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.

If I'm serious about it, a Beretta AL391. But depending on on whatever whim I've got, it might be any of several arm fulls of shotguns I've picked up over the years.

Not a lot anymore but love my Lefever doubles in 12 and 20 both made in 1927. Have a Savage 742 made under the Browning patents. My newest is an extremely early 870 in 12 ga. Then there is the Stevens hammer gun that is as tight as the day it comes out of the factory. Only BP or subs in brass shells for it. So I love my old stuff

My Browning BPS 20 for a lot of stuff...My Mossy 835 for Waterfowl...My Winchester 1200 for some stuff...I'm a pump kind of guy. When I was first learning this stuff as a youngster, my Dad told me only pussies use auto's. I know that not to be true now but the pump thing is ingrained in me from that offhand comment 27 or so years ago...

Benelli M2.

Benelli Montefeltro 26" most of the time now days. It's light and handles well.

Remington Wingmaster 870 in 12 Ga...an old one.

If I couldn't have the one I've got, I'd get a M12 Winchester and if I couldn't have that I'd get an Ithaca M37. Really would prefer a 20 Ga.

Ithaca Model 37, 12 gauge, usually with a light modified choke tube. I also have my father's mid-60's vintage model 37 with a polychoke on it. If I was shooting for money or my life, that's the one I'd use.

If a leisurely quail hunt, a 20 ga. Beretta Silver Pigeon, or SKB SbyS. If the going or the game might get tough, an M1 Benelli.

And an honorable mention for a good ol 870 that's been on the front line many times & is always ready to go again.

I own all type of shotguns. I always loved the side X sides but when I face reality I have to admit my favorite is America's shotgun, the pump action. I have Model 12s, Model 31s and I just recently found and bought an old 1953 made 870 20 gauge with the corncob forearm which is the first pump I started out on when I was 10 years old. No birds left to speak of in WV and even the grouse have been down for the last 20 years. I'm not able to do much hunting anymore but I have some good memories of grouse hunting in my past life.

The go-to gun for ducks & geese right now is my Mossberg 930. Fits me and works great. But I also use a Browning Auto-V Light 12 only sometimes now - I picked up a used Cylinder bore barrel which is murder on ducks over decoys. Lots of triples with it but limited pattern when they're outside the decoys.

Don't have pheasant here but Sharptail grouse. I've got a beautiful light little Turkish semi 20 gauge (same as the Weatherby) which hasn't tasted blood yet but hopefully will soon. Otherwise it's a toss-up between two Ugartechea doubles; a boxlock 20 or a sidelock 12.

1961 Beretta Silver Hawk SxS 20ga 26" M/IC. It's actually the only shotgun I have but I keep thinking I need an autoloader.

I use a Mossberg 500 more than anything when I need a shotgun. Not fancy, but it always works and I'm not worried about hurting it.

870 wingmaster

When it’s all you got, well despite some mossbergs, it’s easy to know which one to grab

I have more than enough to choose from, but the go to 12s' are, 97 Winchester for social applications, a couple of Browning Lightnings for clays, and a neat little Bernardelli Brescia hammer gun 12ga for just fun.

I have to agree with Cheesy, "But depending on on whatever whim I've got, it might be any of several arm fulls of shotguns I've picked up over the years." I do like SxS , a lot.....Win 21, Elsies, Parkers, AYA, SKB, they all live in the big safe awaiting the call..

The A390 and the AL390 is in my opinion the best gas autos ever built. I know where a 390 sport with 32in barrels is sitting right now...real tempting.


M1 for me. It's a tank.

I only have 2 shotguns-----1 is a BT-99 for trap shooting. The other is a Remington 870 Wingmaster.

BPS- 12ga.

Remington Model 11 20ga. No waterfowl.

Benelli SBEII.

AL390 for me too. Have a Gold in 12 & 20 for the range and pheasant fields and a plastic one for turkeys and any other ugly conditions. Went away from them for a while but couldn’t find better and will not be changing anytime soon.

I got a Rem 31 20ga off the ‘fire that I’m looking forward to trying on clays. Also borrowed a Parker Trojan years ago that I shot surprisingly well that I wished i’d have made an offer on. Oh well, can’t own them all, I guess.

I've put a lot of meat in the freezer with a mossberg 500 (interchangeable barrles) in 12ga. , and it has always functioned well. But I may have a new favorite in the Browning A5 light twelve from my father. (Need to see some trigger time with it.)

