Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Shotgun Suggestions?

I'm in the process of looking for a "do-it-all" shotgun. I previously owned an original SBE and sold it prior to the birth of the twins to help pay those expenses. I was a big fan of the shotgun, and immediately look at the SBE 3 as a contender to replace it with. Should I purchase a new shotgun, I will use it for turkey (once the family responsibilities allow me to get back into it), recreational clay busting, and possibly dove hunting. Currently, my only shotguns are a Franchi I-12 Limited with fancy wood and white gold inlay, and a "tactical" defensive shotgun with an 18.5" barrel.

Are there other shotguns to consider looking at? 1301 perhaps? M2? I am somewhat inclined to choose ID over gas, but I'm open-minded.

From your description, you need another 12 gauge. Seems like another Benelli would do the trick.

I have and like the wood stocked Montefeltro, and with that particular model, really like the handling of the 26” barrel (most of the Benellis have very long actions, such that even a 28” barrel seems too long). The only thing I did to mine is sending off the trigger group to improve the trigger ($85).

I have two of the old SBE!'s from H&K... they are the bomb. Don't really care for the new autoloaders. Get what you had...

Benelli M2 or Beretta gas gun that suits you.

"use it for turkey (once the family responsibilities allow me to get back into it), recreational clay busting, and possibly dove hunting"

Seems like the Franchi you already have is a clay and dove gun. You need then a turkey gun. The modern tungsten turkey loads mean you can go to a lightweight subgauge. 20 gauge is a big gun now. No foolin'. A 20ga Benelli M2 with an upgraded recoil spring makes a good turkey gun.

Personally, I much prefer a 20ga O/U for turkeys. The tang safety is tops for turkey work. Being able to open and close the action silently is a big plus, too.

Yeah the I-12 can do Doves and Clays just fine. I hadn’t considered a break action or a 20 ga. I wouldn’t mind a little weight savings.

Weight savings... Benelli M2 20 gauge.

Unless you’re covering a lot of ground in a day of bird hunting, I would think twice about lighter guns. Lighter is faster, quite true, but also more demanding.

A quick, light dove or target gun is a fool’s errand.

Since you already have that I-12, think about a 20 GA. Lots of good SA options.

I feel my self moving that way on almost everything, duck, dove, turkey.

Do it all? Nothing wrong with a good older Remington 870 pump. Or an Ithaca 37. works all the time.

Can't imagine how I've managed to get by for all these years with pump guns. Deer, waterfowl, turkeys, predators, upland game and clays. They've done it all.

Lots of choices but MOGC hit it pretty square with a 20ga m2. I’m thinking very hard on either an m3 or montefeltro in 20ga. With the new loads they are about all a guy needs unless you plan on a lot of waterfowling.

Whether you can imagine or not, pump-action shotguns are not my preference, which is why I didn’t ask about them. But thank you for the contribution, snarky as though it may be.

I will consider the m2/20 ga. Maybe I can find a shop with them and compare to some of the others.

I understand. Lotta folks out there these days that can't drive a stick shift and others that just don't want to..

“ Originally Posted by tylerw02
Whether you can imagine or not, pump-action shotguns are not my preference, which is why I didn’t ask about them. But thank you for the contribution, snarky as though it may be.
I understand. Lotta folks out there these days that can't chew gum and walk at the same time.”

I see that edit. Be glad you edited

I can drive a stick and do from time to time, but I don’t on my daily driver. My daily driver from 1996 until 2018 was a five speed manual. And as I mentioned earlier, my defensive shotgun is indeed a pump action. So don’t pretend to be superior to those that don’t share your preferences.

Take your time and look around. Handle and if possible shoot everything you can get your hands on. Which ones fit and feel good? Shopping for new shotguns is more fun than looking through a mail order bride catalog.

You didn't mention that your defensive shotgun was a pump action. I forgot to mention lotta folks these days just too lazy to drive a stick or manually operate a shotgun. And I should be glad I edited ? LOL.. Enjoy whatever you buy.

