Blam!

For a while I've been struggling with the shotgun situation. I need an all around gun that works for a wide range of uses - sporting clays, ducks, rabbits, maybe turkey, and perhaps some upland birds. I want something I can shoot frequently enough to get comfortable with how it mounts and performs so I'm a better, more consistent shot.

None of my current guns will shoot 3" and 3-1/2" shells, so waterfowl or turkeys are out. On the other end, I would imagine I'll shoot clays more than anything, so it needs to cycle reliably with 2-3/4" target loads.

After a lot of consideration and soul-searching, I've decided that one of the new generation of synthetic autoloaders will be the ticket. While I love the look and feel of a classic over-under, a decent one is just too pricey, plus then I have to baby it when hunting. The new autoloaders feature rugged durable stocks, plus proprietary coatings that protect from the elements. I love the feel of a classic Browning Citori or Beretta, but for the uses I want to put this gun to, it just doesn't make sense.

The solution looks to be the new Remington VersaMAX. What first caught my attention was the VersaPort system that adjusts the recoil gases to cycle shells from 2-3/4" to 3-1/2" reliably. All the reviews I've read have commended this system's reliability and simplicity. The TriNyte coated barrel means I can take it out on a drizzly day for ducks and not be concerned about it rusting in 3 minutes. And it's got simple shooter-adjustable pads for length-of-pull (important when you have long gorilla arms like me) and the cheek pad for proper mount.

This gun seems like the answer to a lot of my issues with my current shotguns. My Winchester 1200 pump is a great gun. But, it will only shoot lead, won't shoot over a 2-3/4" shell, and I'm not comfortable that I can put steel ammo through it for waterfowl. My Stoeger Uplander SxS is a GREAT upland field bird gun; but that's really all it's good for. And my vintage Remington 11-48 is a gun I just can't make peace with. My mount is inconsistent and I can't hit reliably, plus it's limited to 2-3/4" ammo, and won't shoot steel. The latter will likely be sold to find it a better home.

I feel like a grown-up outdoorsman. This will be my first new shotgun purchase and I'm getting what's right for me and how I will use it. The predecessors were good guns (well, except maybe the 11-48...), but they weren't what I needed.

-Sean-