Considerations for a waterfowl shotgun?

[langfordbc]

I’ve never hunted any birds besides grouse, but would like to start hunting ducks and geese. What should I be looking for in a gun? Are there questions I should answer for myself that would dictate what would best suit my intentions?

I like to think I’m fairly knowledgable about (and own) most types of guns that you can buy in Canada, but hunting shotguns are something I’ve never really thought about. Thanks.

[dak0ta]

3" chamber with interchangeable chokes, and weighing in the 7-8 lb range with a 28" barrel is a pretty good start. I like pump-action guns for the reliability. One that takes down for easy cleaning is also recommended.

[180grainer]

Browning's Field Pump Shotgun is supposed to be pretty good. I've used it and it worked well. I'd say 870 Wingmaster because I've had one for over 40 years but mine is a 1976 version. Not sure what the new ones are like.

[moosinaround]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?171936-Just-in-time-for-waterfowl-season
A fine waterfowl Shotgun here! This fellow is a stand up guy as well. I've done many successful deals with him. Deal with confidence! Moosin

[M1SF1T]

I have a Benelli Nova pump action,
28" barrel,
2¾, 3 & 3½" cartridges,
I think if you want to hunt geese you should get the magnums.
It's nothing special but it works.
I'd maybe like a Benelli autoloader, but I don't hunt birds as much as I used to.

[Marc]

Everyone has their preference on shotgun actions, chamber length, and chokes.

The pros of a semi auto: seamless follow up shots never coming off target, less felt recoil with a gas action. Handles 3 1/2 shells like there were 2 3/4 shells.

cons: semi auto’s tend to be more expensive, take longer to clean. The odd jam causing you to miss an opprtunity.

Pump shotgun pro’s: reliable action. That’s the only pro I can think of.

Cons: beats the shoulder off you after repeated 3 inch and 3 1/2 shells waterfowl hunting.

What’s the difference between a 3 inch 1 1/8 oz and 3 1/2 inch 1 3/8 shell doing 1550fps? The 3 1/2 in shell gives you 1/4 oz of pellets more, or roughly another 18 steel BB per shot. That could make the difference between a hit or a miss or a dead bird or a cripple never to be found. If you’re pass shooting you’re definitely better off with a 3 1/2 chamber if your main goal is to target the greater Canada’s.

nothing wrong with a 3 inch chamber, lots of people have them and do extremely well with them. I just like the extra vesatility in a 3 1/2 inch chamber. You can shoot 2 3/4, 3 inch, and 3 1/2 inch all out of the same gun. In theory you could load all 3 sizes starting with the 2 3/4 as your first shot 3 inch as your second and 3 1/2 inch as your third.

I’ve used a semi auto for ducks going on close to 30 years and in that time may have had a dozen outings that my gun has jammed and most times it was caused by laziness on my part for not cleaning it enough. We are hunting waterfowl, not face to face with a grizzly or ther once in a lifetime buck or bull. The odd jam outways the reliability argument with owning a pump.

As for chokes I use a factory made medium in my 12 gauge semi auto, it’s been in there since 2008 and hasn’t come out since. The gun loves 3 inch #3’s 1550 fps for ducks and 3 1/2 inch 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 BB 1550 fps for geese.

[mike31154]

All of my shotguns are 30 years old or older, even the SKB semi I purchased new in the mid 1980's. For a couple years now a well used, previously owned vintage Browning A5 has been getting the job done with waterfowl. A few weeks ago I scored my 1st ever Canada geese at Oyama Lake. I'm a bit concerned putting steel shot through the old girl, but FN built these tough back in the day.... With the right load, reasonable range & full choke barrel a 2 3/4 chambered shottie is just fine for geese.
https://dsm01pap004files.storage.live.com/y4mMZ5eXHUiN5YB9hCPDdw2aTlUAqckofd9AYTIEwCzdTnTY-fyNQ4i9rSB5FeSh0oBd4fzutrNrYmq8sDgkZjlgF9xaYJb_DAn eB9IrAsAB_zgNEXkBnZPieA__BmIS2hqrHepk-tMD1TYTL2Ms4l4V1u5HDUnkxAUCX3iI179ypmzXoz38tp9wL4t bYNeRV6_?width=1024&height=577&cropmode=none

Last year at another favourite lake, this one up in the Monashee mountains. 3 Gadwalls brought down with 1 shot of the A5.
https://dsm01pap004files.storage.live.com/y4mJPwETm_r6uokfLB23KUvyAVLMrrxPARmwYthOXVS-gtNw-G_gfUXj8JZFmMf-E__kYs1oUIuhkJN8yPC21cG1OaltbFc3Od8fXK-TJDuFJyT4wbKzy-fK85NPTMBs54bnEoaYptJ058nlbqZmAvSDzoRMtPOY27Y8hCBP MLH_jlYOpnOJkad_Ko3g1d1ZtkM?width=1024&height=498&cropmode=none

[langfordbc]

Do you semi shooters have a preference for gas vs. intertia?

[Marc]

I believe the inertia guns are less likely to Jam and most now have a spring system in the butt stock to lessen the felt recoil. They are probably the most expensive as well.

[mike31154]

My SKB is gas operated & I have 2 vintage Browning A5's that are recoil operated. Not sure of the difference between recoil and inertia if any. All should have less felt recoil than a pump or double barrel gun. The SKB needs to have the gas ports cleaned from time to time, the A5's have a friction ring arrangement under the fore stock to adjust for different loads. The entire barrel moves back to load the next round. They all operate pretty slick & I've encountered few issues with feeding & ejecting over the years. The spring follower in the magazine tube of the SKB got stuck a while ago turning it into a single shot as I couldn't feed rounds into it. I got an aftermarket replacement & it's good now. All are easy to disassemble.

