I think it depends on what you're wanting to hunt. If you're going to be hunting upland birds and water fowl, my personal preference is an auto-loader. That way you don't have to pump it and then resight before taking the next shot. A 12 Gauge is a good all around gun because you can shoot pretty much anything with it. The load of the shells will dictate what you can shoot. I use my Remington 11-87 Super Magnum to hunt birds, hogs, and deer. I also take it to the range and shoot trap with it quite often. I've learned to stay away from Winchester Sport Loads. For some reason my 11-87 doesn't like them at all and I get all kind of malfunctions with those shells. Remington Sport Loads fire perfect out of my shotgun.