help with a sporting shotgun, please!

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ElPrez231

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Hey all, it has been a while since I posted but lately I have been contemplating very hard about purchasing a shotgun for sporting purposes. I have always been into skeet shooting and it's variants, and recently have started to go more often. I have come to the realization it is pointless to continue this venture with a tactical shotgun (12ga mossberg mariner with pistol grip and adjustable stock) and must proceed with purchasing one designed for this sort of thing. Now, the million dollar question. Which shotgun should I purchase? I've been doing a lot of research and have narrowed it down a bit. My budget is what most ppl would consider relatively low right now, the highest I'd want to spend is around $700-800. I was thinking of sticking with either pump action or O/U and foregoing semi-auto, but if anyone knows of any good semi-autos for sport that fall within the price range I'm all ears! I am quite taken by the Browning BPS Micro Trap pump-action as well as the Mossberg Silver Reserve sporting model. I have heard mixed reviews about the latter, and have not really heard much at all about the browning. The mossberg has the price advantage and the advantage that it is O/U. I do not know much about the browning other than it will probably cost me around $600 give or take. Can anyone give me some good suggestions on other models or good advice about the two particulars I mentioned? Any help is greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post, thanks in advance!
 
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I dont know how much a Benelli M2 retails for in the states, but I can confirm I shoot sporting clays every week with one, and have put hundreds of thousands of rounds through it no problem.

The VAST majority of clay shooters over here use over/unders, but I've shot against every kind, Berettas (every week - everyone has one!) Blasers, Kreighofs, and have won my fair share :)
 
>>I was thinking of sticking with either pump action<<

This is not the way to go if you want to get into serious clay shooting. Sure, you'll see people using them from time to time, but they're usually just showing off or getting ready for hunting season. Get yourself a good O/U or auto and you'll be much happier in the end.
 
In that price range I'd suggest a Beretta 390 available at Walmart for $599. It's a plain black synthetic stock model and as far as I know only available at Walmart, but a great all around autoloader.
 
I would recommend a used auto or O/U. No need to make things more difficult with a pump (BTW, nothing against pumps, I own two, but not for serious clay shooting though). For auto's, I would look at the Beretta 391/390, Browning Gold, Winchester SX2, Remington 1100, etc. The first three are nice as the stocks are adjustable for drop and cast with available shims. Remember, your SG must fit so it shoots where you are looking. If you find the Remington 1100 fits you, there are thousands of those out there at good prices ($300-$500) and they break clays well. There are plenty of pro shooters using auto's and putting thousands of rounds through them every year.
If you can find a used Beretta 68X or Browning Citori for less than $1K and it fits, it will last you a very long time - super quality. Both are great for high volume clay shooting, but again it comes down to which fits you best (kind of the Ford vs Chevy argument). Good luck!
 
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For your price range and intended purpose, I'd go with an auto. Serious clay shooting does not lend itself well to pumps and a quality O/U may be just a bit out range price-wise. Although their stock is a bit sketchy in this post election era, I frequently refer to budsgunshop.com. They tend to be a little lower in price than most. For your price range, my picks would be Franchi i-12 (I love inertia guns), Beretta 3901 Citizen, Weatherby SAS. If you can swing it (pun intended), save up another couple hundred, and you can get into Bereatta 391, Browning, Win SX3, possibly Benelli M2 Field or Montefeltro (again my choice for inertia).

No matter what, though, the gun has to fit.
 
Get a name brand semi auto that feels good to you, and that you like. They all pretty much work. You can save a bundle if you buy a used version in excellent condition, and especially starting out I think that is a good move, because you might change your mind, too. Enjoy life, be happy.
 
For what it's worth, my Benelli M1 Super 90 has a 26" barrel vent rip with fiber optic front sight, full choke. I do pretty well at my local ATA range with it. People seem surprised that it can handle trap loads, but never had a problem with it.

I also have other chokes for it for hunting (steel shot) and slugs (CL and IC)

Most competition trap use O/U but you won't get a decent one in the price range you're looking at.
 
