In the afternoons, we adjourned to the pastures around the lodge and hunted perdiz. There are about five species of this Argentine upland bird—the smallest being about the size of a chukar and the largest being almost as big as a prairie chicken. As with most upland birds, these have white meat. Remington’s VersaMax shotgun is all about versatility. And our Argentine hunt, taking a mixed bag of dove, pigeon, ducks and perdiz, proved that the shotgun has plenty of versatility. As I mentioned, I found that the VersaMax balanced very well, did not seem too heavy and (most importantly) shot where I looked.

The best thing that can be said about Argentine shotgun shells is that there were plenty of them. Whichever propellant they use happens to be just about the dirtiest burning I’ve ever seen. And frankly, we had a few malfunctions with the VersaMax, all of which I lay at the feet of those abominable South American shotshells. During its testing of this shotgun, using American ammunition, Remington fired hundreds of thousands of rounds through the guns.

Whether you are an upland hunter, a waterfowler, or a turkey hunter, the new Remington VersaMax is worth taking a look at. It’s an impressive shotgun.

Manufacturer: Remington Arms Co.; (800) 243-9700; www.remington.com  
Action: gas-operated, semi-automatic shotgun
Gauge: 12, 23⁄4", 3" or 31⁄2"
Magazine Capacity: three (23⁄4" & 3"), two (31⁄2")
Barrel Length: 28” (tested), 26"
Overall Length: 4915⁄16"
Stock: Synthetic (black or Waterfowl Camo): length of pull, adjustable, 141⁄4 -151⁄4"; drop at comb, adjustable, 1½"; drop at heel, adjustable, 2"
Cast: adjustable
Weight: 7 lbs., 9 ozs.
Receiver: aluminum
Trigger: single-stage; 4 lbs., 2 ozs.
Chokes: five ProBore interchangeable screw-in chokes
Sights: tapered target style rib, 
Hi-Viz bead
Suggested Retail Price: $1,399 (synthetic); $1,599 (waterfowl model)