Looking for my first semi-auto shotgun

[460 magnum]

From a functional stand point, The Extrema has a different gas system than most that functions a lot like the AKs. It has a piston but it operates in a cylinder that automatically vents off any excess gas not needed to function. (It only uses the amount of gas needed and vents the rest under the fore end, keeping the action clean. This system is more common now than it was in the past when the first Extrema was built.

This system is very dependable and enables you to shoot all different loads without failure to function. I'm sure that some of the better manufactures have gone to this gas system and rightly so.

Not pushing the Extrema, But it would be/is my first choice for water foul hunting, and is devastating on Turkeys. with the shot count of the 3 1/2" magnum 2's or 4's I have cleanly taken Turkeys between
60 and 75 yards.

J E CUSTOM

Man I feel like you must have followed me around everytime I went hunt because everything u say sounds just like everything I have experienced with mine

 

[hawk45]

I have an Winchester SX3 that can do anything from lights to heavies and swings really well for me. I've even used it for trap if I let someone use my normal trap gun (Remington 1100 Trap), which also makes a pretty good game gun in a pinch.. little slow on fast birds with the 30", but that 1100 is silky smooth and parts everywhere. The 1100 is a great into gun to gas autos as they can be found cheap, tons of parts and easy to breakdown and maintain. I'd like to try one of the 20ga Weatherby inertia guns for field birds.

 

[Buckys]

I shoot a Beretta 391 Teknys and also own a Beretta A400 Xplor Unico/KO, Beretta A303 and Stoeger M2000. They are all great guns. I would likely not take anything other than the A400 or M2000 for waterfowl, which I do not shoot a lot of. The Extrema is even more impervious to the elements than the A400 Xplor.

My next semi-auto would likely be a Benelli Montefeltro. That and Beretta 301/302/303 seem to be very popular in the Argentina dove hunts (i.e., where you may be shooting 1000's round/week).

I would also consider if you might ever own more than one. The 303 and M2000 both shoot the Beretta/Benelli mobilchoke system and the A400 and my 692 O/U both shoot the Beretta Optima-HP chokes. The 391 is the Optima choke. So I "only" need to buy three sets of chokes across all five guns.

Some other points to consider is that for dove you're likely going to want to shoot lighter 2-3/4" ammo vs. magnum or super-magnum (3", 3.5") shells for waterfowl. Make sure that whatever you choose can cycle both well. Sounds like the Extrema may do well at that.

 

[KyCarl]

Never take the position to the right on the trap line to a guy shooting an autoloader!
Empty's flying can be very distracting! Watch for an OU or a BT-99 get next to him!
I have a brand new never fired Beretta AL391 Teknys Gold Sporting 12 Ga.
Still in the case with everything for sale or trade?

 

[raider1v1]

beretta a400 for me. shoots and cycles everything from 2 3/4 subs, to 3 1/2 magnums.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Never take the position to the right on the trap line to a guy shooting an autoloader!
Empty's flying can be very distracting! Watch for an OU or a BT-99 get next to him!

I put a rubber band around my receiver to catch my shells. That sx3 really throws em

 

[Deleted member 103481]

IMO and what I did, find a mint/excellent used humpback Browning a5

 

[erikblank]

It wasn't my first choice, but 2 years ago I got a camo Beretta A300 for $650. For the price I couldn't pass it up. I figured I'd keep it a few years and trade it in on a Benelli. Well that's never going to happen. I've put a few thousand rounds though it and never a hiccup. It cycles everything I feed it. From the cheapest Walmart $22 a brick rounds to the hottest goose loads. It seems to fit most people I let shoot it. The most common comment I hear is, how easy it is to shoot well. I've had 2 family members and 2 friends buy one after shooting mine. In my opinion, you'd be hard pressed to do better for the price. At least that's been my experience.

