Decent Sporting Clay Gun?

[mytmousemalibu]

I've shot an 1100 aswell, Im not much of a hunter(im just not that devoted:rofl and suck at clays but am a gun nut! That Rem was a nice gun! I've also shot a Benelli Super Black Eagle.....WOW, that gun gives me a woody! But yes, hella expensive!

Funny, the 28ga was mentioned:
We have a little old 28ga H&R single, figured it would be a mild little gun......Boy was i suprised! With skeet load, wholly crap that thing bites! Too light! I have a nice M54 Mosin Nagant that makes me a lil tense but nothin like that H&R! My H&R 12ga bucks pretty hard too

 

[hoffman199]

hands down the best starter and all around shotgun is the beretta 300 series (ex: 300,301,302,303,390,391). I have shot competetive trap, skeet, and sporting clays for the last 13 years and you cannot beat these guns. I own quite a few and love the way they shoot. and you can pick up a used one for 800 or less depending on how much it was used and what condition it is in.

 

[T2CH]

Huh? Most Semi autos are designed for 2 3/4" shells. I've never shot anything but. what you need to watch for is if it's chambered for 3" shells.[/QUOTE]



The reason I say this is we owned two Barretta's, both said chambered for 2 3/4 and 3". They would not eject the 2 3/4 as well as the 3". I do not have the Barretta's anymore.

 

[Duramax_JP]

I have a benelli super sport and love it. There is virtually no kick, it has not jammed on me ever, and its a great feeling gun. It was pricey, but i think it was well worth it. If you dont wanna go with a benelli I say go with a Franchi since they are a division of benelli.

 

[LT1BRD]

the reason I went with an 870 is because everyone i've ever talked to said they never fail on you and will last forever. it was the first shotgun i bought @ 18. got it used for $160. its a wingmaster with integrated full choke. i can't tell you how many rounds have been through it...being used, but i've put well over 5000 rounds...sometimes 300 at a time. never have had a poblem. i've shot all kinds of buck shot and slugs through it too...barrel looks new as ever.
some of the other ones mentioned are excellent guns if you are looking for great quality and comfort. for me, $160 for a gun that never fails is a bargain. it may kick more, but it's worth it for the saved money (18 at the time). if you're wanting to spend up to $1,000, definitely go with some of the others mentioned. they feel great to shoot and are dependable.

 

[Duramax_JP]

the reason I went with an 870 is because everyone i've ever talked to said they never fail on you and will last forever. it was the first shotgun i bought @ 18. got it used for $160. its a wingmaster with integrated full choke. i can't tell you how many rounds have been through it...being used, but i've put well over 5000 rounds...sometimes 300 at a time. never have had a poblem. i've shot all kinds of buck shot and slugs through it too...barrel looks new as ever.
some of the other ones mentioned are excellent guns if you are looking for great quality and comfort. for me, $160 for a gun that never fails is a bargain. it may kick more, but it's worth it for the saved money (18 at the time). if you're wanting to spend up to $1,000, definitely go with some of the others mentioned. they feel great to shoot and are dependable.

My dad has one just like yours Jimmy and it is an awesome gun. His is a wingmaster though. Is that what yours is? Either way it is one of the best shooting guns we own and shoots like its new and my dads had it for a long time

 

[LT1BRD]

the reason I went with an 870 is because everyone i've ever talked to said they never fail on you and will last forever. it was the first shotgun i bought @ 18. got it used for $160.its a wingmaster with integrated full choke. i can't tell you how many rounds have been through it...being used, but i've put well over 5000 rounds...sometimes 300 at a time. never have had a poblem. i've shot all kinds of buck shot and slugs through it too...barrel looks new as ever.
some of the other ones mentioned are excellent guns if you are looking for great quality and comfort. for me, $160 for a gun that never fails is a bargain. it may kick more, but it's worth it for the saved money (18 at the time). if you're wanting to spend up to $1,000, definitely go with some of the others mentioned. they feel great to shoot and are dependable.

My dad has one just like yours Jimmy and it is an awesome gun. His is a wingmaster though. Is that what yours is? Either way it is one of the best shooting guns we own and shoots like its new and my dads had it for a long time

^^

 

[Duramax_JP]

^^

:rofl: :rofl:

I gotta start reading more carefully

 

[SmokeShow]

Well, I'm kinda finding myself drown to the O/U for some reason. The semi-autos are high dollar for something good and expensive even for something decent. I've never owned a pump but haven't ruled them out completely simply because they are cheaper.