Most of the time it's a Browning Gold. Hate to guess how many miles I've carried it. Now and then I'll get the Ruger Red Label out.

G23

I own a number of them, but my favorite is a Charles Moore (a British maker) 12 gauge hammer gun that dates somewhere in the 19th century. It's been sleeved and nitro proofed. Just way too much fun not to shoot regularly and the wood and engraving are wonderful.

Don't have any pheasants around here, but do get to shoot at doves and ducks from time to time. I will likely use a Winchester 1400 with an improved cylinder choke tube for the dove and change to a cylinder bore choke for the ducks. I hunt ducks in a flooded swamp and the shots are very close and fast. Squirrels, if I'm not shooting a 22LR, will likely be a Fox Sterlingworth 12 ga with tight and tighter chokes. Quail are starting to show back up and if I get the chance to hunt them, it will be with my Darne 12 ga. It has a cylinder barrel and a modified barrel.

Now if we are talking strictly birds, I've shot more birds with a mossberg 3 shot 12ga bolt gun with a poly choke, than anything else.
I also like strolling the fields with a hundred year old Sterlingworth 12ga. SxS.

I only know about two types of shotguns. One is an over/under. The other one isn't.

I've never heard of a semi that didn't malfunction. Maybe Benellis and Berettas are better. I don't know.

Around here all the bird hunting is put and take for pheasant, chukar, and quail. I prefer to use a 28 gauge Browning O/U for all three. Mine has a long LOP, the same as my Heavy Spurting Clays gun. With 1 ounce Winchester ammo it kills pheasants like the hammer of Thor.

My ‘91 870 morphed into a ‘65 Browning Auto 5 two years ago. It tends to follow me into the woods now.

Three shot bolt action mossberg, with a two shot magazine? I'd need to check the model number on the one I gave my son. Most accurate bird gun I've ever used, and longest range. I was knocking down birds after other folks tried twice and gave up.

I hunted with a Belgian Superposed Pigeon Grade 20 for years.I also had several Beretta 680,682 and 686's in various gauges and grades.

I now hunt exclusively with Benellis.

SBE I with a custom E.R. Shaw slug barrel for counties that require a shotgun with a Burris Signature 1.5-6 power scope.

Benelli SBEII and M2 camo for waterfowl.

Two Monterfeltros in 12 and 20.Upgraded the Barrel on the 12 with a 28" Crio barrel.

Two older M1 Super 90's in 12 and 20 gauge.Also bought a fully rifle barrel for the 20 when I found one on ebay NIB for $250.00.I couldn't hit the BIN button fast enough.

My oldest son just set up my M1 for me as home defense gun.He brought over an extended mag tube,a steady grip stock,an extended bolt handle,a 21" barrel and a Streamlight TL4 led light with a red laser.I can't stop playing with this in a dark room.

It pays to have raised kids who like guns as much as myself.It didn't hurt when I gave them their first.22,shotgun and rifle for deer hunting.

I used a Browning B80 for years and years. Thought I'd upgrade to an A390 years ago. Honestly, there doesn't seem o be a lick of difference between the two. I still have both and I still use both. I think I'll give the A390 to my daughter when she's big enough, it's a bit "prettier" than my B80.

I'm not much of a shotgunner anymore.

But the shotgun I have by far killed the most game with was a simple Stevens 311 double barrel. Modified and full barrels. Double triggers.

Winchester 12ga sx3 for waterfowl and Remington 870 wingmaster 20ga for pheasant in less than a month.

One of the guns Skeeter had in his "Me and Joe" series was a Stevens double. The other was a Remington model 12 (22 RF).

One of the guns of my youth, my Grandpa's model 12 out of east Texas.

Browning Citori Lighting Grade III 12 ga. Wife bought it for me on our 25th Aniv. this is for all my bird hunting.
But I shoot about 6k rounds of trap each year, that's when I use my Kolar Max.

A smattering of brands here, & there always will be. But.. 870's & Benelli's seem to be mentioned quite a bit.

There are reasons for this, good ones.

1100 magnum 12 ga
870 supermagnum 12 ga
A5 in 20 ga

I like the SKB shotguns......a O/U 12 Ga for waterfowl and a 20 Ga side by side (high rib) for all other upland birds....both are 3"

Yesterday it was a first year 870 Wingmaster in 16 ga on Ruffed grouse. Dinner was excellent.
For ducks and geese a first year 870 Wingmaster Magnum 12. Unless I'm hunting Wood Duck in which case it's a first year Wingmaster 20ga.
On October 5-7 it will be a 1936 16ga M31 on pheasant and chukar.

