Shotguns for the Bay, the marsh and the deer woods

Maryland asks more of a shotgun than most states do. On the Eastern Shore the work is Canada geese and puddle ducks over decoys. On the open Chesapeake it is divers and sea ducks from a boat or offshore blind, in wind, spray and ice. A 12-gauge pump with a 3-inch chamber and a synthetic finish handles all of it, and federal rules require non-toxic shot and a three-shell plug. Inland, the same receiver with a rifled slug barrel is the traditional deer gun for the shotgun-only areas between Baltimore and Washington; check the DNR guide for your county. Over/unders serve dove fields and clays courses. Mossberg, Remington and Benelli are the familiar names. Each shotgun ships to your Maryland FFL dealer. Our waterfowl and deer gun guide explains the choices.