I am in the market for a new shotgun, and thought some posters here might have some good info. I have a small, single shot 20 gauge that I got when I was 12, but am not much of a hunter and never upgraded. Last year I went skeet shooting and had a blast. I am also hoping to get into duck hunting. The home defense aspect of a shotgun is also appealing, but I am not looking for a tactical shotgun. I always liked pump action. So far, I have 3 that seem to fit my needs/wants: 1) Benelli Super Nova Field 2) Remington 870 3) Mossberg 500 Right now I am leaning towards the Benelli Super Nova Field in black (Benelli Shotguns | Benelli SuperNova). One of the duck hunters I work with really, really recommended it, and with a shorter barrel seems to make a great home defense shotgun. Haven't found a bad review on it yet. Anyone out there have any recommendations?
I am an avid duck hunter and have owned an awful lot of shotguns over the years. I really do like the Mossberg 500. Right now though I have a Benelli Nova and a Super Black Eagle II they are far and away the finest shotguns that I have ever owned. I know that an automatic is a big investment but they are really worth it if they are reliable and the SBEII is just that.
Benelli Their patented inertia system with virtually no recoil is, among other things, separates this brand from the field. thread/
Well I was leaning towards a Benelli anyways, but this thread made the decision very easy, I don't mind the paying if the extra $$ is worth it, so would you recommend an automatic or pump for a novice shooter like myself?
If you wallet can stand it get an automatic and I would get a 26 or 28 in barrel if you are going to be shooting clays and wingshooting.
If you can spend the money I would get the SBEII without a doubt. Much easier to shoot especially for a novice.
Thanks for the help everyone. I am leaning towards the SBEII, but am going to pick it and the Super Vichi up and see which feels better. One final question. There is a gun show next weekend in New Orleans that I was planning on attending to stock up on ammo. Will I get a better deal at a gun show, online, or just go down to bass pro and pick one up there? Also, what is the "etiquette" for buying a shotgun? Any faux pas things I should avoid doing (Like working the action, etc?)?
Don't point it anywhere but up...or down, whether you're looking down the barrel or whatever. Also, don't put you fingers on metal. Salt on your flesh can cause rust. Always hold it on the stock/forearm. Oh, don't pull the trigger when there's no shells in it. Seriously, I was told it's not good for the firing pin. Don't know about the shells at gun shows. Cheapest I would get was a friend that would order them by the cases for a bunch of the locals who duck & dove hunted. He had some kind of license to do so. Hunting ain't cheap so get ready. :yelwink2:
Don't waist your time with the Vinchi. A friend of mine that works out of town has left his at my house for the last year. I do not like it as much as the SBEII and if you ever get into goose or turkey hunting and want to shoot 3.5" shells the Vinchi won't do it.
