Which action?

[Bake]

Best action for a all around shotgun

1. Single shot, break in the middle.

2. Double barrel SxS

3. Stagecoach SXS.

4. Double barrel O/U..

5. Lever action.

6. Bolt action.

7. Pump action.

8. Semi-auto action.

[Virginian]

Semi auto, gas operated.

[SARuger]

I love shotguns, period, best all around firearm made.

For me, If I could only have one firearm from my safes to survive in the wild with, It would be a 870 Wingmaster 20g. Nothing I cant kill with that gun, might have to be really close to large game or predators, but I would have a chance.

The pump gun is durable, easy to repair.

[jmr40]

Semi auto.

I won't say it has to be gas operated though because it depends. Gas guns tend to be heavier and that combined with the gas system means a lot less recoil than any other type of gun. The logical choice for clays or any high volume shooting. Not a bad choice at all for hunters if carrying a little more weight isn't an issue.

That said I prefer the inertia operated Benelli for my uses. They tend to be lighter and with less complex mechanisms. Either type is very reliable, but the inertia actions are more likley to continue to function in muddy, snowy harsh conditions encountered at times when hunting. They do have more recoil, but no more than a pump, double, or any other action. If you can handle recoil from a pump, you'll never notice the difference.

Levers, bolts and single shots are too slow for all around use.

I have a soft spot for well made doubles, especially SXS's, but good ones are too expensive as all around guns to me. Cheap ones are just that, cheap. If you can afford a good one, then they are a contender for all around.

A well made pump is my 2nd choice. While in theory they should be more reliable, in practice more people have malfunctions with pumps than semi's because of human error. If on a tight budget a decent pump can be had for about 1/2 the cost of a well made semi. But if you can afford it, get a semi.

[FITASC]

All around for WHAT?

Clay targets? O/U
upland birds? SxS
Waterfowl? Semi
CASS? Coach SxS

HD? handgun or AR.......

[Bake]

All around for WHAT?

PETA, called me yesterday, for beating a dead horse. There seems to be a recurring [new] thread on this forum. The question, what shotgun should I get, appears, numerous times, a week. I decided to poll the general membership and try to discover, the best, all around, general purpose shotgun

All single-purpose shotguns are expensive, but if you can find a multipurpose shotgun it becomes less expensive. In my case, I used the Wingmaster, for shooting Steel, learning Skeet, shooting a little Trap, and a little HD. You can take the retail price and you can divide by four for the cost of the 870. In the case of my BT99, its trap, and that's it.

Eventually I hope to have a multipurpose shotgun to recommend to the new members looking for information they need. Of course as soon as I do, I know at least a dozen members on this board will disagree, good times all around.

[FITASC]

I decided to poll the general membership and try to discover, the best, all around, general purpose shotgun

Does not exist

All single-purpose shotguns are expensive,

Not really true, but they can be if you want really good quality

[Bake]

Not really true, but they can be if you want really good quality

IMO. Quality needs not be expensive. You could take the price of a shotgun and divide it by the number of rounds fired through it, to get a dollar/cost value per shot. This will require a shotgun to be used as much as possible, 16 Yard and 24 yd. Handicap, in the case of my BT 99. I replace my BT 99 with a Citori Trap, and I use it for 16 yard, 24 yd. Handicap, and Doubles. I believe in just another 50 or 60,000 rounds it well be as cheap to shoot has BT 99 was. And you can see I had to buy the Citori Trap to save money. (my wife, called "BS" on that one too)

[FITASC]

Read what I wrote:

Quote:
All single-purpose shotguns are expensive,
Not really true, but they can be if you want really good quality

A BT-99 is one gun - good, decent quality, will last a long time.......then there are the Ljutics, Silver Seitz, and similar. In between are the Perazzis, Kreighoffs, etc.

It all depends on what you like, how you prefer the balance, trigger, etc.

Can you shoot trap with a Mossberg or 870? Sure..........but if your goal is to compete, there are better options. Those two will last a long time, they just aren't the best choice.

I shot a Gti for 20 years and put right at 300,000 rounds through it. It is almost about time for a second overhaul/rebuild - the first was at 90,000. However, it is still a pig when it comes to balance and handling compared to a P or K gun. You do get what you pay for......

[Bake]

Most of the posters start off with phases like; "Tight budgets", "Home Defense", and not "P' or 'K' Gun for my next shotgun?". It would seam that many want the cheapest shotgun to sit in the closet for ever, and never to be used.

(This guy probably lives in a concrete apartment building, third floor, recessed balcony, and with a steel front door. Almost forgot the building as a doorman 24/7.)

They will go to the local sporting goods shop and buy a "On sale today only" 12 ga. (maybe) and a box of 1&1/4 oz. #71/2's. Then someday they will take the shotgun out, and shoot 20 rounds (keeping 5 for "Just incase"). They will read about the need for 00 buck, and will find a "5" pack, but not shoot any.

IMHO.() Now this is a single-purpose, expensive, shotgun!

Jesus! Do I sound "pi*sy" today, or is it just me?