Hard to say but shopping for a new shotgun is alot more fun than paying for one. I've got an old Belgium Sweet 16 that I shoot and enjoy a lot more than my newer guns. To be honest about it I have a variety of action types and enjoy using all of them. Like Blackheart said the 870 gives ultimate utility setup with a Rem choke barrel. I've looked at a CSX Citori more than a few times but can't see that it will do the job any better than the old Red Label I've had for 34 years. Lots to choose from, good luck. Mb

I'm probably the wrong person to ask, but my preference is for sxs shotguns and I own them in 10, 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauge. Some of them are hammer guns, too. The newer ones come with choke tubes, can shoot steel and, if you prefer, a single trigger. There's something about them that just screams "Shotgun!" in a way neither semiautos, pumps or over/unders does. Take a look at the CZs and the F.A.I.R. lines.

But I'm an old guy and I like old things.

So it now makes one lazy if they don’t prefer your favorite action type? You’re a special kind of stupid. Go chase a dog, you worthless piece of shyt.

You're the one too stupid to pick up on somebody trying to get your goat. LMFAO. Dumbass !

[bleep] off.

Gotta do it like this......


FUUCK OFF !

Or like this .

FUGG OFF !

If you don't want it bleeped out.

Dummy.

LMAO !

Must suck to be so pathetic you act like this. I’m sorry your mommy didn’t love you enough.

Now you hurt my feelings. Meanie. LOL !

Well, back to the shotguns... I like the Beretta 390 and 391 but I tend to shoot quite a few rounds at clays. If I shot less clays I might tend to like the Benelli/inertia types more. It's just me but with a fairly heavy 391 12 (wood and extra weight) or my 20 ga 390, I can shoot a lot more rounds than with my O/U. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to shoot a light Benelli as much. It's just me, maybe some of you don't mind the recoil so much. I find it adds up. I dont mind the first 50 or so with my O/U but as the rounds get closer to 100 or more, I miss my heavier auto or 20 auto.

It's tough to get a "do-it-all" shotgun that is comfortable to shoot 100+ rounds at clays and yet light and portable enough to carry turkey hunting. My turkey hunting is probably different than most, I cover miles cross country on large secluded blocks of public ground in the Ozark mountains. Weight is a concern for me. My Benelli M1 24" barrel 12 gauge with sling is handy enough and kills gobblers, coyote and hogs for me while turkey hunting. During winter it goes predator hunting and handles coyote, fox, bobcat and occasionally a hog. It also has enough punch to ward off an aggressive bear or lion.

I don't want to shoot 100-200 rounds through that M1 at my trap and skeet club. At the skeet club I'd rather have a long barrel, heavier gas operated clays gun like a Beretta. Or a similar long barrel, heavier target grade O/U. Like my Beretta. If you hunt a farm and don't carry the turkey gun much and you don't shoot more than a couple boxes of target loads occasionally a compromise could be found much easier.

We used to hunt in Dallas, Laclede and Texas counties, both private and public ground.

No problem to cover 5+ miles a morning. I was a kid and up into my early 20s, dad was in his 20s up thru early 40s when we were hunting those mountains. 870s and 1100s were the norm along w my 10 gauge once I got it.

No way would I be able to hump those hill w any of those guns today. I would want a light 20 gauge nowadays.

Reynolds and Shannon for me. Current River country, love it.

Small world. I hunt Carter County. Mostly private but some public. Family has about 1200 acres there.

If I'm not mistaken there is another hillbilly on the Fire, think he is from Dent County.

Lot of people recommend beretta but it irritates the heck out of me to have to push the button to stuff shells in the magazine.I tried one on a dove hunt this year and hated it. I have hunted with a Browning A5 for 38 years. I just feed in shells as I shoot. If you have to do anything special to load it is a dealbreaker for me.

I just loaded a 391 and a 300 and have no clue what you’re talking about. “Push the button” to stuff shells in magazine.

