Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Shotguns?

So with waterfall season upon us and pheasant season nearing, what’s y’alls favorite do all shotgun.

I used to use an 870 Wingmaster, now a it’s a A390.

Mine is a mossberg 835 not a pretty gun but a proven gun.

One that fits and patterns well for the application.

Might be any gauge or style. Currently have 20/16/12 ga guns, SxS/OU/Pump/Auto; phase of the moon can influence me some days. If I had to get rid of all but one I'd hang with the Ithaca 37 20 ga.

I use a shotgun for turkey hunting, and not much else. Don't duck or goose hunt anymore. No pheasants here. Don't dove hunt. Don't own a bird dog anymore, cause the quail population is practically zero. The only rabbits and squirrels I shoot are the ones that get too close to the house and gardens, and then I use whatever I can get my hands on first.......usually a 22, but sometimes a 410 single shot that's a 100 years old.

There was a time when I used a shotgun for practically everything, including deer.

Something with a barrel shroud. So I can control the spray of fire.

Maxus

Stuck on my old Browning A5 12 Gauge Magnum.

I like the Browning A-500 gas shotguns.

I have a newer, but my old AYA side by side 20 gauge.

For strictly waterfowl use a 26” SP10. Crushes sky carp like the hammer of the gods.

For everything else, primarily dove and pheasants the old reliable is a 1950’s Browning lightweight double auto. 27” Mod choked plain barrel with a grey receiver gets the most use but I have a later production Twelvette with a black receiver and a vent rib IC barrel that gets out some too.

Beretta 20ga 26" 626 Onyx SxS sees the most use for me.

If I needed to pick a "Do-All" it'd be any Beretta Semi-Auto from the 302 up through the A400 in 12Ga w/26" bbl.

Benelli sbe3

Benelli M-1 super 90 12ga 24” barrel.......known as “Black Death” around here.....

Mossberg 500 Tactical Turkey. 12 ga

Benelli M2 Waterfowl if I have to chose just one, but what fun is that? I have others that fit in the rotation for waterfowl as well...M1 Super 90, SBE 2, 11-87. Unfortunately we don't have upland hunting worth anything around here so for doves I typically shoot my Turkish 20 ga ATA Neo which is the same gun as the Weatherby Element. I have a tactical shotgun with tubes that I use for turkeys, or my sons 11-87 youth 20 ga. I prefer the lightweight inertia guns for ease of cleaning and simplicity and deal with the added recoil which doesn't bother me yet....10 years from now I may switch to gas guns.

Rabbits and doves, I usually use a Rem 1100 or a S&W 1000, both in 20 ga. For ducks and deer, I use one of my Rem. 870 Wingmasters 12 ga.

The "king of 'em all" would have been my 1960 Browning Superposed 20 ga. After going through the heartbreak of losing my 14 year old Lab Petey, my best buddy, I said "no more", and sold the Browning. Just don't see myself hunting the uplands any more. Closed season for quail, closed season for grouse, only put-and-take pheasants in N.J. now.

Having said all that, if I were looking for a repeater for upland birds, the nod would go to an Ithaca M37 in 20 or 16 ga.

Have 2 Ithaca model 37's. Both 28", one modified, one full.

When I actually used one shotgun for everything it was a 26” Ruger Red Label. I put thousands of rounds through it, has never even hiccupped. 3 -5 thousand a year just shooting trap, skeet, and sporting clays as well as waterfowl, uplan, turkey... everything but deer, really. These days I specialize more (and hunt less.) 3 1/2” Beretta auto for ducks, Merkel 1620 for birds, Encore with 24” turkey barrel for turkey, BT 99 for trap. Might use any of the above except the Encore for sporting clays.

Another vote for the Beretta 390. Remington Model 11, in. 16 gauge, and 1100, in 12 gauge, will get some playing time this year.