Your favorite light weight shotgun

[ohopluke]

I have an 870 Magnum, Mossberg 500 and 835 ulti-mag. All great guns but I have a sudden urge to explore an auto 12 gauge. Have never shot one in my life. I'd like to stay under a thousand bucks and stay light to use as my primary walking gun. Interested in anything you have to say about them. Thanks, Luke

[Forks]

I'm enjoying my Franchi Affinity with a 26in tube. It's only used for upland and it's treated like a tool. Find something thats fits you well and enjoy.

[BiggLuke]

Browning Maxus.
Finest shooting gun ever made, and super light.
You could get one used for under a thousand.

[netcoyote]

Best field gun I have is my Franchi Veloce 20 ga O/U. Has a titanium receiver and it carries like a feather. Perfect balance. My backup 20 ga is a Rem 870 which has a smaller receiver than the 12 ga version. Haven't weighed it yet but it's quite a bit lighter than my 12 ga 870. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Itacha Model 37 ....20 ga 

[ghosthunter]

Weatherby SA-08.
Comes with dual gas cylinders for light or heavy loads.
6.5 lbs
And three screw in chokes. With wrench.
Super easy take down.
Even trigger group comes out with one pi.
Look it up and read. The reviews. Good price for what you get.
Well within your budget .
 

I have one in 20 ga. And is super lite and kick asssssssssssssssssś to shoot.

[Widgeondeke]

I have the first year Weatherby semi auto synthetic or SAS. Very light when walking a lot compared to my old 870. Recoil felt is less also.
As tated above. Easy to clean and drop trigger.

[washingtonmuley]

SBE

[ohopluke]

I'm glad I asked, some names in there I wouldn't have thought of. I see a lot of 20 gauge shooters as well, might be another change for me to consider, thanks to all!

[RadSav]

When it comes to lightweight auto scatter guns I'm Franchi 100%.  Fantastic guns!

[BKMFR]

Stevens model 240 O/U double hammer 410 with tynite stock and forearm.... One of those few guns that handle much better than guns costing many more dollars!

[Bob33]

"...but I have a sudden urge to explore an auto 12 gauge."

[RadSav]

I'm glad I asked, some names in there I wouldn't have thought of. I see a lot of 20 gauge shooters as well, might be another change for me to consider, thanks to all!

Few who go 20 ever go back!  Even for goose and turkey it is a sweet deal.  I'm glad the wife got a 20 and put me on the right track.  I no longer own a single 12 gauge gun.

[ohopluke]

Sorry Bob, that sounded wierd!

I may try a 20, never have fired one, seems like a lot of people happy with em.

[270Shooter]

Benelli m2 or ultralight.

[Sportfury]

Charles Daly field grade (synthetic stock) 20 gauge in semi-auto. Light weight and only likes to shoot 2 3/4" even though it is chambered for 3", but it does the job. I took my dad's Ruger Red Label 20ga O/U out for a day. Love it and it shoots great, but by the end of the day I was wishing I had brought my CD.

With the ammo that they are putting out now I don't think that a 20ga lacks anything except pellet count to a 12ga. 

[RadSav]

With the ammo that they are putting out now I don't think that a 20ga lacks anything except pellet count to a 12ga.

Though I haven't taken any large Westerns with the 20 I have slammed some Lessers with #6 Heavyshot at pretty crazy distances as follow up shots for others.  I never shoot #4 or #2 so I can not say there.  If you want to shoot cheap basic steel loads 12g is probably going to be a better fit for most waterfowl.  But get into the premium steel alternatives or have upland birds on the menu I give the edge to the 20g.  I also find the factory chokes for the 20 pattern better than most factory 12g chokes.

If I ever found a need to sky bust westerns I'd probably want an aftermarket choked 12g or even a 10g.  But, I most certainly don't want to be lugging that thing around the good chuckar grounds.  And when it comes to pheasant and quail we pick enough pellets out of them shooting the 20's.  When I shot 12g for pheasant and quail we made a lot of bird burger and sausage because they were just blown to heck.  Although part of that is having good dogs too.  Sometimes you just can't hold back the excitement for the count of four before making smoke

I find most folks that bad mouth the 20's either hate eating wild birds or have never actually shot birds with the 20.

[87Ford]

Benelli m2 or ultralight.

[ohopluke]

With the ammo that they are putting out now I don't think that a 20ga lacks anything except pellet count to a 12ga.

 When I shot 12g for pheasant and quail we made a lot of bird burger

I think you guys are right on about 20's. I have wrecked some birds with a 12. Looks like a lot of 20's are barely 7 pounds, that's great. I have dug up a couple guys at work with 20's who agree they pattern really nice. Going to shoot them this weekend, a Stoeger M3000 and one has an older Browning. Would love to find a Franchi to look at too.

[carpsniperg2]

I bought a m2000 stoger turkey 2 years ago. Bought it to use coyote hunting and maybe a turkey or 2 when I get ticked off at them after bow hunting them for awhile Anyways 3" very light and a great gun so far.