Semi Auto Shotgun?

[PAB270]

Browning Silver/Winchester SX3

[curtz]

The wife and I love our Browning Silvers, the Maxus is a beautiful gun also.

[Husty]

I liked my sx3 black shadow in 20g so much i also got a 12g field sx3. If the sx4 is anything like them you cant go wrong. They are light, reliable, pretty easy to clean.

[Twobucks]

Originally Posted by curtz

The wife and I love our Browning Silvers, the Maxus is a beautiful gun also.

X2 on the Silver hunter - it feels better to me than a lot of shotguns that cost another $1000. But fit is so important.

I know a clay shooter who owns a bunch of fancy guns and he loves the Weatherby SA-08 a lot. It would leave you about $500 to spend on shells and gas!

[Pioneer2]

Beretta 303A

[slipbobber]

Lots of good choices from guys who use them on a regular bases. Have not handled any yet so have no idea how any model feels like. Will see what's available in Red Deer on Saturday. Weatherby and Winchester come in at my price point but only want to buy once.

[Skytop B]

Love my Versamax

[Ray Ray]

I have a Benelli Vinci that I absolutely love and is sometimes on sale for around that mark

[Drewski Canuck]

Weatherby brought out a semi auto based on a Baretta action, made in Turkey.

This gun is very solid and cycles well. Weatherby is not known for shot guns, but this latest one is worth a look.

Or look for a used Benelli Super Black Eagle 2. Hard to find used, but a very good shotty.

Drewski

[ForwardBias]

Originally Posted by Skytop B

Love my Versamax

Same here. Second only to my Benelli montefeltro.

[Groundhogger]

Originally Posted by Skytop B

Love my Versamax

I'm far too distracted by rimfires and varmint rifles...but this^ will be the first semi I consider when I eventually get a modern one. I've shot the tactical version and was amazed at how soft-shooting it was. It is a heavy gun for sure, that likely plays into the reduced (felt) recoil as well.

I do like the lines of the Maxus, and have read good things about them. It would maybe be my second choice, but I'd look for a chance to shoot one before I made the call.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Groundhogger

I'm far too distracted by rimfires and varmint rifles...but this^ will be the first semi I consider when I eventually get a modern one. I've shot the tactical version and was amazed at how soft-shooting it was. It is a heavy gun for sure, that likely plays into the reduced (felt) recoil as well.

I do like the lines of the Maxus, and have read good things about them. It would maybe be my second choice, but I'd look for a chance to shoot one before I made the call.

The question is how do they fit you? Many rifle shooters that are not used to shotguns overlook this most important factor, and choose shotguns for the wrong reasons.

[slipbobber]

Originally Posted by PAB270

Browning Silver/Winchester SX3

Went to The Sportsmen's Den and they had both of these in stock. Both apparently made at the Browning factory. Dura Touch stock on the Browning seamed nice and is $100 cheaper than the Winchester SX3.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by slipbobber

Went to The Sportsmen's Den and they had both of these in stock. Both apparently made at the Browning factory. Dura Touch stock on the Browning seamed nice and is $100 cheaper than the Winchester SX3.

Does Browning even have a firearms factory? Or all their firearms all made by contractors?

[slipbobber]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Does Browning even have a firearms factory? Or all their firearms all made by contractors?

I have no idea if they do or not. That's just what I was told. A couple I want to look at is the Newer Weatherby and a Franchi. Both have good reviews and are in my price range.

[TLB73]

Hi
My 2cents. Don't buy any shotgun until you hold, fondle, cycle, and point it. The SG that fits you is thee one to buy!

I'd say try to shoulder as many as possible. Call Silverwillow Sporting Clays and ask what they have to rent on their course. Go spend an afternoon test piloting!

Me? Benilli SBE2 all the way!

good luck. keep us all posted on what you discover.

[nube]

SX3 or save a bit and get an A400 or super black eagle.

[Fordevr]

I bought a new semi shotgun and had a $1000 budget. If you want amazing quality (made by the makers of Benelli) amazing online reveiws, and comes on sale occasionally for $800 and comes with 4 or 5 chokes....you need to look at a Stoeger M3500. Comes in black or max5 camo. Love mine!

https://youtu.be/T3hLXkUjiLU

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by Fordevr

I bought a new semi shotgun and had a $1000 budget. If you want amazing quality (made by the makers of Benelli) amazing online reveiws, and comes on sale occasionally for $800 and comes with 4 or 5 chokes....you need to look at a Stoeger M3500. Comes in black or max5 camo. Love mine!

https://youtu.be/T3hLXkUjiLU

One has to be careful how companies are affiliated. The Turkish made Stoeger 3500 holds little resemblance to my Italian made Benelli Ethos. IIRC, Beretta owns Benelli, Benelli owns Franchi, they are all distributed through Stoeger that also builds the Weatherby Semis in Turkey.

On the other side of the coin, you can often purchase high quality firearms like a Savage Milano O/U that is actually manufactured by the Italian gun maker FAIR. The Weatherby O/Us have been made by some reputable makers over the years as well, then there is the Belgium made Brownings verses the Japanese, etc. etc.

In the case mentioned above the only real comparison between a Beretta and a Stoeger is that they are both shotguns that are linked via cooperate structure. The same holds true of the Stoeger/Benelli relationship except that they are both inertia driven shotguns.

There is a direct or at least there very much appears to be a direct relationship between the Italian made Franchi and the Italian made Benelli shotguns when it comes to actual manufacturing. The Benelli being better finished than the Franchi but the Franchi still a very good quality shotgun and arguably the best in it's price range.

Reviews are a little more mixed on the Stoeger 3500 and it seems like many love them but there is some real lemons mixed in. I think if you got a good one it is as good as anything under $1000. I have been meaning to pick up for a run but just haven't found the right deal yet.

