First 12 Gauge Over/Under For Skeet Suggestions

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freebird

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Went Skeet shooting for my first time at my Gun Club Friday and loved it! I used my NRA 12 Gauge Franchi Affinity Autoloader that my Mother won for me at the NRA Raffle. Nice gun and I enjoyed shooting it but I would like to get a decent 12 Gauge Over/Under. What would be a good one to get for under $1000? I know this price range limits me and is going to be no where in the price range of the really nice 2K-8K guns out there. But figured I can always get a nicer one in the years to come as I can and will have more time hopefully to shoot and utilize it more.

I was looking at a Savage Arms 555 with Walnut Stock and Stainless Receiver. Are they any good or what would be a decent 12 Gauge Over and Under to go with? Thanks, appreciate any suggestions.
 
Understood. Thanks Cooldill. What would be the bottom of the line to go with? Bottom Dollar 12 Gauge O/U you would go with that would be acceptable? Just something I can shoot for. Because I can get by with the autoloader now and save up for 6 months and get something decent. I would rather do that then spend $800-$1000 now and regret it.

So can it be done under $2500-$3000? Like a Browning Citori? I am by no means a Pro just something I would like to possibly get into seriously in the future.

Thanks or the help.
 
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I agree with Cooldill, except my version is that any O/U less than $2000 isn't worth owning! :) Since you are just starting out shooting skeet, you may want to try out some of the guns other skeet shooters are using. Skeet shooters are a sociable bunch, and if you ask politely, most will let you shoot their guns. This may give you an idea what you prefer.

Fit, is of course, a priority. A gun that doesn't fit YOU, will be a problem.

There are several possibilities in the $2500 - $3000 range. Check out the Beretta Silver Pigeon I Sporting, I think an adjustable comb is also available on these. Also Browning XS, not sure if they still make those. There are many other Browning variations available as well, that would be suitable. Another possibility is the FNH SCI, a sporting gun with a lot of features, if you don't mind laminated wood. I'm sure there are others worth considering, but these are what comes to mind.

Stay away from short barrels! Nowadays, 28" is as short as you will even want to consider, with 30" better, and some even shooting 32". I like 30"
barrels.

The guys (and gals) that I shoot skeet with shoot everything from Mossberg pumps to Perazzis and K80 tube sets. Depending on their budget, and just how serious they are about the game.

I shoot purely for fun and recreation. My old standby is a Remington 3200 Competition four barrel set that I've had for years. Still smokes 'em! My latest toy is a Beretta S687 EL Gold Pigeon II Sporting 30" two barrel set (28 and 410). LOVE that gun!

Good luck!
 
Good deal, thanks Mudstud. That Remington 3200 is a pretty gun! I like it a lot! At least this gives me some good options to go by. You are correct though Skeet Shooters are really sociable. I just may have to ask around and try some different ones to see what fits well. Thanks.
 
You can't go wrong with a Browning Citori with invector chokes. The older 70's skeet guns had stocks with high combs, the same as trap guns. These work well when starting with the gun mounted on the shoulder. Not for hunting or sporting clays. Target guns may get shot a lot, adding up to a lot of wear. But may only get shot 3 years on average when the person looses interest. Nothing wrong with shooting an auto loader. Less recoil.
 
try as many shotguns as you can,before you buy. and keep a look out for a good used shotgun. i have bought five used browning o/u,s over the years at less than half of retail. eastbank.
 
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i just bought this browning o/u 12ga citori 30"barrels with ivecta plus choke tubes along with three other shotguns and i installed a morgen adjustable butt pad, i shot two rounds of trap yesterday afternoon and shot a 24-25 and a 23-25. the cost was very,very reasonable. eastbank.
 

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I'd shoot the auto for a while until I was sure I was sure I was staying with Skeet.
Then watch the club bulletin board, guns are sold as people upgrade, quit, or die.
If you get very serious about NSSA Skeet, you will need subgauge tubes which demands an OU. Then it gets to be a case of "cry once, buy once."
 
Try try try different guns for fit and feel. The pattern board is your friend. Don't be afraid to buy used, most decent guns will go at least to the 100,000 mark before needing a tune up. Nothing wrong with an auto unless you want to shoot subgauges.