I'm thinking my best bet is to get my butt to a range and shoot as many diff. guns as I can and see what suits me the best.

 

[McRat]

I've always shot clays with the same gun I hunt with. My goal is to improve my kill ratio when hunting, but shooting clays for competition is another story.

They do make autos that chamber 3.5's, mine is a Benelli. But it does not cycle dove loads reliably. High base 2 3/4", sure, but it needs the power to cycle, which is true for autos in general. They engineer them for a certain load, and reliability goes down when you go up or down in power. Rifles like the FN-FAL actually have an adjustment knob for various ammo, but that is rare. So if you are going to buy an auto, pick one that is geared towards the actual loads you will shoot.

My first experience shooting clays was with an 870. I brought K-mart dove loads with me. I hit 10 out of 25 average. I ran out of shells, so I had to buy some at the range. I got some $$ trap loads, and suddenly my scores climbed to 20-22 out of 25.

Ammo seems to pretty important, but I'm a schlep when it comes to clays.

 

[TrentNell]

You can always start out with a pump model and then get the semi auto later , That is what i did , Mossberg 500 ........... cheap gun but has never skipped a beat . the semi i will get when i have the $$ is a Bennelli

 

[Whitetail Addict]

When I shot clays, I did as Pat mentioned, used my upland gun (an 11-87 SP, then a Browning Citori upland special). I used it as wingshooting practice, not a competitive game, in fact I kept the gun at rest when saying "pull" to further simulate a hunting situation.
My Dad, Uncle, and a buddy of theirs shoot it as a competition. My Uncle and their buddy both have dedicated clays guns, and their buddy has his own course complete with Lincoln auto traps, and elevated stands.

Best advice I can give on clays gun selection is to get one that properly fits you, the stock length, rise and comb will all play a factor. To check stock length...grip the (unloaded of course) gun around the pistol grip of the stock as if you where to shoot it...turn your arm as if your were to curl a dumbell (your forearm should be 90* to your chest...the buttplate of the stock should be touching your tricep (I believe, the section of your arm from elbow to shoulder)
To check the rise...close your eyes...shoulder the gun as you naturally would...when you open your eyes you should NOT have to adjust your head to see the rib square and the bead perfectly. If you have to adjust your head placement...the gun does not fit...adjust accordingly if available.
Now this usually only applies to competitors/competition guns...but its how my Dad and friends do it.

 

[SmokeShow]

whitetail thanks! I gotcha on the rise and comb fitment but a little lost on checking for the correct stock length... I'll look for a pic/diagram online.


C-ya

 

[Whitetail Addict]

Yeah, its hard to understand unless someone can show you in person. I'll try to make it clearer...

This will be for a right-handed shooter.

Hold the gun as if to shoot or shoulder it...rotate the gun 90* clockwise (should be laying flat with the lh side up)...your right forearm should be under the stock with your right hand still gripping the pistol grip...the buttplate (recoil pad) of the gun should be touching your bicep (I knew I was wrong in the first post)...in other words:the stock of the gun from the leading edge of the pistol grip to the buttplate should be the same as the distance from the inside of your knuckles (when gripping the gun) to your bicep.

 

[03 D-max]

I love My ithica featherlight for shooting clay really easy to throw around and handle. I dont like bulky guns for sport shooting and You can get a used one for a reasonable price.

 

[JMK777]

benelli m2 semi shoots up to 3" 12g . Iv had mine for going on 3 years 10,000+ rounds through it a combo of duck,target and reloads and not one jam . last duck season i did not even clean it and it still shot perfect. just my 2cents

 

[ripmf666]

I might have to get a Benelli since they have alot less kick from what I have been told so that I dont kill my shoulder.

 

[SmokeShow]

I keep hearing that the Rem. and Beretta will have less kick than the Benelli because they are gas operated whereas the Benelli is inertia operated.

Anyone straighten me out on that or confirm it? It does appear that the Benelli has a better stock with those built-in dampeners. So perhaps, even if there is more recoil with the inertia operated action, maybe the felt recoil through that fancy shmancy stock of theirs is, in fact, less than the gas operated guns?

