Over-under or Semi for clay games?

J

Jenrick

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
2,066
Location
Austin, TX
I currently shoot trap and sporting, with the occasional round of skeet to mix it up. As I am progressing, I'm trying to decide if I should spend the money on an over under, or upgrade/replace my current semi-auto. Is there any intrinsic advantage to one system over the other? I know that the over under is the dominate choice in the higher/professional ranks, but there are several world class sporting clay shooters running semi-autos currently.

Thanks in advance!
 
The o/u won't buy you any birds on the score card.
It will make catching your hulls easier.
It will enable you to utilize two different chokes.
Two different loads also.
Easier loading.
Easier unloading if necessary.
Fewer moving parts to maintain.

The auto will have lighter recoil.
Cost significantly less.
Be slightly more prone to malfunction.
Be more complicated and tiring to load, especially for doubles.

If you have the $dough$ ... get the o/u..
If you're worried about the cost, get the auto and buy ammo and entry fees and gasoline and have fun.
You can miss with either one....:evil:
 
Be sure to get a shell catcher for any auto you plan on shooting for Trap. Use it for singles and handicap, and be prepared to be careful of where your hulls fly on the doubles. A knockdown pin will keep the hulls landing at your feet for doubles.
The conundrum is that you can get a better quality auto for less than a fair quality O/U. Right now if I were buying a new O/U, the minimum I would choose would be a CZ Drake. Good quality used O/U's can be found for decent prices, like the SKB 600 Trap I just picked up:
IMG_20221104_114740230.jpg

OK, I admit I put that here just to show @Armored farmer my new Trap gun. :D
 
entropy said:
Be sure to get a shell catcher for any auto you plan on shooting for Trap. Use it for singles and handicap, and be prepared to be careful of where your hulls fly on the doubles. A knockdown pin will keep the hulls landing at your feet for doubles.
The conundrum is that you can get a better quality auto for less than a fair quality O/U. Right now if I were buying a new O/U, the minimum I would choose would be a CZ Drake. Good quality used O/U's can be found for decent prices, like the SKB 600 Trap I just picked up:
View attachment 1118298

OK, I admit I put that here just to show @Armored farmer my new Trap gun. :D
Click to expand...
.....and a fine looking o/u it is!
I always liked the SKB guns!
Congrats!
 
@Armored farmer Thanks for the break down, that helped.

I think I'm going to do what most gun owners would do, do both! My current gun is a Winchester Super X model 1 which is a great trap gun, but a little unwieldy for sporting. I think I'll leave that one be as my dedicate trap gun, and go with the O/U for sporting. We don't have to worry about picking up hulls on the trap and skeet field, but we do at sporting and 5 stand. I figure the cost of an O/U is still cheaper than back surgery, or at least that will be my rationale to the wife.
 
Last edited:
Jenrick said:
@Armored farmer Thanks for the break down, that helped.

I think I'm going to do what most gun owners would do, do both! My current gun is a Winchester Super X model 1 which is a great trap gun, but a little unwieldy for sporting. I think I'll leave that one be as my dedicate trap gun, and go with the O/U for sporting. We don't have to worry about picking up hulls on the trap and skeet field, but we do at sporting and 5 stand. I figure the cost of an O/U is still cheaper than back surgery, or at least that will be my rationale to the wife.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a plan.
The Super-X was my dedicated doubles gun back in the day. They have silky-smooth actions.
 
Jenrick said:
@Armored farmer Thanks for the break down, that helped.

I think I'm going to do what most gun owners would do, do both! My current gun is a Winchester Super X model 1 which is a great trap gun, but a little unwieldy for sporting. I think I'll leave that one be as my dedicate trap gun, and go with the O/U for sporting. We don't have to worry about picking up hulls on the trap and skeet field, but we do at sporting and 5 stand. I figure the cost of an O/U is still cheaper than back surgery, or at least that will be my rationale to the wife.
Click to expand...

Buy a long magnet. I use one and never have to bend over.

But I hate picking up hulls after a round of skeet when all the o/u guys are back in the shade, kicking it.
 
You can find good buys on o/us if you buy used. In recent years I've bought a Browning Superpower Lightning, a Citori Trap special, a 98% 3200 Trap, a Citori Sporting (fixed chokes) and a Beretta 686 Essential, and only the Cities Trap cost over a grand. Son one is shooting the Lightning (a 1964), a buddy bought one Citori and another got the sporting. I shoot the 3200 on rare doubles and the 686 for skeet (more rare).
To be honest, I'd rather shoot my 1100 Trap on doubles and skeet and I use once fired Top Guns reloaded as they are easy to find in the cans and not worrisome enough to pick up. Gun Clubs and AAs for everything else.
80% of my trap shooting is still with my old 1975 870TB or my 1974 BT99.
 
