Best Duck Hunting Shotguns for Every Budget

Having the right waterfowl shotgun is easily the most important piece of gear to focus on when going duck hunting. If you’re just getting started or are looking to upgrade your gun, this article will cover everything you need to know to make an informed decision on purchasing the best ducking hunting shotgun for your budget.

We’ll also be reviewing:

• The Best Gauges For Duck Hunting
• Pros and Cons of Each Action
• Best Barrel Length for Duck Hunting
• Choke Tube Considerations
• Other Desirable Features in a Duck Gun
• Best Shotguns Under $600
• Best Shotguns Under $1000
• Best Shotguns Under $1800

Best Gauges for Duck Hunting

12 Gauge and 20 Gauge shotguns are the most popular duck hunting guns because they have enough power to take down just about any bird out there. While the vast majority of duck hunters own a 12 gauge, 20 gauges have been growing in popularity over the years as new ammo technology increases the performance of each round.

12 Gauge

Easily the most universal gauge, the 12 gauge shotgun can be used for pretty much any waterfowl bird out there. If you only had enough money to buy one shotgun, we’d recommend a 12 gauge as it can be used to hunt a wide variety of species in addition to waterfowl including rabbits, turkeys, deer, pheasants, dove, squirrel, and many others. Most states only allow deer hunting with shotguns now.

12 gauge ammunition is also one of the most universally available ammunitions. You can walk into just about any place that sells ammo and they’re going to have 12 gauge ammo. 12 Gauge ammo also has a wide variety of loads, leading to its range in applications. You can shoot anything from 2 ¾ shells (in many cases) to a 3 ½ inch magnum.

That said, if you’re only hunting waterfowl, a 20 gauge will work in the majority of situations.

20 Gauge

Quickly growing in popularity, and with modern advances in ammunition, the 20 gauge can accomplish similar patterns and knock-down power as the larger 12 gauge with less recoil. Less recoil typically leads to more accurate and consistent follow-up shots which means more limits and duck poppers on the grill (and the added bonus of showing up your friends by out-shooting them with their magnum 3 ½” 12 Gauge loads).

Ammo and choke technology has had some significant advancements over the last couple of decades leading to faster bullets with better patterning making the 20 gauge a worthy choice for your next duck hunting outing.

16, 28, .410 Gauges

Some duck hunters do use the above gauges but these are overall less common guns and because of this it makes getting good ammo a little more difficult. While you can hunt with a 16, 28, or .410 gauge we’d recommend sticking to a 12 or 20 gauge on your first duck hinting gun gun as they have a wider range of applications. These less popular gauges also typically have more expensive ammo.

Once you know what gauge you’d like to hunt with, you next need to consider what action you’d like.

Most Popular Actions for Duck Hunting

Semi-Auto shotguns are currently the most popular waterfowl hunting shotguns on the market. We’ve seen a big shift over the last 20 years from pump actions being more popular to semi-autos being the gun of choice. This shift happened for a couple of key reasons:

• The technology for semi-autos has become more reliable making the action more popular to bring in the field. In the “old days” pumps did better in harsh conditions which was part of the reason they were more popular but as semi-autos became more reliable, more people upgraded to a semi-auto.


• The cost has come way down. The price difference between a pump-action and semi-auto has become so close that in many situations, it’s only an additional $50 to get a semi-auto.

While it may seem like you can’t go duck hunting without a semi-auto shotgun, any of the main actions will work for shooting waterfowl. We’ll cover some of the main features of each action below.

Semi-Auto Shotguns

Semi-auto shotguns typically work in one of two ways.

Gas Operated

After the shell is ignited by the primer, the shell opens up and the wad moves out of the barrel with the shot. Small holes in the barrel bleed gasses for the ignition of the gun powder. These gases start a mechanical process to open the bolt and eject the spent cartridge after the pressures have fallen to a safe level. Springs then push the bolt back forward loading another round into the chamber ready for the next shot. They almost always have less recoil but tend to need cleaning more. The gases leave powder residue on the system after every shot.