Bolt was locked open. Laid one in port. Pushed bolt release button to chamber the round. Then loaded 3 in the magazine just like loading pretty much any other shotgun. No buttons pressed at all. Pushed shell carrier up with shell, then slid forward.

How'd you get the bolt to lock open?

That is how I keep it in the safe, bolt locked open, and to be honest, without being home to manipulate, I don't know, don't even think about it, it just does....

Pretty sure the bolt locks open on both my 300 and 391 when the last shell is fired and the magazine is empty. Alternatively, if the bolt is closed on an empty gun, you can push the button on the back of the shell carrier, then manually open the bolt and it will lock open.

In a hunting situation, the last shell is fired, the bolt locks open, you drop a shell in the ejection port, push the bolt release button on the side of the action, load 2 or 3 shells into the magazine (without pushing any buttons), and rock on.

Me too! I have a beautidul FABARMS the same way. What genious thought of that

John Browning, I think. I inherited a Remington Model 11, bought in 1919 by a WWI vet, that loads that way.

If I were looking for a non-gas auto, I would have to check out the Benelli Ethos. I haven't handled one, out of consideration for my wallet, but they look good on paper. About two pounds lighter than a Remington 11, too.

Right. So in some circumstances you have to push a button to be able to lock the bolt back for loading. Making an action that way simplifies some things, which is probably why Berettas are so long-lived and reliable.

Then again I may have misunderstood the post. Which makes me think someone typed about something other than a Beretta.

Tyler, the Ethos weighs less than 7# and will handle anything from 3" turkey loads tp 7/8 oz practice loads. However, it costs $2K and you have a lot of other expense. A less expensive option is the Franchi AL-48. A 12 weighs 6.5#, it costs half as much as an Ethos, and there are tons of used ones around for $500. It is basically a Browning A5 with an alloy receiver, reliable as a bolt action. There are 20 & 28 ga. 48s that weigh 5.5#, which is cool if you can shoot well with a gun that light.

Good hunting with whatever you buy!

How about your Franchj and doing-it-all with style? If you got it, flaunt it.

My very first turkey hunt was off the current river where Ashley creek flows in, just a couple miles below montauk. Beautiful country and yes it gives one a work out.
I have a Urika 2 and love the thing, had a Franchi 712 for a while and was a light carry gun . Should have kept that one. Wouldn’t mind picking up a 720 one day if I find one.

I've owned most of them and shot a lot of stuff with them. I won't get in the weeds with my favorites, but I have to agree with the the guys who suggested the Benelli m2 (or m1) for your purpose. Nothing wrong with the SBE, but the more you shoot 3.5's, the more you realize how dumb you are.

You can find a benelli ethos for 1400-1600 if you look around. I regret trading the one I had and am looking at either getting another or taking a look at the new SBE 3in version

Is that the new Semi that Fabarms put out a short while ago?

Owned a lot of shotguns in my time , pretty damned hard to beat and 870 with a light contour barrel and remchokes for ultimate versatility and reliability in a pump. You want an semi auto though. My first thought on this is fit and feel for me that's an M1 Benelli Super 90 with the 26 in barrel. I bought mine 1994 when the first run of wood stocks came out, traded a nice 24" barreled Montefeltro and cash for it. Would really never need another shotgun as it does everything in the field so well. But variety is the spice of life and I've shot enough that I can shoot about any well fitting shotgun. I like.my M37's, my 97 win, and 870's , 1100 , m11's, A-5's, dbl's and o/u's. Like I said it's great if you can pick right the first time but if you don't trade it
It's way cheaper than trading women or getting rid of them. Good luck I think you will need it there is a pile of options out there to sort thru. Mb

pre 64 winchesters will do the trick. nothing wrong with old guns.

Not here Bobski, not here....eight times out of ten this place is new wave Dago gas gun central....And the remaining two usually don't consider old Winchesters....

What you suggesting bObski a pre 64 model 70 ?