Best 1st shotgun recommendation

[u/Western_Wish4280]

Hi folks, its time to finally get my hands on my first shotgun.

I have been doing some research and with my knowledge on shotguns being soo little, i must admit i cant really decide on anything ive seen so far.

I mainly want one for "owning one" and maybe waterfowl hunting. Ive pretty much steered clear from shotgun after firing a 12ga slug on one of my coworker's shotty and was left traumatized xD.

Fairly new to shooting, been about 4 months with a PAL. Already got a ruger10/22, tikkat3x in 308win, and the type 56 sks. Must add a shotgun.

TLDR: looking for advice regarding a shotgun purchase. Brand,chambering and action type recommendations for a new shooter.

Thanks all!

[u/TimeNefariousness802]

I think it depends on what you plan on doing with it.

Don’t make my mistake and purchase a short barrel one if you want to go skeet shooting!

[u/Western_Wish4280 → u/TimeNefariousness802]

Nope not going to go skeet shooting. The only range close by doesn't allow skeets and the one that does is 2 hours one way away xD. But mainly some range days and hunting waterfowl at season

[u/pie2899 → u/Western_Wish4280]

If you plan to really get into waterfowl I’d suggest at least a 26” barrel. If you’re just doing range days and maybe 1 or 2 hunts get whatever you find attractive.
For 26” and up shotguns sub $1000 I’d recommend the mossberg 500 or the Benelli Super Nova or the Winchester SXP. I’d stay away from most sub $1000 semi autos, few friends haven’t had goodluck, but this is my personal opinion.

If you can afford up to $2000
Winchester SX4 (I own this I love it eats anything)
Beretta 1301
Weatherby Element 2
Benelli Super Vinci

I’d also say get a 3” or 3.5” but don’t get stuck with a 2.75”. The pump is a classic sound but the semi is more convenient. Go with 12g for cost and ease of finding ammo.

Go in pick them up see how it feels. Find a budget.

[u/Q-Ball7 → u/Western_Wish4280]

Buy a good semi-auto.

Benelli/Beretta is really your only option here. (Remington doesn't make the Versamax any more and the Mossberg 930/940 isn't quite good enough to recommend.)

If you can't afford a semi-auto now, strongly consider saving for one. The A300s are cheapest and are very fine guns, and get better up through the M2 and 1301 through to the A400.

Don't buy a pump gun unless you genuinely can't afford a semi-auto; they're a lot less pleasant to use and make some other compromises to be that cheap. Of those, the Supernova or Nova is what you should buy, as they make the fewest compromises. If even 500 dollars is pushing it, the 500 or Maverick 88 are fairly priced (and are even cheaper than the Nova is) but part of that price is that they have no cost-effective upgrade path and still aren't really that pleasant to use. Buy once, cry once.

Don't buy a 590 or 870- they cost more and are inferior to the Nova/Supernova. The loading ports on both are small, the elevator on the 870s won't stay pressed in when loading, 590s don't come threaded for chokes (and the 870s only come with one), neither absorbs recoil very well, and neither have a fiber optic front bead. Those designs are stuck in the 1960s- they have name recognition but that's about it. (The SXP has more of these features but the Nova is still better than it.)

Don't buy a off-brand (i.e. Turk-made) gun, or something both used and out of production, for your first gun. They can certainly be great, excellent even- but if and when something goes wrong on it, you'll need some know-how to fix it and the gun will be broken while you research parts and wait for them to ship. Once you get a good shotgun in your hands and have learned how they work, then you'll have a better idea of what you like, what you don't, and how things go wrong; buy whatever you like then.