Citori White Lightning for style and an 11-87 for dirty work.

A Winchester model 12 in 12 gauge. But I have my eyes open for the right model 1897...

The last few years my pheasant gun has been a nice Dickinson SxS 16 ga. It just seems to fit what I want in an upland gun. If supper depends on it though, out will come the AL 391 12 ga. That one seems to be a pheasant magnet and the birds view it as sure death.

Winchester Model 12 Fieldgrade, 12 ga. modified choke 28 " barrel.



Winchester Model 12 Featherweight. 12 ga.improved choke 26" barrel.

An H&R 410 single shot for the blue grouse up in the high country.

LC Smith Ideal Grade, 12 bore, Damascus, for weddings, church picnics, parades and barbecues. Remington Model 11 for work.

Love em!

I use an 870 wingmaster in 12 and 16 gauge for everything.

I do have my Dad's 1100 in 20 as well as a savage 20 sxs.

I guess it depends on the mood i am in.

Benelli M-1 Super 90 for everything. I shoot it better than any shotgun I have ever carried and it has never failed me.

Not to many Remington autos mentioned or Winchester, hmmm. Or for that matter Weatherby either.

I have a Turkish made Weatherby auto-loading 12 gauge.


For the money....its a fine shotgun.

I'm not much of a shotgun guy. If I lived somewhere with pheasants in abundance, I probably would be.

But I once had a serious craving for a CZ Bobwhite 20 gauge. Bud had one at his shop years ago and I stopped by and fondled it a few times. They're made in Turkey and are scaled down to 20 gauge size,....a very sleek little straight gripped English style double with a color case hardened receiver. I probably would have bought it if it didn't have screw in chokes. I just couldn't get past a traditional English style double gun with screw in chokes.

They stopped making them for a few years,...but I've found out that they've released them again. Apparently, they've started using CNC machining to produce them and they're offering them for even less than they were 15 years ago. They were about $800+ back then. They're $600+ these days,....maybe less. The $600+ is MSRP. They've given up the case hardened receivers and gone with black chrome this time, however.

If they would give up the screw in chokes and offer them IC/ modified,....or even modified/full,..I might buy one just to hold in my lap here and there.

Here's the gen 1.

The Quinn's keep it a lot shorter and to the point than old Hickock does. When that little dawg was jumpin' around I thought Jeff was gonna blast him.

The old ones are very nice guns. I’ve owned several in 20 ga, 28 ga, and .410. They handle and shoot very well too. Haven’t seen the newer versions. But nearly EVERY shotgun made nowadays has screw in chokes. Get over it and buy one. Life is too damn short to sweat the small stuff.

I like those videos and the presenter.


Does a good job.

Same here. Depends on what mood I’m in or what I’m hunting. But if only keep one it would be between the Ithaca 37 or Rem 870.

If I could only shoot dove or quail the rest of my life and nothing else, though, it would probably be my Benelli Montefeltro Deluxe 20 ga 🤠

Mossberg 500 in 410 is my main go to these days.

Viking, over the past 60 years of bagging wild turkey, dove, quail, chukar, grouse, pheasant, geese and ducks of all sorts (not to mention rabbits) I have vacillated among doubles, semi-autos and pumps - and one single They all have been well-made and some rather pricey and highly regarded - and they all have done a good job when I do my part. But, I tired of the semi-auto aspects and most doubles seemed to get heavy for me. Finally I simplified and have gone with a not expensive or high class but very dependable and excellent shooting pump gun in 12 ga.3 inch - a nice Mossberg in camo dress with 4 chokes and probably should have done such quite a while ago. I do also have a Savage O/U light double in 20.ga and ,223. And I'm quite satisfied.

Duplicate deleted.

I'm down to basically 3 shotguns now - a pump, a Mossberg 500 in 20 ga., a semi-auto, a Mossberg 9200 in 12 ga. and a single shot, a H&R topper in 16 ga. I used to use the 16 ga. all the time but it's tough to find 16 ga.shells out there on the store shelves nowadays.
The 20 ga. is used the most now but if I'm an area that has both pheasants and ducks I try to use the 12 ga. since I have to use steel shot there.
I bought a 3 pack set of Carlson extended chokes for both the 12 and 20 ga. this year so will be trying them out soon. They've got to be easier to change in the field than those flush factory chokes.

