Shotgun Opinions – Semi-Auto

Open to opinions, please don’t turn this into a Marcum vs. Vex! I currently have a Nova that has treated me well for 5 years, but it’s time to try an auto. Open to opinions on everything from a Stoeger 2000, to a SBE II. Willing to spend whatever it takes because I want it to last. Are the horror stories true about gas operated in the cold? Anybody out there shoot a SX3? I will say, I am partial to any of the Berretta holding companies gun makers or the SX3 from what I have shouldered. They all fit me fine, so I can’t really go off of the “whatever fits you best” idea. Most concerned about reliability, as I don’t get out as much as I would like, so I don’t want to deal with jamming. Will be used for Pheasants and ducks(both field and water). Thanks!!

I have shot Berretta semi’s for years. love them. I never had a issue with them jamming. Would not go with any thing other then a Berretta just my .02.

My ENTIRE family is now shooting SBE’s, Novas, M1’s or M2’s. If were hunting were in the mud shooting water fowl. The Benelli line has been increadible for us. Not to say there aren’t other great guns out there. But these things have taken a beating and continue to take it. In fact I’ve converted my inlaws from Beretta/Browning to Benelli. They run 2 M1’s and 3 SBEII’s.

If your a fowler looking for a mud buddy you know where my vote goes.

With all of that said. Guns are like cloths. Not everyone fits into the same size. Go to a shop and get a number of them into you mitts. You’ll know what fits when you put it too you cheek.

i have had a benelli for 7 or 8 years now. they get full of mud, sand, dirt, ice and i have never had anything get in the way. my gf, dad, and most of my friends all shoot benellis and wont shoot anything else. they are worth the money for sure

My nod goes to the Benelli, I have a SBE. They by far are the easiest to tear down and clean compared to any other auto out there…….and trust me if you don’t keep the auto’s clean they will all jam. Go to a gun shop and ask them to tear’um down and show you how. When you see how easy the Benelli is, it’s hard to go with the other makers.

Whatsa

I have been shooting a Beretta AL390 for 12 years now without a single jam or flaw. I have put every kind of round through from trap shooting all summer to duck and pheasant hunting – never a single issues in over 12 seasons now.

I have also owned Rem. 1100’s and know guys that swear by their Benelli’s. For me the Beretta is still the best.

beretta extrema 3.5″ shoot any and all rounds from the bigest to the smallest light 2 3/4 loads great never a problem. Easy to disasembel and clean.

I’ll post up on the Sx’s. I bought a new SX2 three years ago and absolutely love it. I have no experience with Benelli or Beretta personnaly, though many I hunt with have them. My SX2 has been flawlessly dependable and I’ve never shot better.

Eric

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I’ll post up on the Sx’s. I bought a new SX2 three years ago and absolutely love it. I have no experience with Benelli or Beretta personnaly, though many I hunt with have them. My SX2 has been flawlessly dependable and I’ve never shot better.

Eric

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I will second the SX2!! Awesome gun, although if it gets really cold 10-15 degress it can be fussy. Late season Greenheads will sometimes see my old 870 pump..

I’ve had a Stoeger 2000 for 4 years and I really like it. It functions flawlessly. I have hunted turkey and pheasants with it and never had a jam. I have also shot sporting clays and skeet with it a few times. I like the inertial operating system. Besides cleaning the barrel regularly, I have only taken it apart and cleaned the action once in the four years, and still have not had a problem. It seems to digest any type of shell without an issue. It is also a very light gun, which makes it easy to lug around all day.

I’ve owned a Beretta AL390 for 10+ years and never a jam or malfunction. I’ve used it for fowl, upland and skeet. I also found a deal ($750) for an Extrema about 3 years ago when Reeds was blowing them out to make way for the Extrema II. I bought it specifically for fowl as I didn’t want to nick up my wood 390 any longer.

Both of the weapons have been very good to me with zero failures. I’m sure the others mentioned are great and reliable also, but I have no reason to make a change at this time.

I have a Winchester Model 50 from about 1950. I have used it for about 25 years. It was my grandpa’s gun that my dad used in high school. My grandparents bought him one of his own, and when I started hunting, my grandma gave me my grandpas gun. Never have had any problems with it!! The only problem I have is that people ask “How old is that gun?” I tell them the story and they say “That is cool, no wonder you still use it”. It works flawlessly! Only bummer, it’s only a 2 3/4″, but still can kill the birds.
P.S. No!! I’m not selling it!

