Shotguns. Photo by Mark Tade

Mark Tade

Phil’s personally curated collection. These five shotguns, all 3-inch 12-gauges, will cover virtually any waterfowling situation that he might find himself in.

You could say that it has taken me more than 30 years to figure out exactly what I like in a waterfowl gun. While the shotguns I own now suit me well, I have changed my mind in the past and reserve the right to change it again.

1. Benelli Montefeltro

Don’t judge me for this. When the kids were young and money was tight, I took a couple of my scatterguns to the local gun store to sell for extra Christmas money. My good intentions evaporated the instant I spotted a shiny new Montefeltro on the shelf, and I traded my two guns for it. The kids still got plenty of gifts, and I got the best Christmas present ever. It’s light but has a very weight-forward feel that makes it easy to shoot. It’s my main duck and goose gun.

2. Benelli M2

My travel/bad weather shotgun is a black synthetic Benelli M2. Like the Montefeltro, it’s a 12-gauge with a 28-inch barrel. I had to shim it almost all the way down to make it shoot where I look. When my hands are numb from the cold, I very much appreciate the relaxed magazine spring and latch on the new M2s, which make loading the gun much easier.

3. Browning B-80

For a time in the 1980s, French conglomerate Giat owned Browning and part of Beretta. One happy result was the B-80, a Beretta 302/303 with a humpback profile and the Browning logo on the trigger guard. A lot of clay shooters still believe that the 2 3/4-inch 303 was the finest gas gun ever made. Mine is chambered for 3-inch loads and has old-style Invector chokes.

4. Winchester Model 12

I could not pass up a great deal on a plain-barrel 3-inch Model 12. It’s an old-time classic from the late ’50s, long and heavy with a 30-inch barrel and a fixed full choke. It points beautifully and cycles so smoothly that I am hardly aware of working the action.

5. Browning Citori White Lightning

I keep an over/under in my waterfowl battery as a backup. Over/unders have the advantage of being ambidextrous, trouble-free, and ultra-reliable, although I believe a two-shot capacity is a disadvantage for waterfowl. The White Lightning replaced my Ruger Red Label, which had replaced a Browning Cynergy that my younger son claimed as his own.

What I Look for in a Shotgun

These are the general characteristics that are important to me, though not every gun in my safe meets all of these criteria.

Gauge: Except for the Browning Gold 10-gauge in the back of the safe, my guns are 3-inch 12-gauges. I don’t want to throw anything less than 1 1/4 ounces of steel or bismuth shot at waterfowl. Just as important, the weight and bulk of a 12-gauge make it easier for me to shoot than slimmer, lighter small-bores.

Action: After shooting pumps for years, I now shoot semiautos almost exclusively. I own both gas and inertia guns, but I’ve had better luck with inertia guns in bad weather.

Balance: I’ve always believed that waterfowl guns should have enough heft to swing smoothly and point well, and that they should have a weight-forward balance to keep them moving. Today, my main guns are a pair of Benellis. Both weigh under seven pounds, but they have 28-inch barrels and enough weight-forward balance that I can shoot them well.

Wood vs. synthetic: Synthetics are extremely practical, but I love wood. I shoot walnut-stocked guns when I can and keep one synthetic gun on hand for hunts in rough conditions and for travel.

Point of impact: I prefer a gun that shoots fairly flat. Ideally my first shot will be at a bird hanging over the decoys, and I want to shoot right at it.

Other considerations: I like a gun that loads smoothly and easily. I want a large safety button, and I don’t care if that safety is at the front or the rear of the trigger guard. When choosing a shotgun, I pay little attention to trigger pull or the size and color of a gun’s bead, because I don’t notice either when I’m shooting.