Shotgun Action

[270-300]

Which shotgun action type do you prefer for all around hunting?

 

[dieselchessy]

“All around hunting” seems a bit to broad.

Are we talking waterfowl, upland game bird wing shooting, small game, large game, turkey, predators, and bear defense?

I cant imagine choosing anything other than a repeater for all around hunting use, and haven't seen a bolt or lever option that would compete with a pump or semi-auto.

 

[270-300]

“All around hunting” seems a bit to broad.

Are we talking waterfowl, upland game bird wing shooting, small game, large game, turkey, predators, and bear defense?

I cant imagine choosing anything other than a repeater for all around hunting use, and haven't seen a bolt or lever option that would compete with a pump or semi-auto.

Since different people in different places do different hunting, im just trying to get an idea of what is the most popular these days. I dont care what brand or animals someone is shooting.

 

[Jack321]

Semi-auto & Inertia Driven

12ga Benelli or Franchi is the way to go and dont look back.

Went pheasant hunting one time over pointers, I flushed the bird with a Browning Citori (that I still have). Perfect bird, flushed at my feet, flew straight away from me, EASY chip-shot, just shoulder, beed on the bird and squeeze.

I missed both shots, I looked on a as my heart sank on this gorgeous rooster flying straight away from me.

It exploded in a tuft of feathers as I looked to my right, and my older brother saved my @$$.

From that time on, a semi-auto with three shots has been the answer.

Started with gas guns, but got tired of having to keep them clean, especially in the muck of waterfowl hunting.

12ga, Benelli/Franchi and don't look back.

Mic drop.

 

[TxLite]

Semi auto gas guns. Remington Versa max or beretta a400 extreme have been my go to. Beretta 1301T for coons

 

[user2026]

I voted semi auto, I've grown up around them (especially rem 1100s), and know how to work with them. They need to be cleaned often-ish, but in many shotgun sports/hunts, an instant follow up is a plus. Pumps might be more reliable, and are without a doubt simpler, but they are slightly slower, though with practice you can be very quick.

 

[WestTN2288]

Old browning auto 5’s are the best action yet made IMO.

Benelli m2/sbe actions are the next best new guns you can find

 

[NuclearGrave]

Semi and then pump. Pump for simplicity but semi for waterfowl is fantastic.

I hunt turkey with a single shot and love it for that use.

Pump if money is tight as well.

 

[Machingeaneer]

Old browning auto 5’s are the best action yet made IMO.

Benelli m2/sbe actions are the next best new guns you can find

My auto 5 is the coolest gun I have, hands down.

 

[WestTN2288]

My auto 5 is the coolest gun I have, hands down.

I have some family heirlooms that I’m careful with, but I have started watching pawnshops for cheap actions. Rebuild kits and synthetic stocks can be had pretty cheap. Currently have 2, 12s with one magnum “set” for duck loads and one light for skeet/dove loads. They are top notch.

Currently watching for a magnum to set up for turkeys…

 

[jaredg]

I'm an outlier. 28ga Browning Cynergy OU. It does everything use a shotgun for.

 

[Slickhill]

Do we have to have just one?
The lion’s share of my bird hunting is shooting doves on a feed patch or water hole. Action type is determined by what I want to take that day with no realistic advantage to any one over another.

Hunting pheasants I like to carry one of my SxSs sometimes though my Browning Lightweight Double Auto would probably get the nod for my “best” pheasant gun due to being lightweight, fitting me like it was engineered for my build, and being reliable as a claw hammer. Of course a prewar Ithaca 37 16ga weighs even less and kills roosters with old school style.

If I’m waterfowling I generally want a tough reliable auto like my SP10 or SBE for soaking up recoil and digesting Roman candles in shitty weather.

In the end I refuse to pick I guess. I have shotguns of every common type aside from O/U and I use all of them at least on occasion. I really enjoy finding good bargains on quality older shotguns and taking them back into the field.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I prefer a pump for everything. Never seen a use for a semiauto for any of my waterfowl, dove, quail, rabbit, deer, or turkey hunting.

 

[schmidty3]

Inertia guns are like sloppy vaginas. Better then nothing. (They do fit me good though)

Brownings/winchesters, pretty good (my sx3 has been great), but not the best tuned, overgassed and oversprung.

Beretta a400s are the way to go for a semi. Fast, smooth. Beautiful.

Pumps...nova are plastic bricks. 870 express's are kinda trash quality (they need some love then they are fine-ish).

O/U and sxs in a hunting context arent as great for maximum pellets dispersal. But damn they are a vibe. Love my beretta 686 28 ga. Tweety birds and clay pots cower in fear of that svelte italian beauty. The lover in me wants a FAIR iside 20 ga sxs.

My perfect shotgun would be a A400 with browning ergonomics (speed feed from the mag tube, and no stupid latch you have to press to get shells to pop into the action when you want to unload).

 

[270-300]

Inertia guns are like sloppy vaginas. Better then nothing. (They do fit me good though)

Brownings/winchesters, pretty good (my sx3 has been great), but not the best tuned, overgassed and oversprung.

Beretta a400s are the way to go for a semi. Fast, smooth. Beautiful.

Pumps...nova are plastic bricks. 870 express's are kinda trash quality (they need some love then they are fine-ish).

O/U and sxs in a hunting context arent as great for maximum pellets dispersal. But damn they are a vibe. Love my beretta 686 28 ga. Tweety birds and clay pots cower in fear of that svelte italian beauty. The lover in me wants a FAIR iside 20 ga sxs.

My perfect shotgun would be a A400 with browning ergonomics (speed feed from the mag tube, and no stupid latch you have to press to get shells to pop into the action when you want to unload).

How are you figuring that doubles will not shoot a wide pattern?

 

[schmidty3]

How are you figuring that doubles will not shoot a wide pattern?

A semi auto will put out about 7/8 oz to 1-3/8oz more shot then a double barrel on average and given a plug. For some stuff and games you can put out 3 to 12+ more ounces of shot.

 

[270-300]

A semi auto will put out about 7/8 oz to 1-3/8oz more shot then a double barrel on average and given a plug. For some stuff and games you can put out 3 to 12+ more ounces of shot.

A semi auto and a double both put out precisely the ammount of shot that is in the shell when the primer ignites.

 

[schmidty3]

But you can ignite more then 2. My point was missed.

 

[270-300]

But you can ignite more then 2. My point was missed.

So pellet dispersal did not mean dispersing the pellets as in a pattern, it means when you waste two shots shooting before you get a lead on the bird, you like having a third to save you?

 

[Hnthrdr]

Semi, followed by pump, followed by double, in that order.