SX2. I havfe shot cases of shells though it and have never had a problem. I found that the best lube is Break Free. Never gunks up and makes the auto work flawless.

My vote would be the Extrema2, the wife and I both shoot them and love them. We also have a Beretta 20ga that we both really like.

I hear you about the “whatever fits you best” issue. Something I found because I was really torn between a SBEII and the Extrema2. I was at the gun store and I went back and forth for probably 30-45 minutes maybe even more picking one up, closing my eyes and shouldering the gun and they both came up perfect….AT FIRST! After going back and forth for so long my arms were getting tired and all of a sudden I noticed the Extrema2 came up “right” more consistently. That is what sealed the deal for me and I have been completely satisfied with my Beretta. It is probably not realistic that you would be pulling a gun up that frequently in that short of a time but if you are dragging a boat in and out of a marsh, or haulin decoy bags around tired arms are not that uncommon.

When you are talking SBE2, Extrema2 or SX3 you are talking a good chunk of change…I would suggest narrowing it down to 2 or three guns and go back and forth until your arms are noticeably tired and see if they all still come up the same. If they do….then I was no help and you are just going to have to decide.

You can’t go wrong with a Beretta or a Benelli.

Thanks all for the Replies! I spent a good amount of time shouldering each of the aforementioned guns, but obviously not enough! I am still intriqued by the SX3, but it hasn’t had the tenure of the 390’s and SBE’s to confirm reliability! Looks like I will be spending some time at Kjergaard’s trying to figure this out! Keep the opinions/testimonies coming! Thanks

REM 1100 and 1187’s no problems ever,very accurate.

If you go Stoeger, here’s a sweet deal from a member…

Stoeger 2000

big G

Thanks G, any idea if he still has it available? I will try PM’ing him. Thanks

I remembered seeing it when he posted and thought, if only I needed another gun… I was surprised to see it still listed, with that price tag… Worth a shot, as they say Good luck

big G

What everyone else said. you can’t go wrong with Berretta’s and Benneli’s. I have an M2 and it has worked flawlessly for 4 years now. I still love my old 20ga 1100 and often think of getting a 12. The 1100’s require more maintenance to keep them working flawlessly but they will do just that if you keep them well maintained. The lower gas-operated recoil is nice. The only auto that comes to mind as not having a good rep is Stoeger.

i went through the same thing some years ago and after going back and forth on afew guns the deciding factor be came disassembly and reasembly for cleaning perposses.

Aren’t Stoegers actions, from Benelli ??? In fact, aren’t they basically the same company ???

big G

Well all, I think I have made up my mind after shouldering and swinging the possibles this weekend. For starters, I was leaning towards a SX3, until I watched my father-in-law’s jam once, yes, only once, so I am not discounting it as a good gun, but made me do some more pondering. After much to do, I am going to go with a Xtrema2. It’s heavier than the Benelli and fit equally as well, but after all was said and done, it came down to the location of the safety to me. Now, my last piece of business is deciding between a 26″ or 28″ barrel. Thanks for all the input!

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Now, my last piece of business is deciding between a 26″ or 28″ barrel.

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It comes down to a personal preference, with today’s fast burning powders, the length of the barrel means less than it use to.
28 inch means: a longer sight plane, slower swing speed BUT easier to maintain after swing speed it achieved, and a heavier gun.
26 inch means: a shorter sight plane, faster swing speed with more work to maintain that speed, and a lighter gun.
Do not believe all those old stories about how a longer barrel gun is better, the patterns are all most identical.

Ron

Thanks for the reply slider! I am aware of all that you mentioned, I remember reading somewhere, that all of the powder has reached it’s maximum expansion by about 24″, so between 26 and 28, there will be no velocity difference. And besides, the pattern is determined by the choke, if you think about it, say you are taking a 30yd shot, nobody can convince me that an extra 2″ will make a noticeable difference in the pattern at 30 yds. I am torn on the length for two reasons, one, both feel right to me. And the second, I will be using it for both upland and waterfowl where each has it’s advantage. I am leaning towards the 26″ since that is what I am used to, but at the same time, I think if I can achieve a quick enough swing with a 28″, it will only improve my shooting.

Stoeger and Benneli are the same gun/action/company.If you want a less fancy and less price gun then go with the Stoeger.