A bit above your price range for the basic model, but I love my Winchester SX3. I bought it after noticing how much better my friend's SXP fit me than my own 870, and since I always wanted a semi, it was a natural choice. It has not let me down, and will cycle light target loads and heavy game loads just as easily. It's the 3" model, not the 3.5" because 3.5" would've been overkill for my purposes.
By most accounts, the Mossberg 930 is also a great shotgun for its price.