Buy a cheap 870 for home defense and chop the barrel down. If I were buying a gun specifically for goose hunting (not to be used for anything where I have to carry it much) it'd be a 10 gauge.
The SX3 will probably save you a few bucks over the Benelli, especially since Winchester just debuted the SX4. When the SX3 debuted I got a new closeout SX2 for $650.
