Advice on new trap / doubles O/U

cslater

cslater

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
167   0   0
Location
Bow Valley, Alberta
Hi All,

Currently have a BT-99 that I use for trap at our local range. Great gun but we are going to be adding a machine to enable doubles so looking for a new over-under, would also like to try sporting clays as well. I am thinking a browning with adjustable comb would be the way to go as I can use my current chokes but would love to hear from the group on their thoughts etc.

On another note, do people always break their shotgun down for transport (in a nice case it seems) or leave it together and transport in a longer case (that's what I have done with my BT-99).

Once option is to go to Silverwillow north of Calgary and see what they have and have them help / fit me out. Might be the best option but will be the most expensive than picking something up off the EE :)

Thanks and take care,
Chris
 
A Citori CX would probably be a good choice. I break my O/U and SxS shotguns down, and carry them in small hard cases, because they are smaller and handier for me.
 
If you are already comfortable and pleased with your BT 99 you will find some familiarity in quality, fit, reliability with a Citori. Try to shoot a few rounds of singles with a squad mate’s Citoris at your home range, see if it feels familiar. When buying, adjustable features like adjustable stocks in varying degrees can make the transition quicker if you don’t go down the rabbit hole of constant adjustment but if your BT 99 has a basic fixed stock you could easily be good with a similarly stocked Citori, only the balance is noticeably different.
Cases? A matter of choice and convenience. I’ve used both, the compact case is a little more convenient to carry or store, the full length case saves taking your gun apart and reassembling it. No overall preference here.
Break ‘em all!
 
A Citori for trap doubles would be a good choice as it could double for sporting clays. One thing though, does your Bt-99 shoot high because if it does then the citori will probably have a different sight picture and will shoot a bit more flat which is better for doubles and sporting clays. In that case you may want to use the same gun for singles and doubles because the different hold point (sight picture) will mess you up from game to game when switching guns.
 
cslater said:
Hi All,

Currently have a BT-99 that I use for trap at our local range. Great gun but we are going to be adding a machine to enable doubles so looking for a new over-under, would also like to try sporting clays as well. I am thinking a browning with adjustable comb would be the way to go as I can use my current chokes but would love to hear from the group on their thoughts etc.

On another note, do people always break their shotgun down for transport (in a nice case it seems) or leave it together and transport in a longer case (that's what I have done with my BT-99).

Once option is to go to Silverwillow north of Calgary and see what they have and have them help / fit me out. Might be the best option but will be the most expensive than picking something up off the EE :)

Thanks and take care,
Chris
Click to expand...

Go to SW and ask Don Day for his opinion as to an all around O/U for dbls trap and sporting. Don was one of the best in trap and sporting when in his prime.
 
Hi all and thanks for the time to hand out some advice.

My BT-99 (fixed stock) has been great though I have found I shoot best when holding it "high" in my shoulder and I imagine an adjustable comb or butt would help with that.

I'll poke around the EE and see what is available. Also will plan a trip to silverwillow (which would likely be the smartest move haha)

I'm not sure what the guys at my range shoot, one has a BT99 which is what got me into shooting some trap but everyone else has some sort of O/U and is all prepped for when we get the new machines.

Thanks for all the great notes and suggestions!
Chris
 
Silver Willow gave a friend of mine a heck of a deal on a pair of 725 Trap Max's for him and his daughter. I've owned several Citori's and by far my favorite for doubles was a toss up betwern the XT and the 725 Trap Max with both having equal balance and swing characteristics but the Trap Max has the bonus of mechanical triggers vs inertia triggees. With the Citoris stick to 30"bbls, I found the Citori's with 32" are like swinging a 2x6. They just don't seem to point as nicely as a 30" and they do not move gracefully to the second target like the 30" versions do. I had several of each and the 30's were far nicer. Good luck whichever you choose.
 
the spank said:
Silver Willow gave a friend of mine a heck of a deal on a pair of 725 Trap Max's for him and his daughter. I've owned several Citori's and by far my favorite for doubles was a toss up betwern the XT and the 725 Trap Max with both having equal balance and swing characteristics but the Trap Max has the bonus of mechanical triggers vs inertia triggees. With the Citoris stick to 30"bbls, I found the Citori's with 32" are like swinging a 2x6. They just don't seem to point as nicely as a 30" and they do not move gracefully to the second target like the 30" versions do. I had several of each and the 30's were far nicer. Good luck whichever you choose.
Click to expand...

