New Shooters Buying Shotguns

[stubblejumper]

When someone mentions an interest in trying one of the clays games, I recommend that they don't run out and buy a new shotgun, because most have no idea what to buy. I suggest that they come out, and shoulder some shotguns at the club, and we will also let someone new try our shotguns if they bring ammunition. We just had a new guy show up to skeet. He has zero shotgun experience, but he showed up with a Turkish O/U, that isn't even close to fitting him, and it has an aluminum frame and is very light. After one round of skeet and hitting one clay pretty much by coincidence, he was already feeling the recoil. After two rounds and going 3/50, he was sore, and had had enough for a day. He came back yesterday, and we had him try some members guns, and he went 2/25 with his gun, and 7/25, using other shotguns he tried, and he wasn't feeling the recoil at all with any of the other guns we had him try.. I then had him shoot a clays box twice, and he was shooting very high, and to the left with his gun. When he tried a couple of other guns, the point of impact was much better. The issue now, is that he either needs to spend money on his cheaper shotgun to make it fit, or he needs to buy a shotgun that fits him, and his budget was spent on the first shotgun.

 

[Wade Kirk]

I couldn’t agree more.

I do a lot of “have a go” intro packages at our club and am frequently asked what go to buy.

My standard advice is to not rush out and buy one.

Come out a few times and try some different guns. See what you like, can hit with, and not be beaten up by.

 

[Arietta]

If I'm taking a new shooter out they get to use my Beretta 391. My advice to them is to buy a semi-automatic with 28 to 30" barrels, choke tubes and stock shims and I steer them towards a Beretta A300. It can shoot all the games, be somewhat adjusted to fit and should they want an o/u at some point they can get good value for the Beretta or keep it as a back up gun.

 

[stubblejumper]

If I'm taking a new shooter out they get to use my Beretta 391. My advice to them is to buy a semi-automatic with 28 to 30" barrels, choke tubes and stock shims and I steer them towards a Beretta A300. It can shoot all the games, be somewhat adjusted to fit and should they want an o/u at some point they can get good value for the Beretta or keep it as a back up gun.

Beretta and Browning are pretty much opposite fit wise. Many people, myself included, simply don't fit the A300 or A400 well. I had an A400, as well as a SBE2, and an SX-3. I kept the SX-3, because it fit right out of the box, whereas the A400 did not have enough drop at comb, even after changing shims. Other people find that the A400 fits them very well, right out of the box.

 

[Falconflyer]

The trouble is that new shooters don't know whether the SX3 fits or the A300 does otherwise this is good advice.

Male shooters are the worse in that they will usually just go out and purchase the best they can afford regardless of fit. New female shooters tend to go with what is recommended to them, the trouble with this is that the person doing the recommending often doesn't give good advice or just wants to get rid of one of their guns.
My advice is to have them shoot as many different guns as they can before purchasing and even then they need to talk with people that know what they are talking about in terms of gun fit and functionality and also have their best interest in mind.

 

[stubblejumper]

The trouble is that new shooters don't know whether the SX3 fits or the A300 does otherwise this is good advice.

Male shooters are the worse in that they will usually just go out and purchase the best they can afford regardless of fit. New female shooters tend to go with what is recommended to them, the trouble with this is that the person doing the recommending often doesn't give good advice or just wants to get rid of one of their guns.
My advice is to have them shoot as many different guns as they can before purchasing and even then they need to talk with people that know what they are talking about in terms of gun fit and functionality and also have their best interest in mind.

By shooting a variety of shotguns, the shooter can usually see what they hit with, what hurts them, and that helps to show them what fits them. On Sunday we had the new shooter try an SX-3, an A400, a 725, and a Citori CX, in addition to his own gun. The A400 and his own gun were the worst fit, and the Citori CX was the best. He preferred the recoil of both semi autos.

 

[hogiron]

Beretta and Browning are pretty much opposite fit wise. Many people, myself included, simply don't fit the A300 or A400 well. I had an A400, as well as a SBE2, and an SX-3. I kept the SX-3, because it fit right out of the box, whereas the A400 did not have enough drop at comb, even after changing shims. Other people find that the A400 fits them very well, right out of the box.

very true, most brownings fit me very well, i've got o/u beretta's i would sell or trade.

 

[boxhitch]

Understanding how a shotgun is formed and shaped for a particular sport is a big step.
Knowing the why helps point to what to shop for

 

[Falconflyer]

There’s a history of threads on this website of new shooters asking for help to pick out a shotgun for trap not realizing that a trap gun is a specialized tool that doesn’t lend itself well to other shotgun disciplines. Those people would be better off getting a sporting gun or even a field gun that they can use in all of the different shotgun games.

 

[stubblejumper]

There’s a history of threads on this website of new shooters asking for help to pick out a shotgun for trap not realizing that a trap gun is a
specialized tool that doesn’t lend itself well to other shotgun disciplines. Those people would be better off getting a sporting gun or even a field gun that they can
use in all of the different shotgun games.

This guy bought a lightweight field gun that fits poorly and has a poi like a trap gun. He needs more drop at comb, and some cast would help. He picked about the worst choice he could have for skeet.

 

[Callee]

I see your point, for sure.

I mean, would we buy a car without test driving it?

On the other hand, in these times, a lot of new shooters can barely afford the sport, and just buying one shotgun will be a challenge. In those cases, they'll need to get a good all-around gun that can perform reasonably well, but maybe not the best, in a a variety of different tasks. Going out and buying a great trap gun would be great if they also had the money to buy a good duck gun, etc.

All i'm saying is, you're not wrong, but some guys today are going to have to settle for the art of the possible.

 

[stubblejumper]

I see your point, for sure.

I mean, would we buy a car without test driving it?

On the other hand, in these times, a lot of new shooters can barely afford the sport, and just buying one shotgun will be a challenge. In those cases, they'll need to get a good all-around gun that can perform reasonably well, but maybe not the best, in a a variety of different tasks. Going out and buying a great trap gun would be great if they also had the money to buy a good duck gun, etc.

All i'm saying is, you're not wrong, but some guys today are going to have to settle for the art of the possible.

Truthfully, we are getting more and more shooters that don't hunt, and have no interest in hunting. Those people just want a gun suitable for clays, so they end up with something like a 725, or Citori CX, or an A400 or SX-4. In our circle of shooters, there are far more 725s than anything else, a few Citori CX, a few other Citori models, a couple of SX-3/4s, an A400, a K20, an F3, a Rizzini, and a small assortment of Turkish made shotguns.

 

[Redsoilreaper]

Lots of great advice & truths in this thread!

 

[twiki]

Interesting!

My home club is the Edmonton Gun Club and I’m probably the only one with a 725 Trap.
A few Browning XT, CXT, CXS.
The Beretta 692 crowd, the Caesar Guerini crowd, the Kolar crowd, the Krieghoff crowd.

And this is when 2 makes a crowd.

A mix of Turkish guns, of course.

Truthfully, we are getting more and more shooters that don't hunt, and have no interest in hunting. Those people just want a gun suitable for clays, so they end up with something like a 725, or Citori CX, or an A400 or SX-4. In our circle of shooters, there are far more 725s than anything else, a few Citori CX, a few other Citori models, a couple of SX-3/4s, an A400, a K20, an F3, a Rizzini, and a small assortment of Turkish made shotguns.

 

[stubblejumper]

Interesting!

My home club is the Edmonton Gun Club and I’m probably the only one with a 725 Trap.
A few Browning XT, CXT, CXS.
The Beretta 692 crowd, the Caesar Guerini crowd, the Kolar crowd, the Krieghoff crowd.

And this is when 2 makes a crowd.

A mix of Turkish guns, of course.

I am talking our skeet shooters at Camrose and the group that I shoot with at Beaverhill, no trap shooters. All of the 725s are Sporting Models.

 

[bluelynx]

What do the folks who are not near a gun club do?

Or if you show up and do not own a DT11 trap gun...go away?

What about all those farm boys who have the meanest sporting clays set up you ever seen, and regrettably are not able to meet stubble jumper?

Please do not take this as an insult.

Just asking.

 

[stubblejumper]

What do the folks who are not near a gun club do?

Or if you show up and do not own a DT11 trap gun...go away?


What about all those farm boys who have the meanest sporting clays set up you ever seen, and regrettably are not able to meet stubble jumper?

Please do not take this as an insult.

Just asking.

Around here, most people that have a real interest in shooting clays , go to a club. And most clubs have some experienced shooters that can help them. Anyone that has many thousands of dollars to build their own sporting clays field, has likely been to a club. As for the guys that shoot over a portable launcher, and have never been to a club, most will never know what gun fit is, let alone own a shotgun that fits them. As for a DT11 trap gun, nobody at either of the clubs that I shoot at shoots one.

 

[bluelynx]

Around here. Camrose. I used to hunt around there before the guides booted me off of privately owned farm land. What is that all about?

Have you thought about advertising your services to people in our area?

You will notice the shotgun people south of Red Deer are very organized? Why is that?

Stubblejumper, Why are shotgun owners not like the people in our area like the people south of Red Deer?

And then there are the shotgun owners in the land of the mighty peace. They own some nice old stuff.

Edit: In no way am I trying to insult you.

 

[stubblejumper]

Around here. Camrose. I used to hunt around there before the guides booted me off of privately owned farm land. What is that all about?

Have you thought about advertising your services to people in our area?

You will notice the shotgun people south of Red Deer are very organized? Why is that?

Stubblejumper, Why are shotgun owners not like the people in our area like the people south of Red Deer?

And then there are the shotgun owners in the land of the mighty peace. They own some nice old stuff.

Edit: In no way am I trying to insult you.

I don't offer any services, other than being the skeet chair, and maintaining the facility, and trying to help new shooters get into the sport.
It sounds like you are bitter, because you lost your private land access here, personally, I haven't had a problem getting access on private land here, many private landowners don't allow outfitters on their property. I can't speak for the clays shooters in the south, as my experience is in this area, and in the northeast part of the province. In all three clubs that I belong/belonged to , shooters are not serious competitors, just recreational shooters, that enjoy shooting. And my previous club was very much like the current one, new shooters come out, the members offer to let them try their shotguns, and try to help them to get into the sport as smoothly as possible.

 

[bluelynx]

I don't offer any services, other than being the skeet chair, and maintaining the facility, and trying to help new shooters get into the sport.
It sounds like you are bitter, because you lost your private land access here, personally, I haven't had a problem getting access on private land here, many private landowners don't allow outfitters on their property. I can't speak for the clays shooters in the south, as my experience is in this area, and in the northeast part of the province. In all three clubs that I belong/belonged to , shooters are not serious competitors, just recreational shooters, that enjoy shooting. And my previous club was very much like the current one, new shooters come out, the members offer to let them try their shotguns, and try to help them to get into the sport as smoothly as possible.

I am not bitter. Maybe I am.

Why?

Because people like you get off your ass to help the shotgun community.

And no one cares.

Bitter, I am not. Frustrated? Yes.

I do believe the shotgun crowd north of Red Deer has to become more aggressive.

As for guides, you have no idea the with the issues on my own land that I have to deal with.