I have roughly 1500 to 1700 budget just not sure if I should get a decent pump for reliability sake and money saving or go the autoloader route
An older production 870 like 1960's or 1970's can be easily found and bought for $500-$700
If you have 1500-1700 in you budget, get a good semi, I have a Benelli Vinci in 12ga. 3", easily the most reliable shotgun that I'v ever owned other than a single shot. I was always a pump and double barrel guy until I pulled my bicep muscle on my pumping arm and it made pumping a shotgun to painful for any length of time. So sold my pumps and bought the Vinci. But after going to Alberta and hunting waterfowl in the morning with the Benelli and then using a 20ga. double for upland in the afternoon I was finding using the different shotguns were just screwing me up, so now the doubles are gone and I have a 20ga. Beretta semi. Love the semi's.
Id look for a older 870 wingmaster. Very well built. Weatherby sa-08 is a great cheaper semi. I never had a jam with mine. Got a smoking deal on a 20 gauge sx3 and love it.
$1700 will buy you a good used Beretta 391 with Kick Off on Gun Nutz and likely leav some left over for a few boxes of Scores. Never look back
"BORN TO HUNT"
Foxton's Cuervo Gold "KEELA" Oct. 2004-June 2017. Always in my blind and my heart.
If it was me I'd buy a Winchester Super SX4, under $1k and you'll never look back! I've got the SX3 as well as a few friends and so far not a hiccup! I just hunted 8 days on the goose opener with various guys and there was two gun failures, one Beretta auto and one Weatherby pump, we got the pump going in the field, the other shooter did the walk of shame and came back with an old 870 that he always brings as he's had issues before! K
Shotgun specs and feature are great, but each of the shotguns you mentioned "fit and feel" very different from each other. I would go down to a store and try shouldering each of them. You will quickly narrow down your list. From there, its 1) budget and 2) features.
Our group shoots Mostly Beretta 391s and A300 with Kick Offs. They are the only shotguns that function flawlessly in the cold, snow, dust, mud and wet. I shot an SX2 as a backup for a few years and it worked OK but my partner just bought a new SX3 and it won't cycle properly, I have no experience with the SX4s but give them a few years and see how they hold up.. Good and bad come in all makes and Models but I can honestly say after all the years I have been shotgunning, the only 2 makes I have never seen trouble with is the Beretta and the older A5s.
"BORN TO HUNT"
Foxton's Cuervo Gold "KEELA" Oct. 2004-June 2017. Always in my blind and my heart.