Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Semi auto 20ga options

Remington.

Get a 1100, fine guns!

I've been considering a lightweight 3" chambered 20 gauge pump with a 22 or 24 inch barrel and screw in chokes for a sort of do-it-all backpack shotgun on national forest land that only allows muzzleloader or shotgun, for deer, hogs, duck, quail, rabbit, and squirrels.
Thinkin a Mossberg 500 with a little 1-3 or 1-4 scope,,or red-dot... maybe rifle sights if I was so lucky as to find one already equupped. Or a Remington 870 Express youth model with 3" chamber and 21" barrel.
Had no problem with ducks in the past with 2 3/4 20 gauge when lead was legal, so I figure a 3" might make up the difference.
I know a 12 gauge makes more sense with the exception of size and weight.

The older Franchi 2 3/4 20 gauge auto is a nice dependable, lightweight upland shotgun. But I trust the reliabilty of an 870 or 500 more with 3" shells, and pumps are also easier to find in 3".

Stoeger 3020. I have the 12 gauge brother to that gun. Mine sat in a safe full of saltwater and mud for 3 days following hurricane Katrina. When I got to it I didn't have time to clean it. With no running water, I rinsed it in a freshwater pond. I hosed it down with WD-40 and didn't have a chance to clean it for 6 months. I gave it a decent cleaning, and It hasn't missed a lick. The choke tube ain't coming out but that doesn't matter to me.

They are part of the Benelli/Berretta family. You can find them for close to $400 at times.

https://www.stoegerindustries.com/m3020-shotgun

The Affinity is an inertia gun. I have one in 20 Ga. and have taken ducks, geese, grouse, quail and turkey with it. It’s light, functions flawlessly and didn’t break the bank. I shot competition for years and had my favorites for targets but this is the field gun I settled on. And I also appreciate the stock adjustments that can be made with the included shims to make it fit.

Mike

You can make life simple by buying the Rem. 1187 20 ga. and forget about the extra slug barrel. Have the receiver drilled and tapped. Install a Weaver scope base. You will be able to see the front bead with no problem. You can then use a red dot or scope as you wish. Changing choke tubes as needed will be all you need to do.

This is not random advise. I've done this on multiple 12 ga. guns and switched between it being my waterfowl gun and deer gun. I've never had one not be capable of sub 3 inch groups at 100 yards using standard slugs.

I bought one of the Walmart 1187 20 ga. compacts. I'm going to do this with it for my grandsons to use for turkey and deer.

Yeah... if you don't mind paying $6.75 a shot.

But for the same reasons where/when a 12 is better than a 20 with lead, a 12 is better than 20 with steel, or bismith or tungsten. (and don't get me wrong, I love the 20ga and own several.)

My only 20ga semi auto is a Remington 1100LT20 my dad bought used for me when I was 16. I never had a malfunction with it until I was in my mid to late 40's, when I finally replaced the o-rings.

As much as I love Benelli and Beretta shotguns... don't buy one if your plan is to have an additional slug barrel. You can buy a whole 'nother different brand gun for what that will cost.

Well, bismuth can be had for $1.40 per shot. And TSS for turkeys isn't going to break the bank no matter the price (which in reality is $4 per shot nowadays without reloading).

The problem with a 12 with heavy loads of bismuth is that the recoil can be oppressive when used for high-volume duck and goose hunting (which is where bismuth would be used most likely).

Heavy 12 gauge TSS loads really make no sense for anything other than predator hunting, as they do nothing better when shooting at a small turkey head and are often harder to get to pattern well when using a large amount.

The 3020 is a fun little gun and has been very reliable. But I will warn that it is too light for most adults to use well for hunting without quite a bit of change in habits. They only weigh 5.5 pounds or so, and are light in the barrel. My kids and wife do very well with it though.

Benelli Nova. Ugliest, most reliable, top quality. You can have a gunsmith mill a dovetail slot in the step on the rib for a flip-up rear sight (like they do for 3-gun competition) for slug and turkey use.

Avoid.

Only consider the Tristar Viper G2 model. Those are the ones made in the better factory and have distinctly better quality. The Mossberg SA20 is the same gun as the G2, but labeled for Mossberg.

I really like the weight of a 12 more.

Tristar Viper G2 really has my attention... Stoeger m3000, Mossberg 930 and a Remington Versamax are also on the list. I hate decisions

Even considered a savage 212

For a couple hundred more bucks a used Benelli Montefeltro can be had .
Just sayin.

I just bought a Stoeger 20g last year. Love mine, turkey hunted, duck hunted and crow shot. Also smoked a pile of skeet..

Heck, go classic and find you an older Browning Auto-5. You can get a rifled slugger barrel for it.

I wish I knew how to post pics on here .... I’d show you what I have for a turkey/predator semi-auto. It’s a dandy of a shotgun!

I bought the wife an 11-87 20ga. that is sweet as heck. Love that shotgun!

I picked one up because they were on sale... 11-87 compact 20 gauge...

It’s a heck of a thick cover bunny guy, and light as any ultralight but with 5 shots.

That’s the gun that my boy has. Break it in with some high brass loads. It really is a fun gun to shoot.