Trap/Skeet gun

Have transitioned from bench shooting to trap/skeet. I have a 28” Browning citori O/U handed down to me but was looking for a spare or dedicated shotgun for this sport. Right now only doing 5 stands but hoping to try others once I build up the confidence.

I’ve heard 30-32” is ideal, was thinking of getting either a:

Browning 725 Sport with adjustable stock

Or Beretta A400 Multitarget

Both in ideally 32” any suggestion or other recommendations?

Thanks!
I've got a 30" semi that I use and it's great... for me the length of barrel isnt the issue or concern other than the weight a longer barrel comes with... not too bad if you arent doing to many shots but it can "weigh" on you if you plan to do a pile of shooting in a day... LOL Pun sort of intended
 
Best thing to do is shoot that Citori for a while at both trap, skeet and sporting along with 5 stand. After you get a feel for things and watch other shooters, possibly try a couple of their guns, then maybe you can make a better decision on what fits and shoots well for you and whether 1 gun will do it all? Good luck with it!
Excellent advice. Its always better to buy ammo and targets than buy guns.
 
I think I’ve decided on a 688, I shot 687L before, I liked the feel but didn’t enjoy the recoil due to its weight. My browning (found out it’s a lightning limited edition) I felt less comfortable with and always having to adjust my cheek but liked the weight for less recoil. Both were 28”, think I’m going to go with a 32” for a dedicated sporting gun.

Someone showed me the new 688 sporting and looks up my alley, and best of both worlds. Only wish the case was better (does anyone know if Berettas fit in a browning leather case?)

Thanks for all the insight, always a hard time choosing when the opportunity presents itself 😂
 
Seeing the reactions to my 688 at the club im sure you'll be happy with it.
Brownings are deeper in yhe reciever than berettas so it should fit as long as the case will take 32" barrels with extended chokes
 
if you actually plan to shoot on a regular basis stay away from a semi altogether they are adapted to clay shooting not designed for
with the correct o/u with a adjustable stock you will be able to use it in the field the resin for 30" bbl's is to smooth out your swing the targets are predictable so you will learn about rhythm when shooting and fallow thru and a few other things
what you don't want is a ported gun !!!
also don't get your self twisted up over chokes
before 1978 there were 10's it thousands of 100's straights shot with fixed chokes and pump guns and even sxs's
Seriously? “ stay away from a semi altogether they are adapted to clay shooting not designed for“. Wrong in so many ways.
 
You will get a mix of answers simply because everyone has had their own experiences. They're not wrong just, what works for one person may not work for another. While there is a general rule of thumb for each shotgun discipline, many shooters have their own personal preference which may result in a shotgun that is completely outside the norm. There are several shotgun disciplines. The 3 most common shotgun disciplines are, sporting clays, trap and skeet. Each discipline has a shotgun that is deliberately designed for that category of shooting. 5 strand that you meantioned is a sub category of sporting clays. Without overwhelming you with too much technical information, The shotgun that is sort of a "do all" is a 30" barrel sporting clays shotgun. Unless you're shooting Olympic Trap, the sporting clay shotgun transitions very well to skeet and American Trap. Some manufacturers trying to offer do all shotguns that split the difference from one discipline to another like the Browning Citori CX which literally means Crossover meaning it was designed to be used in all disciplines. Or there is the Fabarms N2 Allsport. The Fabarms actually comes with a 70/30 rib for trap and a 50/50 rib for Skeet and Sporting Clays. Hope you find this information useful in your search for a shotgun.
 
I bought my beretta multi target used from a member here and he must have had it set up right cause all I did was put it together, grab a bunch of my 1oz #8 reloads, set up my electric clay thrower in the back yard and I was busting clays with the first pull of the trigger
I’m a complete noob at clay shooting so if I can do it anyone can
I found the semi worked great and had minimal recoil
 
I think I’ve decided on a 688, I shot 687L before, I liked the feel but didn’t enjoy the recoil due to its weight. My browning (found out it’s a lightning limited edition) I felt less comfortable with and always having to adjust my cheek but liked the weight for less recoil. Both were 28”, think I’m going to go with a 32” for a dedicated sporting gun.

Someone showed me the new 688 sporting and looks up my alley, and best of both worlds. Only wish the case was better (does anyone know if Berettas fit in a browning leather case?)

Thanks for all the insight, always a hard time choosing when the opportunity presents itself 😂
Are you sure your gun for sale on the EE is a 687? Given the fixed chokes and light weight, it might be a S57E....
 
Are you sure your gun for sale on the EE is a 687? Given the fixed chokes and light weight, it might be a S57E....
Sorry I think it’s a Mod S687, just went off what it said at the bottom of the receiver. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
 

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Sorry I think it’s a Mod S687, just went off what it said at the bottom of the receiver. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
Interesting. I know Beretta made early 686 models with fixed chokes. I had thought the 687 came out much later with choke tubes. Live and learn....
 
I’ve had zero prior experience with Trap or even shotgun shooting before purchasing a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon 1 with 28 “ barrels and I consistently scored 18 - 20 hits out of 25 right from the start. I also heard that 30 - 32 inch is ideal but if you already have such a good shotgun for trap and it’s got 28 inch barrels, then you should take it out and try it because there’s a good chance that you will do a lot better than you think.
 
I’ve had zero prior experience with Trap or even shotgun shooting before purchasing a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon 1 with 28 “ barrels and I consistently scored 18 - 20 hits out of 25 right from the start. I also heard that 30 - 32 inch is ideal but if you already have such a good shotgun for trap and it’s got 28 inch barrels, then you should take it out and try it because there’s a good chance that you will do a lot better than you think.
Oh man don’t make me feel bad, I think it’s a skill issue on my part, most I’ve hit is 10/11 for the few times I’ve tried. Since it’s a hand me down, it has sentimental value so would like to keep it in better shape.
 
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