My favorite shotgun... How about you?

[Steve007]

I will admit that on one level, it is fairly pointless to address a single shotgun as “my favorite gun.” Different shotguns have different purposes, and there is no reason to select only one. Nevertheless…

The first thing you might look for in a single shotgun is flexibility. An 8# sporting clays gun -- and I have several-- is a fine thing, but not ideal for all-around bird hunting. Likewise, a 10 or 12 gauge semi auto -- and I have one-- may be the best choice for waterfowl, but a little style might be satisfying as well. Too much style, of course, is liable to be pretty expensive, and perhaps not the right gun if you care about getting it a little banged up in upland hunting.

In any case, while I have quite a few guns, my favorite all-around is probably my 20gauge Browning BSS Sporter with Briley thinwall chokes and better-than-average wood. With mod/full chokes (or others if you prefer), I can nail longer shots at sporting clays (sometimes), cylinder works for skeet, c/sk for quail or woodcock and so forth. And hevi-shot (or similar) would work for pheasant. It would not work for waterfowl, but that's not what I do.

I don't suggest one gun would work for everything, but this is pretty decent for most things, easy to carry and a SxS is, well, pretty stylish and fun, too. If you give me another gun, I'll take my Browning Superposed Lightning. I have a dedicated modern sporting clays gun, and if I were shooting for money -- not likely-- that's what I would bring, but there is a lot to be said for a neat well-balanced gun with some history behind it.

How about you?

[Garrison]

Wow…..laying down the gauntlet Steve! That’s a tough call. For all intents and purposes (clays included) I think it would have to be my Citori 525 Field, but do not like carrying it in snow covered chukar country. One of the old 870’s or Model 12’s might be my desert island pick. A5 Belgium for history’s sake (dropped my first bird and many great days on the chuks). Maybe Browning white lightning for most upland duties.

The past couple seasons I have been using what would seem like a pretty odd pick for quite a lot of my hunting. Mossberg 940 JM Pro with the magazine extension removed. It is really quick and cycles even quicker. Never thought I would use Mossberg and amazing in the same breath, but the inner workings are really something. On a gun I don’t mind dropping in the dirt/snow.

Garrison

[gonehuntin']

If you take waterfowl out of the equation, it's an old Browning Superposed Superlight 12ga, straight stock, screw in tubes by Briley.
I've shot that gun since 1965. My second is a Browning Freather 20 with a set of 28 barrels also. Must be near 20 years I've shot that one as well. For waterfowl it's an A-5 Waterfowler, 12ga, 3", 32" barrel. Don't own or shoot many different guns. Year ago I sold them all and just kept my go-to's.

[Steve007]

Iit's an old Browning Superposed Superlight 12ga, straight stock, screw in tubes by Briley.

Wow. A Superposed Superlight with Briley chokes would sure be neat. Only Briley and the thin walls could be trusted to do a good job with the limited barrel wall thickness at the muzzle, but I'm sure they did. I could even live with the 26 inch barrels on the superlight. Good gun!

[gonehuntin']

They did a great job Steve. Been shooting it about 15 years now with no issue. I have a set of steel choke for it too, but I’m afraid to chance it.

[Roman Nose]

Citori superlight 12ga with briley thin walls for me. Originally a fixed choke gun. Second in line is a Citori gran lightning 20ga.


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[roaniecowpony]

The latest is always the favorite.

The bottom gun is a Rizzini BR550 .410 with 30" barrels and custom ordered best grade wood. That's my latest from just before covid. The top one is a Ferlib Italian .410 model 7, 28" barrels from a cottage gun maker that is now defunct. I got the Ferlib used about 7-8 years ago and have redone the rust blued barrels and the stock finish. Both are fun guns to hunt with.

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[17Hunter]

Definitely the Rem 870LW 20 that I got for Christmas in 1988. I have shot a lot of stuff with that shotgun.

I did just pick up a nice little Miroku made Charles Daly 20 with 26” barrels and a Browning model 12 28 gauge that I am really looking forward to carrying this fall. Maybe one them will take the 870’s place.

[Steve007]

The latest is always the favorite.

The bottom gun is a Rizzini BR550 .410 with 30" barrels and custom ordered best grade wood. That's my latest from just before covid. The top one is a Ferlib Italian .410 model 7, 28" barrels from a cottage gun maker that is now defunct. I got the Ferlib used about 7-8 years ago and have redone the rust blued barrels and the stock finish. Both are fun guns to hunt with.
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These are super spiffy guns, but I have come to the conclusion that I am happiest with what I would term mid-level guns. I have had two guns of a similar nature to what you have posted -- well not .410s -- , and I was so traumatized over making sure the guns didn't get banged up, that it was disconcerting. I could afford to have them refinished and have done so with other guns in the past, but even when doing plains hunting over mostly grasslands, I worried. So I sold my most expensive guns, and am perfectly happy with my mid-level stuff. What the heck. I had too many guns anyway. Still do.

