gives you an advantage over a 3" 12 gauge in "some" instances...so too does the 3.5" shell. Someone with your experience should know that blanket statements like yours can't be true. Not in a world (planet) with as many variables as hunting offers.

You might want to look into a Remington CTi. They are bottom Fed Bottom Ejection so when you are in the goose pit you are not throwing shells at your buddies everytime you pull the trigger.

auto loaders
 

I too have been looking for a new autoloader. My old franchi 48al is ..well..old. Technology has come a long way in 30+years. Here's a couple of sites to check for information: shotgunworld.com and e-gun.net.
Shotgun World has sections for each make and the reviews are by more than one person. Very good info including field stripping, common problems and repair issues, if any.
Inertia vs gas will be the first decision. Recoil reduction, reliability, intended use and fit were some of my deciding factors. Based on those I have decided to go with the Beretta line.
I have decided on a Beretta 391 Ultima 12g , as my hunting opportunities do not require the 3.5's. As mentioned though, especially if you are a late season shooter, they have models for the 3.5's.
Lots of good shotgun sites out there. Considering the cost of a new gun best check as many places as possible before doing the "fit test".
Depending on your personal critieria the cost ranges from about $500 and then.... the moon :D

I've hunted snows in SK every Spring since the Conservation Order began. I've also hunted snows on the wintering grounds in AR and MO, and the way up the flyway through OK, KS, the Rain Water basin in NE, SD and ND. Heck I even shot a few in AK.

I hunted snows for 10 days straight this past April and killed my 20 bird limit every day. No, wait I guess I didn't, because I was only shooting 2.75" loads of #2 steel!!!

Cheap Winchesters, actually, because we burned the 2 cases of Fasteel we brought with us early in the trip. Shots ranged from 10' to 50 yds+. Improved Modified choke. SHEEPHUNTER, I'm only 30 and I've killed more birds in my young life than you will ever see in yours.

Guys who think they need 3.5" shells are MUCH better advised to correct faults with their shooting technique, instead of buying bigger shells. Advice like your REALLY makes me wonder what goes through some guys' heads. You are NOT going to kill a bird, unless you HIT IT, it's that simple.

Join the local skeet club and find somebody who KNOWS WHAT THEY are talking about and hopefully you can get some help.

Contrary to what your distain of outdoor writers may lead you to believe...there are some very ethical ones out there. I've hunted with some of the best and have come to greatly respect their experience and knowledge. There are some real morons too.............

[QUOTE=my hunting opportunities do not require the 3.5's. As mentioned though, especially if you are a late season shooter, they have models for the 3.5's.[/QUOTE]


I have some of my best hunts and best decoying, closest birds, in the Late season. I find the birds are all that more anxious to feed, and possibly have to migrate.

Instead of some 'know it all' trying to shove a 3.5" gun down your throat-
Learn the basics of shotgunning from somebody who is an expert. Learn the habits of your birds and figure out where to hunt them. Learn to call and decoy birds, and luckily since you already live in Alberta, you should have some fantastic shooting. It can all be done with 2.75" and 3" shells. Trust me.

You do love to blow things way out of proportion in an attempt to make a point don't you DUK. I never once said you couldn't do it with 2 3/4 or 3" shells but your statement that 3.5 inch shells offer no advantage is total falicy. In "some" instances they do. It might only be 5% of the time in Alberta and it may be 20% in other places but the fact remains they do offer an advantage "some" of the time. Simple ballistics will tell you that. Obviously shooting ability and a number of other factors come into play but I never once indicated that heavier loads would compensate for anything. Put a 3.5 inch shell in the hands of a super experienced expert shooter like yourself and you will have a slight advantage over a 2.75 shell. This isn't rocket science. A basic understanding of physics will help you out.

I'm not a huge proponent of 3.5" shells but your statement that they offer no advantage is flawed...plain and simple.

Shall we drop our pants and have a measuring contest now or are you finished with the one upsmanship? You quite likely have hunted more waterfowl than me but obviously you missed a few Grade 12 physics classes and isn't that what we were talking about????????

I never said it couldn't be...you tried to shove those words in my mouth along with a bunch of other I never said. Stick to statements I actually make or go argue in the mirror and at least your words will be coming out of your own mouth. There are some great things to be learned on this board and obviously you have a lot of knowledge to impart but wrong is wrong my friend and you are wrong with original statement.

And I think I can shoot good enough to use all three lengths of shells...thanks for the advice though.

