I hunt whitetail (slugs only), turkey and upland birds in the Canadian praries. A shotgun seems to be the most cost-effective option. I'd prefer a gun that is semi-automatic (mainly for recoil reduction), and 12 ga. I'd assume that having an extra barrel would be an advantage/necessay for my purposes?

Help appreciated.

Check out the Remington model 11-87.

Link: http://www.remington.com/firearms/shotguns/SHOTGUNS.HTM

My choice would be a Remingtom Express combo ,here is the one I have .
but any of them will work great.

Johnch

I thought of the 870 combo also, but he seems to want a semi-auto shotgun.

Get your self a Remmy 870 super mag. I'm 150 lbs, and I still use 3.5 inch turkey loads and smile when I pull the trigger. You can be the terror of everything on hoof, and wing for about $450 Us with the cost of gun deer barrel and turkey choke. If you REALLY think recoil would be an issue the 11-87 would be the way to go.

He sez he would "prefer" a semi-auto, but remember he is PoorCollegeKid, right? And that puts him pretty squarely in line for an 870 pump combo. Not expensive. Very reliable. Good shooter. Proven track record.

Uncle Matt (in IL)

I am looking at the 870 Combo as well. 26 inch for bird hunting and the Slug barrel with Dixie slugs for anything that walks the planet. 700grain plus hardened slug at 1400 fps.

Thanks fellas. Sounds like I'm going to have to look at the 870 as well.

Look at Benelli's combo as well. Go here. Nova pump combo

I puchased a Mossberg 500 in my poor college student days (I went to Chiropractic school with 5 kids). 3" chambers, not 3.5, the pellets might bounce off since we developed the 3.5. Everything I have pointed it at CORRECTLY went into the freezer. A bith cheaper than the Rem express. A pump shotgun is tough to beat for versitility. Turkey chokes, slug barrel and a .50 muzzle loading barrel, it's tough to beat.

Dr Fatguy