How to Choose the Perfect First Shotgun

If you’re here it’s probably due to wanting to know about the obvious - shotgunning. A shotgun can be the most versatile and one of the most important weapons in your arsenal! This article will aim to get you through the basics of what you will be doing with your first scattergun and teach you what to look for when it comes to all of the seemingly intimidating things in regards to this type of firearm. Ready? Let’s go!

Types of shotguns, which one do I choose?

With so many types of shotguns available, which do you choose? That’s a good question and the shooter must ask themselves what the main purpose of this shotgun will be. Let’s briefly look at a few of the most popular options.

Break-action

Break-action shotguns usually hold one shell per barrel, and come in single and double barrel versions. The double barrels can be horizontal (Side-by-side) or vertical (over/under). With the push of a button or lever the breech opens on a hinge to load shells.

These shotguns are fantastic for hunting and sporting purposes such as skeet shooting. Both hunting laws and sports rules will typically regulate your shotgun’s shell capacity which is why break actions make a lot of sense for these activities.

But since they’re only able to hold one or two shells at a time - break actions aren’t necessarily the optimum choice for something like home defense. That aside, these weapons are incredibly reliable and a well-made break action shotgun will last for generations (can even be an heirloom).

Loading a break-action, over/under shotgun.

Pump Action Shotguns

Pump-action shotguns are remarkably reliable weapons and have a decent shell capacity with a tubular magazine running underneath (usually) the barrel. Every time you rack the pump action to the rear it shoves the used shell out of the open receiver and loads a fresh shell from the magazine and into the chamber when you rack the pump back forward - an incredibly satisfying action that’s reliable and is a relatively fast-cycling system.

With its larger magazine capacity and easy to use action, pump action shotguns are an excellent choice for hunting and sport, but with a shorter barrel length can also be an excellent choice for home defense. It’s why to this day many police departments are still equipped with the Remington 870, a gun that just won’t quit.

The cool thing about pump action shotguns is that depending on brand and model, you’ll have a variety of barrel lengths to choose from, and at that point your intended use for the shotgun may be somewhat predetermined based on that factor alone. Shorter = more tactical. Longer = more likely to be used for hunting/sport. Pretty simple right?

An earlier Winchester Model 12, Trench model, issued to the U.S. Military in World War II.

Semi-Automatic Shotguns

This is where the fun begins. If you’re looking for a shotgun that can do it all, look no further than semi-automatics shotguns! These guns are surprisingly not all that different from some of the greats of old like the Browning Auto-5 in the image below. The difference between that Browning and modern options is that the newer guns are quite light and more tactical with a wide variety of mounting options and accessories. (But the same could be said about shotguns in general regardless of action type)

Semi auto shotguns really can do it all. You need to go hunting? Pop in a magazine capacity limited in the tube. Getting ready for a match? Don’t forget to install your match saver! Just want to do the casual clay throwing and shooting? Done. Law enforcement and military personnel have used shotguns for the better part of the last century and that definitely includes the semi auto kind as well. See the M1014: US Marines’ Combat Shotgun.

How do Semi-auto shotguns work?

Semi auto shotguns cycle their bolt by sending energy and blowback gasses to automatically cycle the shells in and out. These guns will fire as fast as you can pull the trigger and typically have a magazine capacity of anywhere between 5 to 11 rounds.

An early Browning Auto-5 semi-automatic shotgun.

Choosing the right shotgun gauge

Now that you’ve got an idea of what your options involve do you know what you want to do with your shotgun? If so, then you’ll have to pick the appropriate gauge for it as well.

In plain terms, shotgun gauges can be understood like any handgun or rifle caliber — there are different shotgun gauges. (There’s far more than just 12 gauge!)

When discussing the right gauge to choose for your first shotgun, several things are important. First, what are you using your shotgun for exactly? What distance will you be shooting at? To help you decide, let’s look at three of the most popular gauges today:

• 12 Gauge - Harder recoil, longer range and tighter spread. The most common and frequently used shotgun gauge for any activity or need the gunner requires. Has wide variety of loads as well for self-defense, hunting and recreational target shooting i.e. birdshot, slugs, buckshot, etc.

• 20 Gauge - Softer recoil than 12 gauge, less power and looser spread but an excellent choice for women and children first starting out with shotguns or firearms in general.

• .410 Gauge - Very small and thin shell that is primarily great for dealing with varmints such as snakes. The .410 will be very difficult to hunt larger prey with or to shoot skeet or trap unless at very short ranges.

12 gauge vs. 20 gauge.

What Shotgun Barrel Length Should I Choose?

Obviously barrel length will matter with a shotgun so what is the correct barrel length? Shorter barreled shotguns are better for close range and home defense scenarios. The reasons for this are simply maneuverability in close quarters.

For hunting and sport it really becomes more about the swing and feel of the weapon, as bullet velocity increases with longer barrels on shotguns that are in the 26”-30” barrel range.

Find a gun that has a length-of-pull, (distance from end of the buttstock to the middle of the trigger) that works well for you and then see if you can easily swing the barrel on target comfortably like you would be tracking clays through the air. To help you determine if you can handle the ‘swing’ take note of the shotgun’s weight. If you can’t hold the shotgun for very long then you might want a shorter or lighter model. Remember, for something like this you mainly want to see what fits you and you are comfortable shooting more than anything.

