Top 5 Duck Hunting Shotguns | Restocked at PSA!

Duck hunting is fairly new for me so I don’t think I know enough to be an expert yet. However, I do have a pretty good idea of which shotguns would be awesome to duck hunt with to increase your chances of getting a duck for dinner. Duck hunting can be a lot of fun if you prepare properly and have the right equipment. It might look easy when you see videos of duck hunters, but I can assure you that duck hunting is not easy at all. To improve your odds, I created a top 5 duck hunting list for the shotguns that are on the shelves at Palmetto State Armory. We hope you enjoy our list and have good luck this coming winter duck season!

Weatherby 18i Waterfowler Shotgun

Everything Weatherby makes turns out great with an affordable price tag to match a high-quality gun. The 18i Waterfowler is great for hunting because it’s chambered to fit the ultra magnum 3.5″ shells and fires semi-automatic. The larger magnum shells have more pellets in them, increasing your chances of hitting a duck out of the air. The semi-auto operation gives you very quick follow up shots with the highly visible LPA Fiber sights. The shotgun is fired with an inertia system that is free-floating with the bolt-carrier group. As the shotgun is fired the recoil of the explosion pushes the shotgun against the inertia spring and bolt carrier group. Inertia driven systems present more reliable feeding and extractions than gas-operated shotguns. 

The 18i Waterfowler stock is a very rigid elastic polymer (elastomer) that has a built-in cheek rest and aggressive grip in both the palm and foregrip. The flexibility in the stock helps absorb some of the felt-recoil to make your shot more comfortable. I love the bright LPA fiber front sight because if you’re shooting in low light conditions, it’s bright enough to see and put on your target. The safety is located right behind the trigger and has a bright red ring for confirmation on the status of the shotgun. I like the safety feature because there is never a guess if my gun is on fire or not. 

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Beretta A400 Xtreme Bottomland

The Beretta A400 Xtreme is one of the best made and accurate shotguns you’ll ever fire. The shotgun barrel is not only built with steelium to add durability and reliability but the Integral Mid Bead, Fiber Optic Front Bead provides easy and quick target acquisition. The A400 Xtreme is designed to reduce the felt-recoil as much as possible with a fixed synthetic stock with the Beretta Kick-Off. The charging handle is extended and enlarged for easier manipulation during really cold or wet environments. As a duck hunter, you’re most likely going to be around water or in water, so this feature really helps. 

Specs

Benelli M2 Field Shotgun

Benelli is like the Mercedes Benz of shotguns with some of the most advanced technologies inside and a frame built for comfort in any condition. Owning a Benelli M2 Field shotgun is not only going to give you more confidence as you walk out into the marshes or fields, but also make you a better hunter. The Inertia system provides much better reliability than gas because you don’t really have to clean an inertia-operated shotgun as much as a gas-operated shotgun. Personally, I think you should always keep your guns lubed, clean, and stored safely. With that being said, I do appreciate not having to clean a gun as much as I do my gas-operated guns. Since the bolt-carrier group is free-floating, there is no build-up of carbine inside your shotgun like gas does to a gun. 

As far as the shotgun goes, it’s built with Benelli’s patented Vinci SpeedBolt^® and the QuadraFit™ buttstock for a custom feel to the gun. The drop, cast, comb height, and length of pull can all be adjusted without any extra tools. Even with this versatility, the stock remains rigid and sturdy, while the ComforTech^® Plus cushions your face from the recoil for almost instant recovery and follow-up shots. The Vinci SpeedBolt provides superior balance and stability versus most other shotguns. This specific 20 GA is incredible and comes with almost no felt-recoil. 

Specs

Browning Silver Field Series

The Browning Silver Field shotgun is for those hunters who prefer to have a custom look with nostalgia. I chose the camo model, but the engraving on the receiver is beautiful for a shotgun and really sets this gun apart. As far as the performance goes, the Browning Silver Field is designed for versatility with the ability to load 1 1/8 oz., 2 3/4″ field loads all the way up to a 3 1/2″ magnums. This shotgun is gas-piston operated and operates independently of the active valve for a reduction in pressure on the piston. This prevents excessive wear and tear to improve the longevity and reliability of the shotgun. 

The gas piston for the Browning Silver operates uses the self-adjusting Active Valve gas system uses gas from fired shells to operate the action instead of contributing to recoil. This allows the shotgun to shoot lighter loads without worrying about inconsistent pressure. Any gas leftover vents out the top of the forearm and away from the receiver for a much cleaner and reliable operation. A Superior recoil reduction from the Active Valve also equals faster, more accurate follow-up shots and all-day shooting comfort regardless of the loads used.

Retay Masai Mara Satin ST 

If you’ve never heard of a Retay shotgun then you’re missing out on a very unique and awesome shotgun. This gun is the lightest of all guns on this list and separates itself with its unique inertia system and trigger system. The trigger system can be easily removed from the lower receiver of the shotgun without any extra tools and easily reinstalls. This feature allows for easy disassembling for cleaning. The bolt of the Retay is incredible with the ability to always close no matter how hard or soft you charge the handle. This feature prevents any misfires due to the bolt not locking all the way into the chamber. 

As you can see with this specific gun, it’s absolutely beautiful with the Turkish Walnut finish on the stock and the Satin finish on the barrel. The silky feeling of the stock and foregrip is really cool and comfortable. This shotgun comes with 5 separate Marapro chokes to provide more versatility in your hunt for waterfowl. The fiber optic front sight and adjustable heel allow you to customize the feel of the shotgun in your shooting stance for easier and quicker target acquisition. 

Specs