Hey y'all,
I'm in the market for a semi auto 20 gauge to use for turkey hunting and some occasional dove hunting. Could y'all point me in the right direction?
Thanks!
How much are you wanting to spend ?
Buy once , cry once. Benelli M2
I'd like to keep it under $1000, but I could be convinced to go higher.
I have been looking at the benelli montefeltro 20 gauge. Is that a decent gun?
I like my Weatherby SA459. But before I bought something I would go and shoulder several different models. You will find "your" gun that way. Good luck.
Benelli M2. Look around and you can find one close to your budget. They are awesome guns.
Check out the Tristar viper 20 ga. in bottomland ..
Weve got a Franchi Affinity compact and a Benelli Montefeltro in 20ga. I hate the Montefeltro and would sell it in a heartbeat. I like Berettas, specifically the 390 series which is older.
If you watch Dunns had camo montefeltros new for $800. Thats where I got mine. The Montefeltro just sits in the back of my safe now, maybe my boy will want it in the future. I know I will never own another Benelli.
My opinion, Franchi Affinity.
I love my benelli's, but if you blind folded me and put an M2 and an Affinity in my hands I'd pick the Affinity 10 out of 10 times. To me, it feels much more balanced. The M2 felt very rear-heavy whereas the Affinity felt perfectly balanced. Weight is the same, if it's different I doubt you would ever be able to tell. I'm not saying it would outperform the M2, but I've ran quite a few shells through my Affinity with no hiccups and know many others have done the same. There's no way you could get me to pay almost 2x the price for the M2 over the Franchi.
The only thing I'd say I'm not necessarily a fan of with my Affinity is when the bolt slams you can hear a "ringing" sound for about a second after. I guess its the spring in the forearm. Nothing that seems functional, but just something that is noticable.
Benelli
I have always shot a Remington 870 in 12 and 20 gauge. I know that several people use the Benelli M2 20 gauge for turkey hunting. My uncle has a Franchi Affinity that he rabbit hunts with that is a nice gun. I don't think you could go wrong with either and probably comes down to personal preference on how they fit you.
Benelli M2 or Winchester SX3.
Benelli M2
An original Benelli super 90
Benelli or Franchi. Shoulder them both and decide. Great guns!
Benelli M2 or Beretta if you want the Cadillac.
If you want to save money and have a great gun get a Franchi.
For a turkey gun get the lightest one in your price range!
I'm not really a gun person, but after a dove hunting trip to Mexico, I'm all in on Benelli's. You said you would be using it for dove hunting also, that's why I say that. I don't remember a single problem out of our group, and there was a whole lot of shooting. I put a couple thousand shells through one myself.
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I love my M2, I have not shot but shoulder a buddies has Franchi and it felt good.
I would go for the Benelli myself. I have owned multiple Benelli's over the years and never had an issue with any of them.
Quote from: Jstocks on April 17, 2020, 02:09:22 PM
An original Benelli super 90
Here is mine in a 12. Bought this brand new in 2002 I believe and had it custom cerekoted for a dedicated turkey gun.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49785772781_6deb53dc7f_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iRp6JM)
Quote from: lunghit on April 17, 2020, 06:57:40 PM
Quote from: Jstocks on April 17, 2020, 02:09:22 PM
An original Benelli super 90
Here is mine in a 12. Bought this brand new in 2002 I believe and had it custom cerekoted for a dedicated turkey gun.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49785772781_6deb53dc7f_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iRp6JM)
Love it!!!
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Quote from: lunghit on April 17, 2020, 06:57:40 PM
Quote from: Jstocks on April 17, 2020, 02:09:22 PM
An original Benelli super 90
Here is mine in a 12. Bought this brand new in 2002 I believe and had it custom cerekoted for a dedicated turkey gun.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49785772781_6deb53dc7f_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iRp6JM)
I have one of these with both stocks regular and pistol grip stocks with 24 inch barrel ..
Another vote for the Franchi Affinity.
You have to hold one and shoulder it to appreciate it.
GunRunner
My two cents... The M2 that my son has, I bought, is not versatile. If you want to hunt with it, you need to change the recoil spring out. If not, you will get the benillie click! When you do, you can't run low a low brass shell through it. It will jam. To me, the gun is not versatile, it's a 1500# one hit wonder. It is pretty to look at.
I own a Winchester SX3 , a Franchi Affinity, and a TriStar Viper G2. I really like them all and none have given me an once of trouble. The Winchester's trigger was stiff but it has broken in nicely. The Franchi is the lightest and cleanest running but for me the distance from the grip to the trigger is too long. The TriStar is new but I've shot it quite a bit getting ready for this season. It has performed flawlessly. If I had to pick only one it would be the SX3. I wish mine was a Longbeard model but it is extremely well made, cycles fast, and fits me well. All three are winners!
Likes others have said you need to check them out in person. I was once dead set on a particular shotgun and went to buy it. While at the shop I saw another brand and asked to see it. I could not believe how much better that gun felt and looked mechanically. I did not buy the one I in came for, I bought the other!
Correct me here if needed
But I've always heard when buying a smaller gauge gun then a 12,,you should make sure the entire gun is proportioned down also. A lot of makers take the same 12ga frame and just put a 20 gauge barrel with a few modifications to receiver. So you have a full size gun with a smaller barrel,,resulting in very little weight advantage but less firepower.
