Shotguns

There are two sides to the competitive shooting coin—one side is the challenge of being the best you can be and the other side is just being able to have a little fun. Picking the right shooting tool to handle both sides of this coin has become a lot easier with the availability of a good number of quality, fine-handling 20-gauge semiautomatics. These small gauge shotguns provide the shooter with a lighter, quicker target-busting tool that also carries the freight in the field during bird-hunting sessions.

For our field test, we selected three 20-gauge semiautomatics for a clay-crunching challenge that pitted a trio of Italian-made shotguns in a head to head to head battle. The three shotguns we collected from Dury's Gun Shop in San Antonio were the Benelli Super Sport, $1,700; the Benelli Cordoba, $1,500; and the Beretta AL 391 Urika, $1,350. All prices reflect Dury's asking price at the time of our test.

As noted, all of the shotguns are made in Italy and all of them have very similar dimensions, although both the Benelli shotguns featured synthetic stocks and forearms while the Beretta offered the more traditional satin-finished walnut stock and forearm. With all sporting 28-inch ported barrels to help reduce recoil and with little difference in weight and overall length, our test team placed increased emphasis on function and handling ability—and also factoring in the price tags as another ledger entry.

Our test ammunition for the trio included Estate Super Sport Competition Target 2.75-inch, 2.5-dram-equivalent shells in No. 7 1/2 shot (muzzle velocity 1200 fps); and Winchester AA Super Sport Sporting Clays 2.75-inch, 2.5-dram-equivalent shells in No. 7 1/2 shot (muzzle velocity 1300 fps). We patterned each of the shotguns with both types of ammunition, using Improved Cylinder chokes when firing at paper set up 25 yards downrange.

The Beretta produced the best pattern, a 50-50 spread with half of the hits above the center and half below. Patterns were 60-40 (more hits below the center than above the center) with both of the Benelli shotguns. The Super Sport was also patterned slightly to the left. While all the patterns were acceptable for both clays and birds, the Beretta scored the first victory in our testing with its paper punching performance.

Here are the rest of our test results:

There are two sides to the competitive shooting coin—one side is the challenge of being the best you can be and the other side is just being able to have a little fun. Picking the right shooting tool to handle both sides of this coin has become a lot easier with the availability of a good number of quality, fine-handling 20-gauge semiautomatics. These small gauge shotguns provide the shooter with a lighter, quicker target-busting tool that also carries the freight in the field during bird-hunting sessions.

For our field test, we selected three 20-gauge semiautomatics for a clay-crunching challenge that pitted a trio of Italian-made shotguns in a head to head to head battle. The three shotguns we collected from Dury's Gun Shop in San Antonio were the Benelli Super Sport, $1,700; the Benelli Cordoba, $1,500; and the Beretta AL 391 Urika, $1,350. All prices reflect Dury's asking price at the time of our test.

As noted, all of the shotguns are made in Italy and all of them have very similar dimensions, although both the Benelli shotguns featured synthetic stocks and forearms while the Beretta offered the more traditional satin-finished walnut stock and forearm. With all sporting 28-inch ported barrels to help reduce recoil and with little difference in weight and overall length, our test team placed increased emphasis on function and handling ability—and also factoring in the price tags as another ledger entry.

Our test ammunition for the trio included Estate Super Sport Competition Target 2.75-inch, 2.5-dram-equivalent shells in No. 7 1/2 shot (muzzle velocity 1200 fps); and Winchester AA Super Sport Sporting Clays 2.75-inch, 2.5-dram-equivalent shells in No. 7 1/2 shot (muzzle velocity 1300 fps). We patterned each of the shotguns with both types of ammunition, using Improved Cylinder chokes when firing at paper set up 25 yards downrange.

The Beretta produced the best pattern, a 50-50 spread with half of the hits above the center and half below. Patterns were 60-40 (more hits below the center than above the center) with both of the Benelli shotguns. The Super Sport was also patterned slightly to the left. While all the patterns were acceptable for both clays and birds, the Beretta scored the first victory in our testing with its paper punching performance.

Here are the rest of our test results:

This gun had nearly everything our entry teams wanted: soft, reliable recoil, good control of the grip, capacity, surgical precision for shooting slugs. For police or home defense, this is a great option, especially when low-recoil ammo is used.

Madison, NC – For 2008, Remington is pleased to announce a left-handed version of our most durable rifle – the Model 700 XCR LH (Left Hand) in two versatile long-action chamberings and two hard-hitting, long range magnum offerings – 270 Win, 30-06 Sprg, 7mm Remington Mag and 300 Remington Ultra Mag.

Louisville, KY—McCain: Gun rights are an important issue, and I wanted to share with you some highlights of the speech I delivered today at the National Rifle Association annual meeting. I think they will give you some good insight into my strong belief in the Second Amendment.

Gun Reports will submit a list of 10 firearms-related questions to the campaigns of John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama to discern who's the best gun-rights candidate.

The trial concerns a civil lawsuit trial beginning May 27 against Georgia gun dealer Jay Wallace, proprietor at Adventure Outdoors. The city alleges Adventure Outdoors is responsible for a disproportionate number of the firearms recovered from criminals in New York City.

The National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in Louisville, Kentucky, this week.

…Southwick Associates has announced the brands and products that hunters and shooters preferred most in 2007. This list has been compiled from the 19,288 surveys that hunters and target shooters returned from HunterSurvey.com and TargetshootingSurvey.com last year.

Madison, NC – One of the newest offerings in the Remington Model 700 family - the Model 700 CDL “Boone and Crockett” Series...

Madison, NC – Remington is pleased to announce the 2008 offering in this highly collectible CDL series – the Model 700 CDL (Classic Deluxe) SF (Stainless Fluted) LTD Edition...

Madison, NC – The tremendously-popular line of Model 700 CDL (Classic Deluxe) SF (Stainless Fluted) bolt-action rifles has a new chambering for 2008 – the high performance 257 Weatherby Magnum.