I shot a Ruger Red Label when I was starting out, loved that gun, put a Kolar classic tube set in it to shoot registered skeet, wore it out in less than 50,000 rounds, 3 trips to Ruger by 60,000. Sold it to an occasional shooter with full disclosure. Berettas have the same "feel" to me as the Ruger did, so I saved for a Beretta and Kolar tube set slightly used from another shooter getting out of it. Beretta has over 70,000 rounds through it, and I don't shoot much anymore. I also love my Remington 1100's and shoot those as well as the Beretta. Get what fits and feels right to you, I could never get that feeling with a Browning Citori, and others can't get that feeling with a Beretta.

All told in my skeet and clay shooting I have probably shot well over 400,000 birds in the last 30 years, not a lot by some target shooters, but almost unimaginable by others.
 
I'm a fan of the 3200 also. I've shot a lot of guns but never found one that I liked enough better to be worth a substantial amount of additional money to me. The 3200 just suited me really well, so lucky me. :)
 
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Stay away from field guns they are generally light and will beat you up if you shoot much.

Watch for a used Beretta 682, 687, 686 Sporting or Skeet model. Citori's are fine as well - I personally prefer the fit and feel of a Beretta. They are a lower profile action than the citori's and fit ME better. The 682's were the basic competition model and will command more money than the 686's or 687's.

Most skeet guns sold today have 30" barrels. What this means is that you can often get a pretty good deal on 28" guns - they are hard to sell so it's kind of a buyers market for them.

Watch Pacific Sporting Arms, Southwest Shooters supply (swshotguns.com), Joel Etchen guns, Hi Grade Shooters for a good deal. Keep an eye on the board at your club.


All that said - don't rush into it. Getting in a hurry and buying the wrong gun for you is easy to do. I've seen it many many times. Shoot the game with what you have for a while and see if it's something you really want to stay with. It's not a cheap sport, in fact the gun is probably the cheap part if you get into any level of competition.

If you are not considering sub-gauges, a 12 ga autoloader will serve you well for years.
 
I think I happened into a real quality gun at a good price with my CZ Redhead Premier Target for under $1300. I say BS to those who say you have to spend $2k or $3k on a gun "worth owning." Sure, a top of the line Krieghoff is a wonderful gun, but you don't need one to shoot well and have fun. Also a good idea to look at used guns that have been well maintained. As you make friends at the trap range, I would be surprised if you don't get some offers to try out a string with another shooter's gun to see if you like it. I've found trap shooters to be a pretty supportive and friendly bunch. Several at my club have guns for sale, usually the guns they bought before moving up to a several thousand dollar gun, and that can be a good deal. Maybe post a wanted flyer at the trap club, and see what kind of deals you can scare up right there locally. Good luck and have fun!
 
Awesome, thanks so much. I definitely have some good options now to go off of. I found a really nice Citori locally for sale for $800 but it only is a 26". There is a Superposed Lightning 30" for $1130 on Armslist Locally but it says the front bead is missing. Not sure how hard that would be to replace?

Maybe I will keep running the Autoloader for a bit like some of you have suggested and just enjoy it for a while and try some others out along the way while saving up for a really nice used O/U.

Thanks so much for all the helpful info.
 
I went to a shooting school where they had removed the beads from the guns... and i shot great! You don't aim a shotgun, you point it.

...and whatever you get, make sure that the stock fits you. Cast on or cast off, the right length of pull, and the right comb height all combine to make the gun an extension of you.
 
The only thing the beads are for is to verify you have the gun mounted right. Mount the gun, quick glance at the beads to make sure everything is lined up right. Thats it. If you check the beads while you're swinging you will tend to stop the swing - and miss behind. You shoot skeet by moving at the knees and keeping your head, arms, and shoulders all locked in. Eyes on the target and the gun will go along for the ride. Your computer will figure out sight pictures soon enough.
 
For Skeet, 26" is better than 30", at least for most. 30" is more for Trap. $800 for that Citori sounds like a good deal, I'd try to get down to $1000 on the Superposed, but $1130 isn't outrageous.

John 3921 is right; you shouldn't be looking at the bead once you've mounted the shotgun. I was taught to mount the gun by extending it out from the shoulder, pulling it back in, and locking into the pocket, form cheek weld, and you should be lined up down the rib on the bead. Once you've got he basic moves down, practice it with your eyes closed until everytime you open your eyes, you're lined up right. My teacher had me do it for an hour straight every night for a week, (I worked at a Trap range) and to this day I can't not line up right.
 
For Skeet, 26" is better than 30", at least for most. 30" is more for Trap. $800 for that Citori sounds like a good deal, I'd try to get down to $1000 on the Superposed, but $1130 isn't outrageous.

