Best New Hunting Shotguns from SHOT Show

In the years since the SHOT Show was first held in 1979, the shotgun world has brought mixed news as the early year industry show arrives on the calendar and the hunting and shooting world flies into Las Vegas.

While the 47th annual SHOT Show (not counting the 2021 show that was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic) officially gets underway on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, this year, the show always finds an unofficial beginning at the annual Industry Day at the Range, held rain or shine on the Monday of SHOT Show week. And as that day arrived this year, there was already plenty of buzz along the famed Las Vegas strip about shotguns being brought out this year, including a monumental anniversary and the rebirth of an American classic.

With that backdrop, here’s a look at some of the new hunting shotgun models that are catching our eye this week:

Benelli Ethos Upland A.I.

Some Game & Fish readers might remember that around this time last year, when we told you about the Benelli Ethos Upland A.I. semi-auto shotgun.

This year, the upland bird hunting shotgun still has the BE.S.T. (Benelli Surface Treatment with a 25-year warranty against corrosion) and the Advanced Impact (which enhances shot energy and velocity) technology that delivers up to 50 percent better penetration for more effective knock-down power in the field. And yes, the famed Benelli Inertia Driven System remains in place for reliable cycling of shotshells.

And with the enlarged bolt handle and bolt-release, the Ethos remains a superb scattergun option for upland bird hunting enthusiasts even when it’s a cold, blustery and snowy afternoon in the uplands.

So what's the big change in the 2026 model? Simple. Benelli is now offering shotgunners in the sub-gauge world a chance to get in on this superb Ethos Upland A.I. smoothbore thanks to a brand new 28-gauge version of this smoothbore. Like the 12- and 20-gauge versions previously available, this 28-gauge model features an AA-grade walnut finish on the Progressive Finish stock, complemented by an anodized gray receiver finish.

The shotgun also has a 28-inch-long barrel (with a BE.S.T. treatment barrel finish), a red fiber optic on the end of the barrel, extended A.I. Crio choke tubes (Cylinder, IC, Modified, IM and Full), 3-inch chambers and a swing-friendly 5.5 pounds in weight. With a 14 3/8-inch length of pull, 2 1/2 drop at heel and a 1 1/2-inch drop at comb, this is as good a scattergun as shotgunners can find for the uplands, now in a 28-bore. MSRP: $3,299 

Beretta A300 Ultima KO Mossy Oak Bottomland

When Toxey Haas walked into a textile mill back in the 1980s with a fistful of dirt, sticks, and leaves and a burning desire to get closer to wild critters, it was hard to imagine that 40 years later, Mossy Oak (Link: https://www.mossyoak.com/ ) would be one of the biggest companies in the outdoors industry after its humble 1986 beginnings.

But Mossy Oak isn’t the oldest outdoors industry company, not by a long shot. Because that honor belongs to Beretta—which was established by Bartolomeo Berretta with the delivery of an arquebus barrel contract that was fulfilled in 1556 in Venice, Italy. As the prestigious firearm’s manufacturer continues to move forward as a leader in the modern gun industry, two additions to the lineup in this 500th anniversary year have Mossy Oak fans excited a good bit thanks to the introduction of the Beretta A300 Ultima KO in two legendary camo patterns including the original Mossy Oak Bottomland pattern and the original Shadow Grass pattern.

Chambered in 12 and 28 gauges, the A300 features Beretta's Kick-Off Recoil Reduction, which tames felt recoil on the shot, giving shotgunners greater comfort and quick follow-up shots. Add in the shotgun’s beveled and oversized loading ports and controls, along with the dependable A300 gas-operated cycling system and using 2 ¾-inch and 3-inch shotshells is smooth as silk. MSRP: $1,079

Browning A5 Upland

From the ruffed grouse-filled apple orchards of New England to the rocky crevices of the chukar-filled steeps of the American West, upland bird hunters need quality shotguns that are big on performance while not sacrificing the stylish good looks that hunting behind a locked-up bird dog demands.

Browning delivers on that need with one of its most famous smoothbores, the Browning A5 Upland model offered in both 12-gauge and 20-gauge models. Both come with a Grade 1, oil-finished Turkish walnut stock, the famous Browning humpback receiver, a fiber-optic sight, and the Utah company's well-known Kinematic Drive System. 

