5 of The Best Waterfowl Shotguns You Can Count On

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The waterfowl crew I run with is made up of a group of characters. We are all "always" going to fill a hunt—capture the memories on video—share it with our families. We never do. My duck and goose crew can't take feet down, wings pumping back and forth, point-blank action. When the feet come down, the camera, iPhone, whatever, gets dropped, and the shotgun comes up. I'm as guilty as they are.

Five years ago, though, my buddy Clay (part of the crew) and I had a revelation. Clay's sub-par semi-auto was only cycling a single round and then jamming. Curse words could be heard above the honking and shotgun blasts. Clay was pissed! I know because that was one of the only hunts we ever captured on video. We both stopped shooting and filmed it.

Why?

My pump-action shotgun wasn't pumping. It wasn't overly cold, and I'd cleaned the gun a week prior; it had only seen one field hunt and one water hunt since the cleaning. I got tired of fighting it and picked up the video camera. Two days later, Clay and I took the advice of others in our group, bit the bullet, and paid the money for a top-end waterfowl gun. This year will mark my fourth season using Browning Maxus II. Clay opted for Benelli's Super Black Eagle 3 (SBE3). As good as the SBE3 treated him, retirement prompted him to purchase a second Benelli. More to come on it.

The bottom line is this: If you're a serious waterfowl hunter, you know it's a dirty, cold, grimy grind. You scout tirelessly to get on the X, and when you do, you hope your pricy, likely flocked full-body decoys will do the job. When everything works and birds are back peddling in the decoys, you want your shotgun to go boom every time. Here are five models that will.

Browning Maxus II

Since its 2021 inception, Browning has developed multiple Maxus II makes, from field guns to upland models to clay busters. I have two Maxus II shotguns in my waterfowl arsenal, the Maxus II Camo (Auric) and Maxus II Camo (Vintage Tan). While I love the looks of the Maxus II, looks are secondary to fit, feel, and functionality.

The composite stock with SoftFlex cheek pad ensures excellent cheek weld even in blustery winter weather. It works in concert with the Inflex Recoil II Pad to soak up under-the-cheek abuse, which is common when you're shooting 3-1/2-inch heavy payload goose killers. The Infelx II Recoil pad uses direction deflection to pull the shotgun down and away from your face. This means you can hold your cheek weld, swing through a bird, quickly acquire the next, and pull more doubles and triples. Rubber gripping on the grip and forearm ensures maximum control and a great feel, and the oversized controls mean you won't be fumbling with your safety, bolt, etc.

The Power Drive System is a gas-driven system that uses large exhaust ports to expel gases more quickly on heavy loads. Still, when shooting lighter loads, the piston's stroke is precisely 20 percent longer to ensure flawless ejection and reloading. I don't clean either of my Maxus IIs as much as I should, and they can take a beating and keep kicking hulls out.

I like the raised rib and front fiber-optic sight with mid-bead. I'm not an aimer when it comes to crushing clay discs and birds. I'm a pointer and a swinger—everything is by feel—but I do notice the beads when I look down the barrel rib. Browning's 50/50 POI puts 50 percent of the pattern above the target and 50 percent below and extended knurled Invector-Plus choke tubes pair well with steel shot, steel and tungsten blends, and pure tungsten or bismuth shotshells. I've yet to pattern a load that the Invector-Plus chokes don't like. The Maxus II is ultra-reliable, and you can have one of your own for between $1,949.99 and $2,149.99.

Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I. BE.S.T. 

Don't fret, A.I., at least in Benelli's vocabulary, doesn't stand for Artificial Intelligence. It stands for Advanced Impact, and it's a game-changer. Designed to improve pellet penetration up to 50 percent, A.I. was tested and proven with numerous steel loads in Benelli's lab. Then, it was taken to the field.

"I shot the SBE3 A.I. BE.S.T.," said legendary outdoorsman and hardcore duck hunter Scott Haugen. "There's no snake oil here. I've seen lots of snake oil, but A.I. is real. It's just so impressive. The profile formula increases the velocity of whatever shell is in the chamber. Paired with CRIO chokes, which keep the pattern tight, you get a fast, perfectly constricted, controlled pattern that hits with insane energy. You can use standard steel shot without jumping up two or three shot sizes and crumble birds."

The 12-gauge, 28-inch barrel SBE3 A.I. BE.S.T. handles 2-3/4, 3, and 3-1/2-inch shotshells, comes in a GORE Optifade Timber stock finish with a Matte Gray BE.S.T. barrel and receiver finish. The BE.S.T. coating means no rust or corrosion, ever, and waterfowl spooking shine is totally reduced. This is the new model Clay opted for.

Built for the wild, Benelli's new waterfowl wrecker uses Benelli's tried-and-true Inertia Driven System. No matter what load you're shooting, heavy or light, the system needs no adjusting and will cycle shot after shot without problem.

You'll also appreciate the Comfort Tech 3 stock. By splitting the stock diagonally and using chevrons, Benelli engineers created a recoil-reducing design that they haven't altered in 16 years. When you get something right, you don't change it. The bee's knees of Benelli's waterfowl lineup, you can own the A.I. BE.S.T. 12-gauge model for $3,199.

