[fabsroman]

There are some guns that can do everything, but there really isn't one gun that can do it all. The first gun I bought was a Browning Citori in field grade and I used that for everything, including trap and skeet. I was just over 18 years old when I bought that. Now, I hate Browning as a result of that gun. The story is a long one, so I will leave it out, but some of you already know it.

Since I was shooting a lot of trap and skeet after I got out of undergrad and I had a decent job, I saved up and dropped $2,900 on a Beretta 682 Trap Combo that I am still using to this day and I started using my old Browning BPS for most of my hunting. I bought a Beretta 686 o/u right before starting law school. In law school, I met a guy that introduced me to waterfowling and since I wanted a third shot I decided to use my old Browning BPS that my dad gave me as a birthday present when I was 8. Found that I wasn't doing too well with it even though I was breaking skeet left and right with the 686. So, I shot the BPS at skeet one day and found that I couldn't pump the gun quick enough and get back on target for the second bird. Hence, my decision to buy the Benelli SBE. I figured I could use it for all my hunting needs and I did so for about 4 years, but I bought a Beretta 682 Gold E for my skeet and sporting clays shooting and it came with a free Beretta 3901 auto. I like both guns. Then, after starting my own practice, I bought a Beretta 391 Teknys sporting clays gun in both 12 ga. and 20 ga. and I can shoot both of them pretty well. I use the 20 ga. on early season doves and for upland. Right now, I think I have enough of a selection of guns to adequately cover any specific shooting situation, but it took a little time to get to this point. Of course, a nice 28 ga. o/u would be nice for upland hunting and a pretty $10,000 o/u with all kinds of game scenes would be nice for the safe. Don't see that happening anytime soon.

Now, my opinion on the question is almost the same as TJ's. Buy good quality guns that will last you a life time. If you get the Benelli SBE, Beretta Extrema, Browning Gold 3 1/2, or Winchester X2, you will have a really good starter gun that can do just about anything. Granted, it isn't the best at everything, just goose hunting and some duck hunting, but it can still shoot almost everything out of it and you don't have to worry about what shells people have on them to lend you.

My SBE will not cycle really light loads of 1 1/8 oz. shot. What I can get to cycle on warm days is 1 1/8 oz. at 1150 fps and on cold days I need 1 1/8 oz. at 1200 fps. Now, my brother has an SBE that will cycle the crapola 1 oz hunting loads put out by Remington and Winchester. Haven't tried them in my gun yet because I refuse to shoot that stuff. My brother uses those loads out of his SBE to shoot trap, skeet, sporting clays, doves, and crows and they seem to work just fine for him.

If you can afford two quality guns, buy one of the 3 1/2 guns mentioned above, except for the Browning and Winchester LOL, and buy something else that is lighter and can be used for clays, doves, ducks in timber, etc.