Truthfully, my Citori XT and 725 trap guns had 32" barrels, and I liked them for trap, but for skeet, or sporting clays, my 725s with 32" barrels felt way too muzzle heavy. By comparison, my F-3 with 32" barrels, and the stainless Muller chokes feels so much quicker to swing. I don't shoot trap much at all, compared to skeet or sporting clays, but I actually prefer more weight in the barrels for trap.
 
Every 32” barrelled Browning from the 325 to the 725 I have shot was barrel heavy. But with the addition of a larger recoil pad to increase LOP and some weight in the stock, they balanced and felt great. Even my 20 and 28 gauge Sporters feel better with those changes. And for me at least, heavier is better. My MX Sporter at 8 3/4 is about perfect for me.
 
Westward1 said:
Every 32” barrelled Browning from the 325 to the 725 I have shot was barrel heavy. But with the addition of a larger recoil pad to increase LOP and some weight in the stock, they balanced and felt great. Even my 20 and 28 gauge Sporters feel better with those changes. And for me at least, heavier is
better. My MX Sporter at 8 3/4 is about perfect for me.
Click to expand...

I like my F-3 with no barrel or stock weights installed, and the stainless Muller chokes. .
 
Last edited:
stubblejumper said:
I like my F-3 with no barrel or stock weights installed, and the stainless Muller stocks.
Click to expand...

One of my shooting Buddies has a 32” Vantage and after messing with the weights he ended up removing them as he preferred the feel without the weights. He is a lefty but I enjoy shooting that gun. Blaser did a good job on the F3.
 
cslater said:
Hi All,

Currently have a BT-99 that I use for trap at our local range. Great gun but we are going to be adding a machine to enable doubles so looking for a new over-under, would also like to try sporting clays as well. I am thinking a browning with adjustable comb would be the way to go as I can use my current chokes but would love to hear from the group on their thoughts etc.

On another note, do people always break their shotgun down for transport (in a nice case it seems) or leave it together and transport in a longer case (that's what I have done with my BT-99).

Once option is to go to Silverwillow north of Calgary and see what they have and have them help / fit me out. Might be the best option but will be the most expensive than picking something up off the EE :)

Thanks and take care,
Chris
Click to expand...

It all depends on your budget and how much you plan to shoot. You can shoot some guns to pieces in the amount of shells that breaks in another. If you plan to go balls deep into sporting clays then start at least with a Citori that has an adjustable stock. The deeper you decide to go, the better a gun you should loo at buying. Maybe you're going to go Beretta deep. Maybe high-end Beretta or Perrazzi deep. But until you decide how much you want to commit to the game, it's hard to say definitively what gun you should buy.
 
BigUglyMan said:
It all depends on your budget and how much you plan to shoot. You can shoot some guns to pieces in the amount of shells that breaks in another. If you plan to go balls deep into sporting clays then start at least with a Citori that has an adjustable stock. The deeper you decide to go, the better a gun you should loo at buying. Maybe you're going to go Beretta deep. Maybe high-end Beretta or Perrazzi deep. But until you decide how much you want to commit to the game, it's hard to say definitively what gun you should buy.
Click to expand...

Very true. This opens the door to a never ending quest for perfection. Your search is as deep as your pockets and your desire.
 
Hi guys, thanks for the great comments. Realistically I am only going to shoot trap say 20 times a year so I am looking for a moderate priced option that will shoot well. Maybe $3000 as a max price, though if I had a nickel for every time I said that haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom