Browning Cynergy Wicked Wing Review (2026): 750 Shells Through a 3.5 Inch Over and Under

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Table of Contents

Review: Browning Cynergy Wicked Wing, a 3.5 Inch Over and Under Built for the Marsh

Our Rating: 8.0/10

• MSRP: $2,799.99 for every Wicked Wing, in all 24 listed versions
• Street Price: Our live card starts at $2,073.99 at Guns.com on October 3, 2026; Sportsman’s Warehouse and Palmetto State Armory had most patterns at $2,369.99 on October 2 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
• Gauge: 12 gauge
• Action: Over and under, with a mechanical Reverse Striker trigger and ejectors
• Chamber: 3.5 in., chrome plated
• Barrel Length: 26, 28 or 30 in., ventilated top and side ribs
• Choke: Three banded, extended Invector-Plus tubes: Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder
• Capacity: 2
• Overall Length: 43 in. (26 in. barrels), 45 in. (28 in.), 47 in. (30 in.)
• Weight: Listed from 7 lb 6 oz to 7 lb 15 oz; our 28 in. gun weighed 7 lb 14 oz
• Length of Pull: 14 1/4 in.
• Stock Material: Composite, camo, with an adjustable comb and Inflex recoil pad
• Finish: Burnt Bronze Cerakote on the receiver and barrels
• Sights: Ivory bead

Quick Take

The Browning Cynergy Wicked Wing is an over and under for duck and goose hunters. It has a 3.5 in. chamber, Burnt Bronze Cerakote on the metal, a camo composite stock and three extended choke tubes. Browning lists it in eight camo patterns and three barrel lengths, 24 versions in all, and every one is $2,799.99.

I shot two of them for 750 shells: a 28 in. gun in Mossy Oak Bottomland and a 30 in. gun in Vintage Tan. Neither failed to fire and neither failed to eject. That’s the point of bringing an over and under to a duck blind. There’s no gas system to foul and no bolt to freeze.

The trade is the obvious one. You get two shells where a semi-auto gives you three, and you pay more for it. If you shoot carefully and you hunt in mud, sleet and salt, this gun makes sense. If you want the third shot, Browning’s own Maxus II Wicked Wing is about $500 less.

Best For: Waterfowlers who value a gun that always goes off and who pick their shots. Not for hunters who count on a third shell, and not for anyone shopping on price.

One Price, 24 Guns, and a $430 Discount

Browning’s Wicked Wing page lists 24 item numbers. Eight camo patterns, each in 26, 28 and 30 in. barrels, and every one at $2,799.99. The pattern and the barrel length cost you nothing at list.

Almost nobody pays that. Sportsman’s Warehouse had eight different Wicked Wings at $2,369.99, and Palmetto State Armory had three more at $2,369.99 and $2,370.99. That’s $430 under list at two big retailers to the cent, which is what an agreed minimum price looks like. The exceptions I found: Vintage Tan runs $50 more at both stores, $2,419.99 and $2,420.99, and Palmetto State Armory had a 26 in. Bottomland gun at $2,199.99. Guns.com is the outlier. Its new Wicked Wings ran from $1,800.99 to $2,399.99 under one plain title, so confirm the pattern and barrel length before you buy.

So shop by pattern. If you don’t care what the camo looks like, the Bottomland 26 in. gun was $170 cheaper than its neighbors.

The Cheaper Sibling: Cynergy Camo

Browning now sells a second 3.5 in. waterfowl Cynergy, and it lists for less. The Cynergy Camo is $2,759.99, $40 under the Wicked Wing. Browning describes it as having “full-coverage camouflage and sling swivel studs,” where the Wicked Wing wears Burnt Bronze Cerakote on its receiver and barrels.

Spec	Cynergy Wicked Wing	Cynergy Camo
MSRP	$2,799.99	$2,759.99
Chamber	3.5 in.	3.5 in.
Metal finish	Burnt Bronze Cerakote	Full-coverage camouflage
Chokes	Banded Invector-Plus Extended: F, M, IC	Banded Invector-Plus Extended: F, M, IC
Listed weight, 28 in.	7 lb 8 oz or 7 lb 13 oz, depending on pattern	7 lb 8 oz
Sling studs	Not listed	Yes
Patterns listed	8	4

If you want a sling on a marsh gun, and most people do, the Camo is the one that comes ready for it and it costs $40 less. The Wicked Wing gives you Cerakote on the metal instead. That’s the whole choice.

Browning’s Weight Figures Don’t Agree

One thing on Browning’s page needs a note. The same gun is listed at different weights depending on the camo. The Vintage Tan, Auric, Shadow Grass Habitat and Max-7 guns are listed at 7 lb 11 oz, 7 lb 13 oz and 7 lb 15 oz for the three barrel lengths. The Realtree Legacy, Realtree Original and Original Shadow Grass guns are listed 5 oz lighter at each length. And the Bottomland 30 in. gun is listed at 7 lb 11 oz, lighter than the 28 in. Bottomland at 7 lb 13 oz.

A camo dip doesn’t weigh 5 oz. Our 28 in. Bottomland gun weighed 7 lb 14 oz on a postal scale, so plan on the heavier set of numbers.

Design Intent: Why Browning Built It This Way

The Cynergy is Browning’s low-profile over and under. Browning’s copy credits the “ultra low-profile receiver and MonoLock Hinge design” with making it “smaller, lighter and more nimble than other over and under shotguns,” and says the hinge gives “300% more surface area to pivot on” than a trunnion-style gun. The Wicked Wing takes that action and dresses it for bad weather: Cerakote on the metal, a composite stock, chrome chambers and an Inflex recoil pad.

The trigger is the part that matters most in a blind. Browning’s owner’s manual says the Reverse Striker is “a mechanical trigger system rather than a traditional recoil-actuated trigger system.” In plain terms, the second barrel doesn’t need the recoil of the first to set it. If the first shell is a dud or a light load, you pull again and the other barrel fires.

Browning Cynergy Wicked Wing Variants

The eight Wicked Wing patterns on Browning’s page are Vintage Tan, Auric, Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat, Realtree Max-7, Mossy Oak Bottomland, Realtree Legacy, Realtree Original and Mossy Oak Original Shadow Grass. The rest of the Cynergy line, the CX and the Field, has 3 in. chambers and flush choke tubes.

Competitor Comparison

There aren’t many 3.5 in. over and unders. The real competition is the semi-autos most duck hunters carry, starting with one from Browning itself.

Browning Maxus II Wicked Wing ($1,865.99 to $2,099.99)

Same name, same Burnt Bronze Cerakote, same 3.5 in. chamber, in a gas semi-auto. Guns.com had the Maxus II Wicked Wing at $1,865.99, about $500 less than the Cynergy’s $2,369.99, and it gives you the third shot and softer recoil. What it adds is a gas system to keep clean. Our Browning Maxus II review covers it.

Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus ($1,800.99 to $2,049)

The 3.5 in. semi-auto a lot of serious waterfowlers shoot. Guns.com had one at $1,800.99, and Brownells had the 28 in. gun at $2,049. Either way it’s $320 to $570 under the Cynergy. Our Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus review has the full test.

Browning Cynergy CX ($1,578.69 to $1,886.99)

If you like the Cynergy action and don’t need 3.5 in. shells, the CX Composite lists $2,129.99 with 3 in. chambers, a charcoal gray composite stock and flush chokes. Sportsman’s Warehouse had it at $1,869.99, $500 under the Wicked Wing. It’s built to cross over between clays and the field, so it has no camo and no Cerakote. Our Browning Cynergy CX review has the full test of both CX models.

Browning Cynergy Field (from $2,011.99)

The walnut Cynergy. Browning lists the Field at $2,359.99 with 3 in. chambers, in 12 and 20 gauge. Guns.com had one at $2,011.99. It’s the upland gun in the family, and a pretty one.

Verdict: On paper the semi-autos win: more shells, less money, less recoil. The Cynergy Wicked Wing wins on simplicity. For a pump that shoots the same 3.5 in. shells for a quarter of the price, see our Mossberg 835 review, and for the wider field, our best duck hunting shotguns and best over and under shotguns.

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Testing Protocol

We shot two guns: a 28 in. Wicked Wing in Mossy Oak Bottomland (018719204) and a 30 in. in Vintage Tan (018725303). That’s 750 shells over five sessions in September, three on a pattern board and clays field and two on early teal and resident geese, from 49°F to 84°F. One of the hunts was in steady rain.

Ammunition Log

• 28 in. Bottomland, 500 shells: Federal Speed-Shok 3 in. 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (200), Federal Top Gun 2 3/4 in. 1 1/8 oz #8 (150), Winchester Xpert 3 in. 1 1/4 oz BB steel (100), Kent Fasteel 3.5 in. 1 3/8 oz BB steel (50)
• 30 in. Vintage Tan, 250 shells: Winchester AA 2 3/4 in. 1 1/8 oz #8 (100), Hevi-Shot Hevi-Steel 3 in. 1 1/4 oz #2 (100), Federal Black Cloud 3.5 in. 1 1/2 oz BB (50)

Phase 1: Break-In

Both guns were stiff to open for the first hundred shells, which is normal for a new over and under. I greased the hinge surfaces and the ejector cams the way the manual says to, set the comb so the bead sat on the rib, and shot target loads until the top lever loosened up.

Phase 2: Reliability

Seven hundred and fifty shells, 750 bangs, and the ejectors threw every fired hull clear. Light 1 1/8 oz target loads and 1 1/2 oz 3.5 in. goose loads ran the same, because nothing in the gun depends on the shell to cycle it.

The one fault was a loose comb. Around shell 300 on the Bottomland gun the adjustable comb developed a little wobble, and a turn of the hex key fixed it. In the rain, the gun opened, closed and fired like it did dry.

Phase 3: Patterns

At 40 yards with Federal Speed-Shok 3 in. #2 steel, the Modified tube put 74% of the pellets inside a 30 in. circle and the Improved Cylinder tube put 62%. With the 3.5 in. Kent BB load, Modified ran 71%. Both barrels shot to the same point, about 60/40 high with the comb where I’d set it.

The triggers measured 4 lb 6 oz on the bottom barrel and 4 lb 9 oz on the top, with a short, clean break. That’s better than any semi-auto trigger I shot this year.

Tracking & Observations

After 500 shells and one wet hunt, the Cerakote on the Bottomland gun had no rust and no wear through at the muzzles. The chrome chambers wiped clean with a patch. Recoil with 3 in. steel is fine. With 3.5 in. shells it’s stout, since a fixed-breech gun under 8 lb gives you all of it, and the Inflex pad is the reason I could shoot 50 of them in a morning. The low receiver puts your hands close to the bore line, and the gun comes up flat and fast.

What This Means for You

• Reliability: It fires whatever you load. Check the comb bolt now and then.
• Ammo Preference: 3 in. #2 steel through Modified was our best all-around pattern.
• Accuracy Expectation: 70% or better at 40 yards with steel and the Modified tube.
• Maintenance: Keep grease on the hinge and ejector cams, as the manual says.
• Upgrade Impact: A sling is the first thing to add, and the Wicked Wing doesn’t list studs.

Performance Testing Results

Reliability (9/10)

Nothing failed to fire or eject in 750 shells across two guns, in heat and in rain. A loose comb bolt is the only mark against it.

Accuracy (8/10)

Even patterns from both barrels and a shared point of impact. The adjustable comb lets you put the pattern where you look, and the trigger makes it easy to shoot well.

Ergonomics & Recoil (8/10)

It handles like a field gun. The safety and barrel selector fall under your thumb, and the low action keeps your hands in line with the barrels. It loses points for 3.5 in. recoil, which no pad fully cures in a gun this weight.

Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (8/10)

The Cerakote is even, the barrels lock up tight, and the camo is cleanly applied. The composite stock is tough and plain. You don’t get the wood-to-metal fit you’d pay this much for in a walnut gun, because there isn’t any wood.

Value (6/10)

$2,369.99 buys two shots. The same money buys a Maxus II Wicked Wing and a few cases of shells. You have to want what an over and under does.

Features (9/10)

3.5 in. chrome chambers, a mechanical trigger, ejectors, an adjustable comb, three extended tubes and a weatherproof finish. The only thing missing is a pair of sling studs.

Technical Deep Dive

Action and Receiver

Steel receiver, MonoLock hinge, rectangular locking pins and what Browning calls a “wear-in” relief that keeps the action tight as it wears. The manual asks for a heavy oil or grease on the hinge surfaces and the ejector cams to prevent galling.

Barrel and Choke

Component	Specification	Benefit
Chambers	3.5 in., chrome plated	Takes 2 3/4, 3 and 3.5 in. shells and wipes clean
Choke system	Banded Invector-Plus Extended	Extended tubes are easy to swap in the field
Tubes included	Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder	Covers decoying ducks to pass-shot geese
Rib	5/16 in. ventilated, ivory bead	Easy to see in low light
Finish	Burnt Bronze Cerakote	Resists rust on a wet gun

The manual warns that Invector-Plus, Invector-DS and standard Invector tubes don’t interchange, and that an over-tight choke with steel shot gives a “blown” pattern. With big steel like BB, use the more open tube. Our shotgun chokes explained guide has the basics.

Trigger

Single selective and mechanical. The barrel selector is part of the safety: slide it left and an “O” shows for the over barrel first, slide it right and a “U” shows for the under barrel. The manual says you can only change it with the safety on.

Stock and Forend

Composite with textured grip panels, a 14 1/4 in. length of pull, and drops of 1 5/8 in. at the comb and 2 in. at the heel. The adjustable comb on composite Cynergy stocks is neutral, with no cast, per the manual. The recoil pad is Browning’s Inflex.

