Has anybody here recently bought a new over/under shotgun for under $700 that he really likes?

[TomTeriffic]

I looked at the new Beretta Silver Pigeon III online. Close to $2,700 retail and it has an unsavory rounded checkering design, not the traditional swallow-tail points. Another thing to my dislike, they stopped spelling out "Silver Pigeon" on the bottom of the receiver in full like they used to. It's now just stamped "SA" as an abbreviation.

I just did some Googling and there are some el-cheapo over/unders out now that don't look half bad in the pictures. For $600 and change, there is the American Tactical Imports Cavalry line with your choice of extractors or ejectors. I don't like to try to catch empty shells that fly out of the chambers or bend down to pick them off the ground if I can help it. Then there is the cheaper Hatfield Field for under $400 which only has extractors which I favor. I've seen them both in videos and they seem decent. According to one YouTube video, the Cavalry 12 ga. is easy on the kick and has a fancier traditional silver receiver with modest engraving coverage. The Hatfield has to be broken open over one's knee according to another YouTube video. I don't know how well the fit and finish or the markings quality is on either gun when inspected up close. If you buy a new over/under for under $700, I figure you got what you bought. It won't be Holland & Holland, Browning Superposed or even Beretta Onyx grade to be certain. Both modest-priced guns seem to have nice, checkered Turkish walnut stocks.

 

[Cheesehead]

The Hatfield should be very good for mountain lion hunting

 

[TomTeriffic]

The Hatfield should be very good for mountain lion hunting

It might even make a swell buffalo, uhm, bison gun in that it has two barrels.

Jumping to shotguns in general, I do have a pre-owned shotgun on my way right now won from an online auction. Not even an over/under but an older Mossberg 500A 12 ga. circa 1980's. 5+1 shot. Checkered wood stock. Blued receiver. Looked sharp in the pictures. Has 28" field barrel with choke tubes, vent rib and white bead. Certainly, a dove hunter. $375 buy-now price. SOLD! to moi. A novice dove hunter (moi again) needs the 12-gauge advantage. Don't know yet if the gun has the required magazine plug. The seller, an FFL, said may have never been fired. Hopefully, this gun won't disappoint when inspected at my local FFL for transfer and test-fired at the range. With a scoped cantilever slug barrel, it will also make a super woods deer gun as well. Not many public lands in Oklahoma allow rifles for deer gun seasons, especially doe/antlerless. Will even make a home defender with a tactical barrel. This blue/wood Mossy has to be the prettiest single-barreled hunting long gun I've ever seen for under $400 if the pictures at GB.com tell no lies. Time will tell. Each and every one of these Mossy 500's is truly one American gun for all seasons with their famous modular swappable barrels and stocks. This is the AR-15 of pump shotguns. You can't even go deer hunting with an over/under.

 

[Mallardsx2]

That guns worth $200. You got ripped off.

 

[rwc101]

My dad killed a few deer with his Ruger Red Label.

 

[RobertD]

Surely you can kill a deer with an over under?

 

[Hem]

I turned my s x s ninety degrees once and killed a pumpkin.

 

[TheTone]

Concerned about the looks at fit and finish on a $2700 Beretta but considering buying a $600 or $400 o/u instead, okay…

 

[jt13]

I know quite a few folks that drive deer in shotgun only areas that prefer over/unders for the ease of loading and unloading as well as having the ability to quickly change between two different size buckshot loads depending on range (#1 buck and #00 buck). ATI, CZ, and Tri-star at a common sight.

As for the Mossberg, I hope it treats you well. However as someone mentioned above, you could've got a better deal. Sportsmans has brand new ones with cantilever rifled slug barrel included for $399.

 

[Desk Pop]

The cheap ones feel like someone nailed a 2x4 to a couple of shotgun barrels. But I am sure that they kill birds every year.

 

[nontyp]

I know quite a few folks that drive deer in shotgun only areas that prefer over/unders for the ease of loading and unloading as well as having the ability to quickly change between two different size buckshot loads depending on range (#1 buck and #00 buck). ATI, CZ, and Tri-star at a common sight.

As for the Mossberg, I hope it treats you well. However as someone mentioned above, you could've got a better deal. Sportsmans has brand new ones with cantilever rifled slug barrel included for $399.

Really, I didn’t know buckshot was actually still legal anywhere. What state do they hunt?

 

[jt13]

Really, I didn’t know buckshot was actually still legal anywhere. What state do they hunt?

New Jersey pinelands and the southeast special regulations area in Pennsylvania.

Fun fact about NJ is that it's actually illegal to use anything but buckshot unless you have adjustable and/or magnified sights

 

[Ben Lamb]

I turned my s x s ninety degrees once and killed a pumpkin.

 

[LuketheDog]

A novice dove hunter (moi again) needs the 12-gauge advantage.

I shot them with a Winchester model 42 .410 with a full choke for years before I got a 12ga. Maybe you should just spend some time at the clay range before you shoot at animals.

 

[SFC B]

In the price range you mentioned my favorite of what we carry at the shop are the CZ Drakes. I have found them to be nice shooting guns and comfortable for me.

 

[np307]

Really, I didn’t know buckshot was actually still legal anywhere. What state do they hunt?

I no joke didn't know buckshot wasnt legal in some places. People still run deer with dogs down east here. And there's plenty of places I hunt that I could swap my rifle for a shotgun with buckshot and not have any reduction in effective range because the brush itself limits your range to 30-40 yards.

 

[MarvB]

I turned my s x s ninety degrees once and killed a pumpkin.

You’s a gangsta boi!

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I thought doves were easy pickings with pellet guns? 12 gauge advantage?

 

[Rzrbck918]

I thought doves were easy pickings with pellet guns? 12 gauge advantage?

They are when you shoot them off power lines.

 

[MarvB]

Little do they know…