One semiauto to rule them all (trap, sporting clays, turkey, upland game, waterfowl)

[atek3]

Several years ago I bought a Rem 870 Police for 3gun heavy metal class. I took it turkey hunting twice and it was fine.

I recently took up upland game, but I've always borrowed other peoples' scatterguns. I've also shot a bit of trap, again borrowing others' shotguns.

I'm not a shotgun guy, so the thought of investing in five different shotguns perfectly suited to the major shotgun activities (trap, sporting clays, turkey, upland game, waterfowl) has little appeal.

I'd like to keep my Remington 870 for home defense and maybe deer (it's got iron sights), but buy a semi-auto for "everything else."

I've heard great things about Benelli, Beretta, Browning, Remington, and Winchester.

Would something like a "Benelli Performance Shop SBE II Waterfowl Edition" be a decent "all arounder?"

I strongly prefer camo, tenifer, plastic, carbon fiber, etc to walnut, blueing, engraving, etc.

Budget is less of a concern than value (i.e. I'd rather get a shotgun for $2,000 that will hold its value well than a $600 shotgun that I'd be lucky to sell for $300).

12 ga is the obvious choice.
Ability to feed 2 3/4" target loads and 3.5" turkey magnums is desirable.
Chokes that are easily matched to the mission (i.e. pheasant one day and five stand the next)
I'm 5'11" and my LOP is "normal"
Ability to mount a red dot for turkey would be a plus, but not necessary
Ease of Takedown is a serious plus (I expect to carry it in a small case that doesn't scream "gun")
Ease of changing the magazine tube plug is a plus

Also, I doubt that it matters for this exercise, but the city outlaws pistol grips and greater than 5 round capacity.

thanks
atek3

 

[rbernie]

SBEII of any flavor, so long as it has the ComforTech stock.

 

[atek3]

Can you adjust the SBEII Stock to fit the shooter?

The SBE II has great reviews and might be "the one"

 

[dprice3844444]

870 has many different barrels/chokes

 

[d2wing]

Versa max. 11-87. My favorite Beretta 686 o/u but not for heavy loads. SBE is also good.
Upland and sporting clays, usually a light gun is better, trap, waterfowl heavy gun with a longer barrel. The important thing to be a one gun man is a gun that you shoot well and fits you well. Having one gun and shooting it well is better than chasing the perfect gun for every purpose to me. I don't understand how you can't shoot a clay bird with the same gun you shoot a pheasant. Kinda defeats the purpose. Good luck.

 

[atek3]

So it seems like my main choices are between:

Remington Versa Max
Beretta A400 Xtreme Unico
Benelli Super Black Eagle 2
Benelli Super Vinci
Browning All-Purpose Maxus
Winchester Super X3 Universal Hunter

All of them seem like pretty great guns.

One concern about Benelli though, they inertia driven. Apparently that increases felt recoil.

Since I don't plan to send it off to a gunsmith for work, a great factory trigger would be nice.

 

[eastbank]

i would go with a used remington 1100-1187, gizzian parts(stocks,barrels and add on,s). around here a ex used 1100-1187 can be had for 400-600 dollars and some times less if you shop around. you will hear the crap that you must clean them every 25 shells or so, but i clean my rem,s every 600 rounds or so and i shoot 200- 300 rounds a week shooting the clay games and 80-90 percent are reloads with no troubles at all. eastbank.

 

[Virginian]

Any gun you get is going to have pros and cons. Almost everyone on the internet is going to pimp for their favorite. Every gun on your list should work as long as you don't want to shoot mouse fart loads.
You do not see many inertia semis on the target lines. If that doesn't matter to you, I would add the Franchi Affinity/Intensity to your list. I do not think you need 3-1/2" for anything, but if you want that level of flexibility, I would stick with a gas action gun.

 

[oneounceload]

I own and have owned several gas guns over time. For what you describe, the A400 Xplor Unico from Beretta might be worth looking into. The green receiver version is capable of handling up to 3.5" ammo, it also cycles my 3/4oz 1210 fps reloads with no issues. Weight is 7#, so if you are going to shoot shoulder busters I would opt for the Kick Off system. Get the longest barrel available and go have fun.

 

[rbernie]

Can you adjust the SBEII Stock to fit the shooter?

One of the good things about the Benelli is that it's adjustable for drop and cast as it ships, and shorter/longer butt pads are available to adjust LOP.

 

[oneounceload]

^^^ That is true of all Beretta-family semis.

 

[WestKentucky]

I still only use long recoil guns simply because they work forever. No matter what I'm doing I don't want a weapon failure so for me it's a choice of savage and Remington copies of the browning patent autoloader, the browning itself, Remington descendants of the model 11, or franchi guns. I have owned all but the savage and plan to pick one of those up in the future. These guns work day in day out in any conditions you can put them through until you dunk them in a lake and let them freeze up...and that's not the guns fault.

 

[WestKentucky]

Don't be overly concerned with 3.5 inch shells until you look closely at the gains from 3" magnums to 3.5" magnums. After you look I doubt you have any concern left.

 

[627PCFan]

Im going to "pimp" someone elses. Im a Benelli guy and I recommend the SBE2, but I have shot the Beretta with the Kickoff stocks. I like them much more than I do my Benellis and even though I don't own one, I would take one in a heartbeat..

 

[rbernie]

That is true of all Beretta-family semis

The wood stocked Benelli's cannot be adjusted for LOP with a pop-on buttpad, or adjust the comb height. Those are adjustments only available from the Comfortech line of stocks.

I have shot the Beretta with the Kickoff stocks. I like them much more than I do my Benellis and even though I don't own one, I would take one in a heartbeat.

I think very well of the Beretta gas guns from a mechanical and operational view - mine were always flawless - but they always seem clunky in the receiver and forearm and I prefer the feel of a smaller framed, more lithe gun. For turkey or waterfowl, the Beretta characteristics would seem to work well for me but not so much for upland use. That's just a personal preference.