SKB. Nice light gun with threaded barrel for a full range of chokes.
https://dsm01pap004files.storage.live.com/y4mneN7val4Kgcwb7KxMr6qSkJQX1I6TOcmgfCNcRW3DXMm9b8 b6DO2V1NIL23KHV4_C6EXBYUxWONePTJryztcIGCzy3A1Z5HFn u7AAuz5J1-SNmOz3GRplznk-UJB6cR1sm_PaHRmqG0GxjOTpyYJqatPe1_wUksVofFCtJJBvb2 qHTENldF_-DVcHj2U8HQ6?width=1024&height=365&cropmode=none

The A5's. Upper one is full choke barrel, lower is now cylinder bore after I had the faulty variable choke cut off. There's a new version of the A5 out now but it doesn't work the same way, it's an 'inertia' system similar to Benelli. Nice gun but pricey.
https://dsm01pap004files.storage.live.com/y4mHKmE8NECU4xkOGbzbpIGwFAEMD23n2Jyan7SmVppp5NRJlU Nw9qULZ0UVzf-kE5Hz4D4u9XmX32i32Pe6VDYAq49jzaV8E8F5rQ4hhQW6WJiPz Kmm31fMp-Hh9jypyDBSoWAq7C5wUe6g2KL6StYjl1Jf3DobdUNBP1Z_Xhmh _ZsevrZalIWpUTQQotoo8aC?width=1024&height=279&cropmode=none

[silveragent]

I started with a cheap pump to start hunting eight years ago (SXP) and after three years of it I decided to upgrade to a semi after my partner also got a semi so it was a bit of an arms race.

I put about four years into a Winchester SX4. It's a nice light semi that shoots pretty fast. However, I got a bit of money recently from work and decided to splurge on a step up. Same family - Browning - and same choke system. So I've been shooting a Browning Maxus 2 since the start of duck season and so far it's been pretty good. Even though both are gas operated, the Maxus 2 has a bit of a kick to it and also shoots lower than I am used to. But I'm getting used to it and it has a couple bells and whistles more than the SX4. It has a magazine cut off so that if you are shooting duck loads and a flight of geese comes on you; you can rack out the chambered shell and quickly throw in a BB. Nice in theory but I've yet to do it. The other feature is that if you run dry, you don't have to put one in the ejection port and chamber it (two motions). Instead you can shove one into the loading port and it will be sucked up automatically and chambered. Again nice in theory but that function hasn't been as reliable as it seemed when I tried it out at the store.

[Dutch]

Had them all, inertia guns tend to have more recoil ,as they are inertia driven ,gas guns lesson recoil but must be kept clean although I have seen my partners Beretta a 400 stop working having never been cleaned in a year.I shot a Browning gold for years great gun still have one in 20g ,Beretta 400 ,benelli SBE, all good with their plusses and minus .Now have a Savage renegauge ,got it cheap it is a gas gun does have very little kick ,not 3.5" which is a negative but has an interchangeable stock with different pads and comb heights which I find is a plus, considering the different gear I wear . One other thing in the really cold and snowy ? days switch to my o/u Browning always works even if it's only a 2 holer cheers D

[Modeltwelve]

All good info but no one has mentioned fit. If gun doesn’t fit you properly you’re going to miss more than hitting your target Try out different shotguns first

[MichelD]

All good info but no one has mentioned fit. If gun doesn’t fit you properly you’re going to miss more than hitting your target Try out different shotguns first

Yeah. I had a nice Browning Gold Hunter I loved to shoot but couldn't hit anything with it. Sold it and went back to my 870.

[Linksman313]

3" chamber with interchangeable chokes, and weighing in the 7-8 lb range with a 28" barrel is a pretty good start. I like pump-action guns for the reliability. One that takes down for easy cleaning is also recommended.

Yes, yes, yes and yes

Winchester SXP Camp/Field combo 28" and 10" barrels (turkey/slug barrels available at Valley Firearms trail $125/$175 respectively)

first "new" shotgun i ever bought to replace an older fixed choke 2 3/4" 30" barrel wingmaster (that still shoots!)
purchased for $499 from Reliable in Surrey

been in service for 15 years

never an issue

good luck
Links

Ps there are plenty of incredibly lightly used shotguns out there, bought during the "Duck Dynasty" years and never made it past the skeet pit

PPS youtube any model you are interested in for a variety of opinions in various situations

[Dutch]

All good info but no one has mentioned fit. If gun doesn’t fit you properly you’re going to miss more than hitting your target Try out different shotguns first
Yes absolutely and shame on me for missing that ,fit is number one ,the balancing act is fit well and stay in budget .Hate to spend a ton on something that ends up being a safe queen.

[hawk-i]

Can a person have an older fixed choke (f) barrel fitted to use replaceable chokes?

Gun is a Beretta A-M-300.

[Dutch]

Yes you can but it could be cost Prohibitive. I had a couple of my old Winchesters reamed out to Mod. And IC was cheaper and they work well with the 2-4 steel .

[250 sav]

A semi works well for waterfowl hunting as it absorbs some of the recoil of those heavy loads. I'd stick with a B gun (Browning, beretta or benelli) whichever fits you the best.