Clays shotgun?

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peterl

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First off I know nothing about shotguns or Clays. My youngest son would like to try Clays. He has a chance to by a Stoeger Condor Competition 12 ga used for $400.00 ( about a 1 1/2 years old). Would this be a good place to start?
 
I would not recommend buying a low price / value shotgun for shooting clay targets. I know a number of shooters who have started out with those type of shotguns and they just don't stand up ... I'm sure there is a rare exception.

Good used semis are available for around $500 and used O/Us in good condition like older Brownings are usually available in the $800 range.

What type of clays game does he want to shoot? Where, approximately do you live?
 
We know nothing about sport of clays, we were out at the gun range and he saw a bunch of guys shooting clays and they looked like they were having a ton of fun. My long range shooting does not look like fun to him. He has about the $400.00 -$500.00 to spend.
 
be forewarned, clay sports are ridiculously addicting. You can get a Mossberg 500/Maverick 88 or a Remington 870 pump action for about 300 bucks, and then think about moving up to a double or semi later as your skills progress.
 
Ya, for an entry level that has never tried it, buy whatever fits him the best. If the Steoger doesn't fit he won't like clays.
 
you can get Beretta a302,303's around $500 and if lucky some will sell their Remington 1100 semi around $500. and they have no recoil at all and known to last!
 
There are numerous clay games, each with it's peculiarities. There's:

  • Sporting clays
  • ATA trap
  • Skeet
  • 5-stand
  • International trap
to name a few. The gun that works best for each sport is a matter of personal preference and the specific demands of the sport. No one make/model can do all of them well.

My guess is that your son was probably observing a game of ATA trap or Skeet. I would recommend that your son find out what game is played at the local range, or wherever he'll be shooting. Then we can talk about what action type he should be considering.

Other things we need to know are whether or not there are already shotguns in the family that he could borrow and use. For example, even a single shot (choked in anything except cylinder choke) would be sufficient to practice single-shot trap with some friends. It would be useless in doubles, but any double, pump, or semi would do fine for getting started. Skeet requires 2-shot capability and open chokes.

Also, if he wants to compete in local shoots and further afield later on, he'll want a gun specialized to the particular game. And, he'll very quickly outgrow anything that $500 can buy.

ETA: Stoeger Condor swings like a 2 x 4.
 
The Stoeger Condor Competition is something like $700 + hst new so for $400 for a used 1 1/2 year old one is a pretty good deal. I haven't seen a really bad review about a Stoeger Condor and everyone I know who has one likes it. It sure would be a good starting point. Buy it, try it, and if your son decides he doesn't actually like sporting clays or doesn't like the gun, then you could sell it again for your money back.
 
Its no Browning but its not a bad shotgun. I have a Condor Supream OU and Ive shot 1000's of rounds through mine without any issues. It weighs a good pound more than most shotguns but it soaks up the recoil. See if it fits him well. 400 bucks, I would buy it. For 400 bucks, its tough to buy a 870 Express with tax for that.
 
Avoid the cheap O/U. Get a used gas gun like an older 1100, or older Beretta. A 2-3/4" 1100 with fixed choke should be easy to find around $350 or less.
 
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