Best Upland Semi-Auto Shotguns of 2025

If you love chasing upland birds and prefer semi-auto shotguns in the field, you’re going to enjoy this one. Each year we review a bunch of shotguns, and every year, we update our list of bests, and this list is explicitly focused on upland semi-auto shotguns.

Just like the rest of our Best of 2025 series, we’re only talking about shotguns we’ve personally reviewed, hunted with, and spent real time behind. We’re breaking this list into three categories:

• Best on a Budget
• Best Value
• Best Overall

We’ll touch on highlights here, and if you want full in-depth reviews, you can click on the link of each shotgun. Let’s jump in.

If you have experience with any of these shotguns, please share your thoughts in the TFL COMMUNITY!

BEST ON A BUDGET

When it comes to the best upland semi-auto shotgun on a budget, this one wasn’t even close.

🏆 Winner: Retay Gordion — MSRP $879

There are no runner-ups in this category. The Retay Gordion stands alone. At under $1,000, the Gordion is lightweight, easy to carry, reliable, and — surprisingly — very good looking for a budget semi-auto. I’ve hunted with this shotgun multiple times in North Dakota, and it continues to impress every time it comes out of the case. It shoulders naturally, carries easily all day, and just flat-out works. For less than a thousand dollars, it’s hard to wrap your head around how good this shotgun actually is.

BEST VALUE

If you’re not on a tight budget but still want the best price-to-quality mix, this category has a clear standout.

🏆 Winner: Retay Gordion — MSRP $879

🥈 Runner-Up: Winchester SX4 Upland — MSRP $1,329

Yes — the Retay Gordion shows up again. That alone tells you how strong a value it is. The Winchester SX4 Upland is a very solid runner-up. It’s light, easy to carry — especially in 20 gauge — and it looks great in the upland field. The SX4 is much broader in the hands, but with the proven reliability of the SX4 platform, it’s still a very attractive option at $1,329. But when you look at overall performance, reliability, weight, and price, the Retay Gordion remains extremely difficult to beat.

This is where things get interesting. There are several excellent upland semi-auto shotguns in this category, and the competition is strong.

BEST OVERALL

🏆 Winner: Benelli Ethos — MSRP $2,429

🏆 Winner: Benelli Montefeltro Ultra Light — MSRP $2,049

This category ended in a tie — and interestingly, both winners come from Benelli, a brand most people associate with waterfowl more than upland.

The Benelli Ethos has been on our list for several years for good reason. It’s a great performer, carries well, and has a refined look and feel that works extremely well in the upland field.

The Benelli Montefeltro Ultra Light surprised us this year. At just 5 lb 5 oz, it’s the lightest shotgun on this entire list. It carries effortlessly, shoots well, and feels great in the hands. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled recoil, considering the light weight of this gun. While it’s more subdued and plain compared to the Ethos, the weight savings are very real — especially after a full day in the field.

If you want the best blend of style, refinement, and performance, the Ethos gets the nod.
If ultra-light carry is your top priority, the Montefeltro Ultra Light is tough to beat.

That’s why the Benellis sit at the top of our Best Overall Upland Semi-Auto Shotguns of 2025 list. 

🥈 Runner-Up: Fabarm L4S Grey Hunter — MSRP $2,645
🥈 Runner-Up: Browning A5 Hunter — MSRP $2,099

The Fabarm L4S Grey Hunter immediately stood out for its looks. It’s a very attractive semi-auto that performs extremely well and feels like a premium upland shotgun in hand. The downside? It’s the most expensive upland semi-auto on this list.

The Browning A5 Hunter, especially in 20 gauge, is another excellent option. At around 5 lb 9 oz, it’s very light and easy to carry. It offers a strong balance of quality, performance, and price. If you step up to the A5 Upland or Ultimate versions, you start getting closer to the Fabarm in both looks and price.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We know you have some opinions about this list! Jump over to the TFL COMMUNITY and tell us! We'd love to hear about it!