The Best Shotguns [2024]: Home Defense, Tactical & More

Good Lord, do I love a good scattergun. Shotguns have held my interest ever since I was a little kid. We were a family who used shotguns for everything, from hunting to sport shooting and home defense. My first gun was a shotgun, and I still own that Remington 870 in .410 to this day. The shotgun world is a massive, undeniably huge genre of weapons. There are innumerable shapes, models, and styles. So how do you determine what the best shotguns are?

Well, you can begin with this primer.

Below you’ll see my pick for the best weapon in each general category of shotgun. I explain each type of shotgun a little further down.

Best Shotguns

1. Benelli Superova: Best Pump Action		Substantially underrated, the innovative SuperNova is one of the best shotguns available.	Check Price
2. Mossberg 500: Best Multi-Caliber		Available in several calibers, Mossberg 500 models range from tactical to muzzle-loading.	Check Price
3. Beretta 1301: Best Semi-Auto		Lightweight despite a gas operating system, the Beretta 1301 cycles fast.	Check Price
4. SRM 1216: Best Bullpup		Bullpup configurations and shotguns have always excelled at CQB. The SRM 1216 combines the two.	Check Price
5. Beretta DT11: Best Double Barrel		An heirloom quality double-barrel, the Beretta DT11 has a superb trigger, phenomenal aesthetics, and commensurate price.	Check Price
6. Mossberg Maverick 88: Best Budget Shotgun		A “value brand” version of the Mossberg 500, the Maverick 88 is available in several 12- and 20-gauge configurations.	Check Price
7. Henry Lever: Best Lever Action Shotgun		A rare example of the modern lever action shotgun, the .410 Henry is built on the .45-70 lever action rifle frame.	Check Price
8. Iron Horse Sentry: Best Mag Fed		There are advantages and disadvantages to box magazine fed shotguns; the Sentry takes cues from the AR platform to mitigate those.	Check Price

This guide will give you a high-level rundown of shotguns’ various types, designs, and calibers. A good shotgun will go a long way, and you can get a lot done with a pretty basic shotgun. One of the best things about shotguns is that you can get a competent shotgun for less than 500 dollars, but you can spend upwards of tens of thousands of dollars if you so choose. 

So let’s buckle in and talk shotguns. 

Types of Shotguns 

So you have a better idea of what exactly I’m comparing here, let’s talk about the various action types you are most likely to run into. This is not an absolutely comprehensive list. Some odd shotguns out there fall out of these categories, but these are the more common types of shotguns. 

Pump Action 

Pump action shotguns, also known as slide action, are a manual action, repeating shotguns. The forend moves rearward and forward, and this action ejects and loads the next shell while resetting the firing method. These are very versatile weapons and are arguably the most versatile repeating shotgun on the market. They are designed for hunting, home defense, tactical, and sporting use. 

Semi-Auto 

Semi-auto shotguns fire one round per trigger pull and are often gas or inertia-operated, but roller-delayed blowback and recoil operation aren’t that uncommon. Semi-auto shotguns require less physical manipulation and can often be fired much faster than other shotguns. They also tend to have less recoil. Sem-auto shotguns can be ammo-picky, but modern guns are very reliable. These guns are used for sporting, tactical, home defense, and hunting. 

Lever-Action 

Lever action shotguns are somewhat rare, although they’ve been around since 1887. Pump actions have largely replaced lever action shotguns, but they still kick around. These guns use a lever that’s activated by the firing hand to eject the spent shell, load the fresh one and reset the hammer. They can be fairly fast to shoot and tend to be versatile in their selection. These are primarily used for sporting purposes and specialized competitions like Cowboy Action Shooting. 

Single Shot 

As the name implies, these shotguns use a single barrel that fires a single round. The user then opens the breach and removes the shell, and replaces it manually. These guns are very versatile and can handle any load, and can even handle those silly short rounds. Single-shot shotguns are often very lightweight and very affordable guns. They are primarily used for hunting and sport shooting. 

Double Barrel 

Double barrel guns use two barrels and can fire two rounds before needing to reload. Double barrel guns are simple and very reliable. They can fire a versatile loadout, including mini shells, with ease. Prices and designs vary wildly from a few hundred dollars to into the tens of thousands. Double barrels come in side by side and over/under designs. Over and under guns dominate skeet shooting, bird hunting, and similar sports. Side by sides are popular with cowboy action shooters. 

And of course, in Hollywood.

Bolt Action 

Bolt-action shotguns are fairly rare these days, and modern bolt action shotguns are typically slug guns with rifled barrels. Bolt action shotguns used to be much more popular, but over time their allure has faded, especially as pump actions became more robust and affordable. Most bolt-action shotguns are slug guns designed for hunting. 

Shotgun Calibers 

Shotguns are typically measured in gauge. Gauge is an old-school means to measure bore size, and gauge is the number of lead balls of a specific size that equals one pound. The smaller the number, the larger the bore. So 12 gauge is bigger than 20 gauge. One shotgun round that doesn’t use gauge measurements is .410, which uses your standard imperial measurement. There are three dominant shotgun calibers. 

12 Gauge

The most popular shotgun caliber is 12 gauge. 12 gauge is the caliber of choice for most adult shooters in most shotgun uses. It provides a hefty load of ammo at a reasonable amount of recoil. Almost all tactical loads are designed around the 12 gauge. 

20 Gauge

20 gauge offers you a very powerful shotgun round that’s considerably lighter and smaller than a 12 gauge round. It offers drastically less recoil while still providing a healthy dose of shot. 

.410 Gauge

.410 is the smallest commonly available shotgun round. It’s equivalent to 67-gauge. .410s are great for kids and young shooters who would be unsuited for 12 or even 20-gauge recoil. The .410 is perfectly suitable for small game purposes and can work for medium game, but a larger gauge is preferred. 

