Stick with a 3” gun. There is nothing that a 3.5 will do that a 3” with modern shells won’t do.

I’m going to recommend the Beretta A300 Ultima. There is a $75 rebate from Beretta right now. Still a little over your price but there are some showing up on the used market too.

I have also heard good things about the Tristan Viper but I’ve never owned one.

 

would appreciate any input and helping my decision, the season is in full swing!

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1063809320 gets you hunting.

 

Randy,
I'm curious: Why the Weatherby? The last time I recall you weighing in on them you were a lot higher on the Impala Plus than the Weatherby?

 

I have the great granddaddy of the 300. It’s 25 years old. Been in the bottom of the marsh 4-5 times- cuz I took a misstep. Still runs fine. The present version has more features.

 

I would agree with others that a 3-1/2" isn't needed given advances in shells these days(and question wether it was really ever needed). But if you find one you like don't let chamber size/pattern effect wive tales stop you. I have seen and shot plenty of 3-1/2" guns with 2-3/4" shells. Those birds, clay or feathered obviously didn't read anything about the patterns they were being killed with.

 

Thanks guys.
what’s the general consensus of the moss 940 pro field? I can get one sub $670. Looked at the ultima with rebate and even though is a solid gun it’s more than I want to spend. The weatherby never came up while looking. Thanks, Randy.

 

Thanks guys.
what’s the general consensus of the moss 940 pro field? I can get one sub $670. Looked at the ultima with rebate and even though is a solid gun it’s more than I want to spend. The weatherby never came up while looking. Thanks, Randy.

It's an ok gun, but I didn't like the fact that they are an 80/20 gun, in my case 90/10. A fact I was never aware of before buying. It is adjustable with shims.

 

Sorry, but I'm going to challenge your whole premise: Is what you want to spend more important than getting a gun that you can shoot well and that meets your hunting needs reliably?
IMO the most important goal is getting a gun that you're comfortable shooting and can shoot well, even it it costs a few bucks more than you originally envisioned. I'd say you need more time with some of the candidate guns in your hands in person and less time reading the opinions of folks on the internet. Shotgun opinions are like vehicle brand opinions - your mileage absolutely WILL vary.

 

I agree with buying the gun that fits you rather than a "consensus" on a web site. I've walked into a store thinking I wanted a particular gun but when I started throwing it up to my shoulder it just didn't work for me. Sometimes they were really nice guns but I don't buy a gun to keep in a safe so if it doesn't fit, I don't need it.

You are going to find that the variety of game you're thinking about causes some issues, especially if you are hunting in radically different weather. Goose hunting in Maine would mean cold weather to me- a lot more clothes than early season bird hunting. That changes the length of pull to fit a gun. Either look at an adjustable stock or get the stock a little short and add a spacer in warm weather. As a young hunter, I had a stock cut off and just used a slip on recoil pad in warm weather. I agree 3.5" chambers aren't necessary but there's nothing wrong with them except that makes the receiver on a pump or semi-auto a little longer. That can affect the balance of the gun, so again it's best tested in a store or better yet on a range if possible.

 

I’ve put a few hundred onto skeet and paper each from an 1100 and 590. Different guns absolutely but I wouldn’t say i really noticed one “pointing” or realistically feeling better than the other. 590 heavier and pump of course. But I’m not going to go to the local shop and rent 10 different shotguns. And to answer, you can absolutely buy a vehicle based on price range and know what you’re getting. I’d get a 300k mile maintained tundra over a 98k mile any other flavor

 

Congratulations; you've just made my point. You absolutely DO have opinions based on what YOU perceive as quality build and reliability and would spend more on a Toyota even though the Tundra cost more than something else. Same goes for shotguns. To further extend your logic: Go find a used Beretta/SX3/Browning A5 instead of something with a lesser pedigree new.

 

Buy a used Beretta 390. It is the single best gas operated semi auto ever made. You do NOT need 3 1/2". It is 10 times the gun the Mossberg is. You can do anything with one and do it well.

 

Dunns has the A300 ultimas on a great sale with rebate thats awful close to your desired budget. Cabelas or Basspro also had a sale going on same gun with a couple camos that only they carried. Real cheap if its still going on.

 

I still do lots of waterfowl hunting with a 3" pump. A new 870 Fieldmaster 3" should be in your price range. Mossberg makes the 835 and 500 pumps. I have seen lots of waterfowl killed with both Mossberg models. Benelli Nova is a solid pump gun. My one buddy shoots his lights out and I like the way they point. If BPS is still available they are great guns.

