Gun Dog Forum

12 gauge and cheapest! Which is the best.?

On a budget but need a good gun benelli nova. Best gun benelli super black eagle or Beretta xtrema 2

Stoger is an off brand of Benelli and is a great gun. They run real cheap for around 400ish.

Corry

Hard to beat a remington 870 for around $350!! As far as autos, all mentioned above are great. Stoeger is an awsome auto for the price. Another good one is an escort made in turkey and imported through legacy arms international for about $500. I sell quite a few of those and heard nothing bad. My only recomendation would be to pick your price range and hold all of the guns in that range. I dont like how half of the $1500 autos pull up and align for me. I always bring them up fast to my shoulder and see how the sights line up. Benelli, stoeger and the escort are the only onle that line up perfectly for me and I have played with them all. Find one YOU like, do your homework on it and enjoy.

You said waterfowl gun...the escort in 3 1/2" is about $650. I like them because they are light and have rubber strips that run down the stock for grip and some other nice safety features.

Franchi Affinity is a sweet semi auto!! It has been on my radar since it came out. I have an M1 12 gauge and that gun is a great handling gun. I bought a Winchester Super X3 a season ago, and it was a gun I fought with liking. When I swung an Affinity around, I couldn't help myself and bought one because it felt just like the M1. It has a VERY quick shouldering capability: faster than my Benelli. Definitely a gun to check out!!! The cheapest price I found was at 699.00.

I am with jwnissen that you need to find one that aligns easily when you bring it up quickly.

The best waterfowl gun I owned was a winchester SX3 much better piece in my opinion than either of my Benellis. The SBE was nicer gun than the SBEII. On the cheap I would look at either a Nova or an 835. Cheap and semi auto don't usually belong in the same sentence.

Jim

I've been really pleased with my Beretta 3901. The finish could be a little better but it is after all a $500 autoloader. The 390 gas system is a good one.

Mossberg 835.

12 gauge Browning Auto 5...just avoid steel.
Not the new A5s....used Auto 5s, with no silly tubes can be found in the range of $400-500.
Quality and all else...you would be miles ahead.

I have a SBE II and love it. My husband has one of the earlier models of a SBE, and I fell in love with his before we got mine. Mine has a tiny bit less kick, I think...but I think they improved their recoil mechanism.

My husband is looking to get a Benelli M4, but mostly because we are also lifetime members of FrontSight Firearms Training Institute in NV, and they offer a tactical shotgun course I think he'd like to take. Nothing like purchasing a gun to take a class. LOL

For the cheap part the Mossberg 835 pump is hard to beat and it will do the 3.5 shells. Very versatile, durable, and reliable.

Winchester 1300 pump

Browning BPS pump

I've got a Mossberg 835, and like it a lot.

I would go to war with my Benelli Nova. It beats any 870 anyday of the week in my opinion.

Remington Model 870 Express Super Mag Shotgun $399.99 really a good gun and it always goes bang! I had a Beretta AL391 Urika 2 and it jammed from time to time, always went back to the 870. been shooting it for 15 years no problem.

870 Express or a 500 Mossberg. No need for 3.5 inch guns in my opinion.

870 express... Dropped it in the swamp, made sure the barrel was clear and shot at the next flock going by just fine

Hickboyaf wrote:I would go to war with my Benelli Nova. It beats any 870 anyday of the week in my opinion.

I know three guys who forgot to clean their Nova's and the choke tubes will not come out. Also, the Nova is big gun, way to big for me to be comfortable shooting.

I would recommend going down and picking up a few and seeing how they fit. But as far as cheap duck guns go you cant beat the remingtons or mossbergs.

deke wrote:

Hickboyaf wrote:I would go to war with my Benelli Nova. It beats any 870 anyday of the week in my opinion.

I know three guys who forgot to clean their Nova's and the choke tubes will not come out. Also, the Nova is big gun, way to big for me to be comfortable shooting.

I would recommend going down and picking up a few and seeing how they fit. But as far as cheap duck guns go you cant beat the remingtons or mossbergs.

My Cousin had the same thing happen and Benelli wanted nearly as much for just a barrel as the gun cost new. He ended up soaking the barrel in penetrating oil for several days and pulling the choke with a large tap. He is much more diligent about using grease on his chokes and keeping his gun clean now.

I agree with several others 3.5s are not needed, especially if you are shooting decoyed birds. My gun will shoot them but I never feel the need to.

I would probably get a Nova if I wanted to shoot 3.5s and price was an issue.

My current top for econo (but not crap) shotgun is the Weatherby SA-08. Only 3" chambers, but if you can't get it done with 3" you need better decoys. My sons current 870 express super-mag was a POS compared to my old 870 express. My old Mossberg 500 was a POS compared to the 870 but I can't speak to new Mossberg guns.

