The Best Semi-Auto Shotguns

One of the softest-shooting shotguns I have ever shouldered, the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus is worth every penny. Available in 12- or 20-gauge, the A400 platform has been rigorously field-tested from the dusty Canadian prairie to Alaska’s Bering Sea. It’s a proven, reliable auto-loader. Beretta's Kick-Off Mega recoil system features three hydraulic springs inside the stock, designed to dampen felt recoil. I’ve shot several heavy 2-ounce turkey loads through the A400 to test how well the gun disperses recoil. It performed better than any other semi-automatic shotgun I’ve fired.

Complementing Kick-Off is the Blink system, which precisely regulates the gas required to cycle the bolt. Blink minimizes cycling time. A fast-running auto typically means less time for recoil to disperse, thus giving the shooter less time to recover and get the gun back on target for a follow-up shot. However, the combination of the Kick-Off system, gas-operated action, and the gun's weight (nearly 8 pounds) mitigate recoil, ensuring a smooth and controlled shot.

Drilled and tapped so an optic can be mounted, the A400 has three barrel-length options: 26-, 28-, or 30-inch. The gun can be field-stripped by twisting the fore-end cap a quarter-turn. You don’t have to unscrew the cap like most other modern semi-autos. Beretta offers the Xtreme Plus in multiple camo finishes as well as a solid-color synthetic option. It’s also available in a left-handed model for southpaws.

Specifications

• Gauge: 20, 12
• Chamber: 3½-inch (12)
• Operating System: Gas
• Weight: 7.8 lbs (12)
• Price: $1,950

Italian-made inertia-driven shotguns, like the Benelli Super Black Eagle platform, are some of the most reliable, lightweight, and low-maintenance auto-loaders in existence. They also function reliably in cold, wet weather. I’ve dropped an SBE 12-gauge in the marsh, field-stripped it, and dried the bolt and the action rails as best I could, and the gun ran just fine. Inertia guns do not get as dirty as their gas-driven counterparts, so you don’t have to clean an SBE3 as often. That doesn’t mean you should purposely neglect your Benelli, but since they are inertia driven all the components from the shotshell are blown out the muzzle end of the barrel.

The rotating bolt head of the SBE3 has been upgraded to include a detent, which ensures the bolt locks the shotshell in battery. Previous iterations of the platform did not always fire reliably because the bolt head did not rotate completely. This was mostly due to operator error (shooters did not slam home the action with appropriate force).

Due to their light weight and operating system, SBE3s generate more recoil compared to most gas guns, but the Comfortech recoil system inside the stock makes that manageable. Comfortech incorporates a series of synthetic chevrons that interlock and flex when the gun is fired.

Specifications

• Gauge: 12, 20, 28
• Chamber: 3½-inch (12)
• Operating System: Inertia
• Weight: 7 lbs (12)
• Price: $2,000

Benelli redesigned this classic upland auto-loader in 2023 to improve ergonomics and ease of use. Shotshells load right into the magazine tube due to a new relaxed spring and load gate. The loading port has been milled so that it will not pinch your thumb as you insert a fresh round. Benelli included the Easy Locking Bolt so that shotshells will never remain out of battery. Just like the SBE3, a detent in the action forces the rotating bolt head to close. Benelli swapped its triangular cross-bolt safety for a round safety, which is easier to find and click over when you are ready to shoot. The bolt-handle is larger without being too obtrusive, and the bolt release is now thin and long, making it harder to accidentally press and close the action.

The Montefeltro is a slender shotgun, and at 6.5 pounds is very manageable to carry afield. Despite its light weight and inertia-driven operating system, the Monte’s recoil is quite manageable if you’re shooting 1⅛-ounce loads. Step up to a 1⅝-ounce payload, and the recoil is much more substantial. The barrel is blued, and the checkered walnut stock and fore-end have a satin finish.

