Best Waterfowl Shotguns
for Duck Hunting
There are many outdoor hunting adventures, but few match the excitement of duck hunting. Finding the best shotgun for duck hunting is one part of the process. Sitting in an ice cold blind in the pre-dawn darkness, waiting for that first pink glow from the east to highlight the decoys you deployed a little while earlier by headlamps, then watching as the first few flying scouts check out your handiwork is the other.
The thrill comes when that first flock of mallards, buffleheads, or pintails breaks wing and drops onto the water. When that moment arrives, you want a reliable shotgun that can deliver quick, accurate shots in a split second, since that’s all you’ll have.
When hunters talk about waterfowl shotguns, they’re talking about four distinct types of guns, the single-shot, the double-barrel (either side-by-side, or preferably an over-under), the pump, and the semi-automatic. There is a fifth type, the lever action shotgun, but it has never caught on in terms of popularity with the four primary types.
We’ll break down the benefits and the detriments (if any) of these four types of shotguns, and we’ll provide a review of the best ones on the market, including the Remington 870 Express, the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, and the Winchester Super X4.
The Four Types of Shotguns for Duck Hunting
If your only experience in waterfowl hunting is watching it on TV, you probably think that all duck hunters use semi-automatic 12-gauge shotguns exclusively. That’s not quite the case, and for youngsters just getting into the sport, or novices trying it out for the first time, a semi-automatic might not be the best choice at all. The single-shot has a prominent role in teaching beginners how to shoot, purists remain hooked on the over-under, and veteran hunters always have a pump at the ready.
Quick Glance at Four Types of Shotguns
| Type | Purpose | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Shot | Training | Inexpensive, simple to use, focus on accuracy | One shot |
| Over/Under | Nostalgia | Classic, balance | Less accurate with lower barrel |
| Pump | Reliability | Durability, able to shoot different power shell | N/A |
| Semi-Auto | Speed | Power, rate of fire | Most jam prone |
Single Shot Shotguns – Start with the Basics
The single shot shotgun appeared in the late 19th century, as the first alternative to muzzle loaded smoothbore guns. A single-shot is the perfect choice for a youngster to learn the basics of hunting and shooting.
The single shot teaches control, targeting and improves accuracy. You only get one shot, so you learn quickly to make it count. I started with a pair of single-shot shotguns, one inherited, and one gifted to me.
The 20-gauge Harrington Richardson was my grandfather’s shotgun. Born in 1912, he bought the gun second hand in the late 1920s and proceeded to take ducks, pheasants, rabbits, raccoons, and deer over the intervening half-century in his Arkansas backwoods. The 12-gauge Iver Johnson, with a 36-inch barrel, was given to me by Dick Holt, my dad’s cousin in 1970.
The Harrington Richardson is a memento, a family heirloom, but I still hunt geese with the “Long Tom” as we call the Iver. With the longer barrel and full choke, it can reach out and touch ducks and geese a long way away.
Over/Under – The Classic
The classic lines, the mix of nostalgia and accuracy, and the overall ambiance of the over-under style shotgun are hard to beat. Once relegated to upland game bird hunting, the over-under is moving into the waterfowl world in newly released models.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service outlawed lead shot for waterfowl hunting in 1986. Whether the new steel shot damaged traditional over-under shotgun barrels or not is still subject to debate, but many hunters sidelined their double-barreled duck guns, and just used them with lead shot that was, and still is, legal for upland game birds. The switch took the over-under off the waterways, but recently a resurgence has taken place.
The balance and easy targeting swing of an over-under shotgun are hard to beat. You still see a lot of them at sporting clay contests where accuracy is the only factor. Detractors might claim the accuracy suffers when firing the lower barrel, but practice takes care of that issue.
The progression from a single shot to a double-barreled shotgun might seem natural, but it usually isn’t. Most youthful hunters switch to a pump, or semi-automatic shotgun when they move to a new platform.
The Venerable Pump Shotgun
Many people attribute the invention of the pump action shotgun to John Browning, but it was another early innovator that put the gun on the market first. Christopher Spencer, famous for the lever action rifle used by the Union Army that you “loaded on Sunday and shot all week” patented a 12-gauge pump in 1882.
No matter the lineage, the pump shotgun remains the gun of choice for many duck hunting enthusiasts. You get the same three shots as a semi-automatic, at a slightly lower rate of fire, but it rarely jams, works with any power ammunition and is easier to clean while handling extremes of cold, rain, and snow better than a semi-automatic. It retains a bit of the single-shot mindset in focusing on accuracy as well.
The Semi-Automatic
This is the gun of choice for most modern duck hunters. It’s widely advertised, widely praised and improvements in mechanics since it was first invented by John Browning in 1903. The venerable shotgun was the top selling automatic for almost a century, finally being pulled from production in 1997.
