Semi auto shotgun

[penna shooter]

In the market of procuring a semi automatic shotgun for mainly clay shooting and field hunting....price point around $500-800 +-
Narrowed down a couple I read from reviews and U-tube....Granted, I have a few pump gun, Rem 870, Win 1300, etc...No auto's
High on my list is the Remington V3
2. Weatherby Element or SA-08
3. Winchester SX3.
Anyone own or shot any of these like to comment the pros and cons, much appreciated..

[penna shooter]

Buller?????

[Stumpkiller]

Can't help you much.


I have a Remington 11-87 I bought in 1988. Works terrific, but it's a tad heavy. Just last year I put a new "O" ring and seal on the piston. I don't recall ever having a failure to feed or fire.

[penna shooter]

Can't help you much.


I have a Remington 11-87 I bought in 1988. Works terrific, but it's a tad heavy. Just last year I put a new "O" ring and seal on the piston. I don't recall ever having a failure to feed or fire.

Thanks, Rem 11-87 is solid, but looking real hard at a Rem V3 walnut....My Premier 870 magnum does me well, but not for SC. Looking and feeling out a few, but always going back to the V3

[J.Baker]

Have read/watched a lot of good things about the Remington V3 and I've been chewing over the idea of getting one for over a year now, but given Remington's quality in recent years I'm skeptical. Just too many bad products coming out in recent years, from the 105CTi to the R51 pistol fiasco. The 1100 American Classic I bought a few years back had one of the recoil pad screws stripped out from the factory that I had to fix.

[big honkin jeep]

1100 or 1187 is hard to beat as an affordable general purpose autoloading shotgun. The premier versions are even nice to look at.
My entire family has been shooting em for decades so maybe I'm biased, but the low recoil impulse and dependability are tried and true.
I have read of o ring problems online but suspect the stories are kinda sketchy because we have never had an issue even blasting doves in Argentina with well over 1400 shells a day. That doesn't stop me from keeping a couple of O rings in the gun case but I've never needed one in the field. Anything from sparrows to big game and everything in between with a couple of accessories it'll get it done. I have a couple of barrels including a cantilever scope mount rifled slug barrel and a nice selection of chokes with mine that I've added over the years and it's the most versatile firearm I own. The slug barrel is nice because once zeroed the whole thing comes off and stays zeroed and ready to go.
Maybe I'm just stuck in the past, but with all the aftermarket available and the track record of em I'm certainly a huge fan and don't see any reason to replace them with another model or brand or recommend anything else.
They just plain work and seem to be very good at everything.

[Phranque]

Have read/watched a lot of good things about the Remington V3 and I've been chewing over the idea of getting one for over a year now, but given Remington's quality in recent years I'm skeptical. Just too many bad products coming out in recent years, from the 105CTi to the R51 pistol fiasco. The 1100 American Classic I bought a few years back had one of the recoil pad screws stripped out from the factory that I had to fix.

Your fears are not unfounded... I stay away from anything newer by Remington. My last round of sporting clays, one of my group had a brand new V3, and once the chamber warmed up, the FTE rate was unbelievable. And, of course, it always happened after the first shot of a true-pair.... bang, FTE, second bird gone into the distance, copious amounts of cussing.

[Banana Juice]

Of the 3 you listed, the SX3 has been stellar every time I've seen or handled one. I do not own myself, but know others that do. I've shot a couple of them and have yet to see one fail. With that being said, if a Browning or Benelli is out of your price range, you might want to look at Mossberg, CZ, and Stoeger before you commit to anything else in that price range. All of them are solid. Mossberg has an excellent track record, and Stoeger is using the same inertia system as Benelli.

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[penna shooter]

Your fears are not unfounded... I stay away from anything newer by Remington. My last round of sporting clays, one of my group had a brand new V3, and once the chamber warmed up, the FTE rate was unbelievable. And, of course, it always happened after the first shot of a true-pair.... bang, FTE, second bird gone into the distance, copious amounts of cussing.

