I know nothing about shotguns but was thinking about adding one to my collection to round out the basics. I have the longrifles covered. I am looking for suggestions on a good overall starter shotgun, not a.410. Best bang for the buck so to speak in quality, reliability, low recoil so my sons and wife could use it if they wanted to, 20 vs 12etc. Open to all options. I know this is like asking what is the best caliber to buy (what a question) and sorry aboutbeing so vague, but this is my starting point. I have read some articles by Chuck Hawkes to give me a reference point but I have minimal knowledge. I will probably use the shotgun sparingly and in time hand it down to my sons. No specific uses other than I would like to have one.

Of course, in the U.S. the 12 is the standard by which all shotguns are judged. Having said that, I must say my preference is one chambered for the 3" 20-ga., in which you can shoot both 3" and 2-3/4" ammo. Usually a good 20 can be made lighter and faster handling (there are certainly exceptions to this rule!!) than a comparable 12 ga., and this makes up for any deficiency in range-you can get on target sooner. With a properly choked 3" 20 Ga.,I have killed pheasant & ducks out to 50 yards, and brought home just as many as the guys I was hunting with who used 12's.

Wife & kids will also appreciate a 20, I believe. However, nothing smaller than a 20 should ever be used by a beginner. The 28 and 410 are the experts' shotguns!

can't beat a good remington 870.

For bang for your buck you can never go wrong with the Rem 870.

I agree, the 20 gauge works great and is easy for kids and women to shoot. Also like people have already said it is hard to go wrong with the 870.

Or a mossberg 500, it comes with a ambidextrous safety and 3 chokes, for a bit less money in most cases. Both are great guns.

I think your biggest problem will be with fit. I would worry less about recoil and more about that. I think it may be hard for you to find a shotgun that fits you, a small kid and your wife. Unless you are all similar sized people.

I have shot some light 20 gauges that kicked as much or more than a heavy 12 ga. And if the gun doesn't fit you felt recoil will be worse as well.

Also a remington 1100 or 1187 semi auto will help soak up some of the felt recoil as well. More expensive, but you can find nice used ones.

If money isn't a real issue take a look at the browning BPS guns, much nicer than the remington and mossbergs, but they cost about twice as much.

Paul

Though I learned to first shoot and hunt waterfowl and to a lesser degree pheasants with a 20 gauge 3" single shot, I'd suggest going with a 12 gauge 3" chamber. If you're going to use it intermittently, a Remington 870 (pump action) or other pump is a good choice. If you think your kids will hunt birds regularly as they grow up, consider a semi-auto Remington 11-87 or maybe a used Browning A5, Benelli M1 or other quality used autos. It sounds like you're not using enough to warrant a new autoloader that's going to cost a fair amount.
If you're willing to pay in the $900-1000 range, seriously look at Benelli M2 with the very reliable inertia bolt ejection system or Beretta 391. These are fine quality shotguns, along with many others people will mention, that are very good waterfowl, upland bird and even target shotguns, imo.

You can go up even further from that, if you want to get into 3.5" chambers, but for the most part 3" chamber is sufficient for bird hunting.
12 gauge will give you the most shot, loads, size options, easy to pick up ammo for anywhere.

Rem 1100 is hard to beat if you want a semi auto

Maybe a price range would help us out a little?
Lots of good and "cheap" shotguns out there...but if you want something to complete and match the rest of your collection it'll narrow it down some.

The 870 is indeed a good starter. But if you are worried about recoil the semis are worth your attention. The Mossberg 500 is a great gun. I'll never snear at it. It does what its intended to do excellently. I myself don't care for them though. They are usually only slightly less than an 870 but don't look near as good and they're balanced completely different. (Having said that the newer 870s and the older 870s shouldn't even be considered the same gun in my book) Dang it! I'm rambling again! lol

20 gauge vs 12 gauge is a moot arguement to me. Unless you want something for specifically for waterfowl and turkey. They'll both kill everything the other will kill and the amount of recoil is totally dependent on which two models you are comparing. 20 gauges produce less energy but they generally weigh less also...so you "can" end up with just as much recoil. I watched a 10 year old get put on his butt by a 20gauge pump with target loads[&:] Needless to say he didn't know what to expect!!!!

Give us a price range and maybe an action preference and then we can really start helping ya!!

A pump action 20 or 12 gauge. I'd get a Remington 870, 3" or 3 1/2" chamber if you like. You don't really need a 12 gauge unless you're shooting geese or longer shots on turkeys. I use a 20 gauge quite a bit on upland game and ducks, but I only have a 2 3/4" chamber so getting non-toxic shot isn't very easy. The options open up a lot for 3" chambers (most modern 20ga shotguns have 3" chambers). The recoil is very manageable to those who know how to shoot, as is the recoil on a 12 gauge. I would opt for a 12 gauge myself, as I hunt lots of different game including geese and turkeys with my shotguns, and like the ease of getting the loads I want anywhere. I have 870 expresses in both black matte and camouflage finishes. I prefer the camouflage finish ones because the black matte finish is harder to take care of. Manageable for sure, but the camo is just easier. I also like Winchester 1300s for shotguns...not a bigfan of mossberg or brownings.