Had fun with the new Yildz OU but goose loads in that one rattle your fillings

There is an off brand that is exactly the same as the Weatherby gun but cheaper since it does not have the Weatherby tax can't remember the name off hand.

You can always spend more money, budget is always an issue for me so I like gear that is reliable but won't break the bank.

Has anyone shot or used the mossberg 930 or 935? IMO they feel pretty good. I've been considering one as a back up.

waterfowltime26 wrote:12 gauge and cheapest! Which is the best.?

ACooper wrote:Has anyone shot or used the mossberg 930 or 935? IMO they feel pretty good. I've been considering one as a back up.

I had a 935 for a couple years before I bought my SBE II, for the money it was a good gun, never had any problems with it, it had to be really clean in winter to fire 2"3/4 shells, but that's not what it was made for...

I have had an 835 for about 20 years and an SX3 for about 3ish. Both good guns. Can't beat an 835 for inexpensive, and can't beat the SX3 for performance. I was bringing along the 835 as a backup gun after I got the SX3, but no backup has been necessary with the Winchester. So my 835 is semi-retired!

I been using cheap pumps on waterfowl for over 30 years.....don't need 1000 dollar gun to kill ducks and geese or a 3 1/2 inch gun, I've never in my life shot a 3.5 inch shell.

I like my ole winchester pump and a browning BPS I use pretty regularly....didn't pay over 250 for either of them.


If you shoot em in the lips you can use a new england single shot 410

anyone ever use the remmington 887 nitro mag?

We shoot a lot of high flying passing geese, so a 3 1/2 is definitely necessary for what we do. The super black eagle, the beretta xtrema 2 and an American arm's 10 guage over and under have been our no fail guns. My son's buddy had to send his new Remington back for the recall and is in the market for a sbe now.

My husband uses an 870 pump. It is old and beat up! He can drop it in the mud, it will freeze in the duck blind, get dirty, muddy - but it always shoots. He won't let me buy him a new one. He loves it.

ACooper wrote:Has anyone shot or used the mossberg 930 or 935? IMO they feel pretty good. I've been considering one as a back up.

I owned a 935. Shot well until it started getting cold. Wouldn't cycle shells, had to clean and wipe excess grease every single time I used it. Ended up trading it in for a BPS.

Like the BPS but can cycle shells roughly in the field. Simple enough to take apart though.

Fiance has a Nova. Killing machine. Bead on the front is a little big for my taste.

I got a Mossberg 835 and it has never let me down. Shoot it more then my Browning bps and my over and under. Good gun for money

There isnt anything i have shot better than my remmington 1187, not sure how much they are new now because i traded for mine a few years ago.
Although i dont know many people who can use a remminton 870 until it brakes. great guns
Isaac and Banks

The best waterfowl gun is one that fits the shooter comfortably and puts the birds down. My best advice is to go to a few different stores, pawn shops included and shoulder a dozen or so shotguns. I personally prefer an autoloader for waterfowl but that is my opinion. I also prefer a 3" vs a 3.5". Good luck in your search.

Remington 870, cheap and will work in conditions that I have seen others malfunction.

I've known one 870 that had a problem that wasn't from rust. Firing pin spring failure, gun had been hunted HARD for over 30 years.

If there's a trend here, it seem's several people have trouble with their guns for nothing other than not cleaning properly. I've never used a gun with screw in chokes, every one i've seen has a bulge in the muzzle where the choke is. When I did hunt ducks, I always used a Mossberg 500 and never had trouble with them. I've had the Remington 870 and it is a good gun but the Mossberg felt better to me and i shot it well. Never needed a 3.5" shell, always liked 2 3/4" 1 1/4 oz #5 shot. One of my Mossberg's had a poly choke on it, really simple and quick to change chokes. Never changed it, left on mod all the time.

It has been said but for the money I love my stoeger semi auto affordable and a smooth shooting gun.

displaced_texan wrote:I've known one 870 that had a problem that wasn't from rust. Firing pin spring failure, gun had been hunted HARD for over 30 years.

I know of 3 870s with breached barrels, one recently shooting 3 1/2 inch remington hypersonics. The other two were late 70's early 80's when remington had the class action lawsuit against them.

I know of a youth model express nearly brand new the lug holding the barrel to the mag tube let go and it launched the barrel in the river.....

best cheapest waterfowl 12 ga shotgun? that's easy, remington 870 express super magnum

personally, i shoot a benelli super nova. it costs about 2x as much, and it's nowhere near twice the gun of an 870.

my buddy got his benelli super nova at a pawn shop, the gun looks brand new, & he only paid like $450 maybe less, mine was over $600 new if memory serves

I like 3.5" #4 and a modified or improved cylinder choke depending on whether i'm hunting marsh or timber

Remington 870 express cannot be beat for value & durability.

went late season pheasant hunting with my 32 yr old 870 express, in -10 degree ND January... out of 11 guys, only myself, & two others didn't have pins freeze, or other issues...

two of us had 870's, & one guy had an OLD coast to coast...

a shotgun is a shotgun...