There is no arguing with the effectiveness of the semi-automatic platform. Critics blamed the arrival of the semi-automatic for the decimation of bird populations across the United States. There was a substantial reduction in duck populations along the East Coast, resulting in President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order in 1936 limiting the magazine capacity of repeating shotguns to just two shells in the magazine and one in the chamber. We live with those limitations today on every migratory bird except snow geese, where there is no chamber limit.
The semi-automatic is fast, just a trigger pull sends a shell case flying with another ready for immediate action, they are more reliable in the modern era with fewer jams and work better with a wider variety of ammunition.
A semi-automatic to function at peak performance should be broken in, while the other three styles of shotguns are ready to hunt right out of the box.
Best Duck Hunting Shotguns
With all the information already presented the attributes and challenges of the four different styles of shotguns, it’s time to take a look at the best choices for you on the market.
Beretta A400
The comments from hunters using this shotgun say it all. “Great gun”,” Quality and availability”, “Lightweight, high performance, and versatile.” Yes, if you buy one you’ll love this quality crafted, highly efficient shotgun with the classic lines.
The Beretta line of shotguns had bad reviews early in production. The shotgun was jamming with lower quality, lower powered 12-gauge shells when it was first introduced, and required high powered “high brass” style shells to work efficiently. It turned out to be a problem with spring tension, that Beretta engineers resolved, and now it is the top gun, albeit at a top price for duck hunters worldwide.
The A400 is the pinnacle of semi-automatic shotgun technology. Weighing in at just 6.7 pounds, with an Optima-Bore HP C&M&F full choke this is a quick gun. The 28-inch barrel provides ample range and accuracy for long shots, and it’s chambered for three-inch shells.
At an overall length of 48.75 inches, and arrived with a bronze receiver, and blued barrel, this is an attractive shotgun. The only caveat for this classic is it is only available in a right-handed configuration.
Remington 870 FieldMaster
I’m going to admit to a biased view on this shotgun, but a bias shared by many advocates of pump-action 12-gauge shotguns. The 870 is “the shotgun” in my opinion. I grew up on my dad’s early 1950s vintage 20-gauge 870, the one with the circular grooved grip, and picked up one of my own at a Coast to Coast Store in tiny Lusk, Wyoming in 1980.
I love this shotgun. Mine only chambers 2 ¾” shells but the modern FieldMaster is built for the larger three-inch 12-gauge shells. With an overall length of 46.5 inches, and a 26” barrel this is a fast action shotgun, that in the hands of a skilled shooter is nearly as quick as a semi-automatic.
The ventilated rib on the new model is a standard feature and aids in greater accuracy whether jump shooting or hunting over decoys.
Made of dark walnut with a satin black carbon steel finish, this shotgun is a classic. I’ve hunted ducks, geese, and upland game birds with it in temperatures from 30 below zero to 95 above, and never had an issue. Mine has been impervious to rain, snow, ice and just about every form of moisture Mother Nature can throw at you. Best of all, the 870 is one of the most reasonably priced shotguns on the market.
Stoeger Condor Field Over and Under
There is something magical about the lines of a well built over-and-under shotgun. The Stoeger Condor is a gun that catches the eye. Available in both 12 and 20-gauge, this classic remains one of the most popular double-barreled guns on the market and it won’t break the bank with its very reasonable price.
You may not shoot better with an over-and-under shotgun, but you’ll think you shoot better, that’s the catch with this growingly popular platform. It’s a bit of “Back to the Future” in action with this shotgun as the enthusiasm for upland game bird hunting that began in the 1950s has extended to waterfowl.
The two gauges are very similar aside from a couple of metrics. They both chamber three-inch shells, and they both have a blued steel finish set in A-grade satin walnut. This color combination really catches the eye. The principal differences are the 12-gauge has a barrel length of 28 inches while the 20-gauge is 26. The 12-gauge is a bit heavier at 7.4 pounds versus just 6.8 for the 20. Overall length has the 20-gauge at 42 inches, and the 12 at 44. The short length of the Stoeger over-and-under shotguns makes a very quick shotgun when tracking green-winged teal, screaming in like Imperial Fleet tie-fighters at over 60 miles per hour.
Stevens 301
Some might consider this a little bit off the rails, but a single-shot shotgun remains the best tool for teaching hunting skills, hunter safety, and shooting techniques to the next generation. Starting young people in the sport is the best way to preserve it against the loud voices of the anti-hunting community.
The Stevens 301 isn’t a powerhouse, available in .410 gauge, it is a lightweight gun at 5.07 pounds. With a 26-inch barrel, and chambered for three-inch shells, this is the shotgun to start a youngster with just after completing their Hunter Safety course.
