Great Duck Hunting Shotguns for Any Budget and Shooting Style

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By: Guns.com Staff

Duck hunts offer us the rare opportunity to truly set aside work and the daily stresses of life for the serenity of the outdoors and some friendly camaraderie. These are times to bond, swap stories, joke, and retreat to the tranquility of the hunt.

Ever since I came home from the military, waterfowl season has been my favorite time of the year.

There’s nothing quite like hitting the fields and waterways when duck season finally comes around. That first hunt of the year is a tradition-building experience that many waterfowlers have enjoyed and passed on to the next generation of wing shooters and duck callers.

Whether you want the feel and simplicity of pump-action scatterguns, the speed of semi-autos, or the class of graceful break-action shotguns, we’ve gathered several top picks for each category below.

TOP PUMP-ACTION PICKS

I started my waterfowl hunting life with a semi-auto in my hands, but I quickly traded that for a wallet-friendly pump. I just love the feel and function of pump-action shotguns, and there’s a certain joy that comes from the tactile act of working the action from a duck blind or boat.

Over the last few years, I’ve talked to many new and seasoned waterfowlers about their go-to pump guns. I’ve also been lucky enough to test and hunt with all four of the classic pump designs below. 

Classic Pump Pick: Remington 870 Wingmaster – Review 
New-Age Favorite: Benelli Nova/Super Nova – Review
Low-Price Classic: Mossberg 500 – Review 
Budget-Friendly Pick: Maverick 88 – Review

RELIABLE SEMI-AUTOS

We live in a golden age of semi-auto hunting shotguns that run the spectrum from extremely affordable to top-shelf. Still, it’s the function and reliability of the shotgun that earn it a seat in the duck boat over and over again.

Semi-auto shotguns certainly offer some advantages when hunting fast-flying birds. Guns.com has a team of reviewers who are lifelong hunters with an eye specifically on speedy quackers. Here are some of their favorites at various price ranges.

High-End Speed and Reliability: Benelli Ethos Cordoba – Review
Mid-Price Semi Pick: Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl – Review
Budget-Friendly Pick: TriStar Matrix – Review 

CLASSIC BREAK-ACTION SHOTGUNS

While they may be more common on trap ranges and sporting clays courses than they are in duck blinds, break-action shotguns have been reliably dropping birds for much longer than any pump or semi-auto.

There’s an undeniable elegance to swinging a well-balanced over-under, and that classiness carries over to the increasing number of affordable side-by-sides we’ve seen enter the American market recently. Here are a few of our favorites.

High-End Over-Under: Browning Citori – Review
Mid-Price O/U Option: CZ Drake – Review
Affordable Side-By-Side: TriStar Bristol – Review 

This content is brought to you by Guns.com as part of a Sponsored Content Program. Ducks Unlimited editorial staff played no role in the creation of this content.