Shotgun Chokes - Which is the right shot pattern?

Shotgun chokes can seem like a very intimidating conversation to have for someone just getting into shotgunning, so we will just go over the basics. A shotgun choke is the constriction at the end of the muzzle that tightens the pattern of the pellets. Think of pressure washers that you can buy at Home Depot with the different nozzles. It’s the same concept.

But why do shooters and hunters pattern their shotgun spread? To put it simply, the idea is to understand right where your shot will be and at what range. Check out this chart below for more of an idea of how choke patterns work.

Shotgun choke patterns. Photo Credit:  Mossy Oak

An in-barrel choke on a shotgun. Photo Credit:  ROC Wildlife

Our Go-To Shotgun Recommendations

If you want the perfect first shotgun, these are our go to recommendations which balance out intended use, brand popularity and price. 

Best Home Defense Shotguns - Remington 870 or Mossberg 590A1

We briefly mentioned above that the Remington 870 was basically a tank. I mean have you seen what all Demolition Ranch has fired through that thing? Forks, nails, you name it he basically treated his 870 like a pirate ship cannon. In terms of home defense, pump action is our suggested platform because it actually gives you pause on whether or not you actually need a follow up shot. Sure, various states have castle doctrine but you don't want to thoughtlessly pull off way more shots than you meant to in the heat of the moment right? That very could happen with a semi-automatic shotgun. What you want is specifically called the Remington 870 Express Tactical. 

The other option would be the Mossberg 590A1. Specifically the A1 model. This is a military model and it's probably the only Mossberg I'd own to be honest just because of how reliable this thing is. My favorite feature about the M90A1 is that is it doesn't have a feeding ramp to block your fingers from really getting in there when you need to either load shells or clear any malfunctions, if any. Shotguns with feed ramps tend to pinch my fingers or get in the way especially if I'm wearing gloves. If you're in a home defense situation you need a no nonsense solution and that's what these two guns are. Both are very modular so you can change out the barrel, its furniture add optics or whatever you want to do to it really. Whichever you choose, just make sure you get the 18" barrel option from the get go. 

Best Hunting Shotguns - Franchi Affinity or Winchester SXP

Keep in mind, we wrote this for people buying their FIRST shotgun. This is not for millionaires looking to buy a $25k shotgun from Scotland that was built out of a tree that grew from several decades first. 

If you have close to a grand to spend, look at the Franchi Affinity series. These 28" guns are a beauty with their cerakote finishes and lightweight body which will make a long hunt that much more enjoyable or endurable. Franchi is a company owned by Benelli so you know this is Italian quality, but a lot more affordable and more ergonomic to handle. 

If you're dead set on being a hunter but want to do it at the base minimum budget, see if you can snag a Winchester SXP for something like $350. It might be a little bit more from COVID inflation but still the cheapest 28" pump action pump you'll ever see and love. The Winchester SXP has a pump action that is quick for fast trigger resets and it's so fast that you can take this bad boy bird hunting for sure if you're just getting started with your hunting license or maybe you just like the slight challenge. 

Best Tactical Shotguns - Beretta 1301 Tactical

We're very passionate about the Beretta 1301 Tactical. The 1301 Tactical the lightest, most ergonomic and the best 18" semi auto shotgun anyone has ever made to date at its current retail price of about $1300. (We've seen some of our friends get some pretty good deals for around $1100 though) YouTube has plenty of videos reviewing why this crazy little stallion has so much value behind it. Not to mention how cool it is to modify it as well. You can a complete M-LOK rail and interchangeably choose different butt stocks for it whether you want a traditional one or one with a pistol group. They also have a 24" version but we prefer the 18" version and think it's great untouched even without any aftermarket parts on it. 

Best Competition Shotguns - Rock Island Armory VR80 or Stoeger M3K

For those aspiring 3 gunners out there, you must know that the Rock Island Armory VR80 is all the range right now. Popular for its use of magazines, modifiable parts that are very affordable, this semi automatic shotgun is a stupid amount of fun to shoot. The VR80 got sort of an AR15 feel to it which is why some users may feel that it is easy to quickly get in tune with this gun and it can be had for as little as $600. 

For those that don't want to compete in open class and are ok with learning how to quad-load shells by hand, then check out the Stoeger M3K 3-gun edition. It's also a 24" long barrel which just has great and reliable piston cycling action. To reduce the need for reloading you can add an extended tube and have as many as 12 or 13 shells loaded in your gun at once which is a lot for a shotgun! The Stoeger M3k can usually be had for about $700 or less. 

Don’t Follow Biden’s Advice

Well, hope this was helpful in beginning your scattergun journey! To summarize the above info, don’t overthink it! Think about which tool would be right for the job you need to do. Find a shotgun that fits your body’s build properly and you feel comfortable maneuvering with, then begin there.

If you end up really loving shotguns you’ll probably just have to buy multiple kinds to properly scratch the itch. Whatever you do, don’t follow Biden’s advice: “just buy a double barreled shotgun, and fire two blasts outside.” (In the event you're in a home invasion/robbery situation). Don’t be an Elmer Fudd and don’t break your city’s local ordinances (in some cases that’s an automatic felony).

Happy shotgunning and don’t forget before you head out to the range, to grab some hearing protection and eye protection as well!