Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl which is better rem 1100 or 11-87

looking to get into a semi auto for ducks and geese. what would you recommend for a 800.00 budget.

Get a A300

is the a300 better then the a390? which of those two would you go for?
i have been a 870 man for 40 years. now i find i aint the man i used to be. need to tame recoil some.

If you like the way remingtons point for you and want to shoot ducks I would get a V3

i have an almost new 11-87 , are you near boise?

persiandog. i am as far north of boise as you can get in Idaho. what would you want for your 11-87? remember i have some AR15's. if i remember you were looking for one.

Is there really any difference between the two, other than the 1187 will shoot a 3” shell? Hard to beat either one IMHO. I am a Beretta guy, so for me, shotguns begin and end with the 390. A buddy has an A300, which has performed well the last few years dove and duck hunting. I also have a V3, which is a very soft shooter, but unfortunately patterns to the left. If you have your heart set on an 1187, then get one and don’t look back. I’m sure it will serve you well.

PM sent.

Lotsa people like their 1187's.
Never bought into the one gun do it all thing.

When I shot geese I ran bismuth in a 3" 1100 magnum 12. But it was a full choke.
Current 1100 is also a magnum, an SP w a "steel shot" Remchoke 26" bbl.
Little short but doable.

11-87 will serve you better of the two, it will shoot light loads to heavy. If it gets real cold I believe you are better off with a short recoil system like a Benelli or a pump gun. Wrong kind or excess lube in cold weather really puts the hurt on function. Laying out in sub zero weather in a layout blind for Canada's is as demanding on you as your action type. My Red Label o/u allways works twice in a row no matter how cold it is. MB

I ran a couple of 1100 magnums for dove.
1300 fps lead stuff cycled em.

Goose hunting I ran bismuth 3" and when it got really crappy and cold, I stayed home.
Because of me, not the gun.

I have heard a lot of stuff about 1100's not running, magnum and standard.
Used to rabbit hunt in crappy cold weather, and my old 1100 reg ran like a champ.

My bud from Minn just shook his head, never believed an 1100 could run.
Dunno what events prior had him so down on 1100's.

He figured 1187s would be the solution, bought 3 diff ones for tukey hunting and they were all problematic (this when 1187's first came out).
I gave him a nice 1100 magnum LOL

Look at Franchi Affinity3 or 3.5, or Stoeger M3000 or M3500 you can find these new around the $800 price point.

well the search is over, got a 11-87 on the way from a fire member. with a patternmaster choke. i am certain it will shoot better then me!
will report success over the season. won't report failures

Good choice. We have one in the family and it has been flawless with 2 3/4 trap loads up to 3” turkey and duck loads.

I've been using an 11-87 for a looong time for ducks and geese.
Runs like a Timex watch. Keep it clean, lightly lubed, and good o rings, and it won't fail you.
Mine loves Federal speed shok shells, and I use number 2's on everything 95% of the time. The other 5%, is BB's. A factory extended, modified tube, hold awesome patterns, and I used blue loctite to keep it tight. I never change it.
I don't sky bust, or have to take long shots, so it works great in my situation.
Great gun, enjoy it.

+10 and make sure you use a high viscosity lube that doesn't get sludgy when the temp goes low. M B

Let me ask a question to settle a point brought up to me at the dawn of my hunting experience. I was looking to purchase my first shotgun. I had shot an 870, and had my eye on one, but an 1100 came up at a good price. I was asking friends what I should do. Their response was that either would be great for anything but duck. For duck, I'd want a pump. The reasoning was that semi-autos had a better chance of icing up and jamming. I hadn't been duck hunting yet-- still haven't. I ended up with the Rem 1100 and it is still my main do-everything shotgun. About 20 years ago, I was on the cusp of going duck hunting, and I asked about this to another guy. He recommended a pump as well; he shot an O/U. If memory serves a good many of the fellows he hunted with shot with WIN Model 12's. I happened to find a Mossberg 500 right about then and was all set to go. Then the trip got cancelled and I was left with the whole schmeer (gun, ducks, ammo, etc.) and I still actually have not gone duck hunting.

The question still remains: is a pump better suited for ducks than an auto? Is icing ever a problem? Was it ever a problem?

As an epilog, I had a falling out with that buddy during my divorce, and we drifted apart. His family were hard-core duck hunters. My old buddy died at duck camp a few years ago of heart failure a few years ago, and his family just threw a blanket over him and went duck hunting, figuring that's how he'd have liked it. My son, his godson got all his hunting gear except for the Browning Citori-- that went to a nephew.

I have several 1100's and a couple 1187 shotguns. I loved the 1100s for a long time, but the hunting guns didnt cycle light loads well etc... its a well known story. I hunt with Binelli shotguns and have for the last decade. I did recently pick up an Ithaca 37 Featherlight that I might try on pheasants this season.

Have hunted in freezing weather with 5 diff semis. Never any problem. 1100 A5 11-87 930 and SA-20.

I’ve had 1100 magnums freeze up, but not 11-87s (made right), in same conditions. The 11-87 is a better design for rough use, but getting one executed right from the factory after ‘92 or so, is a crap shoot, IME....I’ve had 2 good ones and 3 bad ones, right out of the box. The 1187 is a case where buying used is probably the smarter deal.