Favorite shotgun

[crm3006]

Interested in hearing everyone's favorite shotgun. Manufacture, model and gauge.
Since my gun dog has developed some health issues I didn't get out with my scatter gun last year and probably won't until she passes and I decide to get another.
My favorite shotgun depends on what and where I am hunting but my absolute favorite is my Franchi AL 48 in 20 gauge.
Looking forward to hearing your favorite.

Depends on what I am doing. Remington LH 1100 12 gauge is my go-to for trap, ducks, geese and sometimes doves. Browning Sweet 16 that was my Father's gun for all seasons, and the one I grew up with, for quail and doves, and sometimes a Winchester Model 12 16 gauge or a Browning S X S double for just meandering around. I have some short barrel 12s around the house that I hope I never have to use, but sometimes things do go bump in the night.

 

[TxHeartShot]

Interested in hearing everyone's favorite shotgun. Manufacture, model and gauge.
Since my gun dog has developed some health issues I didn't get out with my scatter gun last year and probably won't until she passes and I decide to get another.
My favorite shotgun depends on what and where I am hunting but my absolute favorite is my Franchi AL 48 in 20 gauge.
Looking forward to hearing your favorite.

Lots of shotguns over the years, but have been culling down to just a few guns now.

Favorites tied for #1: Beretta 687 EELL 28 ga 31.5" bbls for clay targets tied with Browning Superposed Lightning RKLT 20 ga 28" bbls for upland birds. I think the key for me is to have the gun fitted for you, both of these guns were ordered at their factory when I was in Europe and built for me. Was it worth the wait and the $$$? Probably not, but I can shoot the hell outa' both of them.

On deck line up:
Mossberg SA-20 - 20 ga
Benelli Montefeltro - 20 ga
Franchi Affinity 3 Elite Waterfowl - 20 ga
Ithaca Mag-10 - 10 ga (Uncle Jake's gun)
Remington Model 48 D Grade - 28 ga (Dad's gun)

 

[birddog 68]

My "newest favorite" is a Tristar Viper G2 Pro model in 28 gauge. I picked it up to use as my primary dove gun this year. It fits me well and shoots where I point it. I have shot several limits of birds with it thus far and plan to take it out again tomorrow. The Pro models are great looking and are reasonably priced. They are exact Benelli clones using the inertia drive system and utilize Benelli Mobil pattern chokes. I've heard that parts are even interchangeable. My old favorite is my Remington 870 Special Field in 12 gauge that I purchased when they were introduced back in 1984. It has seen more miles of northern Minnesota grouse woods than I can recall. Lots of great memories with that shotgun!

Tristar Viper G2 Pro 28 ga
View attachment 494360

Remington 870 Special Field advertisement from 1984.
View attachment 494361

I like the tristar. They don't feel like a cheaper shotgun even though they are. How has it been reliability wise?

 

[quigley257]

I like the tristar. They don't feel like a cheaper shotgun even though they are. How has it been reliability wise?

It's been absolutely flawless so far. I've shot factory AAs as well as handloads through it with no issues at all. A couple years ago I picked up a Girsan MC312 in 12 gauge. It is another Benelli clone but at a sub $400 price point. I did the factory recommended 50 round break-in using 1-1/8 oz loads with a minimum 1300fps. I used it that season for doves shooting stuff as light as 1oz at 1250fps and it functions perfectly. I use it for Pheasant and Turkey hunting and have shot up to 2 oz 3-1/2" loads with no malfunctions. They are going for roughly $340 now. (Must add to cart for best price...) https://lockedloaded.com/product/eaa-girsan-mc312-12ga-28-blk-syn

 

[GUNNNN]

Interested in hearing everyone's favorite shotgun. Manufacture, model and gauge.
Since my gun dog has developed some health issues I didn't get out with my scatter gun last year and probably won't until she passes and I decide to get another.
My favorite shotgun depends on what and where I am hunting but my absolute favorite is my Franchi AL 48 in 20 gauge.
Looking forward to hearing your favorite.

Sorry about your dog they definitely become part of the family. 46 years ago my wife and I got our first kid he was 4 legged half weimaraner and half English setter best bird dog I've ever owned his name was Pedro absolutely the best single dog I've ever taken the field with and no such thing as losing a crippled bird. As for the gun I guess it would be my first shotgun an 870 wingmaster I've got a safe full of scatterguns but it's taken more game than all the rest put together a couple of honorable mentions are sx3 and a model 32 remington made in 1932

 

[Gpkhill2]

For a field gun the Beretta autos are really hard to beat. For clays I shoot a Beretta Silver Pigeon sporting

 

[Pro2A]

Interested in hearing everyone's favorite shotgun. Manufacture, model and gauge.
Since my gun dog has developed some health issues I didn't get out with my scatter gun last year and probably won't until she passes and I decide to get another.
My favorite shotgun depends on what and where I am hunting but my absolute favorite is my Franchi AL 48 in 20 gauge.
Looking forward to hearing your favorite.

