Shotgun recommendations?

Dentside

Dentside

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Hello shotgun fans!

I'm in the market for a shotgun. I have fired a few in the past, although I have never owned one. In other words, I'm a shotgun newbie and I want to change that! My needs would be fairly simple...mostly casual clay shooting at the range for fun and practise, and perhaps some days out in the woods looking for grouse or quail. No waterfowl, no pheasants, no organized clay sports.

I'm not against pump action, single-barreled shotguns, but I find I'm drawn towards a double-barreled gun, either a SXS or an O/U...mostly because they look ###y and because I like the idea of having two choke sizes to choose from depending on which barrel I fire.

I'm also a bit of a quality snob. I have no interest in cheap firearms. I also enjoy the aesthetics of older firearms; I'm not interested in plastic, synthetic, camo, etc. To give some idea of my taste, I currently own a 1957 Remington model 760 in .270, a 1955 Winchester model 61, and a 1965 S&W model 17-2. I'm a bit old school, I guess. I like wood stocks/grips, steel receivers, quality machining...you get the picture!

Thus, I am contemplating the following...used Browning Superposed, used Browning Citori, perhaps a used Beretta of some sort? Clearly here I am leaning towards the O/U. I see that most of the SXS shotguns that tickle my fancy are outside of my budget or outside of my aesthetic or are potentially lacking in quality. Call me fussy.

So, I suppose I am looking for input here regarding bore size (12 or 20 most likely?) and choke sizes based on my above shooting scenarios (upland and clays), as well as useful comments/recommendations regarding manufacturers. Perhaps there are brands I hadn't thought of or I am unfamiliar with. I'd prefer to keep the budget to a 2K limit.

Cheers,

R
 
I would be shouldering some shotguns to see what fits you. If A Citori fit's you, most Beretta shotguns won't fit you, and vice versa. For your uses, I would be looking at a 20 gauge with IC/MOD for chokes.
 
Just went through the same dilemma myself. 2 great brands and O/Us are very versatile. If you can get to a store to handle both, that would be ideal. You should be able to pick up a used Browning Citori or Beretta 686 in great shape for under 2K. For an all around gun, I would go for a 12 gauge field model with a 28" barrel. If you plan to shoot a lot more clays with only minimal field time, you might consider other options (i.e. sporting models (which are heavier), maybe longer tubes (30").
 
I recently purchased a 12g SXS from Tradex. It is a Brno and in pretty good condition. There are inexpensive and I suggest that you check them out.
They are very good to deal with!

 
Stubblejumper,

Thank you...I do intend on shouldering a few different brands when I get a chance. I realise that simply because I like a certain manufacturer's shotgun, it doesn't mean it's a good fit. Is there that much difference in LOP, comb height, etc. between Brownings and Berettas?

Gdawg,

The reality is that I'll likely be busting clays more than upland bird hunting, so I'll consider your advice re: barrel length and field vs. sporting models.

Cheers!

R
 
What about a beretta 686 ? I would suggest a 28" barrel. Pretty vercitle for what your needs are. Also with the ability to play around with chokes and even extended chokes if may give you the options your looking for.
 
Having read your OP and the way you have profiled your interests I would encourage you to look beyond the B guns and more specifically look at SxS's. If you are prepared to pay the price for a used Citori or Superposed, you can get even higher quality in an older, well maintained SxS. Particularly if you look for better quality Belgian or German guns. Couple of names that leap to mind are Sauer, Merkel and Simpson. For what you pay for one of the used O/U B guns, you can get a high quality hand made SxS.

Of course you have to check them out carefully for condition, in particular the barrels for barrel wall thickness (not honed too much) and the absence of significant pitting. But there is no reason for foregoing the elegance and gun handling characteristics of a well made Continental SxS.

If you are shooting clays at a range, buy a 12. Cheapest to buy, cheapest to feed. Most versatile.

If you want to get an idea of what I'm talking about, peruse the sticky thread "Show us your SxS" and look for my guns. Only two of my close to 20 SxS cost me more than $1300 on initial purchase price. You just have to be patient and look hard.
 
Dentside said:
Stubblejumper,

Thank you...I do intend on shouldering a few different brands when I get a chance. I realise that simply because I like a certain manufacturer's shotgun, it doesn't mean it's a good fit. Is there that much difference in LOP, comb height, etc. between Brownings and Berettas?

Gdawg,

The reality is that I'll likely be busting clays more than upland bird hunting, so I'll consider your advice re: barrel length and field vs. sporting models.

Cheers!

R
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The Berettas do not have enough drop at comb for me, but most Citori models fit me just fine.
 
Thank you, everyone, for your comments so far.

Gibbs505 and Canvasback, thank you for re-inserting the SXS into my considerations. I came very close to purchasing an Edwardian-era Westley Richards SXS just a week or so ago. It's still in the cards if I want I suppose, but I wasn't overly keen on the idea of Damascus barrels and 2 1/2" chambers. The price was right, considering the quality and heritage, but still a little outside of my above-mentioned budget. And, although I like old school, the thought of a 100 year old gun just seemed a little too old school!