When 3 ½” shotguns first became popular in the late 90’s, many manufacturers had fits trying to make a gas gun that would shoulder the smallest 2 ¾” loads up to the toughest 3 ½” magnum loads without changing something under the forearm. Any duck hunting gun that Mack's PW sells can pretty much handle anything of decent quality for ammunition. No modifications required.

Recoil/Inertia Operated

The first mass-produced recoil-operated shotguns back in the early 1900s, designed by John Browning, used brake systems under the forearm and the barrels would actually move back into the action. Heavy springs would stop as the pressures fell to a safe level. They used springs in the stock to chamber the next round. These guns were pretty heavy and had to have modifications made for various types of ammunition.

The Benelli Inertia Driven system was invented in 1967. It became wildly popular in the late 90s when 3 ½” ammunition came out. They were one of the first on the scene and there are still original Benelli Super Black Eagle (SBE) shotguns in duck blinds today. The new duck hunting guns we sell almost all use a variation of the Inertia System. Inertia guns are mostly lighter and require less maintenance because they do not let burnt powder into the system like gas guns. They do however have more recoil than gas guns for the most part.

Semi-Autos are easily the most popular action as you can effortlessly and quickly fire three rounds increasing your chances of more accurate follow-up shots. Semi-autos are also popular due to the reduced recoil from the reloading systems. Pump and Over/Under shotguns have no place for the recoil to go but right into your shoulder.

The only real downside to modern-day semi-autos is that they need to be cleaned more often to function smoothly (particularly for gas powered semi-autos). There is a small percentage of people that still think pump-action and Over/Under shotguns are more reliable. The gap on reliability is pretty small and for waterfowl purposes, we think the pros of a semi-auto outweigh the cons.

Pump Action

Pump actions, as the name implies, are reloaded by the manual process of pumping back the forearm to eject the spent shell and loading a new one. Pump actions are great if you’re looking for less moving parts or you’re hunting in particularly cold and dirty environments.

There is a percentage of guides that still hold dearly to their old Remington 870 Special Purpose shotguns. They spend a lot of time in boats retrieving birds, moving decoys and other activities that bring them closer to the water. In sub-zero temps the old 870 could still have an advantage. Some people also may prefer a pump action over a semi-auto due to price but nowadays that price gap is so small that we find fewer and fewer hunters are going with this option.

Over/Under

One of the main arguments for using an Over/Under shotgun for duck hunting is the ability to add two different choke tubes. In theory, most people shoot the bottom barrel first. They say that the bottom barrel has a better mechanical advantage and the gun will have a longer life. Good luck wearing one out, they are tough.

If you watch Olympic shooters you’ll see many of them shooting custom Over/Unders (which are typically priced in the $15K-$20K range) because they’re incredibly reliable. There are significantly less moving parts which leads to less failure. While an Olympic style Over/Under would be a great duck hunting gun, the benefits of less moving parts don't really outweigh the benefit of being able to quickly let out 3 shots from a pump action or semi-auto shotgun.

There are a few models of Over/Under that have adapted to the modern trends in waterfowl shotguns. They have synthetic stocks that are resistant to water and many are dipped in camo or cerakoted now.

Barrel Length

Back in the 50s and 60s it used to be the case that a longer barrel meant a tighter grouping. They did not have screw-in chokes back then. You had to buy another barrel to get a different pattern.

The advancement of screw-in choke tubes has made barrel length less relevant than it was back in the 60s. Choke tube technology advancement paired with faster burning powders and ammo technology make it so that the majority of burn off happens within the first 18-20 inches. This makes barrel length at this point, less about grouping and accuracy and more about swing and maneuverability.

That said, there still is an argument to be made on increased accuracy coming from a longer plane of sight. A longer plane of sight tends to make ones’ shooting more accurate. E.g. iron sights on a pistol vs a rifle. A rifle is going to be much easier to be accurate with. Longer barrel means more overall gun weight and more weight towards the front of center which helps some shooters swing/follow through their shot more.

Shorter barrel lengths of 18 to 24 inches are great if you’re doing mostly 3 Gun Competitions or turkey hunting as you can maneuver faster with a shorter gun. But your buddies probably won't appreciate you ringing their eardrums in the duck pit with your short barrel. Good way to not get invited back.

So what barrel length is ideal?

It really depends on the variety of game you’ll be hunting with your shotgun but a 26 inch barrel is a good compromise between duck and turkey hunting. We’ve also been seeing some 30 inch barrels come back as hunters look for a longer plane of sight and a higher front of center weight balance. The 28 inch and 30 inch barrels are safer in pit hunting situations.

Choke Tube Considerations

Around 90% of the guns on the market (above $400) that are designed specifically for duck hunting come with all of the chokes you’d need to get started. These will come with:

• Improved Cylinder Choke (For skeet, rabbit, dove, and ducks in timber)
• Modified Choke (Ducks over water and Geese)
• Full Choke (Most factory full chokes are not rated for steel shot. You can shoot lead)

While the choke tube is typically one of the first improvements a duck hunter will look to make on their gun, it isn’t always necessary. That said, just look at the specs and details on the specific shotgun you intend on purchasing to see what chokes they come with. In many cases, you won’t need to purchase one right away and can successfully hunt ducks with the provided chokes.

Triggers

Duck hunting guns don’t have near the number of options for customization as a rifle and for good reason. With moving targets, frequent group hunts, and a wet and often cold environment, most duck hunting guns have a 10-12 pound trigger. Sometimes you’ll see some after factory triggers that have been polished to make the pull a bit smoother and reduce friction but this is mostly unnecessary and infrequent for waterfowl hunting.

Overall, don’t worry too much about trigger weight.

Stocks and Finishes

Most of the waterfowl guns on the market have transitioned from a wood stock to synthetic as synthetics don’t swell and wood has gotten more expensive. Synthetic stocks are hard to go wrong with and will last a really long time.

Shotgun Coatings

Shotguns typically have one of the following coatings:

Blued

In the old day this was it. A black oxide coating that provided minimal protection against rust. Not a good option for hunting around water or the coastal salt marshes.

Camouflage Dippings

Camouflage dippings were next on the scene and have developed over the years to be tough. It is a semi-transparent film that is adhered to metal or plastic after the gun has been brought down to bare metal and primered to the desired background color of the film. Then a clear coat is applied. It seems to do better with plastic and is common to see Cerakote on the metal and dip on the stock and forearm.

Cerakote Coatings

If you’re willing to pay a little extra, a ceramic coating will protect your duck hunting shotgun for years to come. Ceramic coatings are a tough bake on finish that is applied to the bare metal and baked on. It is similar to powder coating but much thinner. Originally this process was used on long-range hunting rifles. Now, many manufacturers are adapting superior coating to their shotguns. Benelli now has a similar Anodized BE.S.T. coating on their new Black guns. Ceramic coatings are great for the wet and cold environment that typically accompanies duck hunting. Do yourself a favor and get a gun with Cerakote or a Camouflage dip.

Best Duck Hunting Shotguns

Like many other pieces of gear in the hunting industry, duck hunting shotguns typically fall into three categories based on price and features.

• $400 - $600
• $800 - $1,000
• $1,500 - $1,800

Most duck hunting guns under $400 don’t work well out of the box. They can certainly get you through a season of hunting but you may find yourself purchasing a gun next year. Cheaper guns also tend to eject shells less reliably and you may end up having to manually do a lot of things your gun should do automatically.

Simply put, there are many guns Mack's PW doesn’t carry because they can’t reliably get the job done. By investing in a quality gun up-front, you’ll have a great waterfowl gun for many seasons to come.

Best Duck Hunting Guns Between $500-$600

Winchester SXP

The Winchester XSP is a great reliable pump shotgun. Predecessor of the model 1300, the SXP is the next generation with upgraded choke tubes and general durability improvements to make it hold up in harsher conditions.

Coming in at 6.875 lbs, the SXP has out of the box swing sivels, interchangeable choke tubes, a TruGlo fiber optic front and a number of other features that make this a great choice for pump shotgun lovers. Chambered at 3.5 inches, this gun gives an incredible amount of versatility allowing you to hunt any bird out there and allows you to choose from a wide range of ammunition.

This is about as cheap as it gets with all the necessary features.