Mossberg International Silver Reserve Eventide Waterfowl

I shot a Mossberg pump-action 500 model until it was no longer functional. No, it wasn't the model I mentioned earlier in the article that failed me. I used the Mossberg Model 500 12-gauge off and on for a decade. I didn't clean it once. I loved that shotgun. It's no longer functional because my sling broke, and I donated it to a local reservoir while standing in waist-deep water. When the water level receded that summer, I retrieved it.

Mossberg makes excellent shotguns at a great price point, and its International Silver Reserve Eventide Waterfowl is an over/under win. Most often, waterfowlers only get two good shots at birds over decoys. When I shoot an over/under, I slow down, pick my birds quicker, and fill my limit faster.

An ultra-durable break-action that promises absolute lock-up and shot-to-shot consistency for under $990, this 28-inch dual-barrel shotgun needs to be on your to-test list. Available in 12 gauge, the 3-1/2-inch chamber handles all shotgun shell lengths, and the synthetic stock is painted in Mossy Oak Vintage Shadowgrass to help the shotgun disappear in most any environment. Mossberg added a Cerakote-Patriot Brown to the barrel, and at 45.5 inches long and sporting a length-of-pull of 14.5 inches, the over/under is ideal for standard-size adult shooters.

Extractors ensure easy ejection, and the tang-mounted safety/barrel selector is easy to find and operate. The trigger guard isn't oversized but offers room for heavy gloves, and the shotgun comes with five chokes to ensure maximum pattern control.

Winchester SXP Waterfowl Hunter Camo

I've read too many reviews—like the one you're reading now—that only highlight high-end, expensive products. I do believe the "you get what you pay for" saying, but if a particular product doesn't have all the bells and whistles but does its job and keeps performing no matter what, it's got to be mentioned. Enter Winchester's SXP Waterfowl Hunter Camo. Available in many popular waterfowl camo patterns, the SXP Waterfowl Hunter is available in four 12-gauge and three 20-gauge models. My oldest son shot an SXP 20-gauge for three years before leaping to a 12-gauge semi-auto. He loved it.

The best thing about SXP shotguns is that you can't break them, and you must try to stop them from cycling shotshells. Two years ago, I shot a limit of mallards in -10-degree Fahrenheit weather, and that wasn't including the 18-mph wind chill. It was terrible, but the ducks were falling into a grain field. The 26-inch barrel 12-gauge SXP cycled the 3-inch HEVI-Metal Xtreme 1-1/4-ounce 3 and 6 Tungsten/Steel shells quickly, and I filled my limit.

My go-to SXP Waterfowl hunter is the 12-gauge 3-1/2-inch chamber 26-inch barrel option. It's light, maneuverable, and comes with a trio of Invector-Plus choke tubes. The aluminum alloy receiver is indestructible, and the four-lug rotary bolt distributes the force of heavy-magnum loads over a larger surface area to increase strength and stability. The reversible crossbolt safety is handy, and the Drop-Out Trigger Group makes the shotgun easy to clean in the garage or the field if necessary.

Shawn Stahl is a legendary waterfowler. He has designed and developed lots of goose calls and, aside from his calling accolades, which include a top-of-the-podium finish at the 2000 World Goose Calling Championship, Stahl is the Co-Host for RNT-V. He told me this concerning his choice to often sling an SXP model over his shoulder when waterfowl hunting.

"A pump-action causes me to slow my brain and my shooting down. I think this directly results from the manual operation required between each shot, but I'm not sure. What I know for sure is that when I'm shooting a pump-action shotgun, I focus more on the target, the lead, the pull of the trigger, the cycle, and I kill more birds."

Winchester's SXP Waterfowl Hunter can be yours for under $540 and will help you fill the freezer and make waterfowl memories that will last a lifetime.

Beretta A300 Ultima Realtree Max-7

I haven't tested this shotgun, but I'm adding it to this list because I spent last weekend setting up a deer property with professional bass angler Andy Morgan, and he said it was one of his favorite waterfowl guns of all time. Morgan spends his off-season hunting deer and ducks. He kills a lot of deer and lots and lots of ducks. He's one of the savviest hunters I have ever visited with, and he convinced me I need to add the A300 Ultima Realtree Max-7 to my collection.

"You'll love it," Morgan said. "It's a hard-working semi-automatic shotgun that performs and hits an excellent price point."

Priced right ($1,080) and ready to go out of the box, the A300 Ultima Realtree Max-7 is available in 12 and 20 gauge. Both shotguns wear 28-inch barrels, and when conditions are frigid, according to Morgan, they keep firing. Adding comfort and shooter control, the A300 Ultima features enlarged controls to ensure maximum handling and shooting confidence. The 7x7mm stepped rib is fitted with a mid-bead and front fiber-optic sight, and the oversized loading port and low-profile receiver maximize handling.

There you have it: five waterfowl shotguns that will ensure you dominate the fields, rivers, slews, etc., this season. Don't wait! Waterfowl seasons are right around the corner. Visit your local dealer, ask some questions, get a few—or all—of these shotguns in your hands, and purchase a new waterfowl companion.

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Top Selling Shotguns Sold in July 2025

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

Editor's note: In the report, guns are rated from one to five within each category, with the number one gun being the most popular that month. The numbers are color-coded to show any changes in the ranks from the previous report.

Black = Steady
Green = Up
Red = Down

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

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