Goose Hunting Shotguns | Goose Guns

Goose hunting is for those hunters that want to try something new and more difficult in comparison to duck or pheasant hunting for example. This type of hunting is most popular in the northern areas of United States and Canada, but it is no way near as popular in comparison to traditional hunting styles like deer or coon. The reason for this is because goose hunting is for the experienced hunter, as it is more difficult and requires a lot of practice, patience and nerves of steel to bag a few geese.

Goose Hunting Guns

As far as the goose hunting guns are concerned, many avid and experienced hunters recommend using a typical 10 gauge semi-auto shotgun. For those of you that are considering an all around 12 gauge shotgun, it is advisable to purchase one that will allow you to use 3 ½ inch shells as they will give you about the same power as a 10 gauge shotgun, more or less. If you are wondering about the size shot to use, it is fairly simple: the closer the goose, the smaller the shot as it will give you more pellets per shell and more chance to hit. Vice versa, the farther – the bigger the shot and you will have fewer pellets but considerably more power. Taking into consideration the fact that the geese are known for being tough birds, you will need all the power you can have.

Goose Hunting Shotguns

Choosing a goose hunting shotgun should not be a very difficult task as there are plenty of options in almost all ranges of price. For a waterfowling model nothing is more versatile/flexible that a 12 3 1/2" model. They are also built to withstand a much higher pressure than the shorter chamber models. Nothing wrong with a 3" model for waterfowling though. There are quite a few very good and reliable 3 1/2" models. Chances are, there is more than one model that could work well for most of the geese hunters out there. Here are a few examples of goose shotguns that experienced hunters recommend: Benelli SBE I/II, Beretta Xtrema/Xtrema 2, A400 Unico, Browning Gold/Silver/Maxus, and the Winchester SX2/3. Of course, let us not forget about the popular Remington 870 (the older models).

Figuring out which is the best shotgun for goose hunting or any other type of bird hunting should be done by taking into consideration the following:  hunting conditions, how heavy are the loads you will be shooting, gauge selection, current shooting abilities, features that allow customization and last but certainly not least, manufacturer. Generally speaking, reviewers along with a couple of experienced hunters have come up with a list of best goose hunting guns which was later on minimized to a single answer, which has to be the Mossberg 935 although many might disagree with this answer. The 935’s are tailor-made for waterfowl. If you have the possibility to try one, do not hesitate.

Goose hunting guns are available in a wide array of specifications and forms, meaning that anyone will find a suitable model in their price range. The Benelli Super Eagle is another wise option and for those of you tight on the budget, you can purchase a Weatherby SA-08 which is a 6 ½ pound semiauto, low tech but definitely high value for the buck. The Turkish-made gun comes with two interchangeable gas pistons, one for heavy 3-inch loads and one for lighter ammo. It’s easy to clean and comes with a black synthetic stock, matte-finished metal, and three choke tubes. With a retail price of just 449 dollars, you cannot get something cheaper and better in this price range.

As you can see there are plenty of offers in any price range for a good goose hunting gun. It is advisable to try as many as possible before deciding upon a single model. Take into consideration all the factors that compose your hunting adventure because all of them are equally important. For those of you that want to purchase a gun from a popular manufacturer but cannot afford a brand new model, it is recommended to browse the second hand listings and find a gun that is in mint condition, you could be saving a lot of money plus there are some situations in which an older generation model is far better than a current generation model, it is a known fact.