John 3921 is right; you shouldn't be looking at the bead once you've mounted the shotgun. I was taught to mount the gun by extending it out from the shoulder, pulling it back in, and locking into the pocket, form cheek weld, and you should be lined up down the rib on the bead. Once you've got he basic moves down, practice it with your eyes closed until everytime you open your eyes, you're lined up right. My teacher had me do it for an hour straight every night for a week, (I worked at a Trap range) and to this day I can't not line up right.
26" bbls for skeet o/u's is long out of favor. Any more, 30" is the norm for a skeet gun (in an over under)

This has to do with swing weights and inertia - 30" guns have more inertia and it is much easier to have a controlled swing. 26" guns are too easy to bobble the swing.

I think Todd Bender has even gone to 32" bbls on his skeet gun.

I don't use an autoloader for skeet, but 26 or 28 makes sense to me for an autoloader. I used my 28" A400 duck gun for one league just to get used to the gun. It dwarfed my 30" skeet o/u on the rack.
 
Yes most people that shoot skeet now use longer barrels, myself included, but if the gun fits, a shorter barrel gun will break as many targets as a longer barrel will. Since I no longer shoot competition, I bring different shotguns out to our club about every trip. My comp gun is a Beretta 682 with 30" barrels, but my Remington 11-87 has a 30" barrel that makes the Beretta look short.

Last year I bought a used 870 special field 12ga that has IIRC a 21" barrel. I shot 50 birds straight the first time shooting it, I have never had it out of the safe since, it's the only shotgun I have that I can say I have never missed with. ;)

Out of about 25-30 shotguns I only own 1 shotgun that has never shot a straight 25 for me, it is a Win M42 with a full choke barrel, shot a couple 24's out of probably 3000 shells, but I have never been able to warm up to that shotgun, but since it is a 42 I will hold on to it for safe keeping. I guess I have 2, an Ithaca mag 10 has never shot a round of skeet.

It's still all about gun fit and practice, keep shooting the auto, If you decide to compete in all gauges save for something that you have at least tried out before hand. I have seen too many people try to buy targets with high dollar guns or try to compete with a different gun each week and never learn to shoot one gun and stick with it for a while. We always had a saying, "Beware of the old guy that breaks out an old beat up Model 12, he'll probably beat your *ss."
 
26" bbls for skeet o/u's is long out of favor. Any more, 30" is the norm for a skeet gun (in an over under)

This has to do with swing weights and inertia - 30" guns have more inertia and it is much easier to have a controlled swing. 26" guns are too easy to bobble the swing.

I think Todd Bender has even gone to 32" bbls on his skeet gun.

I don't use an autoloader for skeet, but 26 or 28 makes sense to me for an autoloader. I used my 28" A400 duck gun for one league just to get used to the gun. It dwarfed my 30" skeet o/u on the rack.

OK, I confess-the last time I shot Skeet the year started with 19 something.:eek:
 
I agree with others that you should try as many shotguns as possible to know which ones fit, and more importantly, which ones don't. There are many nuances concerning fit that may be overlooked by simple shouldering one in a gun store.

I learned a long time ago that Browning shotguns fit me to a T. Sadly, I still don't pay attention that fact always and try out others only to lick my wallet-wounds and circle back to Browning.

On the low end, I ran across a real nice Mossy O/U Silver Reserve I could have had for $400 but it had extractors which didn't suit my purpose. It did fit real good though, and would have been a useful tool for refining what I should look for in a more upscale shotgun.

Good luck in your quest.
 
Thanks guys, I am learning a heck of a lot here. I totally understand about the bead not being needed now. After shooting some more the other night I found I do not even notice the bead other than a few times and it has been after I busted the clay then I would just happen to see it.

Going to keep having fun with the Autoloader and take my time and Try, Try, Try like you all have said. So many great choices out there, I know one will be the right one for me. Thanks for all the tips, I am soaking it all in and learning as I go. Much appreciated!
 
If you go the Superposed route, I mentioned a gun from the 1950's (ie NOT a Lightning) because of a problem with the wood they used in the stock for a period. Basically they tried to economize by buying wood that was salt dried and not kiln dried. Since the wood was impregnated with salt, the salt rusts the barrel steel under the forearm... If you google "Superposed Salt Wood" you can read all about it.

Another tip when buying a Superposed, is the triggers are coated with a gold-colored finish that wears off with use. If you're looking at a 60 year old gun, it's had plenty of time to be used, but what you want is a safe queen. The trigger is an indicator of how much use it's seen.
 
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