Which one.

[SouthDakotaBound]

If money wasn't an option and you could spend on any shotgun for say both waterfowl and upland birds, which gun would it be??

[tanner]

i bought a stoeger m2000 about 2 weeks ago and absoutly love it. breeze to clean shoots as fast as you can pull the trigger, i bought it for primarly waterfowl and a little turkey and quail, got it rite after waterfowl season so i havent got to use it yet, but its a great gun.

[tmanker]

I also have a M2000. The gun is not refined at all. It has its quirks for sure. I use it to shoot rabbits, clays, squirrels, etc... It's the gun I take along when I'm not sure which type of hunting I am going to do. If money was no object you would have one gun for waterfowl and one for upland. For upland you would want a light gun as you would most likely be walking a lot and would be shooting light 2-3/4 loads. For waterfowl you would want a 3" gun, maybe 3-1/2. I use a remington 1100 for upland (not that light) and a beretta xtrema 2 for waterfowl. Benelli M2 would do nicely for both. Only a 3" gun, but people used to shoot ducks and geese with 2-3/4. Roman candles are not necessary. The M2000 is a cheaper version of the Franchi I-12 and the I-12 is a cheaper version of the M2. You could also consider a remington 870. That gun will take down deer, ducks, geese, pheasants, tv's, etc... For $270 you can have a gun that will do it all. I guess I probably didn't help much, but I tried. Good luck.

[Bowhunter20]

I'd have to go with the Winchester Super X3 Classic Field. It has a really good look and shoots very fast and smooth.I would also want the Model 101 Field, over under. I always wanted an over under but never had the money.

[IANative]

If it had to do both, the Super Black Eagle, or SBE2 in its current configuration. Fast cycling, easy cleaning (no gas cylinder), light weight, and it'll eat anything from 1 oz. clay loads to 3 1/2" magnums.

[Born2Hunt]

Cant go wrong with the Super Black Eagle...

[BigShooter]

I'm guessing you already are aware of the issues but I'll attempt to enumerate them here anyway. For upland hunting over a pointing dog or a well controlled flushing dog the first shot tends to be close so you'll want to use an open choke, like for example improved cylinder. If you miss the first shot, for the next shot you'll likely prefer to use a tighter choke like a modified choke. So lots of hunters prefer an over/under, with different chokes in each barrel, for upland game. If you need three shots a lot don't use an o/u. With a lot of walking many prefer to tote a lighter gun. A lighter o/u will generate higher perceived recoil. With upland game one tends to use lighter 2 3/4 inch lead loads and shoot less than waterfowling so the kick of a lighter gun is less important.

For waterfowling one uses heavy loads and tends to shoot more. I'd guess 12 gauge is used most commonly, often with 3" steel loads for ducks or 3 1/2" steel loads for geese. Larger shot sizes are used with steel so longer shells are used to get enough large steel pellets in the pattern. Felt recoil is a greater factor. Semi-autos absorb some energy operating the actions so you feel less kick. Many prefer heavier guns or auto-loaders for waterfowling. With waterfowling you tend to sit more and walk less so weight is less of a factor.

Pumps and o/u are generally more reliable in extreme cold or under very dirty conditions, but you definitely feel the kick a lot more when waterfowling.

No matter what you buy, fit is most important and pattern the shotgun so you know how it shoots with different chokes. In our hunting party our preferences are the three "Bs" : Benelli, Beretta and Browning.

[rkalgren]

If money were not an problem, give me one of every shotgun please.

[JakeDD]

For one all around utility gun, I really like the Beretta 391 Urika. They fit me very well and they are arguably one of the most reliable gas operated semi-autos out there. I'm not a big 3.5" shooter, so a 3" gun is enough for me and the waterfowling I do.