Best options for clays/hunting 12g

DoubleTapDiabetus

DoubleTapDiabetus

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Hello CGN community,

Been itching to get into the clays shooting at my range on Sundays as a friend normally goes most weeks and have other friends wanting to come out as well. I have other buddies wanting me to go duck hunting with them in the fall, so looking for overall best options for both.

I want to keep it under a grand all in, understanding if I buy one at the higher end of my budget it will last longer, but looking for what you guys are using, what you would recommend for someone juat getting their feet wet in the sport.
 
Buy once, cry once. If you are looking to buy new get yourself a brand known for reliability, longevity and available parts and service. Can't go wrong with anything Browning, Beretta, Benelli. Just have to decide on type, pump or semi? A quality over under used is going to be hard to find in the $1000 range and of course it will depend on what clay games you want to play too. Skeet and sporting clays lend themselves well to low stocked field guns but trap not so much. My personal guns for both field and skeet are a Browning Maxus Sporting Clays and an SX3 20ga. Hunter. Both work well and are very reliable. I bought both used in excellent condition, one well under your budget range and the other more.
 
Forget O/U, look at a decent used semi auto, such as an SX-3/4, Browning Silver , or Beretta A300, to stay under $1000, or spend more for a new SX-4 or A300.
 
These days a grand new will get you Turkish problems
Option auto loaders browning win sx maybe a benelli maybe a beretta if you could stretch the nudge a bit a new 300 outlander would be good or a new sx 4 made in Turku but a proven design
Nothing in o/u for / 1000
 
struff55 said:
These days a grand new will get you Turkish problems
Option auto loaders browning win sx maybe a benelli maybe a beretta if you could stretch the nudge a bit a new 300 outlander would be good or a new sx 4 made in Turku but a proven design
Nothing in o/u for / 1000
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The SX-4 is made in Portugal, not Turkey.
 
I'm headed into town today so let's hope bullseye has a couple I can handle in store. Appreciate all the feedback so far
Looking at either a semi auto or over under at this point.
 
Best is to hang out around a skeet field and talk with shooters and try as many guns as you can to see what fits.
For under a grand I'd be looking at an older a303 with a mod choke or Mobil choke tubes. A bit more cash will get you a newer a300 outlander. If you're around the blenhiem area we shoot skeet every Sunday 10am to 2pm. Bring ammo and you're welcome to try a few of my guns. Just msg me before to throw them in the truck
 
twiki said:
And remember to budget another $50 for a shell catcher.
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A shell catcher is a needless expense unless he's shooting singles trap. Buy a shell catcher only if you are shooting singles and your ejecting hulls are inconveniencing other shooters. Don't bother with one if you are planning to shoot skeet, doubles trap, sporting clays or five stand.
 
Before writing off Turkish semi-autos, remember there are fairly large number of manufacturers, that range from quality to junk. CZ,Weatherby and Tristar Viper all have good reps and reviews. I found the Tristar Viper is made by Armsan, and under their own name less expensive.
 
downwindtracker2 said:
Before writing off Turkish semi-autos, remember there are fairly large number of manufacturers, that range from quality to junk. CZ,Weatherby and Tristar Viper all have good reps and reviews. I found the Tristar Viper is made by Armsan, and under their own name less expensive.
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A fellow brought a new Armsan semi auto to skeet, it lasted three rounds and the barrel pulled free from the receiver in three shots. The forend was defective, and wasn't holding the barrel in place.
 
DoubleTapDiabetus said:
https://www.bullseyenorth.com/shop/...-stock-fde-cerakote-finish-special-order-6796

Whats the general opinion on the stoeger line? Bullseye has 300 off this one and leaves me room for a hard shell case for my budget.
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I have the M3K, and the 3500. I have used both extensively, and have had no issue with either. I did have to change a spring to lighten the trigger pull, and change the extractor to a Benelli extractor. I also changed the stock to a magpul stock, because I couldn't properly reach the trigger. That was just a personal preference along with the lighter trigger.
 
Mine has done well. I was left a Winchester 1400, I doubt that it had more than a box of shells through it. I got very good at tearing it apart to lube and clean, otherwise it wasn't going to work the next trip to the range. The Armsan is very easy to take apart, unlike the Winchester. On the Shotgun Forum I asked what the Tristar Viper was like, the response I got was that it's a copy of the Berreta.

I would suggest you look up the reviews on forums, there you get the users , not the paid shills . The Viper is a Armsan 612. The Armsan comes in case with the barrel unattached , hmm.
 
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