The pair of upland shotguns features 26- and 28-inch barrel options, perfect for quickly driving the shotgun through a shot at a rapidly disappearing flock of fast flying bobwhites or for a woodcock skittering skyward towards the moon. The 12-bore checks in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces, while the 20-gauge is a full pound less in weight. Both scatterguns offer a 14 1/4-inch length of pull, a 1 3/4-inch drop at comb and a 2-inch drop at heel, along with chambers that accept both 2 3/4-inich and 3-inch shotshells

Thanks to a matte nickel receiver finish and a steel barrel that features Browning's Invector-DS Flush choke tubes (Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full), the stock and forend have cut 18 LPI checkering that makes this a real showstopper. With a gold-plated trigger finish, a matte black triggerguard and a brushed nickel bolt slide finish, this new Browning is a high-end, high-performance shotgun that doesn't sacrifice any style points out in the field. MSRP $2,219

CVA Scout Spur

This single-shot CVA Scout Spur break-action shotgun has a barrel length of 22 inches, comes with an optics-friendly Picatinny rail, has a Cerakote barrel finish and a Mossy Oak Bottomland camo finish to complete the solid looks of a good turkey woods boom stick.

What’s more, it’s customizable with adjustable length of pull and comb height options, along with a TruLock XX-Full Turkey Choke to put a swarm of pellets onto the flaming noggin of old Mr. Tom as he struts about.

Best of all, it's now offered in a 28-gauge model, giving middle-aged turkey hunters like me a price-friendly option to get into the sub-gauge market and send a load of TSS turkey shotshell pellets downrange without breaking the bank. MSRP: $707

Franchi Affinity 3.5 Cerakote

Crafted for both form and in-the-field reliability and function, the new Franchi Affinity 3.5 Cerakote semi-auto shotgun model offers waterfowlers the chance to find hard-hitting performance and waterfowling style that will impress their buddies in the duck blind.

Coming with either a Mossy Oak Bottomland or Realtree Max-7 stock finish, the shotgun's barrel and receiver finishes are either Patriot Brown (Mossy Oak camo version) or Midnight Bronze Cerakote (Realtree camo version) for these 12-gauge smoothbores. Barrel lengths are either 26 inches (Mossy Oak) or 28 inches (Realtree), and the shotguns are chambered for both 2 3/4-inch and 3-inch shotshells.

With a standard pistol grip stock, these Inertia Driven shotguns weigh just either side of the 7-pound mark, depending on the model chosen. They come with Improved Cylinder, Modified, and Full screw in chokes, along with a 4+1 magazine capacity, and an orange bar front sight. The shotguns are also drilled and tapped for mounting optics, while the length of pull is 14 3/8-inches and the drop at comb is 1 1/2-inches.

Add in oversized bolt controls, beveled loading ports and TSA recoil pads—the latter reduces felt recoil up to 50 percent, even with magnum goose loads—and this new Franchi shotgun is a winner in the gun safe and out in the field. Add Franchi's 7-year warranty that guarantees repair or replacement of any defects in workmanship or materials, and this smoothbore is all but unbeatable. MSRP: $1,629

Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl Realtree Legacy Shotgun

Introduced in 2021, the Mossberg Pro 940 shotgun has proven to be a reliable 12-gauge scattergun tailor-made for the wet, cold, muddy and tough conditions that waterfowl hunters often find themselves in. The gun already comes with weather-resistant Cerakote coatings on the metal surfaces, 28-inch chrome-lined barrels, durable and self-draining stocks and forends, a reliable gas operating system that can cycle up to 1,500 rounds before cleaning, and nickel-boron coatings on several internal components. 

There are other desirable traits on the shotgun—including oversized and ergonomic friendly features like a redesigned elevator and shell catch and being optics ready right out of the box—that make it another winner from Mossberg. Now, the popular smoothbore is being offered in Realtree Legacy, the pattern that got everything started for Bill Jordan and the Realtree gang. 

All in all, it’s another winning shotgun option from the well-known Mossberg, and one that harkens back to the beginning of one of America’s most famous camouflage patterns. MSRP: $1,141 

Redfield Vector Inertia Semi-Auto

If the Redfield name sounds familiar, it should. A longtime optics brand that was acquired by Leupold in 2008, the brand was bought by Academy Sports + Outdoors in 2021. The popular sporting goods and outdoors retailer has been building out the Redfield brand ever since, adding binoculars, laser rangefinders, rifle scopes, gun safes, firearms accessories and more ever since. 

The Redfield line now includes a variety of firearm options, including the Redfield Vector Inertia 12-gauge Semiautomatic shotgun, a shotgun that was showcased last September on a dove-rich media hunt I was able to be a part of, not far from the Texas/Mexico border in far South Texas.

It was a target-rich wingshooting environment as mourning doves sped around on the strength of a stiff southerly breeze. While my dove shooting skills were suspect, others, including Justin Martin of Duck Commander and Buck Commander fame, did much better. The bottom line is that the shotgun was more than capable of the job it was being asked to do, even if yours truly wasn’t.

