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Auto shotgun recommendations


fishuhalik

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I'm a Beretta guy. I have 2 Al-391's. They work great and the stocks are adjustable which is nice (most autoloaders have this now). If I wanted another gun I'd get the Beretta A400 Unico.

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Do all the top level guns come with shim kits? I know the Benellis do and have heard they make a world of difference if the gun is not shooting well. Seems like a waste to trade off a gun when a shim can be installed in less than 5 minutes to change the fit of the gun.

Jamming complaints. Bet most of these are going to come down to two shell mfgs. Loved Federal shells but got sick of my gun being filty dirty. Black Clouds are better but still dirty. Hear lots of issues with Kent hulls not ejecting well.

Benelli guy so take it for what it's worth. Member of MN duck camp is working for Benelli. Goes to events where potetial customers can try out the guns. Says it's very noticable how well people shoot the Vinci. Got a quick demo of how they take down if field cleaning is needed. Slick. Most likely my next gun in the Super model to either replace or back up sbell.

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Checked out the Browning A-5 today pretty sweet!

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Never had luck with the sx3... light primer strikes, and Failure to feeds in temps below freezing. Though i had bad luck on the gun traded it in for another and had same problems. Other than that it was not a bad gun for clays. Traded again for a a400 and have had a solid hard on for a solid year. lol

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Checked out the Browning A-5 today pretty sweet!

never cared for the square back but,this is a true waterfowl gun from the start

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Checked out the Browning A-5 today pretty sweet!

I used to use an A-5 and loved that gun. I still use it some, but the day to day beatings go to my Beneli. I want the A-5 to stay nice looking since it passed from my Grandpa to my Dad, and will soon go to my son. It still looks and shoots great and has taken down a fair number of birds.

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I shoot the browning silver

I love it, light and dependable.

I hate cleaning guns, I do them after season and usually hunt from sept thru march so lots of rounds.

My brother in law and his boy have the sx2 and sx3, they like theyres as well.

good luck with whatever you get

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The new Browning A-5 is NOT the same critter as the original and much-loved J.M.Browning design. The old 'humpback" is one of the most natural pointing shotguns you'll ever shoot and the recoil is negligible to most people. Great old gun.

But now they have changed the recoil system somewhat, added new sissified recoil pads and of course provide screw in chokes. But it still has the nice lines (love it or hate it) of the old A-5 and I am sure it is lighter too. I note they guarantee if for 100,000 rounds!!

I really like the old A-5 even though it was not something I shot and never owned. It pointed well and was easy to shoot.

Maybe should check it out.

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Yes I looked at the new version A-5 shaped similiar but definately alot lighter looks to be a excellent pheasant gun. Had the older model back in the day but traded it dumb move! Seriously thinking of getting the new A-5 will post my findings after I purchase her and use it on some late season roosters!

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One gun I haven't seen mentioned is the remington versa max. Does anybody have any experiences with this gun?

My wife has one and likes it. She loves the very light recoil.

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I dunno, I held the VersaMax and it just seemed cheap to me. It didn't have that solid feel and pullup as the Berettas and Benellis. Haven't shot it so I can't tell you from personal experience, but the guy at the Scheels in Minot (Steve) said it was one of the last autos he'd recommend. The other one he told me to stay away from was the 1187. Apparently Remington has alot of work to do on their auto shotties. They do make great rifles and great pump guns though!! I own a 700 and 2 870s and they've been absolutely tremendous.

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I know it's hard to imagine now but those 870's will sit in the corner collecting dust once you get your hands on one the above mentioned guns. They are a functional weapon if that's what fits the budget but anyone that tells you they compare to upper end autos is making a pure justification statement.

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

I Have to agree with Bryce. Once you start shooting a good auto those 870's will sit. I will vouch for that have 2 wingmasters sitting in the gun cabinet that haven't seen action in a while.

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I Have to agree with Bryce. Once you start shooting a good auto those 870's will sit. I will vouch for that have 2 wingmasters sitting in the gun cabinet that haven't seen action in a while.

Yep, as I mentioned above, I went from wingmaster to gas auto and will never go back to pump for my normal hunting, though I must confess I still grouse hunt with my Dad's 2 3/4 wingmaster now and then just for old times sake when going on a walk.

I was one who said I could get three good shots off same as auto - till I used and auto, and I can get more accurate shots now in succession no question. But I still am carppy shot, haha! wink

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Well I got a chance to shoot an almost brand new A400 Unico today. Holy crud, incredible!!!! My buddy had a couple 3 1/2" BBBs that he let me light off. Unreal, very little recoil, way less than I was expecting. And man does that gun shoot & shoulder smooth. I think I mighta found a winner...

And ya, I can see that once this gun gets added, I doubt Ol' Faithful's gonna see much action. It's always good to have a backup or two though!

