I know you guys know all this type of stuff, so your input will make this an easy decision for me.

I want to get me a new shotgun mainly just for Dove hunting. I am wanting a pump or semiautomatic shotgun, probably 12 gauge, possibly 20 gauge. I currently have a Remington 870 pump 12 gauge but I can't find it, Its somewhere but I just need to get one to do some dove hunting. I wouldn't mind having another shotgun for dove hunting. I also have a 20 gauge double barrel, I dont like it.

What length of barrel and choke do I need? 28 inch ? and modified? Any and all input would help.

You didn't mention a budget. I'd buy a beretta a400 upland. 28 inch barrel. It will come with different chokes, modified is a good choice.



https://www.beretta.com/en-us/product/a400-upland-FA0012

Benelli Ethos in 28 gauge is a fun option…easy to handoff to someone who wants no kick.

Remington 1100 12ga 28".

I have the A400 Xplor in 20g and I absolutely love it. Wish I had the Upland but I have no complaints on my gun whatsoever.

God invented the 870 specifically for Texas dove hunting.

Get 20ga with 28" barrel and IC choke.

Or 28ga with 25" barrel IC choke.

2 3/4" shells 7.5 shot .... heavy dove or clay loads 1200-1300 FPS with 3/4ounces of shot

I like both of the guns above, and I like the different chokes. I also like the color of those, I dont like the camo look shotgun, Im more about the old school look. That Berreta above sure is a pretty gun

Im not sure about the 28 gauge, I need to be able to cheat a little bit.. 28 gauge is for the good shooters.. lol

Very good choice but for dove hunting, an A300 is much cheaper and more than enough for dove hunting. Don't really need the 3.5" shell and the gas auto is smooth enough that no kickoff system is fine with dove loads, especially if they're used to shooting an 870.

But OB gonna OB and I agree, the A400 is a great choice, if price is not a factor!

SGrem said:

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God invented the 870 specifically for Texas dove hunting.

Get 20ga with 28" barrel and IC choke.

Or 28ga with 25" barrel IC choke.

2 3/4" shells 7.5 shot .... heavy dove or clay loads 1200-1300 FPS with 3/4ounces of shot

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I like the Remingtons as well, maybe I go with a 20 gauge with the 28" barrel. As I stated above, Im not a good enough shot to shoot a 28 gauge, I need some help

Where can you find a Remington, Im looking at Bass Pro and Academy and I am not seeing any Remington's?

I've gone 20ga. Benelli Montefeltro 26" with IC or LM depending on setups for dove this year and I think I'm done looking. It's perfect for me and the shims make it adjustable. Lost a little weight & cheek wasn't lining up right so shimmed her up and we're back in business. Took it to a swank lodge with sporting gentlemen in hats for a bird hunt & noticed a few others there & I got no snide looks. Not that I care, just saying it's a relatively affordable option that can run in any circle.

Wodanaz said:

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I've gone 20ga. Benelli Montefeltro 26" with IC or LM depending on setups for dove this year and I think I'm done looking. It's perfect for me and the shims make it adjustable. Lost a little weight & cheek wasn't lining up right so shimmed her up and we're back in business. Took it to a swank lodge with sporting gentlemen in hats for a bird hunt & noticed a few others there & I got no snide looks. Not that I care, just saying it's a relatively affordable option that can run in any circle.

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I just saw this gun online as well, its a nice shotgun.

From all the input I think I will go with a Benellie or Berreta, 28 inch barrel, multi chokes. I wont rule out the Remington 1100 but I dont see those online at the stores

I have a Maverick 20 gauge I have been using for over 10 years. It's definitely budget but it gets the job done!

I have a beretta a400 and an a300. Both are great guns. The a300 is less than half the price of the a400. I'd lean more to the a300 in your situation.

RCR06 said:

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I have a beretta a400 and an a300. Both are great guns. The a300 is less than half the price of the a400. I'd lean more to the a300 in your situation.

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I will let you guys know what I end up getting, but the A400 and Ethos sure are nice looking guns.. I need to get one that looks better than my brothers.. lol

fullback44 said:

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RCR06 said:

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I have a beretta a400 and an a300. Both are great guns. The a300 is less than half the price of the a400. I'd lean more to the a300 in your situation.

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I will let you guys know what I end up getting, but the A400 and Ethos sure are nice looking guns.. I need to get one that looks better than my brothers.. lol

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Can't go wrong with either of those guns. Ethos or A400.

Just outshoot him with whatever you get

You sound like a relatively new hunter, so let me help you out. All that Benelli/Beretta stuff is merely childs play, and definitely not what you're looking for. Let me introduce you to a REAL Italian shotgun, as your discerning taste and talents deserve no less. Should fit well in your budget too.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/cosmi-shotguns/cosmi-steel-20ga-26-deluxed-engraved.cfm?gun_id=102658717

Love it so far, only 3 hunts with it this year. Beautiful, smooth gun. But I've always had my Ithaca 37, 870, cheap mossberg maverick, yildiz o/u, a bunch of others, but previously I've always gone back to my grandpas Ithaca. It may be going to to gunsmith to be rebuilt and ready to give to my son once he gets big enough to shoot it, bc I don't think I can walk away from that A400 upland.