What does the Redfield smoothbore offer? This shotgun, which has a stock and forend that are hydro dipped in Mossy Oak Bottomland, has a chamber that accepts both 2 ¾-inch and 3-inch shotshells, a vented high rib, an enlarged loading port, a brass mid-bead and a fiber-optic front sight, a manual safety, five Crio pattern flush choke tubes, an ambidextrous safety, an installed shell restrictor plug, and a Microcell blend recoil pad. MSRP: $449

Ruger Red Label III

As old Uncle Sam gets ready to celebrate his 250th birthday this summer on the Fourth of July, an iconic American over/under shotgun has made its way back onto outdoor retailers’ shelves for the first time since 2014. 

Originally introduced in 1977, the shotgun being celebrated by many in the last few weeks is the new Ruger Red Label III. This newest iteration of the famed U.S.-made stack barrel checks in as a 20 gauge and is available in both 28-inch and 30-inch barrel lengths. 

Weighing 6.2 pounds, this new Red Label is being built by the skilled craftsmen at Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company, one of the world's premier makers of fine firearms. Harkening back to the previous Red Label editions that have enjoyed a legion of fans, this stylish-looking reddish/brown shotgun features a walnut stock, a hand-rubbed oil finish and classic checkering featuring 24 lines of checkering per inch (LPI). As for the stock's measurements, the Red Label III comes with a neutral cast, a 14.5-inch length of pull, a 2.5-inch drop at the heel and a 1.5-inch drop at the comb.

The shotgun’s alloy steel receiver is finely polished, precision-machined, and has a hand-fitted locking system that delivers tight lockup and long-term reliability for the shooting of thousands and thousands of rounds, all without a wingshooting or clay-busting hiccup. 

Add in a single inertia trigger (which resets on recoil), a matted vent rib, a bore diameter of .616 that is smooth plated for steel shot, five screw in Tru-Choke choke tubes (Skeet, IC, Modified, IM and Full), an alloy steel barrel that is blued, an automatic tang safety—with an integral first shot barrel selector—and a premium custom case and this shotgun certainly isn't your grandfather's stack barrel. MSRP: $3,299

Stoeger M3500 Waterfowl Special

Stoeger cornered the market years ago by offering quality shotguns at a fair price. This year, the company lives up to that idea once again with the introduction of the Stoeger M3500 Waterfowl Special Shotgun in Mossy Oak Original Bottomland.

This new Stoeger smoothbore is an Inertia Driven semi-auto, a 12-gauge able to operate in the harshest weather conditions that fall and winter can deliver to the marsh, field or flooded timber. With a 28-inch barrel that comes with five choke tubes, the 3 1/2-inch chamber can manage just about any shotshell on the market, from light loads in a dove field to magnum loads knocking down a big sandhill crane. 

With oversized controls and a beveled loading port that makes operating the M3500 smooth and easy, even with gloves on, the tasks associated with loading and operating the scattergun are a breeze in the field. The Stoeger semi-auto shotgun also comes with a Patriot Brown Cerakote finish on the receiver and barrel, along with a dipped Mossy Oak Original Bottomland finish on the stock and forend, so it’s as easy on the eyes as it is on the pocketbook.

Add a recoil reducer, a shim kit, a paracord sling and a fiber-optic front sight, and this is a semiauto shotgun that offers the features that are found in some of the high-dollar shotguns on the market, all for a price that leaves some money left over for buying a few boxes of bismuth shotgun shells. MSRP: $999

TriStar Arms Upland Hunter Thumbhole Stock

As America's hunting population ages, the weight and punch of a 12-bore are becoming a little less enjoyable for middle-aged hunters hitting the springtime turkey woods. As one of those hunters who doesn't tolerate the pounding of high brass turkey loads as easily as I once did, the new TriStar Arms Upland Hunter Thumbhole Stock looks highly appealing for my springtime gobbler getting missions, especially since it is a 20 gauge.

Weighing 6 pounds, this stack barrel features chrome-lined barrels, a ventilated rib and fiber-optic front sight alignment, a top tang safety, five Beretta and Benelli style Mobil choke tube options (SK, IC, Modified, IM and Full), and a single selective trigger. That ability to select which barrel is going to be fired first gives turkey hunters the chance to have two different chokes and even shotshells for the over/under, one for close-up work if the gobbler is strutting mere yards away and one for longer shots. 

With a bronze finish receiver and Mossy Oak Greenleaf coatings on the stock and forend, this break-action shotgun is both functional and stylish, not to mention providing easy maintenance, reliable use in the field, and confidence in the shot—one of a hunter's most important assets. And with an easy-to-stomach price point from "The Value Experts" in Kansas City, this shotgun should deliver plenty of successful invites to spring gobblers to pay a dinner table visit, all without breaking the bank. MSRP: $949

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