Best semi-auto shotgun?

[kol1293]

What is the best and most reliable semi-auto 12guage shotgun on the market theses days and where is the best spot on the internet to find a deal on one?

[nokarma]

What do you want to do with it?
hunting, trap, skeet, sporting clay's, plinking, personal protection, 3 gun

This like asking someone what is the best car.
A Lambo is a great car but not the best to pick up lumber from home depot with.

[kol1293]

Haha I'm talking the lambo of guns. No, this would be for trap, skeet, goose and duck

[nokarma]

I would go with an m2 benelli with a 28 inch barrel for that mix.

[Canucky]

What's your budget? You will get many opinions.One man's treasure. one man's junk.

[bigbearbear]

Do you need to shoot 3.5" shells? I don't hunt ducks and goose myself so I'm not sure if people shoot 3.5" shells for those.

[Thefeeder]

Haha I'm talking the lambo of guns. No, this would be for trap, skeet, goose and duck

The one that you can hit the targets and birds with is the best gun...try before you buy

[SDM44]

Look a few posts down

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=984833

[Newshooter]

Beretta A400

[Wildhawk66]

Benelli Super Black Eagle

[powderedtoastman]

I had been poking around a long long time on various forums searching for a semi-auto myself that I wanted to use for trap, skeet, sporting clays, dove, duck, and geese. I had a 2000 dollar budget and ended up getting a Beretta A300 Outlander in Max4 camo.
If you use a shotgun ONLY for trap, skeet, and sporting clays you can get away with a nice wood furniture, satin finish engraved receiver, etc etc etc, and you CAN obviously use that gun for duck hunting, but I wouldn't. I just can't see toting around a fancy/expensive gun in a marsh while it's raining and storming.
I FINALLY got a chance to shoot my A300 today and ran 300 rounds through it over the course of 2 hours. 3" BB rounds, 2-3/4" #2, and 100 Win AA #8 low bases without a hitch. I shot an A400 with kick-off that an acquaintance has and the only difference between the two is recoil, and to me it's not worth the extra money. Then again, I've always shot pumps, and older A5/Model 11's that can knock your teeth loose.
What everyone WILL say, which is good advice, is handle a bunch of different guns and choose one that FITS you, and feels like it belongs in your hands. Don't get infatuated with the latest/"greatest" fanciest gun. I did for a while, but when I settled down from that, I chose a workhorse that I shoot exceptional with. I might look wierd to some folks on a sporting clays range carrying a camo'd shotgun when most other folks have a "fancy" satin finish wood furniture gun, but my gun fits me, my lifestyle, and most important I can shoot very well with it. Your first step should be to really set in stone what you want to do with this gun, how much you want to spend, and then do tons and tons of research and handle and shoulder a bunch of shotguns.

[Chewbaca]

vepr 12

[MeatyMac]

^^Seriously, Chewy, round hole/square peg...Do they even make a 2-round hunting clipozine for that thing?

OP, I have a Beretta A400 and my son has a Winchester Super X3, both are excellent 3.5" hunting shotguns but you really don't need 3.5" shot shells for duck and goose, sure it's nice to have the little extra payload, but it doesn't make that much of a difference with proper choke selection for the distance your shooting.

If I were buying one shotgun for hunting and trap/skeet duty I'd probably buy a Beretta A300 w/a 26" barrel.

Good luck, let us know what you decide on.

[L84CABO]

I would go with an m2 benelli with a 28 inch barrel for that mix.

If that ain't it, it's definitely in the Top 3.

[meno377]

M2 Semi auto

If that ain't it, it's definitely in the Top 3.

+1000