A $38K shotty & QC let it slip without a butt pad?

Micropterus said:

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You sound like a relatively new hunter, so let me help you out. All that Benelli/Beretta stuff is merely childs play, and definitely not what you're looking for. Let me introduce you to a REAL Italian shotgun, as your discerning taste and talents deserve no less. Should fit well in your budget too.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/cosmi-shotguns/cosmi-steel-20ga-26-deluxed-engraved.cfm?gun_id=102658717

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gonna have to mortgage truck to get that one

JD05AG said:

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Love it so far, only 3 hunts with it this year. Beautiful, smooth gun. But I've always had my Ithaca 37, 870, cheap mossberg maverick, yildiz o/u, a bunch of others, but previously I've always gone back to my grandpas Ithaca. It may be going to to gunsmith to be rebuilt and ready to give to my son once he gets big enough to shoot it, bc I don't think I can walk away from that A400 upland.

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You got the kickoff system for a 20g?! You big ole P! (I've known JD05 for a long time, don't ban me, just giving him a hard time.)

After 29 years of the mule kick that is the Ithaca 37 featherlight, I welcome it.

Don't get a shotgun, use a suppressed AR!!! - TexAgs

Beretta A300 20 ga. Light and fast and low recoil. Love mine. Grabagun.com has some models with nice discount called grabaquote plus $75 rebate.

Edit to add...my preference for a choke is Light Modified (between IC and Modified). A little more range than IC and a little more open pattern than Mod.

Wodanaz said:

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A $38K shotty & QC let it slip without a butt pad?

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No butt pad - those are extra. For that kinda $$, the gun will gently reach over and caress your shoulder.

Agree with the thought it's probably hard to beat the cost and performance of an A300 if you go with a semi-auto, you don't need a thousand+ dollar gun to shoot dove.

Would love to say an 870 wingmaster but you already have an 870 once you can re-find it, and they are now $900+ brand new. Sweet gun though, I really like mine, been shooting it over 20 years now and it's gotten a lot of use with no problems.

Barrel isn't too big of a deal, I wouldn't get hung up in a 26" vs 28" vs 30" barrel. Choke should be somewhat based on where you're hunting and what kind of range you expect to take shots at. I mainly stick with a modified in my guns, but IC, mod, or full are probably the most common for hunting. Unless your plan is to sit amongst a flock of mojos and shot dove as they divebomb you, then you may want something else.

Every time I think I want to drop some dough on a new shotgun, I go hunt with my old 870 wingmaster I inherited from my dad and that feeling goes away.

Benelli...simply no felt recoil. I own 4 and do 99% of my shooting with them (O/U, 12 ga auto, 2 - 20ga auto). I have a vanity shotgun that sure is pretty; but find I rarely use it. I keep going to Benelli for felt recoil, weight, fit and the ability to adjust.

Any of the options spoken about above will work well; what fits you best when you shoulder it, what weight do you want to carry around and how much recoil are you good with?

Winchester SX4 is worth a look. Great gun for the money.

fullback44 said:

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Micropterus said:

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You sound like a relatively new hunter, so let me help you out. All that Benelli/Beretta stuff is merely childs play, and definitely not what you're looking for. Let me introduce you to a REAL Italian shotgun, as your discerning taste and talents deserve no less. Should fit well in your budget too.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/cosmi-shotguns/cosmi-steel-20ga-26-deluxed-engraved.cfm?gun_id=102658717

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gonna have to mortgage truck to get that one

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Perfect for the tailgate of your pickup on those warm Texas afternoons under a Mesquite tree, or leaning against a barbed wire fence while you climb thru.

Deerdude said:

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fullback44 said:

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Micropterus said:

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You sound like a relatively new hunter, so let me help you out. All that Benelli/Beretta stuff is merely childs play, and definitely not what you're looking for. Let me introduce you to a REAL Italian shotgun, as your discerning taste and talents deserve no less. Should fit well in your budget too.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/cosmi-shotguns/cosmi-steel-20ga-26-deluxed-engraved.cfm?gun_id=102658717

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gonna have to mortgage truck to get that one

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Perfect for the tailgate of your pickup on those warm Texas afternoons under a Mesquite tree, or leaning against a barbed wire fence while you climb thru.

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We used to listen to Dave South and sit on the tailgate.

If the Aggies were about to score, we wouldn't fire our shotguns so that we could hear what was going on.

Had a worn out Winchester Model 12 that was smooth as butter. My favorite shotgun of all time.

If I were you, I would start with finding my old 870... Seems like you already have a solid shotgun to dove hunt but misplaced it...

I get it, the perfect number of guns to own is n+1 where n= the current number of guns you own (this is a formula I live by.) You cant go wrong with either the A400 or A300 Berettas.

Go swing some guns and you'll find what you like. For a dove gun, a 20ga will be lot faster getting on the birds. And with today's shells, you can shoot everything with the one gun - dove to geese.

My first was a 20 gauge single shot. I never got good at dove hunting with it, but it did make me carefully choose my shot. Used an 1100 12 gauge as an adult - got lots more dove but got lazy. A third shot when the trajectory was more flat but at a greater distance dropped doves more often than I expected. Wished dove tasted 1/3 as good as quail personally.

For me it's an A5. Love that shotgun.