Trap shotgun recommendations?

osloco

osloco

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I am going to start trap shooting and want to buy a double barrelled 12 ga. Any advice of a reasonably priced one to start off with? I do not have any specific brand loyalty, although I have a Remington 870 and it had been very good.
 
I would try a few, and see which ones fit best. I wouldn't buy a low end gun for trap though, as many of them won't stand up to thousands of rounds per year, year after year. I would be looking at a used Browning or Beretta, whichever fits you better.
 
I snagged a Mossberg Maverick Hunter O/U a month or so back. Possibly the best $420 I've ever spent. It's no fancy $2000 supergun, but it handles well, points beautifully, and functions flawlessly. Definitely worth a look.
 
I snagged a Mossberg Maverick Hunter O/U a month or so back. Possibly the best $420 I've ever spent. It's no fancy $2000 supergun, but it handles well, points beautifully, and functions flawlessly. Definitely worth a look.
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After you put 15,000 to 20,000 rounds through it, you will start to get an idea of how good a trap gun it is. Most quality trap or skeet guns will easily go 50,000 rounds with no major issues.
 
stubblejumper said:
After you put 15,000 to 20,000 rounds through it, you will start to get an idea of how good a trap gun it is. Most quality trap or skeet guns will easily go 50,000 rounds with no major issues.
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Then you have to decide, $500 for 20,000 rounds or $2,000 for 50,000 rounds... it cost averages out to about the same amount of rounds per dollar.

The biggest thing I say is comfort. If it fits you, if you're comfortable mounting, pointing and swinging it. For value, fit, finish and upgradability Browning and Beretta are good choices
 
TACTICAL111 said:
^^ x3. Have worn out cheap shotguns in as little as 8K rounds.
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I finally got my wife trained... when I was looking she kept telling me "don't buy cheap tools"... A trap gun is just a tool to break clays, much like a drill is used to make holes... Will a cheap $20 no name liquidation world special drill make a better hole than a Rigid / DeWalt / Bosch? No, but do those other brands offer better accessories, fit, finish and feel and last longer and be easier to have fixed locally and find parts for? Most Definately.
Everyone has their preference and I suggest you try a few and find out what yours is, you will get more when you pay more but its a matter of if you'll see that extra value.

"Don't buy cheap tools!!" ~Mrs. CondomBoy
 
condomboy said:
Then you have to decide, $500 for 20,000 rounds or $2,000 for 50,000 rounds... it cost averages out to about the same amount of rounds per dollar.
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Ahhhh, but that B gun or other dedicated trap gun may go more like 500,000 rounds before its having problems. And unlike a cheapy throw away gun there are shops that will bring the mechanical parts back to like new for a fraction of the cost of a replacement gun.
 
trap gun in my opinion will depend on 2 things: 1. how it fits and 2. how much you will shoot.

if you plan to shot a lot buy a dedicated trap gun. more money at beginning but worth the investment.

currently i used 870 for trap. do not shoot much and gun fits me really good. beat guys with expensive guns all the time.
one other thing is that people think that more expensive gun will make them better shooter which is not true.

good fitted gun with lots of practice make good shooters IMO.

cheers
 
I would say spend some of that money on ammo and get a feel for it, once youve got an idea of what you want from your gun then lay down some serious cash for a dedicated trap rig.
Im in the same boat, Im shooting with my Model 195 bolt action right now, not the best for trap but with adj choke it seems to get the job done. I was looking at some dedicated shotguns yesterday but then decided to buy a couple extra flats and clays; spend the next little while figuring out what and how I want to shoot and then once I have that figured out Ill start looking.
Shooting at the range Ive also had a couple people offer a round with their gun as well; got me thinking about a couple things I hadnt considered previously.
 
Have you looked at the Bettinsoli thread? They seem to be a decent gun made in Gardone, Italy and you get an over & under target gun with gorgeous walnut stock with adjustable cheek piece (cast and height and tilt), 5 extended chokes, choice of mid or high rib design, selective barrels, extended forcing cones and a load of other high end features in a really nice hard case that is going for $1900. No wonder these guys supply the Beretta Group (which I am told is why they don't sell in the US). PM if you want more info.
 
Find something you like to shoot. I use my Winchester 1300 for trap and enjoy it. I was going to try my 870 turkey dedicated gun with a red dot just to see the expression on people's faces when I stepped up to the line with it. Now saying this I would love a browning silver hunter and may still get one but have a rifle or 2 to pick up first. Happy shopping.
 
condomboy said:
Then you have to decide, $500 for 20,000 rounds or $2,000 for 50,000 rounds... it cost averages out to about the same amount of rounds per dollar.

The biggest thing I say is comfort. If it fits you, if you're comfortable mounting, pointing and swinging it. For value, fit, finish and upgradability Browning and Beretta are good choices
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Usually a quality trap/skeet gun will last at least 50,000 rounds with no need to replace any parts. Usually they will last at least a few hundred thousand rounds with a little maintenance, and some minor parts replacement.
 
osloco said:
I am going to start trap shooting and want to buy a double barrelled 12 ga. Any advice of a reasonably priced one to start off with? I do not have any specific brand loyalty, although I have a Remington 870 and it had been very good.
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Shoot your 870 to start. Don't be in a hurry to buy an o/u. Try as many as you can before buying. Clay target shooters will quite often let you try their gun if you show an interest in it. Also, clay target shooters are quite fickle about their guns and are always buying and selling. Good quality used guns are not that hard to find.

If you get the bug and shoot regularly you will easily shoot 5,000 shells per year. The cost of targets and shells is around $10 per round so the annual total is $2,000. If you are going to shoot that much do it in a decent gun. Don't go cheap. Buy a quality gun, either new or used, from a proven maker that you can get spare parts for.
 
Thanks for all the tips! I will definitely try a few rounds with my 870 first. Might even get a longer barrel. Is a 18.5" barrell too short? Or is it just try it and see how it goes...
 
The barrel length isn't as important as the choke. You should use full or improved to get the shot out where you want it in a small enough string to do some good. An 18 1/2" barrel is really too short to do any serious trap shooting but you can buy a 26 or 28" barrel fairly cheap in the EE. Remchokes are handy if you can find a one but many trap shooters, including me, shoot mostly a full choke. When you first start trapshooting you get farther ahead by buying ammo than spending all your money on a fancy shotgun. I used to shoot an old Remington Sportsman 58 and it was a lot of fun to beat a guy with a 2000.00 Browning or a 15000.00 Perazzi.
 
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