You’re a different breed … we get it. While the rest of the world is still in deep slumber, you have been working for hours. You packed your decoys and gear in the truck last night, set the alarm for 3:00 in the morning but woke up before it went off, slipped quietly out of the house and drove off into the darkness with your Lab in the front seat next to you. By 5:00 you were settled into a grassy blind in the marsh, warming your hands around a thermos of scalding coffee and anxiously watching the horizon begin to glow.
It might have taken you several years to learn the techniques, but this is a sport that men are born to love; separated from the rest by a particular passion for something different and challenging. You are a waterfowler.
Setting aside the catalog of other essential gear like decoys, duck calls, and blinds for the moment, your shotgun is the fundamental tool that will get your retriever wet. And for most hunters, without intentionally trying to ignore the double-gun fans, the choice comes down to an autoloader or a pump-action shotgun. What’s the best choice? Spoiler alert: they might both be the best.
The pump-action shotgun has been the stalwart of waterfowl hunting since the beginning of time, and still maintains a very dedicated following. In the hands of a skilled shooter, it’s smooth, fast, and elegant. It’s a simple design with few moving parts, and proven over time to be incredibly tough, which is why many military and law-enforcement personnel, as well as old-school duck hunters, still prefer it over all others. The autoloading shotguns, which once had troubles digesting modern shot shells and different charges, have come through a design revolution in recent years. Their functionality and speed have brought them to the forefront of modern wing shooting.
The real-world waterfowl hunting factors that should impact your shotgun choice are: reliability, comfort, and personal style.
… a shotgun might end up being used as a paddle in a bayou pirogue …
The Reliability of a shotgun is negatively affected most frequently by one of two things: environment or maintenance. Gun actions, like human reflexes, will behave very differently when exposed to extreme temperatures, water or ice, and the typical abuse a field gun often gets, like falling out of a boat into the mud or being put away without a proper cleaning.
Early teal season in the Mississippi Delta is a hot, muggy, mosquito swatting hunt with a bit of drizzling rain likely. And on the other extreme is a deep winter goose hunt in the upper eastern seaboard, sitting in a boat with ice freezing your gloves and maybe your gun, into a solid mass. Will you be standing chest deep in a salt marsh? Or maybe jumping up from a pit blind in a field of corn stubble? Understanding how, when, and where you intend to hunt are important when choosing your shotgun.
In very extreme climates, or situations where a shotgun might end up being used as a paddle in a bayou pirogue (yes, it’s actually happened), a pump-action shotgun, like the CZ-USA 612 Magnum Waterfowl Shotgun might have a reasonable edge. A quick wipe with your shirtsleeve and a dab of grease from an outboard boat engine will make a mud-soaked pump-gun run like new, whereas an autoloader might require a total disassemble and cleaning to load and eject. But if your hunting is over dry fields, then the functionality of an auto will probably never be a concern.
Comfort has always been an issue in waterfowl guns because of the heavier loads needed for ducks and geese. And with the requirements for non-toxic shot over the years, manufacturers started crafting larger and more powerful shot shells to keep them effective at longer ranges. Felt recoil was likely one of the primary forces in the shift from pump-action shotguns towards the modern autoloaders. They just take more of the sting out of it when you pull the trigger, and not everyone likes wearing a purple mouse on their cheek as a badge of honor.
So if your hunting will take you from mallards in Arkansas to hunting big Canadas or Snow Geese, where 3” or 3 1/2” magnum shells are the ticket, a slick shooting autoloader, like the Browning A5 Mossy Oak Camo Shotgun, would be a standout performer in the field.
… enjoy the sheer speed and comfort …
Not surprisingly, Personal Style is often the most important part of the equation. Shooting well is a matter of confidence and practice-hewn skill, so if you enjoy the sheer speed and comfort of an autoloader, and it makes you more eager to practice with the gun, then that might be your best waterfowl shotgun. There are those who say that pump-action guns require more deliberate thought to operate and are slower, but in skilled hands they are just as fast and accurate. If you’ve mastered driving a car, do you really need to think about applying the brakes, or does your muscle memory and subconscious handle such things on auto-pilot?
For some, the holy grail is that one shotgun that can do it all. Ducks, geese, upland birds, dove, quail, and sporting clays on Sundays. The easiest answer for that, is a nice lightweight, autoloading 12 gauge with a 28 inch barrel, like the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus Shotgun. But with so many affordable options in high quality shotguns available, why choose between the auto or the pump? You deserve to have them both.
Semi Auto Shotguns for Waterfowl Hunting
Browning Maxus II – This shotgun is a duck hunters dream. Like its predecessor, the new Maxus II is powered by the Power Drive Gas system the fastest, most reliable gas system on the market. In addition to proven performance, the Maxus II offers a shotgunner superior shooting comfort, a great trigger, intuitive handling and striking appearance. The shotgun is offered in 26” or 28” length barrel and is coated in a Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat camo finish.
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Beretta A300 Outlander – In keeping with the Beretta tradition, the new A300 Outlander is a soft-shooting gas-operated system semi-auto which combines the reliable Beretta bolt with falling block (locked breech) with an improved gas valve with a self-cleaning cylinder and piston, so that excess pressure caused by the most powerful cartridges can be decreased automatically. The A300 is offered in 26” or 28” barrel and is offered in a handful of camo finishes or matte black.
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Mossberg 935 Pro-Series Waterfowl Shotgun – The 935 Magnum Pro Waterfowl shotgun with Pro-Series coatings is made specifically for the rigors of waterfowling. It features boron nitride finish to ensure peak performance time-after-time, and specifically designed with stainless steel recoil spring to stand up to the elements during long, wet seasons spent in the blind. The 935 comes in a 28” barrel and is coated in Mossy Oak Shadowgrass.
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Pump Action Shotguns for Waterfowl Hunting
Browning BPS Field Composite Shotgun – This BPS takes the pump-action concept up one more notch with a full treatment of Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat. This is a waterfowlers dream. 3 1/2″ chamber. Shoots all loads. Ambidextrous safety and ejection (and loading). Rugged steel components and proven handling on fast targets. The BPS is offered in a 12 or 20 Gauge with a 26” or 28” barrel.
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Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Waterfowl Shotgun – The 835 Ulti-Mag set standards for all-around versatility from a single shotgun. It is virtually three shotguns in one, feeding and functioning flawlessly with all 12 gauge shells, from light rounds to super capacity magnums. As seasons or game types change, simply change ammunition, not shotguns.
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Winchester SXP Waterfowl Hunter Shotgun – At home on the plains. With its full coverage of TrueTimber Prairie camo, this SXP is ready for any hunt you can put together: ducks, geese and even upland if you wish — it’s the perfect all-around waterfowler shotgun. The SXP is offered in a 12 or 20 Gauge with a 26” or 28” barrel.
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