 

[hoffman199]

It really a toss up between the beretta and benelli when it comes to the difference between inertia and gas. it is a whole different feel in your shoulder. The beretta seems more solid due to the fact that most of the models are a little heavier than benelli's. I personally love my benelli for when i have to do a lot of hiking and carrying the gun around due to the fact that it is lighter(benelli M2 VS. beretta 391). When it really comes down to it the recoil of the semi-autos is going to be considderbly less than a break open, or pump, but you would really have to shoot the beretta and benelli side by side to notice a possible slight difference in your shoulder. the benelli feels more like a spring(due to the inertia setup) and the beretta is more like a constant push(due to the gas system).

I hope this kinda made sense...

 

[gr8shot]

Ok, here's the deal. I've been shooting trap, skeet, sporting clays etc for the past 12 years, so take my opinion for what it's worth. I've shot in the World trapshooting championships, so I know a thing or two abotu shooting. I'm not a once a year shooter

Spend the money and do it right the first time! You'll regret it otherwise.

It depends a lot on how much you see yourself shooting though. If you'll be shooting a good bit, find a good new or used over/under. The thing NOBODY has mentioned yet is how hard it is to clean a semi-auto or a pump, compared to an over/under. I shoot a browning citori ultra xt (trap model). It has 32" barrels, with 1" extended chokes, it has an adjustable comb (cheekpiece), and about 2 pounds of added weight in the forearm and reciever. Weight = less recoil, and better stability. I have put easily over 100,000 rounds through it in the 7 years I've ownded it and cleaned it twice. And it didn't need it either time. I have a feeling most of the guys here only shoot a couple times a year, so they don't clean their guns. If you start shooting 100 rounds each time you go out, and you go out once a week, you'll wind up cleaning a gas operated gun once every month or two (if you care about it at all anyway lol). Remingtons have a TERRIBLE gas system. You couldn't give me an 1100, or 11-87. They were great in their day, but they're the 6.5L compared to the duramax :spit: The duramax being any newer gas operated shotgun. O/U's I'd recommend are about any of them that you'll find for under $1000. Older Ruger Red Lables have problems not resetting the second trigger, so I'd stay away from them, otherwise most will treat you well. But I've tried them all up to $25k Krieghoff's and Perazzi's, and nothing fit (me) like the Browning citori, so thats what I bought. Plus a good quality O/U will never lose it's value... at all! My citori cost $1900 new, and the same model used now runs anywhere from $1700-2500 depending on condition. The same model new is like $2800 now.

If you'll only shoot maybe once a month, get a QUALTIY semi auto. I'd recommend a browning gold, Beretta 390 or Beretta 391. I shoot a browning gold in the field and it's great. But the beretta 390 is the most durable gun I've ever seen. My father has one (one of his MANY shotguns) and it will shoot and cycle ANY round you can put in it, no matter how clean or dirty it is. And it's a cinch to take a part and clean (as is my browning gold). You need a PHD to disassemble an old remington semi-auto lol. We had a bet to see who's semi-auto could go longer without being cleaned before the first jam happened when I was younger. We were both shooting our semi-autos around 300 rounds/week in the summer and hunting anything we could in the winter. My browning gold made it 4 months, and his Beretta 390 went a year and a half with at a minimum 100rounds/week before the first jam. Thats two shooting seasons and one hunting season. We just oiled them was all. The chamber on his gun STUNK horribly from all the crap that was in it. Hay, dirt, rocks, water, food crumbs, coffee, anythign you can imagine. It looked like black sludge inside the housing, but it still worked great. Now my g/f shoots that gun, and it still works flawlessly, but has been cleaned of course. And both the browning and beretta are gas operated so they don't kick very bad.

If you'll only shoot maybe three or four times a year, then don't bother getting an expensive gun. A pump will suit you fine. The 870 Remington is the old faithful of them all. Cheap, relativley simple, and VERY VERY reliable. Also functions as a boat paddle (ask me how I know )

My biggest recommendation is get a QUALITY gun. No charles daly's. You get what you pay for. A high dollar gun will fit better, and feel more refined when you shoot it. Most people swear by Benelli's. But if you've shot one more than a couple times a year, then something else as much, you'd know why I detest them. They sound like you need a 5 gallon bucket to catch the parts as they fall out. The newer ones aren't bad, but are way overpriced.

Sorry for the book, but I see three pages of bad information, so I want you to see some good information

Don't get me started on ammo :rofl: