I'm on the market for a Browning Pump 12 gauge. I won't pretend that I know a lot about shotguns because I have hardly any experience with them. I usually only hunt deerand that's withmy Weatherby 7mm mag. I currently have a Remington 1100 fixed modified and want to get anew shotgun towhereI canadd chokes for diferent types ofhunting. I would prefer the gun to be well rounded so I coulduse it for all types of hunting like duck, dove, squirel, deer,and turkey. I alsolike that theBrowning's can shoot3 1/2" loads.I've set a price rangeof up toone thousand dollars, I don't want to get too carried away.

I amhaving problems deciding onmodelsand if I should gowith woodor synthetic. I really like the "BPS 12 guage Mossy Oak Break Up" but I'm not for sure if those are well rounded for all hunting or more setup for turkey hunting. The "BPS Stalker" also looks to be a good gun plus the fact that it'ssynthetic means I won't have to worry about banging the stalk up in the woods or where ever.

I've got the Stalker model, flat black. The synthetic stock is tough and you can wipe it off with a wet rag. Nothing to fade or rub off. Brush won't scratch it. I've never had a turkey bust me because of gun glint. I once chased deer around in a muddy corn field. When I got done, the gun looked like I used it to dig potatoes. Some water and and oily rag and it looked like new. I never thought much about synthetic stocks until this gun. Now I'm a fan.

Stalker model- if you want camoflage on it in the future, you could try your hand at painting it with flat spray paint and using leaves as stencils.

In the Stalker 3 1/2" models, there is a 49 1/4" and a 47 1/4" barrel. Is there much difference in the two?

That's overall length. I think you mean one has a 28" barrel and another has 26" barrel. The shorter barrel will be 'quicker' and point faster. If you can handle a few shotguns and see how the difference feels, because it changes the balance of the gun too. Either is fine. Unless you're shooting competitive clays I'd would personally opt for the shorter barrel. But thats personal preference.

Forgot to add. If you're set on getting a pump action. You can do so for less than a 1,000 easily, but don't sell the 870 short. The wingmasters are of equal quality in my book and are about a pound lighter in 12g. Some guys like the winchester 1300 as well. Pretty much just try to pick them up and see what agrees with you. The browning, remington or winchester are all designs that will give you more than a lifestime of service.

For $1000, I'd look for a benelli super black eagle on sale or look for a good used one. If you're set on a pump, though, it's hard to beat the BPS. Your idea of getting a synthetic stock is a good one. I don't think it really makes a difference if the gun is camo or not, but they do look pretty neat, so I'd say bite the bullet and get one that has the factory camo job. The shadow grass BPS is pretty neat looking.

By the way, Browning has a $75 rebate for 3 1/2" 12 gauge BPS shotguns right now.

http://www.browning.com/products/rebates/bps_rebate.asp