I appreciate gas semiautos for reduced recoil. The A300 has a good reputation. I have never shot the Ultima but I like shooting the older Outlander model. I have one friend who hunted geese with a Tristar Viper and it functioned flawlessly. I don't know anything about the inertia guns like the Impala Plus, Element, Stoeger. Most of my waterfowl hunting buddies shoot Benellis and a couple Beretta A400's.

It is going to be up to you to handle them and decide what you like best. There isn't much I can't do with a 3" 870. I shot two 50 bird rounds of sporting clays today with an 870 in preparation for duck season. A week from today I will be shooting ducks.

 

I still do lots of waterfowl hunting with a 3" pump. A new 870 Fieldmaster 3" should be in your price range. Mossberg makes the 835 and 500 pumps. I have seen lots of waterfowl killed with both Mossberg models. Benelli Nova is a solid pump gun. My one buddy shoots his lights out and I like the way they point. If BPS is still available they are great guns.

I appreciate gas semiautos for reduced recoil. The A300 has a good reputation. I have never shot the Ultima but I like shooting the older Outlander model. I have one friend who hunted geese with a Tristar Viper and it functioned flawlessly. I don't know anything about the inertia guns like the Impala Plus, Element, Stoeger. Most of my waterfowl hunting buddies shoot Benellis and a couple Beretta A400's.

It is going to be up to you to handle them and decide what you like best. There isn't much I can't do with a 3" 870. I shot two 50 bird rounds of sporting clays today with an 870 in preparation for duck season. A week from today I will be shooting ducks.

A solid pump-action shotgun is like a claw hammer in your toolbox. It's very hard to beat a Benelli Nova for what you describe. Smooth running, dead nuts reliable, so inexpensive it's hard to justify trading it if you decide to move to a more expensive shotgun. Everybody needs a pump gun, just like every hunter needs a .22 rifle. (This is my opinion and I am sticking to it.)

They are heavy. That soaks up recoil. Not-so-good for upland where much walking is enjoyed. For duck, turkey and deer... perfect.

When looking at inexpensive shotguns, look at:
The Importer. The importer should have been around a long time. If they go out of business, so do your spare parts.
How many have been sold. The more guns sold, the more parts are available. Its a hint on the gun's utility.
Price. If it's near the bottom of price class, that can result in many not-nice guns sold.
Used market. If there are zillions of them being sold used for cheap, zillions of guys don't like 'em.

I hate Benelli and think the Nova swings like a railroad tie. But I am a shotgun snob and hunt upland birds with light weight shotguns. For duck hunting it's hard to beat a Nova.

 

I really don’t know if I want 3 or 3.5 or pump vs semi. If I realistically don’t need 3.5 for anything a proper 3” load can do, I will go for 3”.

would appreciate any input and helping my decision, the season is in full swing!

I agree-- I don't know what you want, either! I surely don't know what fits you the best. Your $700 or less price point does significantly narrow the options for a new semi-auto in 2024. Sure, there is the season, but what about next year and the year after that? It sounds like you just need to do some shopping, shouldering, and shooting.

 

Nothing wrong with the 835, I've used one as my waterfowl.Gun for 30+yrs
And fired tens of thousands of rounds through it in that time, it always goes,bang has never failed to feed, fire or eject, killed everything I've ever shot with it, from 5 yards, out to 70 yards

 

Lexus ranks highest overall in vehicle dependability for a second consecutive year, with a score of 135 PP100. Feb 8, 2024 (J.D. Power)

In 2024, Toyota, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Subaru ranked top among selected automobile and light vehicle brands in terms of consumer satisfaction in the United States with an index score of 83. Sep 19, 2024

Best Resale Value Top 10 for 2024 (via KBB)

Rank	Model	5-Year Resale Value
1	2024 Ford Bronco	66.7%
2	2024 Toyota Tacoma	62.6%
3	2024 Mercedes-Benz G-Class	61.2%
4	2024 Toyota Tundra	60.4%
5	2024 Chevrolet Corvette	59.0%
6	2024 Toyota GR Supra	57.2%
7	2024 Toyota Prius	55.3%
8	2024 Toyota 4Runner	54.6%
9	2024 Porsche 718 Cayman	54.2%
10	2024 Ford Maverick	54.0%

 

That's jd power, they have always been bias, So I take their opinion with a grain of salt, when it comes, to car reviews.

 

I will say that Mossberg is not the Toyota of the shotgun world.

 

The Yaris

 

go to local pawn shop by a pump and an auto. shoot them both a couple days each. keep shooting the gun you kill the best with. it will probably be the pump.