Benelli
Another thing to consider is if the safety is in front of or behind the trigger,. That has always turned me off on Beretta since I have been used to a safety before the trigger all my life.
Benelli, have 2 SBE's, the action is probably one of the smoothest I have seen. Great guns....
As mentioned I would go and handle / mount as many different guns as you can to make your decision. Just because someone likes or uses a certain brand of gun does not mean its the right one for you...
Just my 2 cents...
Great advice, gun should fit well...
Everybody here has pretty much said Benelli or Franchi. When you go to look at guns, make sure you take look at the Mossberg Sa-20(my wife has one I really like it also), Weatherby Sa-08 and the TriStar-Viper/Raptor. They are all very guns and can be bought for around $500...half the price of a Benelli.
I have a benneli sbe two m2s and a nova.i would take my remington 11-87 compact 20ga over any of them.I very recently put it up against some of my buddys guns (2 bennelis a beretta and a browning) .the remington and benneli m2 were very close ( i was able to put a few more shot in the circle 6 out of 10 times ) but not a big difference.the beretta came in last and the browning out shot all of us ( 10 put of 10 shots)i was very suprised anyway my point is just because it cost more ( my 11-87 compact cost 1/2 of my benneli m2)doesn't mean its better get the one that feels the best to you and good luck
Benelli Ultralight.
I would take a look at pawn shops , with this down turn I bet there are a lot of people selling .
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Quote from: camotoe on April 18, 2020, 02:20:45 PM
I would take a look at pawn shops , with this down turn I bet there are a lot of people selling .
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I said the same thing. There will be lots of new unfired guns on the market soon.
Quote from: WV Flopper on April 17, 2020, 10:44:45 PM
My two cents... The M2 that my son has, I bought, is not versatile. If you want to hunt with it, you need to change the recoil spring out. If not, you will get the benillie click! When you do, you can't run low a low brass shell through it. It will jam. To me, the gun is not versatile, it's a 1500# one hit wonder. It is pretty to look at.
That's strange I own three different Benelli's and I have shot thousands of rounds ranging from light target loads to the heaviest magnum turkey loads in varying shell lengths.... and I have never had it jam. I have never changed out the factory recoil springs in any of them. The only time I have seen a Benelli jam was when my buddy over lubricated his. They run best with very light lube.
Quote from: Meatseeker on April 18, 2020, 02:41:15 PM
Quote from: WV Flopper on April 17, 2020, 10:44:45 PM
My two cents... The M2 that my son has, I bought, is not versatile. If you want to hunt with it, you need to change the recoil spring out. If not, you will get the benillie click! When you do, you can't run low a low brass shell through it. It will jam. To me, the gun is not versatile, it's a 1500# one hit wonder. It is pretty to look at.
That's strange I own three different Benelli's and I have shot thousands of rounds ranging from light target loads to the heaviest magnum turkey loads in varying shell lengths.... and I have never had it jam. I have never changed out the factory recoil springs in any of them. The only time I have seen a Benelli jam was when my buddy over lubricated his. They run best with very light lube.
Never had one of my Benelli's jam either. No matter the load.
I'd really like to buy a 20 ga. semi, and go the TSS route for turkey, but for me it has to meet three criteria: camouflaged, screw-in chokes, pistol grip. I see those in 12 ga. (having a pump and semi-auto) but not in 20 ga. I don't want to either have to spray one, nor purchase an aftermarket pistol grip, or both. Perhaps some manufacturer will step forth.
I will agree, the Benelli is the Cadillac here. I didn't see one mention for 5he stoeger 3020, I will give it a nod. I bought one for last season and loved it. I broke it down and polished every metal part, put a sumtoy choke and fastfire 2 on it and can't be happier. I even bought thev12 ga because I liked it so much. For the money, I can't beat this. All good info here, you can't go wrong. Good luck, Al Baker
Quote from: guesswho on April 17, 2020, 11:43:34 AM
I like my Weatherby SA459. But before I bought something I would go and shoulder several different models. You will find "your" gun that way. Good luck.
Picked one up a new one this year in 20 gauge and an Indian Creek choke tube. Shooting Federal TSS #9's throwing a great pattern at 40 yards. Surprised the heck out of my friends shooting their 12 gauges and LB shells!
Might give it a look!
Looks I will be the odd man out. I went to a 20ga for a lighter and shorter gun. I run an 870 youth model and setting up an 11-87 compact 20ga now. I just don't see going to a 20ga then carrying a full length gun in the woods.
I decided to enter the 20 gauge area back in January,my criterion were camo, pistol grip, and a rail to move a red dot. After research decided on the Winchester Longbeard only to find out it was discontinued and no one seemed to have one available. A couple of weeks prior to the start of turkey season decided on the alternative a Weatherby SA-459 only to find they were sold out. Maybe it will happen for next year.
I have an affinity with a ff3 and like it but I will own a Mossberg sa20 before next season. The weight is the same but the Mossberg feels better to me and the barrel is shorter. I just couldn't make myself buy the Mossberg at the time I purchased the franchi for some reason.
Quote from: hootgobbleyelpgobble on April 20, 2020, 10:46:05 AM
Looks I will be the odd man out. I went to a 20ga for a lighter and shorter gun. I run an 870 youth model and setting up an 11-87 compact 20ga now. I just don't see going to a 20ga then carrying a full length gun in the woods.
I went with the 870 youth 20 ga. Also. I love a short barreled gun for everything I hunt. The light weight 20 ga is nice to carry.
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