Your Ideal Gun for Clays?

N.O.I.P.

Hi all just a quick question for you. Quite recently I found myself shooting clays for the first time and as anyone who has spoken to me since can confirm I am ridiculously smitten. Since its something I plan on doing a lot more in the future I thought I'd ask you all for your opinions on just what makes a good sporting shoutgun for example do you prefer: O/U, side by side, semi, pump, long or short barrel? I realise most of it is probably down to personal preference but I'm just curious.

jaycee

save yourself some grief , get a gun that fits you
and a gundealer that knows the difference.

sidneyreilly

jaycee wrote:

save yourself some grief , get a gun that fits you
and a gundealer that knows the difference.

Soundest advice you will get

alan123

Just dont go to a dealer that tells you the €7k Perazzi is the gun for you!!!! Keep in the back of your mind that the dealer is there to make money, go to one thats reccomended to you.

mosulli4

Hello there,

I shoot a fair bit of sporting, and have owned and pawed many makes and models, however regardless of make I think the ideal sporters should be...

. 30 inch barrels - a good compromise for most shooters - especially if you want to try your hand at some skeet or trap. 30 is the middle ground.

.Multichoke for flexibility

.Weighs at least 7.5 lbs to soak up recoil.

. Balances well between the hands, not too nose or stock heavy.

.It fits you, so it will shoot where you point it, and you dont have to adjust your stance badly to wrap yourself around it. If you are a left-hander like me you should get a left hand gun (beretta, and browning offer these from the factory).

.Dont buy off the page, as is the case in many smaller dealers. Go for a larger gunshop, and handle as many as you can. Bring a shooting friend or colleague as a second pair of eyes.

.buy with your head, not your heart. Fancy engraving and good walnut dont break targets.

I shoot a Beretta 30 inch sporter, left-hand, and I am very happy with it.


hope this helps and good luck

mosulli4

N.O.I.P.

Many thanks for the sound advice lads and I realise I have a lot more looking to do before I consider a purchase of my own but hey I guess that's half the fun

sidneyreilly

N.O.I.P. wrote:

Many thanks for the sound advice lads and I realise I have a lot more looking to do before I consider a purchase of my own but hey I guess that's half the fun

Try one this evening and make a note of which it was and try a different one each time. See you later

Double Barrel

Gun Fit and gun mount.

I agree completely with mosulli4 and with JC's sound advice " save yourself some grief , get a gun that fits you and a gundealer that knows the difference. "

I shoot and have shot a heavy ( 8 lb +) side x side with double triggers 30 and 32 inch barrels for years but I grew up shooting that configuration.

Guns I have shot and would buy again, Beretta 301- 2 &3 A390, 682- 6 &7,Browning B25's & Citori's, Kemen KM4, Guerini, Perazzi, Remington 1100s and 11-87.
All the 682 ~ 6 and 7 series Berettas have interchangeable interior actions. Rumor has it the the 682 has a slightly heavier receiver but I am no expert.

I have started my nieces and nephews shooting with gas guns. Generally, gas operated shotguns have lower perceived recoil than inertia operated guns like the Benelli.
Moving an O/Us stock up, down or sideways involves having it bent. The auto's stock can be shimmed around at will with just a screw driver and a couple of pieces of plastic.
It can be made to fit absolutely perfectly with no compromise. It is easy to readjust it to account for changes in the shooter's weight or shooting style. Oh BTW Beretta autos even come with eccentric shims and washers supplied for the purpose. Just loosen up the stock, flip the shim around, tighten things back up and voilà the stock is properly readjusted.

The key to the best results lie in gun fit and gun mount - mechanics - . The gun must be held snugly in the shoulder, but not pulled back hard into it. Too light a hold and the initial movement -recoil- will be back into the shoulder and also allows the stock to slap the cheek, while too tight a hold will compress a recoil pad and reduce its efficiency.

Try them all or as many as you can get your hands on and better yet shoot them if possible.