Now say your scared Penna Shooter...Im scared....That is not good, a brand new V3 not working on the course......Makes me want to go back to my first thought...Browning Gold sporting clay or there newer version, pricey, but so, so reliable....Thanks for that V3 story, makes you want to go Hmmmm

[BB68]

I always liked old Brownings, how they shot, how they shoulder. Problem was I could never afford one. When I finally could they stopped making A5s so I bought a Gold, been pretty good so far. It dosent like some cheaper "boughten" low brass target loads. Only problem I have now, is the bird count is about 1/10 of what it was so I hardly pheasant hunt anymore. I tried trading it off once and the dealer would only give 450.

[NicfromAlabama]

I bought a Beretta A300 last year, or maybe about 2 years now as I used it last dove season. It is one of the cheaper or at least mid-priced autos. I was looking really hard at the Winchester SX3s though and maybe wished I had looked harder or not looked at all. The Beretta functions well. I never had a function problem with it. I don't like how it loads and unloads. But my point is if I could do it all over again, I may have looked for a nicer original Browning A5. My coworker has one and he wanted to pitch some clays before last dove season. I brought my Beretta and he had 2 of his guns, including his A5. I was not shooting well with my Beretta. He insisted that I try his A5. He threw 20 clays (some hard shots) and I hit all but one. I turned them all to powder. I joked with him that I wanted to keep the shotgun. I asked him to use my Beretta and he shot just as poorly as me. If you look around, you can find some well cared for A5s on places like Armslist, and they are not really all that expensive.

[J.Baker]

I currently own one BPS and had another one in the past. Growing up on 870 Wingmasters they still seem to fit me the best and I shoot best with them. The Brownings just feel a bit off to me - hard to put my finger on what it is, but it's not right. Pulls up just fine and I have good alignment with the rib, and I bust clays with it well enough, but it just doesn't feel right.

On the other hand, my Browning BSS Sporting 20ga SxS is my little darling of a shotgun. There's just something about a lightweight double barrel that makes me grin from ear to ear every time I take it out.

[Stumpkiller]

If we're going to talk favorites . . . my little Ithaca/SKB 200-E 20 gauge (ejectors) SxS with three pairs of barrels: Sk1/Sk2, IC/Mod, Mod/Full. What a little honey at six pounds and lovely wood.

THE ADMIRAL has instructions to place that in the coffin with me.

I had a good friend who died too young who had a Browning BSS 20 ga and I miss our grouse hunts.

[Stockrex]

Trap? or Skeet?
12? 20?

If you are going for Trap mainly, get one with a raised rib, I would avoid rem, between the other 2 I would get the cheapest on sale at CDNN or other liquidators.

I favor the turkish copies, I bought a CZ semi with very nice wood, also a rem 1100 with very very nice wood,

My $199 turkish 20g gas has gone many 1000 rounds without cleaning. The CZ finally refused to cycle after I shot some trap in light drizzle. My buddy had a broken arm on his CZ more than once.

[Phranque]

I bought a Beretta A300 last year, or maybe about 2 years now as I used it last dove season. It is one of the cheaper or at least mid-priced autos. I was looking really hard at the Winchester SX3s though and maybe wished I had looked harder or not looked at all. The Beretta functions well. I never had a function problem with it. I don't like how it loads and unloads. But my point is if I could do it all over again, I may have looked for a nicer original Browning A5. My coworker has one and he wanted to pitch some clays before last dove season. I brought my Beretta and he had 2 of his guns, including his A5. I was not shooting well with my Beretta. He insisted that I try his A5. He threw 20 clays (some hard shots) and I hit all but one. I turned them all to powder. I joked with him that I wanted to keep the shotgun. I asked him to use my Beretta and he shot just as poorly as me. If you look around, you can find some well cared for A5s on places like Armslist, and they are not really all that expensive.

A5's are nice shooters... I inherited 2 (12 & 20) with my father-in-law's gun collection. Pro is that they are built like a freakin' tank, Con is that they feel like a freakin' tank...