Ducks and geese Beretta 391
Upland birds
Beretta 471 Silverhawk SxS 12 gauge
Beretta 695 O/U 20 gauge
Merkel Model 8 SxS 12 gauge
Ugartachea SxS 20 gauge
Tactical Mossberg 930 SPX 12 gauge

I run 870’s. Had a Benelli M1 Super90 for a bit, but have been running an 870 since I was 7 years old, so dumped the Benelli.

Now, when I was a kid, we cut wood off this old boy’s place, and he had a consecutively numbered pair of 20ga. Winchester Model 21’s in a velvet-lined case. I didn’t just break the tenth commandment, I shattered that rule and stomped on the pieces. I would have sold my soul to have those guns...

Just sat here remembering when I was a kid, and hunting doves with my uncle, using his 311 20ga. SxS. Loved that gun. And there was the afternoon my aunt sent me out to her barn with her Browning Light 20 and a couple boxes of shells to thin out the barn cats. Seems the barn cats had had litters too often, there were feral cats and kittens everywhere in that hayloft. Spent the afternoon at a chore that would have gotten me and her both locked up nowadays. And I enjoyed it. Kids are vicious predators...

I will never, ever sell my Auto-5.

Retro hunt
1976 vintage 870 Wingmaster, my first real shotgun

Nostalgia hunt
A5 sweet 16, don't see the problem with 16's, ammo all over the place

Adverse conditions hunt
870 express, AK-47 of shotguns..This one has been completely submerged at least 3 times. Pour the water out, make sure there is no obstruction and run it

When you just gotta have some meat hunt
BPS 10 with 3 1/2's, a killing machine that is so heavy it almost requires wheels

Modern waterfowl hunt
Maxus Wicked Wing

Sunday go to meeting hunt
Browning Citori

Side note; Nothing smells better than just fired paper hulls. When I was a young man, everyone in our crew ran pump guns. We were always suspicious of city slickers with automatics. Shot a clays course 3 weeks ago and had a Blaser shooting guy tell me it's been a while since he had seen anyone shoot a Browning on a sporting clays course. My response was that we never have seen a Blaser over decoys in Saginaw bay. 4th of July and New Years eve were always a hoot when I was a little boy and dad would make noise with his Lefever Nitro Special.

A long time ago we used to go hunting with a pocket full of shotgun shells and a hand me down vest and knife. Low brass was common place and high brass express and baby magnums were pure gold. We had never seen the 3" magnums but knew they were made somewhere when we looked at the Remington catalog in 5th grade. Back then you had to change the barrel to change chokes. Funny how now I run through 3" magnums during waterfowl season like skeet loads and my game bag ain't getting any heavier.

Dad's Springfield 16 S×S was first shotgun I hunted with. Lil brother rusted the thing bad.

FIrst shotgun I bought was during high school was an 870 12 ga. one of the new 3 inch maggies. Got imp cyl barrel for slugs and put a Hastings barrel on it when steel shot required. Don't know how many thousand rounds I put through the thing but I still use it when weather is bad or mud expected.

Lost a few others in canoing accidents over the years.

Nothing does smell better than fired paper hulls!

I'll take BBQ'd chicken for my #1 with Hoppe's #9 in second place.

I'm strictly an upland bird hunter and this one is my favorite.

Charlie's old junker....

16 gauge Isidoro Rizzini(F.A.I.R.).


I do a lot of walking and a little shooting so it works well. My shoulder wouldn't want it any lighter!

(last Sunday)

The 1st week of squirrel and dove is always trying the 1st week of September in Kentucky. Hot, sweaty and skeeters out the wazoo. I would always try to put some distance between me and my brother who was with Pop while in the woods. They just made too much noise! Remember fanning out and trying to push rabbits in November with both. 1st shotgun was a .410 single shot and then in 1976 found a long package wrapped under the Christmas tree. 870 Wingmaster IC with a vent rib. Remember both well because they are still in my rack. Young men can't afford much in the way of shotgun shells so a Lee loader was one of the 1st things on the agenda. Used to piss mom off by hammering out reloads on the kitchen table after dinner. Nothing will put the fear of God into you more than spilling a bag of #8 shot on a green shag carpet floor on a Saturday morning at 600 am while waiting for everyone to get up so you could start pounding out shotgun shells. Saturdays were a special day, Up to watch Kentucky Farm report and then Kentucky Afield, after that grabbed the gun and off we would go. Pop worked 3rd shift and would be home at about 7:30. Usually he would stop by a German bakery and pick up Kuka on the way home. After romping around looking for something to shoot I would make my way home and eat with Pop and my brother and watch Bugs Bunny cartoons. Wish both were still here and times were as simple as back then. Thanks for listening.