I'll keep looking out for a good deal on a SXS. Got anything in your safe you might want to sell, Canvasback? :)

Cheers,

R
 
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With your description of intent, clays over field, something of quality that can double as a field gun, preferably with 2 barrels. If I had that list, I would be leaning towards an O/U in the 7 1/2-8lb range. A Beretta 68* series, or Browning Citori/Cynergy(if you can swallow the look) would be prime candidates, Franchi and Bettinsoli fall in this price range new, would also be worth considering.
 
I would not go with a side by side. They are wide enough to obscure your peripheral vision from your non dominant eye.

Shotgun shooting is, or should be done with both eyes open to maximize your peripheral vision. With a SXS you need to hold the gun low so as not to block your ability to see, and then bring it up from the bottom as you engage the target.

With an OU you can see whats to the left of the gun while establishing your lead.

Some guys work around that with a SXS but lets not kid ourselves, the SXS is not advantageous from this perspective.

The SXS does go well with a corn cobb pipe and a plad jacket though.
 
BadAsMo said:
I would not go with a side by side. They are wide enough to obscure your peripheral vision from your non dominant eye.

Shotgun shooting is, or should be done with both eyes open to maximize your peripheral vision. With a SXS you need to hold the gun low so as not to block your ability to see, and then bring it up from the bottom as you engage the target.

With an OU you can see whats to the left of the gun while establishing your lead.

Some guys work around that with a SXS but lets not kid ourselves, the SXS is not advantageous from this perspective.

The SXS does go well with a corn cobb pipe and a plad jacket though.
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I own both O/U and SxS shotguns, and I don't find this to be an issue. I have shot in the high 90s at skeet using a 20 gauge SxS, and it takes no more effort than shooting one of my O/U shotguns.
 
If you like the look and feel of the superposed Browning, you may want to look at a Browning Lightning. Similar looks and handling in a modern shotgun with screw chokes. The 20 gauge in particular is a nice gun. New price should be around $1900. Used depends on the seller.
 
If you think your going to shoot clays more then game i would look at a 12 ga O/U. That being said find what fits you and what you like then buy it and shoot a ton through it. At the end of the day the only opinion that matters is yours and every gun fits everyone differently. If you are only buying 1 shotgun and dont have the budget maybe to buy and sell a few that may or may not fit dont buy your first on online and try to find something you can shoot before buying. If your anywhere close to me i have a couple brownings for sale id happily let you try. But best advice is try as many guns as you possibly can before buying. Go to your local range on a skeet or sporting clays night and talk to the guys there.
 
Thanks again for all the comments and contributions. The debate over SXS or O/U will go on forever, I suppose! ;-) I'm tending towards an O/U, but perhaps I'll end up with both in the long run. The same goes for bore size...12 or 20. I think I'll wait on that decision and focus first on what fits the best and then choose the bore size afterwards.

Ripitup911, thanks for your words of wisdom and the kind offer to try out one of your Brownings. Although I live in BC, too, you're still nearly 1,000 kms. away!! I'll look into what my local range has to offer, but I don't expect too much...it's kind of a rinky-dink rural affair. Nothing against rural...I live off-grid...it's just that it's not a very organized scene at the range!

Cheers, everyone!

R
 
Dentside said:
Thanks again for all the comments and contributions. The debate over SXS or O/U will go on forever, I suppose! ;-) I'm tending towards an O/U, but perhaps I'll end up with both in the long run. The same goes for bore size...12 or 20. I think I'll wait on that decision and focus first on what fits the best and then choose the bore size afterwards.

Ripitup911, thanks for your words of wisdom and the kind offer to try out one of your Brownings. Although I live in BC, too, you're still nearly 1,000 kms. away!! I'll look into what my local range has to offer, but I don't expect too much...it's kind of a rinky-dink rural affair. Nothing against rural...I live off-grid...it's just that it's not a very organized scene at the range!

Cheers, everyone!

R
Click to expand...

Atta boy.....Thats the spirit!!
 
Dentside said:
Thank you, everyone, for your comments so far.

Gibbs505 and Canvasback, thank you for re-inserting the SXS into my considerations. I came very close to purchasing an Edwardian-era Westley Richards SXS just a week or so ago. It's still in the cards if I want I suppose, but I wasn't overly keen on the idea of Damascus barrels and 2 1/2" chambers. The price was right, considering the quality and heritage, but still a little outside of my above-mentioned budget. And, although I like old school, the thought of a 100 year old gun just seemed a little too old school!

I'll keep looking out for a good deal on a SXS. Got anything in your safe you might want to sell, Canvasback? :)

Cheers,

R
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I shoot lots of older guns, an 1880's Westley Richards being my main bird gun.
2 1/2" ammo is a hand loading proposition f y are going to shot alt because of the cost of Gamebore ammo, but t is not overly tough t learn.
I use bot O/U and SxS guns and find no hindrance in either.
Cat
 
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