Since we are scattered all over the place in different types of terrain with different pursuits (upland and waterfowl), I wondered what types of shotguns a chessie owner prefers.

I am assuming most will be as durable as our hunting buddies...

I hunt mostly waterfowl in small water sloughs, backwaters and fields over decoys. So I have several favorites depending upon the weather and who knows whatelse.

Rankings for Goose Hunting
1. BPS 10 gauge with 26 inch barrel
2. Over and under 12 gauge in 3 inch
3. Benneli Nova 12
4. Remington Model 11 or Browning A5 Light 12 both in 2 3/4 inch
5. any of the 3 1/2 12s

Duck hunting

1. over and under 12 imp cyl and mod 2 3/4
2. Benneli Nova with 2 3/4
3. Remington 11 or Browning A5 light 12 2 3/4

I rarely ever shoot 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch at ducks unless I get suprised by them while goose hunting.

If I am going to wander around on a pheasant walk I use any of the 2 3/4 12s with steel in case I jump ducks or geese as well.

Have a good one

Jeff

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jeff Faycosh,

I love my Beretta K391 12ga. I can go from shooting trap and sporting clays over to upland. Not that we have much game to shoot here.

But if I could only keep one shotgun. I'd keep my old single shot Winchester 20 ga. More sentimental, but there are never problems with it. And having a longer than normal barrel, I have been able to take game when others in my party could not reach them.

Once we had finished a drive in a corn field. Our two family hunting groups had come together, while the 10 of us stood there talking, a rabbit ran. About 5 guys shot, but the rabbit kept running. At about 60 yards, I shot and rolled the rabbit. There was just something special about this gun. And maybe memories like this.

My working guns are circa 90's Heckler Koch imported Benellis: a 20ga Montefeltro for ducks and upland hunting and a 12ga Super Black Eagle for most goose hunting. I'm not a big bullet fan, so the SBE seldom sees anything more than 3" loads for geese or 2 3/4" ones for ducks when my 20 is on loan.

Also have a 12ga 870 Express truck and training gun that spends the duck season under the seat of my marsh blind as a back-up for boogered guest guns. Most waterfowlers being big bullet guys, few seem confident enough with my 20 to use it in that pinch. And training with the 870's "shuck-shuck" between marks to simulate those used and providing that cue in hunt tests is about our only training concession to that game. Feels a little like cheating, but I do it. (Just can't bring myself to do things like preemptive whistle sits on walk-ups and such.)

Rick

I took my adopted old man out last year for his last goose hunt with me he was 85. I talked him into bringing his 20 gauge and he smoked 4 geese in short order with steel 2s. I have shot a bunch of geese with 2 3/4 12 gauges in 2 or 3 steel loads. We shoot mainly interior canada geese with actual weights averaging over 8 pounds and several over 10 pounds. We do get some lessers and cacklers but mostly big ole honkers. So you don't need a 10 gauge but it does fill a freezer in all conditions.

You are a smart man and train your dogs with a shotgun, many don't and the dogs miss out on those cues. My dogs have always used the shucking of a pump to sit and mark. All of my dogs also wake from a dead sleep and "mark" at the sound of a safety being flicked off as well, at least until they get older and their hearing starts to fail. I suppose that I have always used a pump action for my training gun so they get used to hearing all that clanking and shucking.

Jeff

I'm slightly embarrassed. Even my nephews make fun of me but my shotgun of choice is my 12ga 870 wingmaster. It's sentimental (father bought it for me, many many many years ago) and I just feel comfortable with it. I have a Winchester 101 o/u 12 ga field model I like. My nephews also like it.

Why be embarrassed? Pretty sure the 870 still ranked #1 or 2 (along with the SBE) in the most recent DU poll.

Benelli Super Black Eagle.
Good for Goose since it does shoot 3 1/2 shells.
Good for duck, and it is also good for upland. It weights 7.5 lbs so it is light to carry around the field and has no problem cycling low brass shells.

My SBE is Camo and has a 26 inch barrel. I love the camo because it does not rust and still looks good. I have even shot deer slugs out of that barrell.

I shoot alot of shells a year and hunt some pretty extreme conditions from salt water to botomless mud and my sbe has never let me down and I only clean it about 3 times a year.




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quote:

Originally posted by Moscowitz:
I'm slightly embarrassed. Even my nephews make fun of me but my shotgun of choice is my 12ga 870 wingmaster. It's sentimental (father bought it for me, many many many years ago) and I just feel comfortable with it. I have a Winchester 101 o/u 12 ga field model I like. My nephews also like it.

The wingmaster is the cadillac of the 870's with much better finish and detail. I would be proud to use it, especially if it was handed down. They are really easy to disassemble in the field as well, so you got a good gun.