I haven't used a shotgun in years pheasant and grouse are not around like they used to be.
If I had to choose one it would be my dad's 12ga JC Higgins model 20 with the full power pak choke.
It looks like crap but it's a great shooter.

Special Field with the safety reversed because I am a lefty.
Nothng wrong with a Mossberg 500 for hunting either.
I also like a BRowning BPS.
I like the ease of having an open bolt a pump has.

1. Waterfowl, turkey and predators - 12 gauge Mossberg 500

2. Upland birds - 20 gauge Browning BPS

I'm partial to a Browning gold I bought about 20 years ago. I can't miss with it.

Certain guns fit

I have several classic shotguns but my most used are as follows:


For coyotes and home defense I have a 21" Benelli M2 12ga with a Nordic Components +3 tube extension and a Nordic barrel clamp w/light rail. For waterfowl, I use the same gun but swap out the short barrel for a 26" and put a plug in it.

For dove hunting, I really like my 24" Benelli Ultra light 20ga. For bunny's in front of beagles my favorite is another Benelli Ultra Light, a 26" 28ga. I wish the 20ga Ultra had the 26" barrel and the 28ga had the 24" but I deal with it ..

My absolute favorite and the one I shoot better than any shotgun I've ever known is my 26" 12 ga FABARMS L4S Grey Hunter. It fits me so incredibly well, it almost shoots itself....

For turkeys I customized a Stevens 555 20ga with 24" barrels, had it cerekoted graphite black, added sling swivels and a sling, installed some Williams fiber optic sights. The top barrel has a SumToy "40 yard" ( ) extended choke that shoots an incredibly tight pattern with a super hot core using 3" 1 1/2 oz Federal TSS #9's.

The bottom barrel has a custom "20 yard" extended Sumtoy that shoots a real nice, even 16" pattern at 25yds with just about any high brass 2 3/4" game load. Close birds get the bottom barrel and shy birds get the top.....

X-VERMINATOR

I can feel the nostalgia in some of these stories even when it isn't mentioned.

Few guns IMO stir more memories than a good ol' shotgun.

Not the fanciest, but it works.
Pawnshop aquired .
Mechanically GTG, metal finish 85- 90%
Stock was hurting.
Refinished it.
Limbsaver pad
Black maxx/ carlson ported .705
Truglu fiber optic bead.
Polished out to 2000 grit the badly marred jeweling on the bolt.
Did some creative recontouring, cutting away, and rounding over of the groovy 60,s angles on the wood.

1969 winchester 1400 mkII
Run about 550 600 rds thru it so far
No hiccups.
Actually pretty fast firing when ya wanna dump rounds quick.
Keep it clean.
Im gonna run a .715/ modified black maxx in it next year for dove.

I learned to shoot trap with a Remington 1100, and I still have it.

My favorite upland gun is an M1 Super 90, an older HK model, with a 24” barrel. I killed a lot of pheasants with that gun, back when.

Nowadays, I don’t shoot much shotgun, and when I do it’s at clays. I have a Remington 3200 and a Super-X Model 1, and I’m pretty fond of both.

I also have a .410 Snake Charmer that sees some use, in the summer, for dispatching halibut.

The last I bought with the notion of hunting grouse in Ontario is a Cooey single shot 20 gauge.

Those are about the same thing as an older Winchester 37.

Wouldn't mind having one myself.

I just looked it up Barry, it's a model 84.

12 ga. remington 870 wingmaster magnum. fixed full choke barrel or a fixed skeet choked barrel

Our son has a sweetheart Winchester 101 in 20 gauge.

I still have my clean one owner Rem 1100......28" mod choke w/vent rib

Bought new in '73......paid a mere $175 OTD.......

Also bought an 870 20 gauge 26" w/skeet barrel on it....1973 also

G/kids already have the 870....what a smooth shucker.......