Parts, Accessories and Upgrades

Upgrade Category	Recommended Component	Why It Matters	Cost Estimate
Sling	A slip-on over and under sling that loops the stock and barrels	The Wicked Wing lists no swivel studs	$20 to $40
Chokes	An extra extended Invector-Plus tube	For a constriction the three supplied tubes don’t cover	$40 to $80
Case	A floating gun case	It’s a $2,400 gun in a boat	$40 to $90
Lubricant	Gun grease for the hinge and ejector cams	The manual calls for it	$8 to $15

Common Problems & Solutions

• Stiff to open when new: Normal. Grease the hinge surfaces and shoot 100 target loads.
• Loose adjustable comb: Ours worked loose at about 300 shells. Snug the bolt with the hex key and check it each season.
• Blown steel patterns: Don’t shoot big steel through the Full tube. The manual says to use the more open choke with large, fast steel loads.
• Wrong barrel first: Check the selector on the safety before the birds come. “O” is over, “U” is under.
• Paying list: Nobody we track charges $2,799.99. Most patterns are $2,369.99, and Guns.com had some from $1,800.99.

Chokes and Loads for Ducks and Geese

We shot our patterns at 40 yards on a pattern board before the hunts. Here’s what the supplied tubes did.

Choke	Load	Pellets in a 30 in. Circle at 40 Yards
Modified	Federal Speed-Shok 3 in. 1 1/4 oz #2 steel	74%
Improved Cylinder	Federal Speed-Shok 3 in. 1 1/4 oz #2 steel	62%
Modified	Kent Fasteel 3.5 in. 1 3/8 oz BB steel	71%

For decoying ducks inside 30 yards, Improved Cylinder in the barrel you fire first and Modified in the second is a good setup: the open choke takes the closer shot and the tighter one the going-away bird. For geese or pass shooting, Modified in both. The manual’s advice to use the more open chokes with large steel shot is worth following, and the 3.5 in. BB load didn’t pattern better than the 3 in. #2 anyway. It just kicked harder.

The over and under also gives you something no semi-auto does: you choose which barrel fires first. The barrel selector is part of the safety, with an “O” for over and a “U” for under, and the manual says you can only change it with the safety on. Set it before the birds come, so you know which choke takes the first shot.

Fitting the Gun: The Adjustable Comb

Before the first shell, I set the comb so the bead sat on the rib with my cheek down, and both barrels then shot to the same point, about 60/40 high. That’s a good setting for rising ducks. The manual says the comb on composite Cynergy stocks has no cast, so it only moves up and down. Shooters with a different face shape will want a different height, so take some time with a pattern board before the season and shoot a few shells at a fixed aiming point to see where the center of the pattern lands.

Check the comb bolt now and then. Around shell 300, ours developed a little wobble, and a turn of the hex key fixed it. Once you’ve found your height, a check at the start of each season and after any long hunt keeps it where you set it.

Caring for an Over and Under in the Marsh

One of our hunts was in steady rain, and the Cynergy opened, closed and fired the same as it did dry. What wet weather does is wash grease out of the places an over and under needs it. The manual says to grease the hinge surfaces and the ejector cams. After a wet hunt, break the gun down the same day, dry every surface, wipe the bores, put a thin film of grease on the hinge and the cams, and oil the outside lightly.

Pull the choke tubes after wet hunts too, and clean and grease the threads, since a tube left in a wet barrel all season can be hard to get out. Store the gun dry, never zipped wet into a soft case overnight. After 500 shells and that wet hunt, the Cerakote on our Bottomland gun showed no rust, and the chrome chambers wiped clean with a patch. The finish takes care of itself. The hinge needs you.

Who Should NOT Buy This Gun

I like this gun more than its scorecard suggests. It still isn’t the right answer for most duck hunters.

• Hunters who want three shots: The Browning Maxus II Wicked Wing has the same finish and chamber for about $500 less.
• Recoil-sensitive shooters: A gas gun like the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus takes the edge off 3.5 in. loads.
• Buyers who don’t shoot 3.5 in. shells: The Browning Cynergy CX has 3 in. chambers and was $500 less.
• Budget waterfowlers: A Mossberg 835 shoots 3.5 in. shells for about $530.

Final Verdict

The Browning Cynergy Wicked Wing is the over and under for people who hunt ducks in weather that stops other guns. It fired 750 shells for us without a failure, it patterns well, and its trigger is a pleasure. It’s also a two-shot gun that costs more than excellent three-shot guns, including Browning’s own.

If you’ve decided you want one, buy on pattern and price, since the list price is the same for all 24 and the street price isn’t. Look at the Cynergy Camo too, because it lists $40 less and has sling studs. For how it stacks up for geese, see our best goose hunting shotguns, and for Browning’s walnut over and under, our Browning Citori 725 review.

Final Score: 8.0/10. A superb foul-weather gun, if two shots are enough for you.

FAQ: Browning Cynergy Wicked Wing