Help me buy the right gun please!

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nilaszewski

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Okay, so I have been lurking these forums for a while and just want to say thank you! I have rarely posted b/c I am usually able to find the answers to my questions somewhere on here.

With that said, I am in the hunt for another shotgun. I had an 870 deer/turkey 12 combo but the cantalever bent TWICE on the slug barrell so that was the end of that gun. Nothing more frusterating than getting up in your stand opening day to see your scope sitting crooked on your gun....i bought it new so no idea what the issue was.

Anyway, I traded it in for an all black synthetic Mossberg 935 slug gun. I mounted my scope on the receiver and don't plan to touch it. I shoot Hornaday SST's and can nail a whitetail in the neck 150 yards out and watch them drop instantly, one shot. What's more, the gun seems VERY consistent...not sure if the semi-auto or ported barrel help out but enough on the Mossy...my deer slayer is just that.

So now I need a Turkey gun...Turkey season is twice a year and I always go. I don't want a barrel for the Mossy...I want another gun. Thing is, I am going Pheasant hunting in October. I have not shot at birds a whole lot so plan to shoot clays all summer to hone my skills. Additionally, I've got buddies always trying to get me out after ducks and honkers.

So what I am looking for is an all-purpose "field" shotgun. Seems to me it NEEDS to be a 12ga. for Turkey....and I think a semi-auto makes the most sense?

To recap it will be used for:

Clays
Pheasant
Duck
Goose
Turkey

My budget is subjective...based on 2 major factors...quality and how much my wife will let me spend. I want something nice that is really going to last but am aware that price doesn't always equal quality. I would by new or used and don't care if I buy local or out of state and have something shipped.

Any ideas or suggestions? Ideally this gun will be low recoil, lighter weight and black synthetic/camo finish. Barrel length is up in the air...maybe something where I could potentially buy a 2nd barrel - a shorty for turkey and a longer one for everything else.

The only thing I'll miss is my red dot on Turkey...Does anyone make a cantilever field barrel? Sounds goofy but I think it would be cool to leave a red-dot on the barrel and swap a different field barrel on for everything else.

Please advise, again many thanks to all!:)
 
Beretta 391 Urika 2 syn----light weight---gas operated, so softer shooting. Its got all kinds of spacers and shims to make stock fit almost limitless----its the first shotgun ever to fit me EXACTLY---simply unbelievable after all these years of making do with whatever came off the rack. I can't emphasize enough how tickled I am to have to FINALLY have a gun fit me.

Only comes with a 28" barrel and haven't even looked into spare barrels---but it would cover all the requirements you listed---with some compromise on the turkey stuff since the barrel is longer----I plan on using mine for everything.

Comes with 5 chokes.
 
Hi,
I have a Remington 1100 premier that never failed me but they might show issues with extreme weather. Also the benellis are great for duck, turkey, etc... as they do very well with the hot loads and are super light to carry all day. The classic M2 goes for a bit over $700 here localy. The fancy ones go for more.
I Also have lanbers over and under for clays and cannot beat the quality and performance. I have a couple of the lanber semiautos and while they are a bit spartan they are great quality too. Very popular in Europe.
If you want to pay more go Beretta and FN (owns browning too) but you also pay extra for branding.
 
I don't WANT to pay more....I;m just willing to pay more if it is goin got be "worth it" is all.

So it seems like Beretta is the way to go then?
 
YEs. Benellis kick a bit more as they are inertia operated but there is no gas system to clean. The long ones do extremely well with duck, geese, turkey.
For pheasant you do not need much. I use the 1100 or the lanber O/U...

A picture of the lanber that I had here handy...
000_0066b.jpg

000_0068b.jpg

By the way I forgot that I have a few siagas (russian) and they do not perform bad with the long barrel and great for any type of weather but I have not tried them hunting yet. The smaller barrels are really tac. systems although the folks in russia use them for everything.

100_6216b.gif
 
I say go with Rem 1100 I have one and had it for years. It has never failed me.
Also you can buy accessories to configure it any way you want.
 
I agree here if you get an 1100 you will not go wrong. Might not be the best for everything but will serve you well in many areas.
Cheers.
E.
 
Beretta semis are THE semi on the sporting clays course - remember that semis only make up about 20% of the guns used as over unders rule that aspect. They are reliable and well built, typically lighter than Remingtons and a tad heavier then Benellis. Personally, I like hunting guns to be in the 6-6.5# range, which generally means, for me, a 20 SxS or O/U as an English game gun in 12 that weighs that little costs more than I can afford......(c'mon Powerball!)

If you don't mind carrying a 7.5# gun hunting, then the Beretta will do well. Since you are also throwing waterfowl in the mix, I'd be leery of an O/U for that application.

Go to your local trap/skeet club and see if you can rent/borrow several types to see what YOU like the best
 
Good advice. The best thing is to try them if you get an opportunity.
Folks in my club we are exchanging shotguns to try them out many times.

The last 2 on the right are the lanber semi's....

100_6242b.gif

My brother and I used berettas all our life but in the last few years we shoot with the lanbers.
He won many competitions with the lanber sporting. I also have a Sarrasqueta but they are very hard to get now.
 
I have the 1100 premier and I use it for trap and pheasant. Will do well in everything but not better than the benelli for duck and geese and turkey.
Also not better than the lanber for skeet. Again will do well at everything but not better but this also could be for me and my type of use / fit.
Also in very wet and cold it has its failures, the benelli never. I have them all and shoot about 6000 shells every year average.
I believe the Rem 1100 is one of the finest shotguns ever made and very well regarded by many here and overseas.
 
The 1100 I have has been in 3 gun, turkey hunted, deer hunted, clays, dove and well about every thing I ever wanted to do with it. The only thing you can not do is put a pistol grip or adjustable stock(recoil spring in stock)on it other than that it will do pretty much anything you want. Accessories are almost endless.
 
I had this stock on the 870 that i got rid of...it is avail for the 1100 also. It would be great for turkey...How would it be for pheasant/clays? I think a thumbhole would be terrible for both? Opinions?


nov14_02.jpg
 
okay, So no one has mentioned Winchester? Any reason for this?

So Benelli's kick more b/c no gas...got it.

So we have Beretta and Remington.

Pros and Cons b/w them?

Turkey is #1, then pheasant/clays.

Ducks and honkers are 4 and 5.

Am I better off new or used? I don't mind a used gun?

Can A used Beretta be had for the same price as a new 1100? Does it make more sense to get a Beretta then?
 
Okay, so I took a look at th elocal pawn shop....and found some interesting goodies.

Used....

Lanber 12ga - $250
Beretta 390 Silver Mallard - $550
Remington 1100 - $300 but beat up pretty bad
Browning A5 (looked like an A5 anyway but said "Magnum" on the side and it also said made in Belgium) - $500

I thought the A5's were worth a lot more than that, no choke tubes so not really practical but maybe a good gun to buy and look at, lol. Or sell to someone who would appreciate it more than me.

Really looking at the Lanber or the Beretta.

Thoughts?
 
I have a lanber with the old design / engraving with 40,000 shells and it shoots like day one. They used to look more spartan before than now but still the same reliable trunnion system they have been building for decades. My brother and I have the berettas and ended up leaving them at home. We score higher with the lanbers both of us but I can undersand it might be different for somebody else. Keep in mind lanber have been doing shotungs forever but are less known here so in Beretta you end up paying more for the logo and brand not the actual performance.
Both great options nevertheless.
Also I would consider the 1100 but you said it is beaten up pretty badly so I would go for the lanber and still can look for a rem 1100 later on.
Cheers.
 
Benelli's have a nasty kick
Click to expand...

What?!?! IME Benelli's are some of the softest shooters out there! But maybe that's because I haven't fired one without the comfortech stock?... The only drawback I find with Benelli's is that they can be a little pricey.

I will go ahead and recommend a Beretta 3901. It's more of a budget gun, but it still shoots very soft and I love mine!

However, funds permitting, I would grab a Benelli over a 3901. Just my .02

I just read what you had narrowed it down to. Out of those the Silver Mallard is an exceptional gun. My father has one, and it is the first 12 ga that I ever shot. Soft shooter, and worth every penny!
 
You seem to like your 935 deer gun so why not get another one of those and have the stock custom fit to you by a competent gunsmith. It is a firearm you are already familiar with and you can get barrels/chokes for whatever use you want at any particular time.
 
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