Yes, a truly remarkable shotgun. I believe that is why it is the worlds leading seller (10 million and counting) for a pump action shotgun. I started out with an 870 field model, stepped up to the 870 TB for trap, shot the 870 magnum for ducks but Pastor, I don't think they made the Express model, back in that era. Riot guns, now called tactical guns for political correctness--ha-ha-hahh, preceded the Express. Now
just about all companies also offer a youth model, with a shortened stock to fit the youth and gals, finally!!

[quote="Pastor Brown"]Remington 870 express cannot be beat for value & durability.

went late season pheasant hunting with my 32 yr old 870 express, in -10 degree ND January... out of 11 guys, only myself, & two others didn't have pins freeze, or other issues...
two of us had 870's, & one guy had an OLD coast to coast...

Did any of the 11, shoot a Super X, 3 or any model of the Ber 391 ? I have heard these are quite reliable and is the reason I now shoot the 391, The Coast to Coast was my very first shotgun, I believe they were made by Savage.

Rod W wrote:
Did any of the 11, shoot a Super X, 3 or any model of the Ber 391 ? I have heard these are quite reliable and is the reason I now shoot the 391, The Coast to Coast was my very first shotgun, I believe they were made by Savage.

I don't know for sure.
Benelli makes incredible firearms, & I'd love to have one.

But one of the guys with an 870, owns a benelli, but brought his 870 that day.

Yeah those coast to coasts are classic! We were all laughing about it, but were amazed how it held up.

Remington 870

I haven't hunted duck's since the early 1970's. My gun of choice was a Mossberg 500 in 12ga. My reason for getting the first mod 500 was that it was all I could afford! 870's were really cool but out of my price range; I was a married E-4 in the air Force with a wife and two kids. I jump shot duck's and the gun got pretty abused at time's. One thing to abuse a cheap Mossberg rather than a nice 870; much less a fine double! There was a lesson for me in that. Shoot a gun that feel's good to you. Your not gonna know it you shoot it well until you shoot it but if you don't care for the feel of it going in you're not gonna have much good to say down the road. All you'll have down the road is the knowledge that it didn't feel well and you really should not have got it.

I hater recoil in those days, even more so now! so, the loads I used to hunt duck's with were 1 1/4oz of 6's or 5's. The important thing I think was the choke. We had poly chike's back then, we called them a potato, you see one you'll understand! My Mossberg 500, had several of them, had a 28" mod barrel. Nice thing about them, never had one malfunction or break on me. Year's later I got an 870, just couldn't shoot it well no matter I did have to pay more for it.

This thread is more about what gun different people like rather than which gun is best, every product has it's follower's! We start out thinking we have to pay more but then something about a certain gun becomes appealing and first thing you know this gun you didn't consider in the beginning becomes ole' death and destruction! If I was going to hunt ducks today, I won't, I'd go to my son's and take back my old Charles Daly 12ga with mod/full chokes. Peach of a gun but a bit ungainly for a lot of upland shooting!

Several years ago, at a Walmart in Florida, they had a brand new 12 gauge Remington 1100 semiauto for $300. It has a synthetic black stock.

I don't know why I didn't buy it immediately. That would have made an excellent duck gun.

I think the best waterfowl gun is Remington 870. I have one that my wife gave to me as a birthday gift. I have been using it to turkey hunt and a rifle scope manufactured by NCSTAR with 4X fixed power.

I have owned an 870 that only handles 2 3/4" shells. I've replaced the barrel with one that will take screw in chokes and put a synthetic stock on it when I broke the front stock hunting chukars. I load my own 1 1/8 steel #3s. I've killed over 1100 ducks and 25 geese with that load and gun. But I hunt (decoy setting, calling and minimal blind) and shoot at short ranges.

870 Express Super Mag Shotgun! I started out with an 870 many, many years ago, I still have it and at time use it just for fun! This gun will last a lifetime, more like two lifetimes. It teaches you to slow down and take good shots, not like an auto where you pop off two shots before you get your head down....

I've shot my Remington Wingmaster (now Called 870) 200 rounds or more every year since 1960 on Waterfowl, upland birds and clays. Still smooth, reliable and well balanced as when it was new. For the price it's got to be the best buy. Does not use 3 1/2 shells, but I've never needed more than 2 3/4". (Newer guns shoot 3") My son just bought a used 870 with Polychoke (Circa 1975) for $350.. Looks and shoots like new........Auction sites have lots of them.

Nice thing about a gun at that price is that you don't feel so bad when you drop it the mud, bang on the boat rail, get duck blood and dog poop on it (my Chessie love to pee on mine).