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by MK2750

Reviews are a little more mixed on the Stoeger 3500 and it seems like many love them but there is some real lemons mixed in. I think if you got a good one it is as good as anything under $1000. I have been meaning to pick up for a run but just haven't found the right deal yet.

I would have to disagree with this statement. (See pictures). I posted pictures of a few Shotguns and as far as reveiws go you can't beat it. M3500 has 79 reveiws of ppl that own the shotgun and it still has a 5 star rating. There are not many that have a 5 star rating with close to 100 different ppl rating it. You can say what you want but this gun gets great reveiws. Any gun can have lemons but the majority is positive. Heck look at the rem 700. Tons of them have crappy triggers but it's still the most common rifle for builds. The guy doing the video reveiw I posted earlier has a ton of gun reveiws and lovers it. Bang for buck it's hard to beat even compared to many shotguns that are far more expensive. Just my 2 cents.

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by Fordevr

I would have to disagree with this statement. (See pictures). I posted pictures of a few Shotguns and as far as reveiws go you can't beat it. M3500 has 79 reveiws of ppl that own the shotgun and it still has a 5 star rating. There are not many that have a 5 star rating with close to 100 different ppl rating it. You can say what you want but this gun gets great reveiws. Any gun can have lemons but the majority is positive. Heck look at the rem 700. Tons of them have crappy triggers but it's still the most common rifle for builds. The guy doing the video reveiw I posted earlier has a ton of gun reveiws and lovers it. Bang for buck it's hard to beat even compared to many shotguns that are far more expensive. Just my 2 cents.

As with anything else in life, as long as you are happy with it.

And you are not disagreeing with me. I think they are a serviceable Turkish made shotgun but shouldn't be compared with the top line Italian autos just on finish alone. Its like comparing a Yildiz or CZ OU to one of the B guns and there are many more tiers above. Like I mentioned, when I see one for a really good deal I am going to grab it for a loaner/back up gun.

I don't mind a 700 either BTW and I usually have a couple in the safe. They don't compare to my daily driver but very nice none the less. If it was all I had to hunt with I wouldn't feel I was missing a thing.

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by MK2750

As with anything else in life, as long as you are happy with it.

And you are not disagreeing with me. I think they are a serviceable Turkish made shotgun but shouldn't be compared with the top line Italian autos just on finish alone. Its like comparing a Yildiz or CZ OU to one of the B guns and there are many more tiers above. Like I mentioned, when I see one for a really good deal I am going to grab it for a loaner/back up gun.

I don't mind a 700 either BTW and I usually have a couple in the safe. They don't compare to my daily driver but very nice none the less. If it was all I had to hunt with I wouldn't feel I was missing a thing.

Ya agree I wouldn't compare with top line Italian guns but would compare with any $2000 and under shotgun, which is amazing since I got the camo for $759 I believe. There might be better ones for under $2000, I just havnt found one that I think beats it yet. Maybe comparable but not better and if it's just comparable why spend the extra $$$. I have never owned a Benelli but I have shot my buddies Benelli with the Stoeger side by side and it was slightly nicer, but for me it was not worth the extra $$$ for the extras I got.again just personal preference.

On a side not that would be a great idea. Line up 30-50ppl with different shotguns and then ppl can try them all on field.🤔🤔🤔. Like a shot show but you actually get to shoot them.😁

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Fordevr

I would have to disagree with this statement. (See pictures). I posted pictures of a few Shotguns and as far as reveiws go you can't beat it. M3500 has 79 reveiws of ppl that own the shotgun and it still has a 5 star rating. There are not many that have a 5 star rating with close to 100 different ppl rating it. You can say what you want but this gun gets great reveiws. Any gun can have lemons but the majority is positive. Heck look at the rem 700. Tons of them have crappy triggers but it's still the most common rifle for builds. The guy doing the video reveiw I posted earlier has a ton of gun reveiws and lovers it. Bang for buck it's hard to beat even compared to many shotguns that are far more expensive. Just my 2 cents.

You also need to look at who is doing the reviews. In some cases the same people may own an A400 and a Baikal, but for the most part, the person that buy a Baikal made their choice based almost entirely on price, and they will never own an A400 or a SBE2, or a Maxus to compare the Baikal to. As such, these people don't expect the fit and finish or the handling or the features of a higher end shotgun, so their review is based on a lower set of expectations than most people reviewing an A400, or a SBE2.

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

You also need to look at who is doing the reviews. In some cases the same people may own an A400 and a Baikal, but for the most part, the person that buy a Baikal made their choice based almost entirely on price, and they will never own an A400 or a SBE2, or a Maxus to compare the Baikal to. As such, these people don't expect the fit and finish or the handling or the features of a higher end shotgun, so their review is based on a lower set of expectations than most people reviewing an A400, or a SBE2.

Yes this is true but a 5 star rating after 79 reveiws is still impressive. Most other ones are under 20 reveiws and already have a less than perfect rating. As far as many of the buyers never owning a more expensive shotgun I would again look at the video I posted earlier and I can assure you that gentleman has owned more expensive rifles and still raves about the m3500. I know there are much better semi shotguns but for the $1500 and under I think this one is hard to beat. I guess I was just surprised no one else had mentioned it. Like someone previously posted its what ever fits best. That said when I purchased this gun I did a test. I shut my eyes and had the guy behind the counter hand me 3 shotguns in the $1500ish and under price range The rem Versa felt best but I still went with the Stoeger because of the positive reveiws and it also felt very comfortable.

[smle303]

try the Beretta 301 to 303 they've proven flawless for my use..and with the savings buy a truck load of ammo and clays and go out and practice.

enjoy your shooting