Stoeger M3000 (Semi - Auto)

Backed by a 5 year warranty, the Stoeger 3000 is a great, reliable, low-cost option if you’re looking to get into a semi-auto duck hunting shotgun. Stoeger is a sub-brand of Benelli, which means if you have any issues with the gun you can send it back to Benelli and they’ll take care of it for you. The M3000 utilizes similar technology as Benelli’s original patented inertia system. While not identical, it offers similar functionality at a discount.

If you wanted to go duck hunting a couple of times a year, this would be a great option for you. It may not hold up to shooting cases and cases of ammo a year but this gun would last a beginner a very long time until they decided to upgrade. That said, there isn’t a whole lot to upgrade considering this gun has some pretty incredible out of the box features.

Chambered at 3 inches, the M3000 comes with the 3 standard chokes, drop shims, fiberoptic sights, swing swivels, and it’s drilled and tapped if you ever wanted to drop a sight on it for turkey hunting.

Best Duck Hunting Guns Between $900 - $1,000

Winchester SX4

The SX4 comes from a long line of excellent waterfowl hunting guns starting back at the Super X1 back in 1973 which was, at the time, one of the best built gas autoloaders you could buy. Since then, it has only gotten better.

The SX4 is one of the fastest reloading guns on the market and comes with some incredible out of the box features including adjustable length of pull, 3 chokes, fiber optic sights, and finished in Mossy Oak Bottomland and other popular camo patterns. Winchester has made this gun lighter (7lbs) and less expensive than the previous generations which gave us pause at first but after two seasons of solid use, this gun has held up really well.

The Franchi Affinity 3.5

Franchi guns are a step between a Stoeger and Benelli. It’s not quite as top of the line as a Benelli but given that it’s made in the Benelli factory, it has all the quality controls that Benellis get.

With a remarkable 7 year warranty, the Affinity 3.5 has all the bells and whistles you’d expect for a gun in this price tier. Powered by an inertia driven reloading system, the Affinity 3.5 may have a bit more kick than a gas powered semi-auto but it’s noticeably smoother than some of the other inertia guns on the market.

Stoeger M3500

Taking inspiration from race guns, the Stoeger M3500 is built for speed and performance. Bigger bolt handles and big shell latches make for easy operation with gloved hands and the (gap) makes for incredibly quick reloading.

The M3500 comes with 5 extended chokes out of the box in addition to all the other features you’d come to expect out of Stoeger. The M3500 can handle a wide range of loads from 2 ¾ to 3 ½ inch magnums which make it a versatile hunting shotgun that allows you to target a variety of different animals.

Best Duck Hunting Guns Between $1,600 - $1,800

Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 (SBE3)

This is the gun you buy for the rest of your life. Or if you're going duck hunting with your father-in-law for the first time and want to impress him.

Backed by a 10 year warranty, the Super Black Eagle 3 has been improved upon from the original SBE from the 90s to create a more reliable and lighter weight gun. This is an all-around attractive gun with open trigger guards for gloved hands, ceramic coating for longevity, five extended choke tubes, variable-length pads, and a unique compression system in the stock that helps reduce recoil.

You could probably shoot 4-6 cases out of this gun for 15 years and not run into any issues. If the SBE3 in your budget, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus

Introduced in 2002 by Beretta, the Xtrema was designed to shoot the heaviest steel loads repeatedly and continuously with four separate features designed specifically to minimize felt recoil.

Drawing heavily from the competition world, the A400 Xtreme Plus barrel features a step rib with an integral mid-bead and fiber optic front bead in order to ensure the proper fit and sight picture for all conditions. Further enhancing the A400 Xtreme Plus is the addition of an extended charging handle and bolt release from the factory to allow for easier manipulation during the coldest and rainiest days, as well as an enlarged loading port to allow for easier loading in adverse conditions.

Top all that off with enlarged features for gloved hands and 5 out of the box extended Black Edition chokes, you simply cannot go wrong with this gun.

The Browning A5 Wicked Wing pays homage to the original autoloader created by John M. Browning back in 1898. Backed by a 100,000 round or 5 year warranty the A5 incorporates classic design with modern features hunters have come to expect from a duck hunting shotgun.

With the all-new Kinematic Drive System, the A5 is one of the most reliable, fastest cycling, best balanced and softest shooting recoil-operated autoloader on the planet.