My first shotgun

Look into a used Citori or new Beretta Outlander. I personally don’t have either but they are very popular guns amongst the sporting and hunting crowd. I have a couple Weatherby’s which fit me well plus an 870 in 20ga. The post below is a good lead. Something reliable that fits.
 
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Anything that fits (feels good enough when you point the gun) that has interchangeable chokes for ease of use with steel shot, which you require for ducks.

I too recommend trying to find something used as warranty claiming in Canada is a nightmare anyways so best to just save a few.

Maybe something from a well known maker Beretta, Browning, Benelli, Remington, Mossberg, etc. Action and model dependent on your budget of course.

12ga is best for cost of shells and wide range of both guns and shells, and perhaps best for a turkey, but 20ga is still great if the 12 is too much for you starting off.
 
My first shotgun was a Cooey single shot...20 gauge full choke... never hit anything with it...

Then I bought a Remington 870 16 gauge modified choke ... and soon was making doubles on Hungarian Partridge. It fit me well.
 
If you looking for an auto that wouldn't break the budget the Mossberg 940 is my choice, multi choke and comes with shims and spacers to get it so it fits really good.
Or a pump like the Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 are also good choices.
Let us know what you choice was. Always interesting to know.
 
marcdegannes said:
Hey any recommendations for my first shotgun? I’m interested in shooting trap, grouse, turkey and ducks.
Thanks
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Any shotgun can be used for all of these pursuits. However, no individual model is best for all of them. Shooters who are serious about any one of them would have a specific shotgun optimized for the specific purpose.

Trap guns are typically low profile 12 ga U/Os with long barrels (30”+),

Grouse guns favour sub-gauge side-by-sides,

Turkey hunters are more flexible about the action type, but virtually always want a camo finish,

And, waterfowl hunting requires steel shot compatibility.

These are generalisations, of course. But, ancient relics such as I would likely have at least 4 shotguns for such divergent purposes, each with characteristics optimised for the purpose. Many of the suggestions and advice given above are good “all purpose” options but none are best for 2 or more purposes.

If I were you, I’d rank those purposes from that which you are most likely to do the most, down to that which you will likely do the least. Then, look at the first two pursuits in the ranking. If the gun you select is at least better than average suited to the pursuit, you are more likely to experience success and more likely to become enthusiastic about other shotgun sports.

As others have said, fit is important. If you get it wrong, don’t sweat - there’s an active used market at your disposal so you can almost always sell at little to no loss and buy something else.

If you enjoy the outdoors and shooting, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if you weren’t buying your second shotgun before you know it.
 
straightshooter said:
Any shotgun can be used for all of these pursuits. However, no individual model is best for all of them. Shooters who are serious about any one of them would have a specific shotgun optimized for the specific purpose.

Trap guns are typically low profile 12 ga U/Os with long barrels (30”+),

Grouse guns favour sub-gauge side-by-sides,

Turkey hunters are more flexible about the action type, but virtually always want a camo finish,

And, waterfowl hunting requires steel shot compatibility.

These are generalisations, of course. But, ancient relics such as I would likely have at least 4 shotguns for such divergent purposes, each with characteristics optimised for the purpose. Many of the suggestions and advice given above are good “all purpose” options but none are best for 2 or more purposes.

If I were you, I’d rank those purposes from that which you are most likely to do the most, down to that which you will likely do the least. Then, look at the first two pursuits in the ranking. If the gun you select is at least better than average suited to the pursuit, you are more likely to experience success and more likely to become enthusiastic about other shotgun sports.

As others have said, fit is important. If you get it wrong, don’t sweat - there’s an active used market at your disposal so you can almost always sell at little to no loss and buy something else.

If you enjoy the outdoors and shooting, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if you weren’t buying your second shotgun before you know it.
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Thank you so much for this advice👌Well noted and will do
 
The truth is, that a trap gun, would be a poor choice for grouse, as trap guns are heavy, have long barrels and wouldn't be fun to carry for hours, or to swing in typical grouse cover. So to make one shotgun work for all applications, requires a compromise. In my opinion, and it is only an opinion, based on over 50 years of wingshooting, both birds and clays, the best compromise, would be a gas operated semi auto, with a 28" barrel. This choice is a gun light enough to carry, short enough to swing in cover, able to handle any waterfowl or target load, and the recoil will be tolerable to shoot hundreds of rounds at a session, for trap. Myself, I use an English stocked SxS for upland birds, a semi auto for waterfowl, and an O/U for clays, but if I had to use one shotgun for all three purposes, my gas operated semi auto, would be the best compromise.
 
The_Gun_Boy said:
Anything that fits (feels good enough when you point the gun) that has interchangeable chokes for ease of use with steel shot, which you require for ducks.

I too recommend trying to find something used as warranty claiming in Canada is a nightmare anyways so best to just save a few.

Maybe something from a well known maker Beretta, Browning, Benelli, Remington, Mossberg, etc. Action and model dependent on your budget of course.

12ga is best for cost of shells and wide range of both guns and shells, and perhaps best for a turkey, but 20ga is still great if the 12 is too much for you starting off.
Click to expand...
Thanks a mil
 
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