Finished in black, with a Mossy Oak Obsession designed stock pattern, and an extra-full choke, a young hunter targeting a duck at the same range as the adults with a 12-gauge has a fighting chance to drop the bird with their single shot.
The overall length is only 41.5 inches, providing great balance for smaller hunters, and as a single shot, it doesn’t matter if you’re right or left-handed, the configuration is identical.
Winchester SX4 Waterfowl Hunter Realtree Max-5
Not every duck hunter is built like an Ohio State Buckeye defensive tackle. A growing number of women are discovering the fun and excitement of duck hunting, and this Winchester SX4 in 20-gauge is the perfect shotgun for smaller framed women.
The features are packed into this shotgun, with a slightly higher price than some models, but still on the very reasonable side of the ledger.
Chambered for three-inch shells with a barrel length of 28 inches this is an accurate shotgun. The fast gas powered semi-automatic represents the height of Winchester technology. A Realtree Max pattern on the stock and barrel makes it nearly invisible when hunting in grass, cattails, or broken willows.
The 49-inch lengths, and 6.75-pound weight make it easy to handle for a smaller hunter, and the built in Inflex technology recoil pad makes it a joy to shoot, without worrying about shooters’ flinch from a hard kicking recoil.
It comes with full, modified, and improved cylinder chokes so you can set your shot pattern appropriately depending on the type of duck hunting you’re going to try.
Benelli Ethos
Quality performance, a design bordering on artwork, and a price that matches the features are what you’ll bind in this Benelli 12-gauge shotgun.
The engraved nickel played receiver and blued barrel make this shotgun almost a work of art. The light 6.5-pound weight may be a bit light for someone who can’t handle the recoil of a fast action semi-automatic, but if you can, this gun will track and target ducks.
The 28-inch barrel chambered for three-inch shells, and a complete range of chokes make this a versatile shotgun for many uses. Chokes for cylinder, improved cylinder, modified, improved modified, and full are all standard on the Ethos.
At 49.5 inches, it’s on the long side, but with the appropriate choke, it has tremendous range, and the rate of fire is as good as it gets in waterfowl hunting.
Browning A5
We’re going to tip our hat toward a couple of innovations that were instrumental in the modern era of duck hunting. John Browning started the semi-automatic trend in duck hunting over a century ago, and the A5 is the latest model in a long line of well respected, highly functional semi-automatic shotguns. The fact that this version of the A5 is only available in 16-gauge is just a little more frosting on the cake.
The world of duck hunting is dominated by the 12 and 20-gauge varieties of shotguns, but the venerable 16-gauge remains a viable alternative, that can set you apart while out in the duck blind or while stalking and jumping ducks along irrigation ditches or in small streams.
The A5 weighs just 5.75 pounds, is just 47 ¼ inches long but sports a 28-inch barrel and is chambered for three-inch shells.
The tan stock with a high gloss maple finish blends in well with most wilted fall foliage while remaining attractive in the gun cabinet.
The A5 arrives with full, modified, and improved cylinders. The 16-gauge option is a great one for many shooters, offering close to the same shot pattern as a 12-gauge, but with a lower recoil, closer to the 20-gauge shotgun.
Mossberg 500
The final shotgun in our review is one that provides great action, durability, and reliability at a very affordable price. Mossberg is a leader in low-priced shotguns, for a variety of civilian, military, and law enforcement applications, but they make a great, low priced waterfowl shotgun as well.
The consensus among hunters using the 500 is that it is “A great all purpose shotgun at an affordable price.”
Weighing a substantial 7.5 pounds, this pump-action shotgun is as reliable as they come. It works well in early season duck hunting when the temperature still climbs into the 80s and it performs equally well when the December thermometer drops to 30 or more degrees below zero.
Chambered for three-inch rounds, in 12-gauge, with a 28-inch barrel, it has all the basic components you could ask for in a duck hunting shotgun. With an overall length of 47.5 inches, a vented recoil pad, a blued barrel, and dark wood stock, it is as attractive as it is functional.
The right-hand only shotgun arrives with an improved cylinder, modified, and full choke.
Conclusion
There is an entire world of duck hunting outside the semi-automatic varieties of shotguns you see in online videos and on hunting programs on television.
Purists still enjoy the classic over-and-under style shotguns, while long time hunters who grew up on pump-action shotguns are still fans of this original multi-fire technology.
Many waterfowl hunters, enjoy a semi-automatic shotgun when the action is fast over decoys or if a large flock flushes at once while jump shooting. Even the fastest pump, can’t compete with the rate of fire in a semi-automatic.
While rate of fire is important to many, it isn’t nearly as important as accuracy. That brings us to our final model, the introductory single-shot that every young or novice duck hunter should begin with. The focus a single-shot shotgun creates when tracking, targeting, leading, and ultimately firing on a fast flying duck can’t be underestimated.