If you could buy three shotguns for hunting, what models and calibers would you choose?

Pretty sure you should own at minimum a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge and at least one .410. Then you should have at least one in over under, one in a pump gun and one in a semi auto...Keep in mind that's just the minimum. (so likely you need about 8 to 10)
 
1 - 20ga side by side upland - Turkish like Churchill, Yildiz, Huglu(new) , second hand old guns if you find a good deal.
2 - 12 ga semi auto waterfowl \ upland Winchester sx4 or browning silver, Benelli montefeltro
3 - 20ga or 12 ga barrel shotgun as a backup
 
My 3 "hunting" shotguns are:
  1. Winchester Model 37A in 28 Ga for upland birds and snowshoe hares (truck/UTV gun) - has seen the most use!
  2. Benelli Ethos in 28 Ga for upland birds
  3. LH Remington 1100 in 20 Ga for waterfowl
My "camp/bearwatch" shotgun is:
  1. LH Remington 870 12 Ga Slug Gun w/ rifle sights
 
Well for 3 shotguns I would have to go with:
10 gauge Browning Gold because there is nothing like a 10.
12 gauge semi auto 3 1/2”/3”/2 3/4” because you never know what ammo is on sale. This is the do it all gun. I’d say this one would be a Remington Versamax/Win SX4/ Weatherby 18i.
12 gauge short pump action (or a 2 barrel set) rem 870 would be the ticket here. This is for wilderness/camp gun.
If you like swap option 2 with a nice light weight 28 gauge in a pump or semi for upland and clays.
 
DOUGLAS D said:
Pretty sure you should own at minimum a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge and at least one .410. Then you should have at least one in over under, one in a pump gun and one in a semi auto...Keep in mind that's just the minimum. (so likely you need about 8 to 10)
Click to expand...
I’ve never wanted or needed anything other than 12g, .410 is cool in theory but there’s nothing it does better than a 12g. Great for kids but ammo availability and cost is not so great at the moment.
 
My favorite 3 right now are a 16 ga AYA #2 round body twin trigger straight grip for later season upland and bigger birds choked IC and Mod. For early season upland I like the 20 ga version of the same gun.

And my foul weather and backup shotgun that I use a lot is a 1935 Winchester Model 12 pump in 20 ga. It has a solid rib and is choked modified that measures just .009” of constriction. Stocked with a straight grip stock that carries really well. Could live with it as my only shotgun. Even take it along archery black bear hunting with some slugs in case of a follow up in very tight cover where the bow is about useless.
 
A semi auto 12 gauge for waterfowl, and a 20 gauge SxS or O/U for upland easily covers all hunting requirements. I personally have two 12 gauge semi autos, an SX-3, and a Maxus, and two Grulla SxS shotguns, one in 28 gauge, another in 16 gauge.
 
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