Singular favorite shotgun is sacrilegious. Yeah, shotties are one of my fetish religions. As you said, depends.....
Sentimental.....Dad's Browning A5 IC vent Belgium sweet 16....a quail killer; my Ithaca 37 20ga with Polychoke...Dad gave my first shotgun....killed 1,000s quail with these shotties and my Dad...great memories....especially ham sandwiches, coffee for lunch, talking, learning about life.
Bear defense.....Mossberg Shockwave Marine 12ga 5-rd magazine version (15rd backups), Crimson Trace Lasersaddle, Boonie Packer sling
Upland.....SKB 885 28ga 28".....hard hitting, sweet swinging, easy carry upland bird killer. I collect all silvered SKB SxS & O/U....well north of 100 to date.
Defensive.....que the Mossy again, this time with 10,15,or 20 round mags....different magazine loads for different scenarios.
Fun......all the tacticool shotties, SxS .45/.410 pistols,
Just because I'm an American, I can........never met a shotty I shouldn't have.
Singular shotty......NOT possible.

 

[birddog 68]

Sorry about your dog they definitely become part of the family. 46 years ago my wife and I got our first kid he was 4 legged half weimaraner and half English setter best bird dog I've ever owned his name was Pedro absolutely the best single dog I've ever taken the field with and no such thing as losing a crippled bird. As for the gun I guess it would be my first shotgun an 870 wingmaster I've got a safe full of scatterguns but it's taken more game than all the rest put together a couple of honorable mentions are sx3 and a model 32 remington made in 1932

Thanks. It sure seems like there's much love for the good old 870! I've had a few 870's but none at the moment.

 

[johngibbs222]

I'm rapidly approaching 80 years of age and was an avid coastal wildfowler, my big guns are long gone, a Tolley 8 gauge ss chamberless and the family heirloom a Scott 3.5" 10 g sbs, also a boss damascus 12g sidelock ejector game gun all three of those will be over 120 years old now, the boss and the tolley I sold to a USAF guy who was a guest on a pheasant shoot I was a member of, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse but the Scott went to a local chap who's had great success with it.
As a boy I had a bunch of single 12s and one double hammer 12, but my first new gun was a Stevens mod 77M, I bought that in 1961 new and still have it, I occasionally shoot pigeons with it but I also have a rem 1100 skeet gun with cutts compensator and lyman multichoke, that I bought new in 1964, together with a 3" chambered barrel and this is my favourite for pigeons and decoyed ducks, I have a red dot fastened to the rib now which is the greatest thing since sliced bread. My game gun is a Darne V19, 12g sxs, bored ic and cyl and it is just the business for both driven and walked up game, it weighs just over 6 pounds. I used to use it as my back up duck gun when out with my tolley as that wasn't much use for flighting duck being over 14 pounds. My current wildfowling gun is a winchester mod 23 sbs, 12g 3" ought in 1982 or 83, which I've had reamed to ic in both barrels or, as we say over here, 5 points of choke. I also have a 20 g sbs but the last one I'd sell would be the win mod 23 they are that good when the choke is reamed out of them. Up until I had the bores opened out mine was 1/2 and full choke and shooting it was the ballistic equivalent of threading a needle. 1st image shows the 23 (top) and darne, second image shows the 1100 (top) and the 77.

 

[squawberryman]

Grandfather in-laws Savage 720 issued to him in WWII with photos of him shooting clays in the Cairo dessert after being issued.

 

[Duck Duck]

Interested in hearing everyone's favorite shotgun. Manufacture, model and gauge.
Since my gun dog has developed some health issues I didn't get out with my scatter gun last year and probably won't until she passes and I decide to get another.
My favorite shotgun depends on what and where I am hunting but my absolute favorite is my Franchi AL 48 in 20 gauge.
Looking forward to hearing your favorite.

I have 2 Browning A5 Sweet 16 and Remington 11-48 20 ga.

 

[CMP70306]

My current favorite is a Winchester model 12 20 gauge. Its light, points well and 110 years old.

Pretty sure that one still qualifies as a Model 1912

 

[Little Bear]

By far my Mossberg model 55 goose gun 12GA, 36" barrel and bolt action. Fun to shoot but hard to point! Go big or go home is our family motto!

 

[casey36]

I have many favorite shotguns but since it is dove season here in PA right now, I have to go with my Remington 1100 Sporting 28.