A Savage Beast

"The renegauge is one tough, reliable semi-auto shotgun."

- Story and photos by Paul Rackley

I've always liked shotguns because they're extremely versatile. They can be used to hunt everything from squirrels to deer-and even bear-by simply changing loads. A shotgun is also the best sporting arm for knocking birds from the air; very few people can hit a flying bird with a single projectile.

Folks don't have to purchase a specialized version for specific uses. A regular, 28-inch-barreled pump can be used to put meat on the table during the day and protect the home at night. Few things make a bad guy quake as hard as staring down a big-bore street-sweeper.

Of course, those who want specialized shotguns have many choices, including tactical versions that carry an amazing amount of firepower.

However, I still really like all-around shotguns. So, I was pretty excited when Savage announced it was coming out with the Renegauge.

Savage is mainly known as a rifle company, with most of its smoothbores coming out branded as either Fox or Stevens. But the company does have a long history in shotguns, especially for companies such as Western Auto and J.C. Penney. Many of our fathers and grandfathers ordered firearms through these companies (back when this was legal). I actually have a J.C. Penney version in my safe that was passed down from my grandfather.

The Renegauge, however, is the first Savage-branded shotgun the company has introduced in quite a few years.

And the company did it in quite a big way by packing a whole lot of features into one hell of a gun.

STRAIGHT FROM THE BOX