For sentimental reasons two years ago, I took out my great grandfathers Remington Model 11, made and purchased in 1905. My great grandfather was a waterfowl guide during that time period in NE Colorado and had a ill tempered Chessie as well. It is a wonder the old gun still works it has been well used. I loaded some light BB steel loads 2 3/4 inch for it. I shot 5 times and got 4 large geese, (one required two shots). My elderly chessie retrieved them as well. I figured the old gun deserved that much before I retired it. Little did I know that I would have to put down my elderly buddy a couple of month later. Still they were used for what they were intended for....

Jeff


PS. I am betting that the Bennelli SBE is going to get high ratings, they seem like a decent sort of gun, only shot a couple of them and they seem ok.

quote:

Originally posted by MooseMT:
PS. I am betting that the Bennelli SBE is going to get high ratings, they seem like a decent sort of gun, only shot a couple of them and they seem ok.

The Italian guns, Benelli and Beretta, do pretty much rule the roost down here.

(Fellow I work for was a huge Model 11 and A-5 fan who was quick to make fun of the then-new Benellis - until one of our corporate members gave him a SBE. Haven't seen him shoot anything else in the however many seasons since...)

Remington 870. Thousands of rounds through it shooting skeet and hunting. I just had the extractor replaced, it was the first part replacement.

3" 4shot is my duck choice, 3"/2 for goose with a BB for last shot. 3"/6 for pheasant, 3" 6shot with turkey extra full choke tube for gobblers....That choke tube is devastating. I can barely get my pinky finger into the choke tube. Combined with the heavy lead load it kicks like a mule.

870 Wingmaster, 12 gauge.


Rick, you aren't the Rick Hall with Chesapeakes that lived in Marshalltown, IA 20 years ago or so are you?

Well looks like most of you guys are expert marksman.

Down her on the delta I have an equalizer.....lol

Just got a new Browning O/U Citori in camo 3 1/2
chamber.

What an awesome weapon !!!!!!!!

Than I shoot the new Federal BLack Cloud rounds in 3 1/2 number 4's.

Gave my son The Benelli and use Beretta Extrema as backup weapon.

One shot one kill..

JIM

quote:

Originally posted by IA_James:
870 Wingmaster, 12 gauge.


Rick, you aren't the Rick Hall with Chesapeakes that lived in Marshalltown, IA 20 years ago or so are you?

No, that must have been another fellow with fine taste in names and dogs.

quote:

Originally posted by jim:
Well looks like most of you guys are expert marksman.

Down her on the delta I have an equalizer.....lol

Just got a new Browning O/U Citori in camo 3 1/2
chamber.

What an awesome weapon !!!!!!!!

Than I shoot the new Federal BLack Cloud rounds in 3 1/2 number 4's.

Goll durn, ain't nothin' at the mouth of the River needs that much killin' but the storms.

(I'm no marksman: shoot the 20 'cause I'm a wuss.)

For goose hunting I always use a Benelli SBE with 3" Kent Fasteel #1's. Tried one box of 3.5" a few seasons ago but didn't see any advantage and big price disadvantage so have stuck with the 3". For ducks and pheasants I switch guns a lot. Last year I mostly used my 12 ga. 1100. This year I mostly used my Red Label 20.

90% of the time I shoot my 12ga. Weatherby Orion O/U, love that gun. I also like my BPS 10ga. for spring snows and late season honkers down in Rochester.

12ga A-5 Mag, Jap..... Why spend $1400.00 on a gun right now... Plus my A-5 runs great and shoots each time I pull the trigger..
I just like Chessys and A-5s...

John

quote:

Originally posted by John:
12ga A-5 Mag, Jap..... Why spend $1400.00 on a gun right now... Plus my A-5 runs great and shoots each time I pull the trigger..
I just like Chessys and A-5s...

John

How did you like that single shot A5 on opening day. hehehehehe

quote:

Originally posted by jtowne:

quote:

Originally posted by John:
12ga A-5 Mag, Jap..... Why spend $1400.00 on a gun right now... Plus my A-5 runs great and shoots each time I pull the trigger..
I just like Chessys and A-5s...

John

How did you like that single shot A5 on opening day. hehehehehe

Mud, corn stubble and oil makes a nice single shot soup..

John

Started most of my water fowl hunting years in the salt marshes up here in eastern canada with my trusty Rem 11-87. I dropped that poor old thing more times in the mud and salt water but it kept on firing. A few years ago I traded a remington 3200 ( I kick my aaaa$$$$ for doing that) for a winchester sx2 lOVE IT! For upland I shoot a Browning Citori OU 425 Special Steel with skeet and IM chokes, #9 & #8 winchester AA target loads........... and NO the birds are NOT full of shot !