 

[rickjoty]

Ok, don't yell at me but if you want recoil reduction you can't beat the old, not the new, but the old Browning A5. With the entire barrel sliding back it really stretches out the felt recoil. I have three and when quail hunting my partner and I switched guns for the fun of it, my A5 and his Benelli, I couldn't believe how much harder the Benelli recoil felt. Well I shoot O/U now mostly but if you can put up with replacing parts to get the A5 to shoot a particular load, and recoil is a huge concern, you could be happy.

 

[Rem7mm08]

I have been hunting with Beretta shotguns for over 20 years. No complaints. A390 and an Extrema. Thousands of rounds. I personally would look for used beretta or benelli before buying new and cheap. Just my .02 worth.

 

[TechHunter]

I have a lot of experience Waterfowl Hunting, Turkey and Dove hunting. The Beretta A400 Extrema is by far my favorite. It can handle any load, and does so with less recoil than any of the others. Also Winchester SX3 and Browning Maxus are good choices, but, not up to the Beretta level. Even though they have a good reputation, I would stay away from the Benellis. A lot of the guys I hunt with have Benellis, and every single one has had lots of problems with them. I hope this helps.

 

[OnTargetAdventure]

I have shot Baretta Xtrema, Benelli Super Vinci, Remington Versamax and the Benelli SBE. They all shoot great but the Xtrema has the least punch of them all. It is still a good kick but it is softened a bit more than the others. I got the gun for my daughter but she didn't shoot it much and drops duck with a 20 ga and has more fun so I shoot it now. Before that I shot the Super Vinci - inertia gun and that kicks much harder.

The great thing about the inertia gun is that after a season of shooting in tough conditions it is still pretty clean. Way cleaner than the gas gun. I have never had either the Xtrema or the Super Vinci jam and they only get cleaned at the end of the season unless they go into the water.

Find what you like and then make sure you fit it to your body so when you bring it up it shoots where you are looking. Cant go wrong with any of those.

Good luck

 

[Orange Dust]

I am looking at buying my first semi-auto shotgun, I plan to use it for waterfowl and Dove, possibly Turkey. I do not want to pay over 1000.00, I have been looking at Stoeger M3500 and Beretta A300 outlander, I wanted to see if anyone has experience with these two and could possibly provide the good and the bad? Also, if there are any other shotguns someone think are better in the same price range. Thanks.

Steel shot waterfowl loads are extremely dirty. They require nearly daily cleaning of a semi auto if you want it to run right, especially if its rainy. The inertia guns will run dirty, but they kick harder than a gas gun. There is an answer for waterfowlers that hunt every day. Its the Remington Versamax. Both of mine run better dirty than clean. I've used them guiding and shot thousands of shells through them. Lowest maint. gas gun on the planet. Hate to say it, hate the company, and their previous offerings since the 1100 have been junk, but the versamax will run even better than a super black eagle, with a lot less recoil and better patterns. Just a fact. I've had 4 SBE's. Beretta extrema is a great gun if it fits you, but likes to stay clean, same with the Brownings and Winchesters. Franchi's don't seem to like really cold, wet weather. Knowing their limitations, buy shotguns by feel, not looks, price, or bells and whistles. They will all run once you learn them. I have a cheap escort 20ga gas gun we bought for the kids. Runs like a top if you keep it clean. Points pretty well too.

 

[Kmccord]

It wasn't my first choice, but 2 years ago I got a camo Beretta A300 for $650. For the price I couldn't pass it up. I figured I'd keep it a few years and trade it in on a Benelli. Well that's never going to happen. I've put a few thousand rounds though it and never a hiccup. It cycles everything I feed it. From the cheapest Walmart $22 a brick rounds to the hottest goose loads. It seems to fit most people I let shoot it. The most common comment I hear is, how easy it is to shoot well. I've had 2 family members and 2 friends buy one after shooting mine. In my opinion, you'd be hard pressed to do better for the price. At least that's been my experience.

My grandson has this shotgun, although I never had the opportunity to try it out while we were hunting. I am going to see if he will let me shoot it with some 3" heavy duck loads and 2 3/4 dove loads just to test it out.