Other Gauges

Shotguns also come in 16 gauge, 28 gauge, 32 gauge, and more. These are often specific rounds designed for specific purposes and are not super common. If you’re a new shotgun owner, these gauges might be worth staying away from. 

Best Shotguns

These are my choice of best shotguns by type of action.

1. Best Pump Action – Benelli SuperNova
2. Best Multi-Cal Shotgun – Mossberg 500
3. Best Semi-Auto Shotgun – Beretta 1301
4. Best Bullpup Shotgun – SRM 1216 
5. Best Double Barrel – Beretta DT11
6. Best Budget Shotgun – Mossberg Maverick 88
7. Best Lever Shotgun – Henry Lever Action Shotgun
8. Best Mag-Fed Shotgun – Iron Horse Sentry

Best Shotguns: Spec Comparison

Below is a list of some LPK specs. Here you can compare and line up the specs from each product and help you make the best decision possible.

Best Shotguns: Our Take

You’ve seen our comparison of shotguns by type. Let’s break them down and review each one individually.

Best Mag-Fed Shotgun: Iron Horse Sentry

I haven’t mentioned much about shotguns that use removable box magazines. They have become a bit more popular and bear some mention. NBox magazines and shotguns are an odd combo. They admittedly make reloads faster and easier, but despite that it’s tough to recommend them whole cloth at this point. 

One major issue is that the shells are plastic, and when left in a magazine long term, they tend to flatten out and lose some of their proper round shape. This can create feeding issues over time. Shooters need to be aware of that before they get into box-fed shotguns.

If you really wanted one, my suggestion would be to obtain eh Iron Horse Arms Sentry 12. It’s a solid option that does take a low of cues from the AR series and makes a nice, magazine-fed pump action shotgun.

The World of Shotguns

Now we have what I think are the best shotguns in their class; let’s talk shotguns in general. You might not agree with my picks. Perhaps you want a shotgun I didn’t even cover. That’s understandable. It’s tough to cover such a vast and open catalog of firearms. So let’s explore the world of shotguns. Hopefully, this will improve your understanding of the gauge and allow you to pick the right shotgun for you. 

Choosing Your Shotgun 

Shotguns are fairly simple weapons. Most often they are broken into general categories based on their primary intended use. Take the Mossberg 500 series. You can have tactical, hunting, and sporting models. It’s still the same basic gun, but the features are changed to make it better suited for various roles. When you purchase a shotgun, you need to establish a purpose. Here are a few of the more common purposes for shotguns. 

Hunting 

Shotguns can be used to hunt nearly anything in North America. From doves to bears. With that in mind, you must also define your hunting parameters, i.e., break them down into medium and large game like bear, deer, and hogs vs. small game like squirrels and rabbits and flying game like geese (large quarry) and doves or pheasants (smaller quarry).

One of the more universal features of hunting shotguns is barrels typically longer than 24 inches. A longer barrel offers you a great sight radius and makes swinging the gun easier on target. Another common feature is the presence of chokes. These can be swapped to tailor your shot pattern to be exactly what you want it to be. 

Shotguns designed for game on the ground, be they medium or small, can come in any configuration. Pump actions are the most common, but semi-autos, single shots, and double barrels will occasionally make an appearance. These guns tend to be simple, with wood furniture and a lack of rails, M-LOK, and similar attachments. 

Bird guns can also be any type of shotgun but more often tend to be semi-auto or over/under guns. These tend to be better for hunting birds. Semi-auto guns are very popular for bigger birds and easily run those big 3.5-inch shells. The semi-auto action makes follow-up shots possible and also reduces recoil. 

Double barrel guns often swing fast and easily, making them natural to take upland birds that tend to be small and rapidly moving. 

Competition (Sport Shooting) 

Sport shooting is another big category. It’s divided into skeet and trap shooting and action shooting like 3-Gun. Even category is typically ruled by one class of shotguns, but you’ll see other guns occasionally. 

For example, with skeet shooting over and under double barrels rule. They are the dominant guns and seemingly the preferred choice for the sport of kings. However, pumps and semi-autos tend to work well. 

In purpose-built trap, single shots rule the day, often with sighting planes specifically designed for the sport. However, it’s not like you won’t see pump-action and semi-autos, especially among the casual crowd. 

For 3-Gun, the repeaters rule. Specifically, semi-autos tend to dominate the sport. Since a hit can be the difference between fractions of a second, it’s not surprising that these guns dominate. Certain categories only allow pump guns, however, so they also have a place. 

Self-Defense and Tactical 

Self-defense and tactical shotguns tend to be the more compact models. Maneuvering and using a shorter, lighter shotgun is much easier than holding out with 28 inches of steel hanging off your gun. 

The tactical market is dominated by pump action and semi-auto guns. These guns are often adorned with the means to attach red dots, lights, rails, and more. You’ll also see side saddles, slings, and similar items to improve their capabilities. Caliber-wise, the tactical shotgun market is dominated by 12 gauge shotguns. 

A Note On Slug Use 

Slugs are great, and they do work well in smoothbore guns. If you want a dedicated slug gun, that’s also an option. A slug is a single projectile that’s often massive. A slug gun uses a rifled barrel to better stabilize the slug to increase its accuracy and effective range. These guns often have 24-inch barrels and are set up for use with a variable scope. These are typically reserved for hunting purposes, particularly big game (including the quarry of SyFy cryptid hunters).

Shotguns All-Around 

Shotguns are the way and the light…at least for me. If you don’t have one, you are missing out on a very powerful, versatile platform. Hopefully, we’ve helped you find the right shotgun for your needs.

You weigh in. If you know a great shotgun our audience should consider then chip in below and let us know what gun (and why).