[FITASC]

LOL, but you are more than likely accurate for a large majority of the folks in that scenario.

I voted semi, but it is still a compromise. Any "all-around" gun is, no matter if rifle, shotgun or handgun; there really is not one gun that can do it all............WELL.

I own more than one handgun because one will not do all the things I use them for better than having "mission-specific" ones; the same for rifles and shotguns.

If I was a dedicated trap singles person, then I would want a dedicated trap singles gun. If all I cared about from a shotgun was HD, then I would get one that fit the bill. Etc., etc., etc...............

Then I'd be practicing like crazy...................

[BigJimP]

The most versatile all around shotgun I have...is an Over Under in a 12ga..and 30" barrels....( for all of the clays games and live birds - upland mostly, but I'd use it for ducks as well ). I prefer a Browning .../ so if I had to get rid of every shotgun, except one, it would be the Browning Citori XS Skeet model with adj comb and 30" barrels. To me, that makes its a great value.../ its not the cheapest...but that wasn't the question.

An O/U will handle a wide variety of shells...in terms of weight and velocities especially in a 12ga...( 3/4 oz of shot to 1 1/8 oz or heavier in a 12ga...and from 1150 fps to 1300 fps or faster....) - no cycling issues....

An O/U is incredibly durable...and a good O/U - like a Browning or Beretta will likely be a 500,000 shell gun with no issues...so no repairs are likely to be an issue.

But when it comes to home defense issues...I'll always rely on a handgun ...and for me its a full sized 1911 in .45 acp...never a shotgun of any type.

[Bake]

Bump to the top

[darkgael]

I was torn between the two double guns. I am more fond of SXSs than O/Us but voted for the O/U because, I believe, that many folk shoot them better than SXSs. (I don't. My scores with SXSs are better than any other gun that I use....but I am not a particularly good shot)
Double guns...especially with double triggers, give the shooter in the field that extra bit of choice as to choke and use. They are shorter/handier for a given barrel length than pumps or semis and, IMHO, point better.
Pete

[Kreyzhorse]

All around? That includes, hunting, home defense and clay sports and to me, an o / u can handle all of those and do it well.

[MarkCO]

All around? That includes, hunting, home defense and clay sports and to me, an o / u can handle all of those and do it well.

You left out practical shotgun and 3Gun competition. Also, not sure I would want to be shooting high velocity slugs out of an O/U.

Which action? Semi-Auto. If I had to pick an all-around best...

Right now, I would probably pick a Stoeger M3K 24" with a Carbon Arms stainless magazine tube to make it a 10 rounder (and an 8 shot plug for when required). The ONLY thing you can't do with it is Cowboy action. It is an inertia gun (Benelli system) that is a little heavier than an M2 and shoots slugs better. 3" chamber and it runs from Light Target to Max dram 3" magnums.

Ultra reliable and high capacity for defense, practical competition and snow geese. Swings well, will take the crio-plus chokes, minimal maintenance.

I have a pretty full rack of shotguns in all action types, but it is probably the best all-around shotgun I have shot so far.

[FITASC]

You left out practical shotgun and 3Gun competition

And if those are games you're into, you need to factor those in. I hunt uplands only now - no waterfowl, and shoot a lot of my forum name and sporting clays - very little, if any, skeet and have zero interest in trap - except for around of bunker once in a very blue moon. I have moved to gas semi from an O/U for clays and use a small bore SxS for birds. If I really wanted to, I could get by with 2 in 12 for targets and 2 in 20 or 28 for birds and be done. Can other types do these jobs? Absolutely, but not as well as I would want them to.

The "one gun to do it all" crowd misses the main point. A Jack of all trades is a master of none. Better to use tools made for a purpose than to try and force them to do a job they really weren't designed for.

JMO, YMMV

[MarkCO]

^Don't disagree. The shotgun, by its very nature is the most diverse firearm we have. Separating those capabilities with design features that enhance the specific task certainly add value and benefit.

[FITASC]

Now, that being said - if you are a jack of all trades shooter then it might apply. By that I mean you might shoot a few rounds of trap or skeet or sporting a year, might hunt dove for a weekend, maybe need a slug for your deer tag and you also keep it as backup for HD, then one gun might do all of that somewhat acceptable to the level you're at. However, if you are hardcore fanatic about any (or all) of the possible uses, then you will want guns specifically designed to let you succeed.

[MarkCO]

What I am best at, shooting rifles out past where most people limit themselves, is what I shoot the least. This year I have shot Trap, Skeet, 5Stand, sporting Clays, about 50 birds hunting and several competitions just with shotgun. I just like to shoot. Being sponsored by Benelli, I get to shoot the M2 in competition which is a great shotgun. Also ran the Benelli Tactical Shotgun Championship a few weeks ago. That was a hoot and tested a lot of the shotguns diversity.

[FITASC]

Then you'll like games like Helice (aka ZZ birds)

[MarkCO]

I heard about those last year. Have not been near enough to a range that has them, but it looks like a hoot.