July 25, 2022
By Alan Clemons
The Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey shotgun was featured at SHOT Show 2022 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Adam Heggenstaller) READ MORE: See all the new hunting and shooting gear from SHOT Show 2022
The confusing thing, sometimes, about new products introduced for hunting is wading through all the features, innovations, marketing fluff and media hype.
This is true when you’re looking for the best new shotguns for hunting waterfowl, turkeys and upland birds.
But the good thing about all the new products introduced each year is wading through all that as you pick out what you want to see before the hunting seasons begin.
Other than a few soft launches in 2021, the annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas was the coming-out party for companies introducing new shotguns and more.
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Whether you’re thinking about duck blinds and goose fields, upland birds flushing or turkeys thundering in spring, here are some of the best scatterguns coming out this year.
Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey Mossberg’s new 940 Pro Turkey shotguns have receiver cuts that accept direct mounting of low-profield Shield RMSc-pattern micro-dot sights. We’ve come a long way from no optics to scopes to now the use of red-dot optics. The 940 Pro Turkey has a durable gas system and myriad corrosion-resistant internal parts including a nickel boron-coated gas piston. You can go up to 1,500 rounds before needing a good cleaning. The loading port is enlarged and beveled for easier loading, and has an oversized, bright orange follower. The stock is adjustable for 1.25-inch length of pull. Should you opt for no sights, there’s a fiber optic HiViz CompSight on the front.
$1,120 | mossberg.com
READ MORE: First look at Mossberg’s new 940 Pro shotguns
CZ Reaper Magnum CZ Reaper Magnum The Reaper Magnum is CZ’s turkey-specific shotgun, designed with the same 3 ½-inch chamber of the Swamp Magnum. The 26-inch barrels offer more maneuverability, and you can install two chokes for long- and short-range shots. Merely flip the barrel selector switch to choose which choke to use for whatever situation you encounter. A top rail allows for easy installation of an optic. The Reaper Magnum ships with five extended interchangeable chokes including extra full. The 7-pound Reaper Magnum ships with five extended interchangeable chokes, including an extra full.
$1,079 | cz-usa.com
Browning Cynergy Turkey Browning Cynergy Turkey If you’re looking for a badass, possibly overthought shotgun for turkey hunting, the Browning Cynergy could be it. Futuristic might be another description. Fully camouflaged in old school Mossy Oak Bottomland, the Cynergy over/under has an ultra low profile receiver designed to put you more in line with the gun while aiming. A short Picatinny rail is designed for red-dot optics, and it comes with a Marble Arms Bullseye rear sight and fiber optic front sight. The composite stock will withstand whatever is thrown at it, as will the machined steel receiver that has a silver-nitride finish. It comes with 24-inch barrels for 3-inch 12-gauge loads
$2,549 | browning.com
Benelli Super Black Eagle 28-Gauge Benelli Super Black Eagle 28-Gauge More hunters are showing interest in older sub-gauges including 16 and 28, and this year Benelli USA figures to hit the sweet spot for them with its Super Black Eagle 3 in 28-gauge. It can handle 3-inch shells, giving waterfowlers and upland bird hunters a nod, while retaining all the recoil-reduction, smooth operation and easy shooting features hunters know and want. It is offered in Crio-treated 26- and 28-inch barrel lengths, is lightweight at 5.5 and 5.6 pounds, respectively, and has 47.5- and 49.5-inch overall lengths. Eight models with different stocks and camo patterns are available.
$1,799 | benelliusa.com
Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl Mossberg didn’t overlook the waterfowl hunters this year, introducing the 940 Pro Waterfowl (and 940 Pro Snow Goose) specifically designed for tough conditions in the field and blind. The gun’s gas system handles up to 1,500 rounds between cleanings, and it’s packed with corrosion-resistant internal parts. Those include a boron-nitride coated gas piston, magazine tube, hammer sear, return spring tube, chrome-lined chamber and bore; and a stainless-steel return spring. It’s easier to load thanks to the enlarged, beveled loading port and elongated elevator. Cerakote metal surfaces provide extra protection.
$1,092 | mossberg.com
READ MORE: First look at Mossberg’s new 940 Pro shotguns
Browning A5 Browning A5 Waterfowl hunters wanting a little old school in the blind can get it with the 16-gauge A5 from Browning. This inertia semi-automatic sports a 26- or 28-inch barrel in the sub-gauge fondly remembered as a classic all-around gun. IT has a synthetic stock and forend in Realtree Max-7 or Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat, a burnt bronze Cerakote finish on the receiver and barrel, and other additions such as an enlarged bolt-release button. The familiar humpback of yesteryear will find a home in the duck blind or afield chasing upland birds.
$2,229 | browning.com
READ MORE: Browning Brings Out New Sweet 16 for Waterfowl
Franchi Affinity 3 Left-Hand Franchi Affinity 3 Left-Hand Southpaw shooters have a new scattergun to consider, as Franchi gives a nod to left-handers with its 20-gauge Affinity 3 Left-Hand. Whether you’re targeting ducks, turkeys, upland birds or clays, the new left-hand Affinity 3 is right in line with its 10-year-old predecessor. It features an Inertia Driven action, TSA recoil pad to reduce felt recoil, adjustable Ergonom-X stock that can be tweaked for drop and cast, and weighs just six pounds. Chokes include improved cylinder, modified and full.
$899 | franchiusa.com
Browning Cynergy Waterfowl/Upland Browning Cynergy Waterfowl Browning’s classic Cynergy over/under is no stranger to the waterfowl blind or upland fields. This year you’ll find an extra cool twist thanks to the old-school camouflage pattern on the composite stock, along with a Burnt Bronze Cerakote metal surfaces for increased durability. It has an ivory bead, gold-plated trigger,and a Cynergy Inflex recoil pad. It’s available in 12-gauge models with 26-, 28 and 30-inch barrels, all of which handle 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch shells. The Cynergy also has Browning’s Banded Invector-Plus Extended choke system — Full, Modified, and Improved cylinder choke tubes — and a chrome-plated chamber finish.
$2,499 | browning.com
Benelli 828U Limited Edition Benelli 828U Limited Edition Benelli’s new 828U Limited Edition over/under is a limited edition model, with only 200 available with a 28-inch barrel. The 828U features a nickel-plated steel frame with game scene engravings along the sides, top and bottom and satin-finished AA-grade walnut. It has a gloss barrel finish and Benelli’s BE.S.T surface treatment. Benelli guarantees their guns with BE.S.T.-treated parts for 25 years against rust and corrosion. Other features include impulse-activated ejectors, a top lever striker reset, and the Benelli Progressive Comfort System recoil mitigation in the stock. The trigger group can be easily removed for cleaning.
$2,799 | benelliusa.com
READ MORE: First look at the Benelli Limited Edition 828U
Franchi Instinct L Franchi Instinct L Franchi’s popular over/under series is available in a lighter model, the new Instinct L 20-gauge. This classic sports a 26-inch barrel and handles 2 ¾- and 3-inch shells, an all-steel and color case-hardened receiver, automatic ejectors and Prince of Wales-style stock. Upland hunters should relish the lighter weight and trim design, as the L 20 joins the 28-inch 12- and 20-gauge models. It has A-grade satin walnut with a satin oil finish. Additional standard features of the Instinct L O/U shotguns include a high-visibility fiber-optic front bar, IC, M, and F choke tubes, and a custom-fitted hard case.
$1,449 | franchiusa.com