Specifications

• Gauge: 12, 20
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Operating System: Inertia
• Weight: 6.5 lbs
• Price: 1,399

The advancement of Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) has made the 28-gauge an ethical option in the turkey woods. Mossberg was one of the first gun manufacturers to capitalize on what has become a hot trend by introducing a 28 built-to-kill spring gobblers.

The SA-28 Tactical Turkey debuted in 2023. I got my hands on one of the first Mossbergs that became available. With the right choke and TSS load, the SA-28 delivered more than 280 pellets inside a 10-inch circle at 40 yards during my pattern tests. Shooting a 28 can increase accuracy and is a joy to shoot in comparison to a 12-gauge, which can produce as much as three times the felt recoil of a 28, depending on the payload. Heavy recoil (or that anticipation of it) can cause you to flinch or shoot over the top of a bird.

The Picatinny rail of the SA-28 allows shooters to attach an optic so you can dial in on the small target of a turkey’s head. It weighs less than six pounds, so it’s an easy carry and the synthetic pistol grip will keep your hand steady when a tom struts in. The SA-28 is compact (just 42 inches long), and the length of pull is a short 12¾ inches. This makes maneuvering the gun in tight spaces, which we often find ourselves in during a turkey hunt, simple.

Specifications

• Gauge: 28
• Chamber: 2¾-inch
• Operating System: Gas
• Weight: 5.11 pounds
• Price: $800

The Remington 1100 is a do-it-all shotgun, but it’s best known for its prowess in skeet. Countless clay shooters employed the 1100 in the 1970s and 1980s. It was also one of the few guns built in every gauge, so it was popular among registered skeet shooters.

The 12-gauge is a beast, tipping the scales at over 8 pounds. A heavy gun is ideal for shooting clays because it’s easier to swing through or keep the muzzle in front of the target (depending on your shooting method). Lighter guns are more whippy, so it’s easy to stop the gun and shoot behind the clay. Recoil is almost non-existent with the gas-driven 12-gauge, another reason the gun remains popular with skeet shooters. When you’re shooting a high volume of shells, you want a gun that doesn’t pound your shoulder.

Many of the early 1100s were engineered with fixed chokes. If you buy a fixed choke gun, be mindful not to shoot steel shot. Because it is so hard, steel shot can damage older, less durable rolled steel barrels. Shotguns with removable chokes (except full choke) should be safe for steel shot. If you’re not sure, contact a gunsmith or the manufacturer.

In pattern tests, I’ve seen the 1100 shoot better than 80% patterns. Many of those patterns were evenly dispersed inside a 30-inch circle at 40 yards, another reason why clay shooters love the 1100 so much.

Specifications

• Gauge: 12, 16, 20, 28, .410
• Chamber: 2¾ or 3-inch
• Operating System: Gas
• Weight: 8.1 lbs
• Price: 1,000

I’ve owned an SX4 for a few years, and it has become one of the shotguns I shoot most, from ducks in the marsh to squirrels in the hardwoods. It’s a reliable gas-driven auto-loader with a 3½-inch chamber for under $900.

Of course, you sacrifice some things with the cheaper price tag. For instance, the bolt assembly has a flat face instead of the rotating bolt head you see used by Beretta and Benelli. And the synthetic stock and fore-end are not the same caliber as a higher-priced shotgun. But Winchester has been refining the SX platform since the 1970s, so the Active Valve gas operating system is proven.

There is a 2-inch thick recoil pad affixed to the buttstock. It does an exemplary job of dispersing felt recoil. I’ve shot plenty of heavy turkey loads through the SX4, and it’s very manageable. The SX4’s ergonomics are on par with most semi-autos on the market, regardless of price. Your hand slides right into a pair of slots on either side of the fore-end, giving you better control of the gun. This comes in handy when your palms get sweaty or wet or your fingers are frozen on a cold-weather hunt.

Specifications

• Gauge: 12, 20
• Chamber: 3 1/2 inch
• Operating System: Gas
• Weight: 7.1 lbs
• Price: 899