I'm more of an O/U guy. Picked up a nice deal on a Beretta 690 Black last year, and I love it... Fits me like a glove.

[NicfromAlabama]

I may look around for an A5. I sort of forgot about a shotgun I inherited from my grandfather. It is a Smith and Wesson Model 1000. I remember years ago checking it over and taking off the barrel. It had some black goo oozing out of the magazine tube area. I (thankfully) never messed with it or tried to shoot it, and it went unused for years. It is a nice looking shotgun. Late last year, I pulled it out of the safe and decided to figure out things. Turns out, the black goo is from a recoil buffer ring that the gas piston hits after firing. From reading it says that shooting it without the recoil pad can damage the shotgun, and that was the biggest issue from people that fired it not knowing this. I found out that Numrich sells the replacement buffers. So, I ordered a replacement. I cleaned out the melted one and replaced it with the new one. I fired it about 7 or 8 times with no issues. (I don't think this shotgun was ever fired as the bolt and internals were spotless.) It is light and feels really good. Hopefully, I can hit something with it. I found out they were made for Smith and Wesson by Howa in Japan.

[penna shooter]

Noice...Nic.....

[penna shooter]

Of the 3 you listed, the SX3 has been stellar every time I've seen or handled one. I do not own myself, but know others that do. I've shot a couple of them and have yet to see one fail. With that being said, if a Browning or Benelli is out of your price range, you might want to look at Mossberg, CZ, and Stoeger before you commit to anything else in that price range. All of them are solid. Mossberg has an excellent track record, and Stoeger is using the same inertia system as Benelli.

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IM now looking at a SX4 in Cabelas for like 580.00 Black Syn out the door after rebate...Good deal.

[penna shooter]

Anybody have or know much on the new Winchester semi shotguns....SX3 and SX4???

[J.Baker]

From what I gather they're just relabeled Browning Golds and Silvers as both brands fall under the same Herstal Group hat. Randy Wakeman does a LOT of shotgun reviews on his site, here's one he did on the SX4 last fall.

http://randywakeman.com/TheNotSoSupe...SX4Shotgun.htm

[BB68]

http://randywakeman.com/BrowningGold...12GaugeFLD.htm Its funny that he downgrades the Golds in the Win review, but when he did his Gold review said they were the best in the market at the time.

[J.Baker]

http://randywakeman.com/BrowningGold...12GaugeFLD.htm Its funny that he downgrades the Golds in the Win review, but when he did his Gold review said they were the best in the market at the time.

Things change over time. The best car in it's class one year can not be in the top 5 in it's class the next. The semi-auto shotgun market has been the most competitive in recent years and see's the most innovation and new models year to year.

[penna shooter]

A5's are nice shooters... I inherited 2 (12 & 20) with my father-in-law's gun collection. Pro is that they are built like a freakin' tank, Con is that they feel like a freakin' tank...

I'm more of an O/U guy. Picked up a nice deal on a Beretta 690 Black last year, and I love it... Fits me like a glove.

O/U are nice and pricey though fit and feel goes with any shooters...I ended up pulling the trigger on a Winchester Semi SX4, shoulder a couple at cabelas yesterday and ended up with holding the SX4 more and more...So I ordered one.Not a fan of the Shadowgrass model....Anyway, looking forward of busting clays and hunting the fields this spring...Pixs will follow

[penna shooter]

http://randywakeman.com/BrowningGold...12GaugeFLD.htm Its funny that he downgrades the Golds in the Win review, but when he did his Gold review said they were the best in the market at the time.

Randy is a fan of the V3...SX4, not so much, but talks down on Winchester auto's in general....His vids on the SX4 and SX3, they seem to shoot perfect against those clays....Hits em every time...Solid shotguns...Will see...reviews later

[snowgetter1]

I just bought a browning silver 20ga, same guts as sx3, and it is nice. Very little recoil for its weight and has fired field loads and light skeet loads with no problems. I have about 250 rounds down it so far.