what is the best shotgun made and why?

10 Responses

1. METROPOLIS1

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   Best —-

   No such thing…..

   One guy might feel a $50000 collector shotgun is the best…..

   Another might feel his Browning Citori is the best shotgun to own…..

   http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=008B&cat_id=013&type_id=427

   I like an appreciate fine shotguns — But if your busting down my door at 3 AM this is what I consider the best shotgun on the planet to own…… A Mossberg 590….

   http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/NEW/50660.jpg

2. John de Witt

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   The classic English "bests" from such makers as Holland and Holland, Purdey, John Rigby (now in Paso Robles, CA) and a handful of others very much deserve the name "best" because of their fine workmanship and the fact that each gun is individually fitted to the owner. That’s why they’ve always been called "bests."

3. Ima pear eat me

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   The Howdah

4. tempestv

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   There is no absolute best. It depends upon what you are doing. If you are shooting clays or hunting upland game, then one of the high end English doubles will probably be the best, because they use quality components and each gun is custom built and fit to the owner, which is why people are willing to pay many tens or even hundreds of thousands for these guns.

   If you are waterfowl hunting, and the gun is constantly getting soaked, beat, and abused, something like a Benelli Nova for a pump or Beretta Xtrema for a semi auto with a synthetic stock and well protected or even plastic receiver will give years of service, whereas an expensive double will be ruined in short order. Also both guns will shoot 3 1/2" shells, which are popular with waterfowl hunters.

   If you want a light, simple single shot as a woods companion, a TC encore or NEF pardoner with a short barrel would probably be the best, because they are the simplest and lightest guns available.

   If you have the same needs as above, but want something more than a single shot, then the best bet is a double barrel or a pump action. For a double barrel, you would probably want a Stevens 311, because it’s as simple as the single shots, and because the fire controls for the two barrels are not linked, which means that it is basically two single shot guns sharing a stock, so if something breaks on one of the barrels and stops it from firing, you still have a working single shot. Also, it was not designed for Cowboy Action Shooting, so it has ejectors instead of extractors, which makes it easier to pop the empty shells out of the gun. For a pump, I’d recommend a Winchester M97 because it’s the shortest and most compact pump action in existence, or the Mossberg 500a because it’s the lightest pump gun.

   If you are going to war, a Saiga 12 with it’s box magazine offers faster reloads than any other shotgun out there, and the semi auto action lets you shoot quickly.

   If you are looking for something to keep beside the bed for "knock in the night" situations, a reliable tube fed semi auto such as a Benelli M2 will offer fast fire, and the tube magazine can be left loaded for long periods of time without deforming the shells like box magazines will. The M2 is also probably the most reliable semi auto shotgun available today.

   If you are taking up Cowboy Action Shooting, then you probably want a Winchester M97 because it’s the fastest firing gun that is allowed by the rules.

   If you want something that is common and easy to find parts for, the Remington 870 is probably the most popular shotgun on the planet.

   If you need a slug gun for deer hunting, a Tar-Hunt will probably be the most accurate slug gun.

5. Mr. Gregg Andrews

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   "Best" is the ever-subjective term.

   I think the Ithaca Model 37 is the best shotgun ever made… why?

   Durable, lightweight, reliable, aesthetically pleasing, I could go on for hours.

   Others will say that their $8,000 beretta is better (even though they’re wrong!)

   Very subjective. There is no "best".

6. graywolf727

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   There has to be more to the question then that. Best in what way? A hunting shotgun cannot be properly and fully compared to a combat shotgun.

7. H

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   That is a very broad question. In pump action shotguns the Remington 870 is hard to beat, but there are auto-loaders, side-by-side, over-n-under and single shot shotguns.

   H

8. chutney_99

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   "The best shotgun made" is the one that most appropriately fits your frame, is most easily brought up to your shoulder, and fits your purpose (be it waterfowling, upland hunting, deer hunting, HD, skeet, trap, "bear defense", yadayada.) Since shotguns and shotgunning are so freaking cool, all shotguns are the best, so long as they go "boom" when you need em to.

9. geraldine f

   January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   Although what is "best" may depend on specific application to a particular purpose, in terms of purely mechanical function the Remington 870 has no equal. It cannot and will not fail to feed, fire, and deliver its payload.

10. super61

    January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    John De Witt gets my vote as I am an Englishman.

    The London gun trade has indeed produced some of the finest shotguns the world has seen.

    Are they value for money? well that’s another question!

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