The gun you should buy is the one that seems to fit you best. With the right attitude you can find a GOOD used O/U for 800-1200 bucks. The best thing about a used gun is that quite often you can try it out..which is a real plus. If you buy new it will be a bit harder to stay in the price range if you want a pretty gun. Since you are familiar with the Ruger.. see how one fits . If in a store..wear the hunting clothes that you go gunning in. People go out to a store and buy a shotgun wearing a tee shirt or street clothes. If tht's what ya hunt in well I guess it's OK.
Like Fabs I'm not a fan of Brownings..not that they aren't a good gun..just don't like the company. Bad service. Beretta makes a good O/U so check them out too. A nice gun on the market now is a Caesar Guerini. Good feeling gun and the price ismaybe a bit high but quality is there. Not a fan of an O/U in the field as they only shoot twice..and they do have more recoil than an auto> The Ruger does have a bit of recoil..but so do the others...and the Ruger IS made here in the US. A plus in my opinion