What benefit is a pump or semi action over an side by side or over under?

J

Jeffhere

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What benefit is a pump action or semi auto or other shotgun with larger magazine capacity than 2 rds when I believe the legal limit for hunting is 2 shells?
 
Hi
Not sure where the legal limit is 2? Before I go farther, what is it you are hunting with that limit.

Migratory game birds (geese and ducks etc) are federally regulated and AFAIK the legal limit in your shotgun is 3 shells in total
1 in the chamber, 2 in the tube mag (or detached mag) but 3 total. Its been a long time since I did that so maybe the rules have changed.

For big game animals (deer, moose, bear) again AFAIK the legal limit is the magazine limit. For example in a British .303 you could have 10 in the mag
For any bolt gun you can have 10. For SA rifles I believe it is 5.
Shotgun limit for big game is the same. The magazine limit.

Again, AB regs for big game could be different, but in ON I can carry my bolt gun with 10.
 
Price. You can purchase a Very good pump for about a quarter of the price of a good sxs or over/under, about half the price of a good mossberg semi for geese. Semi's are heavy. While I love my semi, I wouldn't hunt upland with it, too heavy. Same reason I never liked over/under, too heavy(at least in my price range). I like a sxs for upland. Before I could afford one, pump was my go to, as it is everyone else's.

In AB, it's 3.
 
Not sure where you are hunting, but in Sask you can have one in the pipe and 2 in the tube.

I hunt with a semi-auto, but would actually like to try hunting with a little Browning Citoro over/under.
Should be a lot easier getting in and out of an SUV with an O/U than it currently is with my long and heavy M3500.
 
I have a lightweight o/u at just over 6lbs( Franchi Renaissance) and 2 sxs that are 7lbs (FEG) and 71/4 lbs(Parker) respectively while my semiauto(Beretta a303) is under 71/2 lbs. Semis and pumps have one more shot which for me very rarely a benefit. As mentioned quality sxs and o\u cost more than a good pump and a bit more than a good semiauto . My Franchi and FEG are definitely entry level and budget level respectively but they carry and shoot well for me.
 
The third shot can be a huge benefit for jump shooting ducks. Maybe less so over decoys.

A semi auto can soak up a lot of recoil and is, in my observation and opinion, much easier to "get better at shooting" with than a pump. Experienced shooters can use either adeptly, but to me, a RELIABLE semi is far superior to the casual hunter over a pump.

Its superiorities to the doubles are, as mentioned earlier, price first. Also has the third shell. Also soaks up recoil. Also easier to repair on your own.
 
if your hunting ducks/geese if your budget allows go with a semiauto WAY less recoil which which makes the next shot more accurate and faster then a pump i used a pump for 10+ years once I got my browning maxus Ive never used the 870 again dont get me wrong the 870 will drop ducks/geese all day but slower follow up shots and alot more felt recoil

negative for semi is initial cost and you will at first fire the 3rd shot even if you know its a waste because you can fire 3 so fast
 
Correct ^.

When I was a kid, I hunted a lot of upland with a single shot 20 ga, couldn't beat it for lightweight. I hunted ducks and geese with a single shot, a bolt action 12ga, sxs, o/u, pump, and later in life a semi. The only one I felt limited with was the bolt action with a 2 shot detach mag.
 
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