Beretta 686 Siver Pigeon vs Browning Citori Hunter | Shotgun Showdown

Which shotgun is better? Welcome to our first-ever, over-under shotgun showdown. In this showdown, we are comparing the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon to the Browning Citori Hunter. These are both 20ga field guns, but only one can come out on top. Watch the showdown video above and see which one I choose or if you prefer to read, keep on reading my friend.

MSRP

• 686 Silver Pigeon: $2,350 Reeds (check for current price)
• Citori Hunter $2,269 Reeds (check for current price)

 QUICK SPECS

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

• 20 Gauge 
• 3" Chamber 
• 28" Barrell (available in 30")
• 6lbs 3oz Overall Weight
•  
• Length of Pull 14 3/4" Out of the Box (Longer pads available)
• Drop at comb 1 3/8"
• Drop at Heel  2 1/4"
• Comes with 5 flush mount chokes (Mobil)  

Browning Citori Hunter

• 20 Gauge 
• 3" Chamber 
• 26" Barrel (available in 28")
• 6lbs 10oz Overall Weight
• Length of Pull 14 1/4" 
• Drop at comb 1 5/8"
• Drop at Heel  2 1/2"
• Comes with 3 flush mount chokes (Invector Plus)

TRIGGER

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

• 4lbs 10.6oz Trigger Pull
• Feels good, no issues

Browning Citori Hunter

• 4lbs 5.9oz Trigger Pull 
• Great feel, I'll take this trigger over the Silver Pigeon

ERGONOMICS

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

• Feels great in the hands, narrow grips
• Mounts fast and easy
• Schnabel forend
• Auto safety is annoying to me and is hard to slide to the fire position. Very frustrating!
• Single front bead 
• Overall, this gun is smooth looking and smooth in the hands. If only we could put the safety of the Browning on this shotgun.

Browning Citori Hunter

• A boxy feel to it
• Texture on the grips is a bit aggressive for my liking
• A little heavier in the hands, smooth swing though!
• Saftey is simple and easy to use
• Overall, I like this gun but preferred the feel of the Silver Pigeon.

QUALITY OF BUILD

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

• Great gun for the money
• Well built and many components are replaceable if needed
• Should last a long time
• The finish is beautiful, for the money

Browning Citori Hunter

• Solid gun for the money
• This gun will last you a long time
• Wish the finish was a little more appealing for the money

RECOIL

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

• Super light and straight back to the shoulder

Browning Citori Hunter

• Pretty light recoil, but more than I expected given its weight

SPEED SHOOTING

I find this evaluation valuable because it tests how it all comes together. From mounting and getting on target, trigger pull, recovering from the recoil, and follow-up shots.

Both of these guns mounted superbly and shot well.

Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon

• 2 clays in 1.19 seconds

Browning Citori Hunter

• 2 clays in 1.14 seconds

In summary, there are so many things to like about both of these guns but at the end of the day, I can only choose one. I preferred the look and feel of the Silver Pigeon over the Citori hunter but the safety of the Silver Pigeon drives me crazy. I feel the Citori swings a little smoother with its added weight but If I am going to carry a shotgun all day, I'll take the Silver Pigeon. Both had nice triggers with a slight edge to the Citori. I would be happy to hunt with either one, but the safety aside, I choose the Silver Pigeon for the winner of this showdown.

Would you like to see a head-to-head comparison with other over-under shotguns?

Whether in the field or in life, we will only hit what we are focused on so live the #targetfocusedlife

Stay Target Focused,

Steve