For anything and everything, from clear, summer day skeet shooting to rainy, wet winter morning duck hunting, do you prefer a pump action shotgun or a semi-auto shotgun to be on your side with all considerations such as price, reliability, recoil, and being fun to shoot?

Semi auto beretta or benelli. I hate pumps. I forget to pump because I learned on a semi. I cant ever hit anything with my second shoot when I use a pump, never even get a chance to use the third shot.

I can shoot my autoloading shotguns better than my pumps, so I use them when I shoot birds or clays. But they are pretty guns, so I don't generally like to take them out in the mud and thick brush. I break out my 870 then.

If I could only have one, it would be an autoloader with short and long barrels.

It's purely my opinion but don't waste your money on a pump. Absolutely love my sx3. Can't stand pumps anymore.

I have shot auto-loaders forever and don't think you can compare if you can get anything you want and money is no option. Beretta semi autos are amazing and I agree with above, you don't have to worry about pumping.

imo a shotgun needs to be either a semi-auto or O/U or SXS

I have a few pumps but they are more utility guns than sporting arms.

As per usual I am in the minority here...I learned to hunt in the 1960's using pump guns back when Auto loaders were really delicate & finicky and over priced IMO. I do own a semi auto now I sometimes use for dove & rabbits but it takes me a while to NOT try and rip the forearm off of it. I've been know to use a pump gun to paddle the jon boat with while duck hunting when the paddle was lost somewhere back yonder in the swamp, beat a racoon to death that had jumped on my dogs head when the dog was trying to catch another racoon that was stealing grub out of the deer camp's cooler... stuff I wouldnpt even think of using a self loader for...and even swishing the whole shotgun under water to get the mud out of it after the dang dog knocked it overboard in the middle of the decoy set trying to catch a wounded mallard that was swimming away. Nope for hard everyday use I'll stick with my pump guns even though I could use some wuss factor in dealing with the recoil that a semi auto gives. Swapped the last 870 Express off on a Benelli Super Nova so we'll see if the techy recoil reducer in the stock helps any. JMHO & YMMV
Cheers
Ron

I just hate that Benelli's SBE2 is a whopping $1600!

Yeah that's a bit excessive to me too. I paid just a little over 900 for my Winchester mossy oak in a 3.5 chamber. I thought that was high.

another minority here, I love my browning bps, have been a duck guide for 7 years and have fixed several semi-autos for clients but never a pump. Now for quail tradition says o/u.

The minority is growing but will still lose I think. I learned with a pump - still have it. But I also have a semi-auto. Prefer the pump overall except on the rare occassion when I take them both out - in which case I like neither... always trying to pump the semi and not pumping the pump.

-Mickey

I keep telling myself that I'm going to get a semi-auto like the Franchi Affinity with the Max4 wrapping so I can be cool like everyone else on the duck lease, but the 870 just WON'T DIE.

Yeah, I'm also in the minority. I have both and both are OK.

I would prefer a semi over a pump for home defense.

Semi - Beretta

I've never owned an auto loader so I'm going with a pump.

That's what I learned on and I have no problem hitting 2 or 3 clay pigeons with it.

I agree wholeheartedly with the pump. I have seen semi-autos turn into single shots during hunting trips. Thousands of rounds through all 3 of my 870's and no problems with rarely being cleaned.

I learned on a champion single shot 12 guage that my grandpa had, it swung like my rem sendero does.

I now shooot a pump gun and personaly dont like the feel of shoting an auto. Pump gun for me.

learned with a Winchester 1200 ranger pump. I even use it from time to time at sporting clay tournaments. Guys like to give me a hard time when they see me with it, but I usually shut them up after I go 10 for 10 on the first three or four stations. I shoot a pump just a well as I shoot an autoloader. Really make no difference to me. I absolutely hate O/U shotguns. High dollar pieces of crap if you ask me.

I've shot a pump most of my life, so I dont shoot an autoloader any faster than a pump to be honest (because I still try to pump the darn thing). Allot less to go wrong with a pump as well, particularly in the duck blind. Up north of Lubbock, I've seen friends semi benellis and berettas freeze solid to the point they could not cycle, let alone feed from the mag tube.

Semi-Auto....Benelli

I learned how to shoot shotguns with an 870 Wingmaster chasing quail. Its a very fine gun and I think everyone should be proficient with one. With that being said.... I wouldn't trade my Beretta for anything. Shoots soft and never lets me down. From layout blind hunting in a sandy peanut field, straight to the sporting clays course with 7/8 oz target loads, the only thing I've ever worn out is the recoil spring from countless thousands of rounds. And that was a $10 and 10 minute fix.

Semi-auto. 3,000 (and counting) flawless rounds through my Franchi I-12 and still going strong with no issues whatsoever.

I think it comes down to what you learned on! I prefer the Semi, because I learned on it and used it the most. I love my Pumps for fun shooting, but when it comes to Dove's, and I use the pump, I never get a shot off on the 2nd, cause I go into forget to rack mode!

Learned on a double barrel so a pump was great once a got an 870! Now I have autos and pumps and the double barrel. I hunt with autos but always have my DB or a pump as a backup in a scabbard. Only had my 1100 let me down once (turned into a single shot). Now I carry o-rings in the scabbard with the pump!!

I like my semi, but I shoot less shells dove hunting with a pump.