Shotgun Recommendation

T

THOMPSON.DJ

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Morning Gentlemen,

Looking for advice on a shotgun. I'm hoping for a adjustable cheek piece, exposed chokes, and somewhat reasonable price point. I also like dual beads.

So far I mainly shoot trap. I have been using a pump and want to step up to an O/U.

Will be shooting 1-2 rounds of trap a week.

Thanks!

THOMPSON
 
Boy did you just open a can of worms !!!! You're about to get a million different opinions that range from "buy Turkish" to "you're the anti-Christ if you buy Turkish" !!

"Reasonable budget" means different things to different people. An inexpensive gun that doesn't fit you is less than worthless. Go out to the local range and ask to try as many different guns as possible. You will soon figure out what seems to "fit" your frame best, don't be afraid to ask for advice, most shooters I've met on the range are pretty good about letting you try a gun. Then decide if your 1 or 2 rounds a week is accurate (clays are addictive and 1 or 2 becomes 8 or 10 pretty quick). The inexpensive guns don't hold up to thousands of rounds as well (or at all) as some of the higher priced stuff (quality costs, there's no way around that). If a Stoeger or anything else makes you happy then go with that. If you choose a used Beretta or Browning you'll probably keep the value of the gun and won't wear it out for many, many years.

The most important thing is to get out and shoot !
 
BJP said:
Go out to the local range and ask to try as many different guns as possible. You will soon figure out what seems to "fit" your frame best, don't be afraid to ask for advice, most shooters I've met on the range are pretty good about letting you try a gun.
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This advice x2!

Try as many guns as you can and find the one that works for you. Don't buy cheap crap, off-brands or other questionable products. Quality only costs once. Even a semi-regular clay shooter will in a fairly short period of time spend more on targets and shells than he did on his gun.

Beretta and Browning are the established leaders in entry-level o/u. Stick with them either new or used.
 
Go out to the local range and ask to try as many different guns as possible. You will soon figure out what seems to "fit" your frame best, don't be afraid to ask for advice, most shooters I've met on the range are pretty good about letting you try a gun.
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Probably the best advice that you can get.

Don't buy cheap crap, off-brands or other questionable products. Quality only costs once. Even a semi-regular clay shooter will in a fairly short period of time spend more on targets and shells than he did on his gun.
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Also very good advice. And that one or two rounds per week often turns in to four or six rounds per week, or more, especially as your scores improve. A shotgun that isn't reliable can take all the fun out of shooting in short order.
 
Afternoon,

Yes i have learned in the past to stay away from the low end of the market. Would rather spend 2-3k than 700$. But i know there are ones out there for 15k LOL. I am limited slightly as the range here only has shoots on Wednesday evenings, and is usually crowded so i would be lucky to get 2 rounds in by dark. Most guys here seem to have beretta's and love them.

THOMPSON
 
I bought A Churchill 206 O/U about two years ago. Mine has a mechanical single trigger and auto ejectors. You can get inertial reset triggers on this model as well.
It's a shotgun that's made by AKKAR and mine was in the $1200-1400 range. It was my first foray in the world of O/U's but I sought a lot of advice and handled a lot of guns.
As of this time I've probably put 1200 rounds through it and have never had a single issue with it.
The Churchill takes REM chokes as well so it's easy to put what you want in it. It's not a very 'fancy' gun but it's been perfect for what I need.
It's nice enough that every time I take it out I'm happy that I bought it, but it's not so nice that I worry about actually using it.

I've seen a few on the echange for around $1,000. There was actually a beautiful engraved one with an orcap finish. If I hadn't bought mine I would have grabbed that one for sure.
 
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Krypnadian said:
I bought A Churchill 206 O/U about two years ago. Mine has a mechanical single trigger and auto ejectors. You can get inertial reset triggers on this model as well.
It's a shotgun that's made by AKKAR and mine was in the $1200-1400 range. It was my first foray in the world of O/U's but I sought a lot of advice and handled a lot of guns.
As of this time I've probably put 1200 rounds through it and have never had a single issue with it.
The Churchill takes REM chokes as well so it's easy to put what you want in it. It's not a very 'fancy' gun but it's been perfect for what I need.
It's nice enough that every time I take it out I'm happy that I bought it, but it's not so nice that I worry about actually using it.

I've seen a few on the echange for around $1,000. There was actually a beautiful engraved one with an orcap finish. If I hadn't bought mine I would have grabbed that one for sure.
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1200 rounds may seem like a lot to some people, but in the clay sports, it is very little. When your gun gets to 20,000 rounds or so, you will have a much better idea of how reliable it really is. And given that many clays guns fire 50,000 to 100,000 or more rounds, even 20,000 is not a lot.
 
If you are around Calgary-
The Calgary Firearms Center, (Dewinton Shotgun Range) is have a Beretta, Benelli & Franchi Day, with Factory Reps on site.
You can try before you buy. Also select guns will be 10% .
Date is Thursday April 20th, 2017 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
 
As others have said, a used Browning or a used Beretta. Three most important features should be fit, fit fit. Pattern your gun. Make sure it shoots where you are looking. Get someone to teach you the correct way to shot. Than practise , practise , practise.
 
Maritime Storm said:
I'll second Cardamom on this, and most get the lessons from an actual instructor, not another shooter on the line.
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Some of the worst advice I've heard comes from "helpful" squad mates. I've told more than one to keep their opinions to themselves and I never give advice unless I am asked.
 
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Well - your need for an adjustable comb limits your options. You can get the bare bones Beretta 686 e sporting with an adjustable cheek piece for ~ 2K$ used - they pop up on the EE fairly regularly.
 
Like most have said, the fit is absolutely crucial! When I was getting started I was using a Mossberg pump for trap shooting and my highest score was 17. My buddy had a cheap Hatsan O/U that he wanted to sell cause he couldn't hit squat with it and the first round I shot with it I got a 23, the next round, a 24.

The little old cheapie Hatsan just fits me so well that it's effortless. I've outshot a few guys with shotguns that are worth 6 times what mine is.
 
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