[roaniecowpony]

Steve,
You gotta do what makes you happy. Clearly, being stressed over a gun while hunting is not a happy situation. I understand your perspective and probably had the same prespective at one point.

My situation is; I'm now retired in my mid 60s, I bought these and other nice guns when I was working, with disposible funds. I think I don't need the money from them to live out a nice retirement. If I die, they are going to friends. If I fall off a cliff with one, maybe they'll bury me with the remnants. I've made my peace with the gun gods. These guns will be hunted and I'll enjoy every minute.

BTW, while in AZ a couple weeks ago, I took 2 mearns quail with one shot, with that Rizzini 410. My slow poke 11 year old big ol male EP, pointed pretty seriously. I walked in and flushed a covey of 6-8 birds and chose one to track. I took a shot and missed, then reached for the second trigger as the bird headed for a gap between the brush to make his escape. Just as I pulled the second trigger, a second mearns pulled in alongside him in the gap. 2 birds dropped side by side. I make an effort to take only one bird per covey of these birds in the late season, to ensure their carry-over survival. But this was a pretty nice surprise, given it was with a 410 (which I hunt most often). I don't put much of a dent in the quail population, intentionally. But, I have a lot of fun.

A friend said something to the effect of; when you pass the chicken stand on the way out of town, you pretty much lost any credibility about the practicality of this activity.

Steve, I still have 2 20g BSS 28" guns. They are great guns. I know why it's a favorite of yours.

[DonF]

I will admit that on one level, it is fairly pointless to address a single shotgun as “my favorite gun.” Different shotguns have different purposes, and there is no reason to select only one.

How about you?

Well if I had to make a call it would probably be either my CZ Bobwhite 28ga or my AyA Matador 28ga. I've never been really big on water foul but when I did hunt them my gun was also my grouse, quail and everything else gun. Had a modfied choke and for practice I'd even shoot a round of skeet mow and then, one size fit all in those days. These days I take out one of my 16's now and then only because I don't use them much anymore. The 28's recoil less and are lighter than both and darned if I can find any choke advantage for myself. Got changeable choke's in both my CZ's, 28ga and 20ga, and never change them. For some reason they just work the way they are. BTW, got that 20ga first, before the CZ 28ga and have never fired the first shot through it. Really nice gun but pretty attached to my 28gs'! Years ago, before my 16ga AyA my go to gun for everything was a 12ga AyA. Liked it because I loaded for it and always kept it loaded down and simply change shot size if I felt like it. Normally it was #6 shot at 1 1/8h oz. Then got my 28ga AyA and couldn't believe the difference in weight in the two but still took several years to convince myself to try the 28! Actually not about favorite gun but rather favorite gague for me!

Wait an min, just realized I do have a favorite. SxS's all the way!

[jjgundoges]

My favorite shotgun is a Browning 525 Feather 12 gauge, 28-inch barrels. It has a great piece of lumber on it with a beautiful oil finish, and, with 1/8 inch of cast-off, it fits me so well.

My runner-up is a 1925 Thomas Wild SXS that has been retrofitted with Briley thin-walled choke tubes.

[Sharon]

WElcome to the forum. Beautiful setter avatar!

[gdc_jeff]

My favorite shotgun is a Browning 525 Feather 12 gauge, 28-inch barrels. It has a great piece of lumber on it with a beautiful oil finish, and, with 1/8 inch of cast-off, it fits me so well.

My runner-up is a 1925 Thomas Wild SXS that has been retrofitted with Briley thin-walled choke tubes.

Hi jjgundoges! My favorite shotgun is a 20 gauge Browning White Lighting I bought for myself a LONG time ago. Before it was discontinued and reintroduced.

[slistoe]

Unfortunately my favorite shotgun is no longer usable. It is a Spanish made SxS 20 ga. that I got at a gun show for $200. The fellow had just taken it on trade for $200 and said he knew nothing at all about the gun. I said how about I give you your $200 and I will take the chance of it being usable or not and a deal was made. Larry Brown (through one of the now defunct BB sites) helped me decipher the proof marks on the gun to determine if it was safe to use with modern powder. It was light to carry, shouldered easily and shot where I looked. One of the firing pins wore out and I had a machinist make me a new one. But now the timing is off and the firing pins hang up in the spent primer when opening the gun. My new shotgun is not like my old one.

[jjgundoges]

Welcome to the forum. Beautiful setter avatar!

Thank you!

Hi jjgundoges! My favorite shotgun is a 20-gauge Browning White Lightning I bought for myself a LONG time ago. Before it was discontinued and reintroduced.

Great guns. I had one of those, too. It was a nice gun, and I sold it to buy something else. I quickly regretted it, and I bought a new version. I like it too. It's my favorite 20 gauge.

[IANative]

Fabarm Elos D2 20 ga