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I'm planning a waterfowl hunt for next year.....and need a break from the creedmoor and 7mm-08 talk....enough is enough.
I recently purchased a semi auto Stoeger M-3020....yes, it's a 20 Ga auto.....and like it.....but now want a 12 Ga for the waterfowl hunt......preferably a semi auto in 3" chamber with a raised rib. but most importantly RELIABLE.....Price ceiling is about $800 or there abouts.

What's the opinions? What fills the bill?

Take a look at the Franchi Affinity. I shoot one in 20 gauge for everything including waterfowl and find it to be a great and affordable shotgun.

M3000

does anyone shoot an SKB HS300 field shotgun?

I'd find a used Winchester SuperX2 or 3.

Got an X2 with somewhere around 30k loads through it. Trap, skeet, sporting clays, snow geese in MO, and ducks and geese in WI to include some dunking in Lake MI.

Stone reliable in all shot shell lengths.

A300

Keep your eye out for a clean used M1 benelli super 90 and handle that. I been using mine for the last 26 years with satisfaction. MB

Beretta or Benelli...Might have to up the budget a bit, but there’s time

Why not just use the 3020? I killed a lot of ducks with a youth 870 and my goto load in a 12ga sxs is 7/8oz of ITX 6's. Pattern your shotgun with the loads your going to use and don't try and stretch it beyond where it will kill them reliably.

A300 has served me well

this works for me

A300 or sx3/sx4. Buy a good used before new on that budget. Benelli m2 used might also fit budget.

Used Beretta. Anything from the 302, 303, 304, 390, or 391 should be easy enough to procure in your price range and they all work well. The newer the model, the softer the recoil but any of the models listed are very reliable with field loads.

Stoeger M3000

I agree with horse1, I have had a Beretta 391 for along time, over the years it has been used for everything from doves to turkeys. Trap, sporting clays. Light loads to heavy. Not one problem with it at all. Very reliable and soft shooting. A well cared for used 391 could be purchased for you price.
I can’t think of a better choice for all around use.

I'd just say - pick it up and swing it re Beretta.

For whatever reason - they just do not fit me well, I know what the measurements say - they're just uncomfortable for me.

But that's good advice for all shotguns.

Ihave had the benelli SBE and the Beretta 390 and 391, and they are both very reliable. The Benelli does not dampen the recoil very much, while the beretta is very soft recoiling, especially if you get the "Kick Off" system on the beretta 391 that is a shock absorber attached to the recoil pad.

You realize it has to fit you, not us. All of these recommendations are fine, they'll all do the job reliably and within your budget. Hell, throw in the Mossberg 930 and Remington 11-87 to that mix, or even the Browning Auto-V if you can find one good for steel. But you have to handle the gun to make sure it points where you look. If you are good with the Stoeger 3020, I'd say get the 12 gauge brother to go along with it so that you know you've already got a gun that fits. Then your body won't know if you're shooting your old 20 gauge or the new 12 gauge.

Teal, my 391 came with shims to adjust cast-off and cast-on as well as drop, and came with two thicknesses of recoil pads. Very easy to adjust. Seems to me you could get it to fit pretty quickly.

This was in 96-2000 time frame. Shotgun is long gone. Don't remember if it had the shims.

X2 is "right there" as was the K80 and a couple of Brownings so I didn't mess much with it.