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You will not be disappointed in a beretta. I love those guns and would love to get a little 20 gauge to go along with the others, just don't want to drop the cash yet.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, after all the recommendations I finally picked up my new shotty. Figured I'm only young once and threw caution to the wind and picked up an A400 Extreme Unico in waterfowl camo. Got off early today and went to a friends ranch and shot some clays. First off, coming from a guy that has shot 870s his whole life, this thing is incredible. Pricey, but with every trigger pull you can tell why. I always though i could cycle as fast as i could aquire targets and my 870 was as fast as any auto in capable hands. WRONG. With the recoil reduction in this gun I can get on my next target waaay faster & can bust 4 clays in the time it would take to get 3 with the pump, as long as i do my part! Lol I started with 2 3/4 #8s. Perfect, felt like a .17hmr. Shot a couple #2 3". Now I'm really impressed. My buddy had a few boxes of 3 1/2" BBBs. Incredible. I LOVE this gun. It felt like shooting 3" #4s. It is a little weird getting used to not pumping, but I'll get used to it.

All I can say is if you're a pump guy like i was (and i stress was) trying to decide between a new high end auto or a pump, do yourself a favor as long as funds allow & go for the auto. You won't regret it, I promise.

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We are a benelli household. I have a sbeII and love it. I also have a monti but am not a huge fan. I like the raised rib on the eagle. The wife shoots a 20 ultralight as well as 2 of the daughters. The boy has an old (my) m1 which still works flawlessly. I have dropped them in the slop, rinsed them off in a lake and run rounds through. With all of them i think i can count misfires with one hand. Shotguns, as with most things, you get exactaly what you pay for

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  • 4 weeks later...

A 3.5" turkey load will compare to most of the dangerouse game big bores IMO. I hate pulling the trigger with them.

I'll take 20 shots with the 3.5"ers over one 7mm Mag laugh

I have a Beretta Extrema... I love it. Mine is the earlier model with out the K.O. so I can't speak to the newest versions which are supposed to be even kinder to the shoulder. I bought mine brand new when the Extrema 2's came out and paid $900 for it. If you can find one of those in good shape, gently experienced it would be a good gun for you.

Another poster had asked about shims and I am pretty sure mine came with shims.

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I've hunted with and shot clays with my brother's sbe2. No doubt an awesome gun. Almost went out and got one. Then stoeger put out the 3500. Less then half the cost. I'm not gonna pretend it's like a high end gun, it's not. It is where it counts though. I found no difference in my shooting and it never jams, and cycles everything. Hunting out of a canoe in little rice lakes with my lab it gets very dirty and I don't clean it as much as I should during season. I hunt waterfowl, grouse/pheasant, and turkey. Shot many clays. Not one issue yet. Figured I'd put that out there for anyone that might be shopping for a reliable auto on a budget. Just remember to break it in with a few boxes of magnum loads and you're set.

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Was just looking this morning for an auto preferably in waterfowl camo. I need to pick one up before next season and figure now is a good time. Don't really want to spend over 1,000 though. Would it be smart to find what I want and purchase it from an on-line retailer? They seem to be alot more competitive on pricing.

Surewood that Stoeger 3500 in Max-4 looks like a nice gun. Maybe can't go wrong for around 600 bucks. Have read alot of very positive reviews for this gun from guys shooting several hundred rounds of all different types of loads. How long have you had yours?

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Fishersofmen remember to add in the transfer prices when shopping on line FFL's will vary in transfer prices also.

I have the stoger 2000 and from my experience it is a great gun and the 3500 is even better.

Another gun to check out is the versa max from Remington.

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Last May I picked mine up. I shoot and hunt more then the average person. Basically I'll put about three seasons worth of wear and tear on my shotgun vs the average hunter. Nearly every time out waterfowl hunting it ends up in my soaking wet case at the bottom of the canoe when I paddle out and the trip in the truck. It's been wet in temps a little below freezing and hasn't failed. After duck hunting I'll take it grouse hunting wet and dirty and cycle 2 3/4 without an issue. My review so far would be best affordable auto. Five years from now will be the real test. If it's still functioning at this level it will be the best bang for the buck on a shotgun I've ever had.

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Gordie, my wife has the 2000. Two turkeys, grouse, ducks, and geese. Again, not one issue. Sounds like they did have a bad year awhile back though. Now it seems those problems we're fixed.

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I have 8 family and friends that hunt with Beretta autos and no problems that I am aware of. Mine is a 390 that goes back to 1996 (17 years of hard use on trap, grouse, ducks, geese, pheasants and deer) and has over 10,000 rounds through it and it has been perfect. In my opinion, buy whatever auto you want as long as it says Beretta on it!

I did fondle some at Pheasant Fest this weekend and I sure liked the new A400. But it is hard to convince the wife I need a new shotgun when I havent had a lick of trouble with mine. So I am guessing it may be awhile before I get one.

The A300 was nice too and at only around $600, that is pretty affordable.

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The A300 Beretta doesn't look too bad either. Right around the same price as a Remington 1187 in camo $750ish. Doesn't shoot 3 1/2's but that isn't a concern for me. Will have to go and find some of these locally and see how they feel.

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