No pictures of the pants at the ankles contest....thanks:)

I have to agree with sheep on this (oh my god), and I hunt with a berretta that max's out at three inches. magnum threes have never let me down, but might 3 1/2's on a big goose hunt be even better? Sure. It's like insurance. I plan to take an elk this fall with a 270. Will it do the job? I'm told by people near and far that it will. But might a 300 Win Mag be a better choice if recoil made absolutely no difference to me? Probably. All things being equal, I'll always take more power and capability. Problem is, they are never equal.

This just in!!!!:rolleye2: :rolleye2:

Size does matter!!!:lol: :lol: :lol:

The larger shells just deliver more of a payload on the target.

Like ABDUCKHUNTR I have shot and killed every duck and goose in the past 2 or 3 years with my rem 1100 which only takes 2 3/4's with those cheap winchester shells as well (grey box with a drake mallard landing). I have shot kent and found they were junk compared to the winchesters and the winchesters were cheaper. I know where my money lies. BTW #2 was used early in the season and BB was used in december.

And at longer ranges that can be critical.....you have more pellets in that target area. As the range increases, so too does the size of the pattern. With more pellets in the payload, you get more in the kill area. It's pretty simple. Also, with lighter loads, 3.5" shells can offer a bit more velocity, once again increasing range. They are not the answer for poor marksmanship or for extreme range shooting but as I've said all along....in "some" cases they do offer an advantage over 3" shells.

Not saying you can't get it all done with 3" or 2.75" or even .410 shells for that matter but ballistically speaking there is an advantage to 3.5" shells and in "some", albeit a small number of cases, that can offer an advantage to the hunter. If you are willing to confine your shots to the effective range of the shells you choose then yes, they offer no advantage but if you want to increase that effective range a few yards then the 3.5" 12 guauge or the 10 gauge will do it.

Like I said, I'm not a proponent of 3.5" shells but to say that there is no advantage to them is plain wrong just as sayintg there is no advantage to the .300 Win mag over the .30-06. Just look at the ballistic tables.

If shooting 3.5 shells is not for you then don't do it but no need to knock those that do and to spread inaccurate information about them.

I'm sure you have killed a load of birds with 2 3/4 shells Ryan and if that's all you shoot it stands to reason that you've killed them all with that. But what about the ones you shot at and didn't kill? That's where the real test lies. Would a larger shell have made a difference? More pellets in the target area.....quite possibly.

Sheep not saying I didnt wound some birds but I wounded the same amount of birds shooting the 2 3/4's than with the 3" shells. I have shot both and really haven seen a difference.

If you want more payload why not just buy a 10 gauge then.

Because the 3.5" 12 gauge gives you virtually identical performance and load options to the 10 gauge with only a couple minor exceptions. The 3.5" shell is not the be all and end all and for me has limited applications but I think most people talk poorly of it because they don't understand it but there is no arguement that in "some" cases the 3.5" shell does offer an advantage just as the 3" shell does over the 2.75" shell. Once you understand how patterns work and the importance, especially with steel, of getting more pellets in the kill zone, you realize that in "some" cases the larger shells will kill more birds. Not all but in "some".

Not trying to interject....but this seems to being going in circles and the main point is being missed....

Bottom line, you can kill deer, moose and elk with any of the common hunting calibers...but each offers advantages and disadvantages....you cannot say they are equal....or one is the best for "everything" handsdown....

I believe this is all sheep is saying....not knocking hunting bird with 2 3/4" shells...simply stating there is a difference between 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2" loads....and again...you have to admit that each are different and have their advantages depending on your target, location, and your abilities/skill.....

:wave: :wave: :wave: :tongue2: Over a hundred with no limit.you shouldn't be shooting skeet with 3.5", range rules don't allow it

:huh:

I see why you need 3.5" you can't seem to hit them with anything else if you shoot 100 in a morning shoot.We hunt over decoys and shots are under 40 yds skybusters are not invited to come again...

LOL....glad to hear you shoot 100% everytime you go out. I'm definitely not that good of a shot. You have no idea the circumstances surrounding that morning but thanks for NOT asking before commenting. It shows a lot of class on your part. My comment was just to point out that the Super Black Eagle was good at reducing recoil as that was part of M70's original question. Not sure how it degraded to this but can't say I'm surprised.

The morning I shot the over 100 rounds....I was not sky busting as you so eloquently put it...I was following all the laws of where I was hunting and shooting and I was surprised at the low recoil the Benelli offered.

So, someone tell me why a 3.5" shell would be a bad thing?
I like the idea I can shoot what I want out of my Pump.
Its a all round set up.

Besides, they cant be too dead... Can they?
If your primarily doing pass shooting wouldn't the extra pellets help?

Sheep.. GREAT LINE... I laughed

Jamie