You won't go wrong with either a Mossberg 500 or a Remington 870. Extra screw-in chokes starting at about $20 each are available for each that will allow you to use that shotgun for anything from Skeet or grouse in thick cover to turkeys. I would recommend a vent rib barrel. Beside dissipating heat quickly, the rib also makes a good sight plane.

A rifled barrel, which is best for shooting slugs, is also available for each.

With most shotguns, the shooter's eye is the rear sight, so gun fit is most important.

My favorite shotguns are over/unders, but about 15 years ago I thought I needed a good "kick around" shotgun that I could use for any shotgun hunting in any weather conditions. I bought a 12 gauge Rem 870 Magnum Express with a 28" vent rib barrel that has a non-glare matte finish on all exterior metalwork and an all-weather black synthetic stock and fore-end. It came with a modified screw-in Rem choke and I also bought a skeet choke for it.

To make it fit right, I replaced the factory recoil pad with a 1" Kick Eez pad and a 1/4" spacer. To stop it from biting my cheekbone, I put a mechanical recoil reducer in the stock.

Even though I live in a state that only requires shotguns for deer hunting in a few special Weapons Restriction Areas, I decided that I needed a rifled barrel for my Rem 870. Cabelas had a 24" cantilevered, rifled barrel with a 3-9x Simmons scope that is made by Mossberg for the 870 Remington, so I bought one. Its not a long range tack driver like my .300 Weatherby, but at 100 yards, it works fine.

I have less than $500 in this gun, and I can use it in any kind of weather for any game from close upland birds to deer.