My friends who use semi-auto shotguns are fans of the Benelli M2. The Benelli M2 shotgun can be enhanced with aftermarket parts. Beretta 1301 comes with an oversized safety, bolt handle and bolt release button from the factory. Most of the shooters in this sport use Benelli M2 or Beretta 1301 Competition shotguns. This makes 3-gun a real challenge because it tests their skills with all three firearms and it requires different skill sets in order to win the competition. The average shooter is usually pretty good with one particular firearm but not so good with the others.
This is where competitors have to use 3 different types of firearms such as a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. But one particular competition that is getting a lot of attention is the 3-gun competition. There are many types of shooting competitions out there for gun enthusiasts to take part in. That is why I often receive questions about semi-auto shotguns because they are mostly used in 3-Gun.
The most popular dynamic shooting sport in the USA is 3-Gun Nation. You need to move fast from one shooting position to another, load your shotgun quickly and shoot from various positions at different targets at a variety of distances with all types of common shotgun ammunition: birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. Such competitions are the best way to check your skills under stress. Readers of the blog know that I like to often participate in dynamic/practical shotgun shooting competitions (they have different names such as the International Practical Shooting Confederation, United States Practical Shooting Association, 3-Gun Nation, International Defense Pistol Association, etc).