Adjustable Comb or New Shotgun?

[diemaco]

I want a relatively lightweight, slim, flat shooting, field O/U. The primary use will be sporting clays and 5 stand (short sessions, 100-150 rounds), with the odd round of trap or skeet. I would like to be able to do double duty hunting upland birds and ducks/geese occasionally. Something around 7.5-8lbs max.

I currently have a 686 Silver Pigeon, but it doesn't fit me well. It bruises my cheek, making extended sessions unpleasant. I think I need more drop. I like the shotgun, it feels slim, lively, and not overly heavy, checks all my boxes.

Do I have the stock fitted? Where would one even do that in Ontario, ideally Eastern?

Do I have an adjustable comb/buttplate installed?

Or do I bite the bullet and flog it (I can likely get what I paid for it)?

If I sell it, what do I buy? I think a synthetic Cynergy is my top choice right now (budget of 4k max).

 

[Toodoggone]

I had similar issues with a Browning CXS I bought. Initially on purchase I though it fit me very well. It does not have an adjustable comb. I shot several rounds with it before I purchased it. However over longer shooting sessions I started experience cheek slap and the enjoyment of shooting the gun diminished and my scores suffered. Thoughts of a new gun were on my mind. Eventually I went to a club that had an instructor and offered gun fitting. The result was that I wasn’t properly mounting the gun and my stance needed some work. The new gun mount position was the game changer for me and the new stance also made a big difference in gun movement with the CXS and my other shotguns. I now use the CXS more than any other shotgun I have and plan to hunt ducks with it this season.

 

[Falconflyer]

If the 686 checks off all the boxes for you then keep it and put an adjustable comb and maybe a butt on as well. I have no idea who does it in Ontario but I can give a name of a gunsmith in Alberta that does hundreds of these and does a good job.

 

[stubblejumper]

Vic Tomlinson did a few adjustable combs for me, he is located in Ontario.

 

[gdawg]

Might be worth checking out some other new options including the Cynergy and then decide. One of my hunting and shooting partners just switched to a Citori Composite for both clays and waterfowl (primarily). Definitely more drop than the Beretta but similar in weight. He quite likes it and it was only $3K, although a composite O/U might not be for everyone. The Citori 825 field is slimmed down from the Citoris of old but still has more drop than the 686.