Shotgun (duck hunting)

[gomer pyle]

My son wants to try duck hunting this year and we always enjoy dove hunting. I purchased 2 Benelli Novas last year for us to start with. After two awful experiences with customer service, only one gun was here for season. Neither of us like the Nova or feel like we hit with it. I know I should pattern them but there are safety concerns with his that Benelli will not fix. 

I really like my 1100 but don't care for 11-87 or VersaMax. Benelli products are a definite NO. What else should I consider? I would like semiauto but price point may push me into pump. 

I much prefer pretty wood/blued but I know that doesn't work with a duck blind.

[Patrick Henry]

Mossberg semi auto gets good reviews 

[Fencersms]

Sorry to hear that, my montefeltro has been an actual banger. My favorite purchase (10 yrs later).

buddies berettas were nice shooting, but price point was a bit higher too

[deerslayer]

I went duck hunting for the first time last year and bought a Franchi Affinity 3.  I've been happy with it.  I've seen the blue and wood version for $850-900 several times.  Franchi is under the Beretta umbrella along with Benelli and Stoeger, so that may be a dealbreaker for you.  

[gomer pyle]

I’m not against anything but Benelli right now. Lol

How does the Franchi pattern? I know Benelli are known for high right. 

[Alleycat72]

I've been scared to go duck hunting my whole life. I just know I'm going to shoot the wrong duck. Some endangered species and be fined $100k. I'd be the guy with the game warden in scuba gear playing Seal team 6 beside me.

[deerslayer]

3 hours ago, gomer pyle said:

I’m not against anything but Benelli right now. Lol

How does the Franchi pattern? I know Benelli are known for high right. 

Left-right it’s dead on.  It throws a pretty dense pattern slightly high (maybe 60-40), but I used a Rob Roberts T3 choke.  It turned a 20 ga. Affinity into a death stick.  I’ll try to dig up a pic of the pattern board.  I had to play with the included shims to bring my POI down to 60/40.  

Edited April 3 by deerslayer

[DJTC45]

Bretta makes some good shotguns, I've had a couple for turkey hunting. Here's some links to search. Check them out, the last link is a 2024 Out Door Life listing what they tested.

https://www.beretta.com/en-ushttps://www.remarms.com/https://www.mossberg.com/https://cz-usa.com/https://www.outdoorlife.com/

[slickrick0999]

Beretta, maybe look at A400 Xplorer

[Ropin4gold]

I shoot a beretta a400 for ducks. Before that a beretta 390. Very happy with the beretta with the exception of the a300. My buddy has one and we can’t get it to feed consistently. I have several friends that run Benelli SBEs and they all seem to do fine. Might also look at Retay. I’ve handled a few of them and they seem well built for the price point. 

[10-Ring]

On 4/2/2024 at 8:21 PM, deerslayer said:

I went duck hunting for the first time last year and bought a Franchi Affinity 3.  I've been happy with it.  I've seen the blue and wood version for $850-900 several times.  Franchi is under the Beretta umbrella along with Benelli and Stoeger, so that may be a dealbreaker for you.  

I loved my first Affinity 3 so much I bought a second. Set out to buy a Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 and the guy at the store talked me into the Franchi. At $1,000 less I couldn't justify the express expense. I've had a fair amount of time behind a Super Black Eagle and don't feel that I'm giving anything up with the Franchi. 

[derf]

Please don’t judge pump guns by the Benelli Nova. I love my Browning BPS, Mossberg 835 and I still hunt with my Winchester model 12’s. I’ve shot pump guns so long I still try to pull the forearm off a semi-auto. As far as shooting some exotic duck, if you can’t see their eyes don’t shoot. Find some old fart like me to show you the ropes. 

[KahrMan]

Beretta a400 Xtreme Plus is my go to for duck, turkey or sandhill crane. I love my A 400 and A400 xtreme plus. 

[Niner29]

I've had the stoeger M3500/3000 for about 10 years (different ones) and love them. Bought the first one as a entry level gun and just never upgraded. Never have had a problem with it while many people I hunt with have had hang ups with their $2k plus guns, a lot of that is how you take care of them also. For the price point you cant beat them. A lot of people dog them but I've had a great experience with mine, Own 2-12ga.'s and 2-20ga.'s, they all had good patterns and very reliable, even when you fall down walking through a rice field and sink it... multiple times.

Edited May 6 by Niner29