Bill M. said:
There is no dis-advantage to shooting a semi at sporting clays. Shoot what you shoot best.
Click to expand...
Agree!

I like shooting both O/U and Semi. But Having your gun fitted by a professional is worth $$$$, keep you from buying multiple(s) shotguns (not a bad thing).
 
Jenrick said:
@Armored farmer Thanks for the break down, that helped.

I think I'm going to do what most gun owners would do, do both! My current gun is a Winchester Super X model 1 which is a great trap gun, but a little unwieldy for sporting. I think I'll leave that one be as my dedicate trap gun, and go with the O/U for sporting. We don't have to worry about picking up hulls on the trap and skeet field, but we do at sporting and 5 stand. I figure the cost of an O/U is still cheaper than back surgery, or at least that will be my rationale to the wife.
Click to expand...

you will have to spend a lot of money to buy an O/U of comparable quality to your sx1! The winchester sx1 is the Krieghoff or perazzi of the semi-auto world. I have a couple of perazzi guns but choose to shoot an sx1 for a few reasons. Its unique so not everyone will have one. The triggers are OUTSTANDING for a semi auto and better than any O/U trigger ive been exposed to besides the very top of the line. They are durable, HAND MADE, and ive yet to have a malfunction. Lastly, they are buttery smooth with very little recoil and no annoying “clakety clack” you het from newer designs. Id say you have a “best” quality gun already and spending considerably more money wont necessarily get you more gun.
 
My thoughts: I shoot both a Beretta 686 and a Remington 1100. (plus an 870 and a 3200). If I'm going to shoot new shells or once fired STS I shoot the O/U. If I'm shooting old Federal or Gun Clubs, the 1100.
This for doubles or skeet.
Trap, my 1975 870 TB.
 
Last edited:
A lot of us use 1.0 oz. or even 7/8 oz. loads for Sporting and Skeet. I used to use 3/4 oz. handloads for Skeet. If you get a semi, make sure it wil cycle with light loads.
 
If you have to ask the question you need to buy a QUALITY semi-auto.

If you're really serious about shooting the clays games a quality O/U is the way to go. But for most casual shooters a semi-auto is the better option. You can buy a high end Beretta or Benelli for less than an entry level O/U.
 
Forget what all the smart guys above have said…it is about looking ‘cool’….

get the over/under so you can walk around holding the muzzle, with the hinge on your shoulder, and the shotgun open…

you do not have to hit birds, just look great not doing it….

At least that is me at clays…. Boy, do I stink… but I have a great time doing it :rofl:

And Browning for my wife and I….
 
Last edited:
I shot sporting clays for many years with an O/U, until I wised up and bought a semi-auto. Less recoil, less ponderous handling across the course, and more convenience. I'm assuming 12 gauge. Makes no economic sense to handload 12 gauge anymore, so ease of capturing your hulls is not a consideration. And as far as choke spinning goes... the results are more in the minds of the shooter than the targets. Pick the correct choke for the course or stand, and the correct shell, and you are not handicapping yourself for dead birds. I rarely change chokes over a course. And when necessary, a single barrel is much easier to handle.

In 28 gauge and .410 bore, I still use O/Us. The guns are lighter, and the hulls are valuable :D

Same goes for Skeet.

Trap is a game which is anathema to proper shotgunning, and I don't partake. :p
 
I shoot sporting clays and skeet with a 20 ga O/U with screw in chokes (Browning Citori). It's my upland hunting gun and skeet and clays gives me good practice. Never felt under gunned with it but then again I wasn't going after any trophies.
 
in the long run if you get into the clay games in a big way, the cost of the ammo and fee,s will soon take over the cost of a good shotgun, i have been shooting a 12ga browning bt-100 for trap singles for over 12 years with not any problems at all other then cleaning and a browning o/u sporting clays edition and no problems with it either.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0896 (3).JPG
    DSCN0896 (3).JPG
    152 KB · Views: 3
  • DSCN1327 (3).JPG
    DSCN1327 (3).JPG
    136.8 KB · Views: 3
  • DSCN8317.JPG
    DSCN8317.JPG
    149.5 KB · Views: 3
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
  • Locked
Shotgun Recommendation for Clay Pigeon Shooting
2 3
Replies
52
Views
3K
giggitygiggity
G
R
  • Locked
Sporting clays O/U
Replies
5
Views
807
Dave McCracken
D
H
  • Locked
Sporting clays
Replies
21
Views
1K
Hotshot10
H
I
  • Locked
Clay Sports Starter: 20ga?
Replies
10
Views
2K
Sheepdog1968
S
J
  • Locked
Recommendation a shotgun for clays
Replies
22
Views
910
Jenrick
J
Back
Top