There is nothing as fast and easy to point as an over/under. If you shoot one, you won't want to go back. I'm concentrating on evil guns at the moment, but a o/u is on my list. I think I'm going to wind up with one of the CZ's my dealer has on the rack. I've been pretty impressed with their weapons overall, so I have no reason to believe their shotguns aren't excellent as well. Hopefully someone will weigh in with first hand experience. Anyway, the CZ's are more or less in that $700-$800 range, and the ones I've handled are beautiful, easy pointing, and appear solidly built.
 
Test drive a friends REM 1100, Beretta 390, 391 or Ruger Red Label Used to new $350 - 1300
See what fits and makes the clay dust. If your friends and shooting buddy's will not loan you gear -- GET NEW FRIENDS
 
Consider a Benelli Super Nova

I recently bought a Benelli Super Nova 12g and love it. It's a pump. It's light, kicks about 1/2 as hard as any other 12g I've ever shot and is rugged. Oh, looks cool to. I don't think you could do much better. And it's in the $350 price range. That's my 2 cents FWIW...
 
I have a CZ Canvasback. I absolutely love it. Swings nicely, nice fit and finish. And it was right around ~$750 after FFL / shipping, etc. Very quality O/U and right in the price point you're looking at.
 
I'd say OU, but make sure it fits. It's easier to fit a repeater, can shim the stock. I'd go auto, definitely NOT pump, in repeating shotguns and would prefer a gas gun's recoil attenuation. Inertia guns are okay if you don't believe in cleaning your guns, but a gas gun will shoot softer and faster and that's a good thing on doubles where recovery time counts.
 
Many posters gave good advice on gun selection and no pumps. However I will repeat what others stated. I think fit is the most important part. When you pull the gun up to take the shot, you want to be looking straight down the barrel. If you have to move your head to line up the target then it does not fit. The clay bird moves fast and you want all the advantages you can get. If you pull the gun up and then have to move your head around to find it it may be gone. Try several and you will find the ones that fit and the ones that don't. However there are some people who have to have a custom fit because the off the shelf models don't fit them. One of the guys I shoot with had that problem.
 
The Mossberg 930 is a really good shotgun for the money. It's much cheaper than a Benelli, doesn't use fragile plastic "O" rings in it's gas system, and you have a wide selection of interchangeable barrels available for it. I purchased a Mossberg 930 SPX and have absolutely no regrets about it. It's fed everything I've put in it without a hiccup. The Mossbergs are also made in America which is a good thing in todays economy. Your dollars would be helping someone here, not overseas. I'm sick and tired of seeing all these american companies dropping like flies each week in this recession.
 
391

I was in a similar situation as yourself and found it difficult to make a decision despite the good advice. At that time to me, it was much easier to start slow and with an inexpensive semi auto SG. I bought on GB a NIB Beretta AL391 Urika II 12/28 semi-auto for $650. This field gun with synthetic stock and a 28" field barrel was an excellent starter SG for me.

Four months later I resold this Beretta for $600 only because I had a great opportunity to buy a LNIB Beretta AL391 Urika II 12/32 with xtra grain stock and 30" Sporting barrel for $700 -- which I resold 5 months later for $700. Can't beat that and 391s hold thier resale value as proven (and if you don't overpay!).

Now I have a more expensive Caesar Guerini Summit Sporting 12/34 with custom stockwork -- and am extremely pleased that ended up here without losing a lot of money or ending up with SGs I never shoot.

BTW...during this trail period, I rented all sorts of expensive Beretta (682e, 687, 686) and Browning OUs (BTs, Citori 525 and 625, Cynergy) and shot my buddies exotics (Perraza, Kolar etc). I have to admit that I cannot tell the difference between my $2.5 K SG and the $5K+ SGs -- other than the dent in my wallet.
 
I agree with the previous poster that resale value is an important factor, and it is the top names that deliver back most of what you paid. They also deliver on pride of ownership, and it is possible that feeling good about your gun may help your shooting.

Never have shot clays with a pump, but I think it needs a real expert to deal with pairs. I used to shoot clays for a while with an 1100, but went back to O/U's. Unless you are a small frail person I just can't see the advantage of a semi for clays, the O/U just has everything going for it.

Good luck with whatever you choose, stay safe and have fun.
 
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