Stoeger Side by Side Shotguns
I'm looking at buying my first side-by-side shotgun. I have been looking at the Stoeger Coach or Uplander in a 12 gauge. Does anybody have any experience with them and can recommend which one would be the best for bird hunting and skeet shooting and how good these guns are. I'm assuming they are good since they are made by Benelli.
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Stoeger's are not made by Benelli, But they are still good guns.
Benelli's are made in Erbino Italy, and Stoegers are made in Istanbul Turkey.
The Stoeger semi-autos use the same enertia type recoil system as the Benelli's, but thats about it.
The Storger coachguns have fixed modified and imp cylinder chokes and 20" barrels.
The Stoeger Uplander series of side by side shotguns have interchangeable chokes, a benefit in hunting and trap and skeet.
I have a Rossi coachgun, similar to the Stoeger. I have shot many doves out of the air with it.
If you want to shoot both birds and clay targets I would go with the Stoeger Uplander with the screw in chokes.
"Never let school interfere with your education"0 -
I have a Stoeger coach gun in 12 gauge, with 20'' bbls. I've never really thought to bring it trap shooting with me. I have it just more for messing around. I have no complaints with it, but I'd go with the uplander if you want a Stoeger for birds of any type. Lots of other options (manufacturer's) out there as well.
I'd like to add to my own post, what an excellent job bobski did in his thread.
R/
Dave
How different the world would be if we could consult the veteran instead of the politician. - Henry Miller0 -
I have a .410 Uplander and I love it, and do quite well shooting (very occasionally) trap with it. You might also consider for around the same price, a Russian gun that has lately started being imported here, darned if I can remember the name, but I looked at one at the local guy's shop, and it seemed solid and nice and he highly recommended it as a low-end double. 0 -
based solely on what you posted originally, i'd say youre about to buy the wrong gun. sbs's have a built in disadvantage of having a wide viewing plane that tends to block low flying birds and targets completely. thus the reason john browning invented the superposed gun i/e: o&u design. it allowed for the shooter to have a more open view of the field when swinging. to this day, its the prefered gun for skeet and hunting. granted, many people still shoulder sbs's including me. i myself use a parker A-1S skeet 12ga to woo the crowds at skeet matches. but dont let anyone fool you, its not easy to shoot. just for an instant, you can lose a bird in flt under the bores, causing you to lift your head or even worse, dip your bbls to see the target. either habit can cost you dearly. so im asking you to ask yourself...is it the prestige of owning a classic you desire, or hitting your targets every time? answer that honestly, then make your decision. if its still a sbs you desire, buy a nice one that will hold its resale 50 years from now. and remember, sbs's are custom guns fit and built to serve a specific use. a hunting gun is not the same as a target gun. sbs's can have everything from straight grips, pistol grips, beavertails, snobbles, pads, double or single triggers, ribs, no ribs, ejectors(noisy,) lifters(silent,) double beads, single beads, etc... a sbs is suppose to be a CUSTOM built gun for a buyer. all these cheap sbs's are generic and equal to buying a 3 in 1 boat that can do everything half A**. these cheap imports are not achieving status as a custom balanced tool that it was intended to be. rather, they have become a cheap novilty for 1/2 serious shooters to spend money on, much like the cheap generic BP sbs's of the turn of the century that were sold in hardware stores for people making a living with them, (farm use, foraging, security, etc...) gone are the days when a mans character could be known by the gun he toted. carry a cheap import? go ahead...it will tell a lot of viewers in the field a lot about you without you really knowing it. face it, afterall, most people buy them to be classic shooters. so if you buy one to be classic, go all the way! this of course is my opinion, and im sticking to it. challange or agree, it doesnt matter to me. bottom line, unless you buy a sbs built especially to the task at hand, youre wasting your money. thanks for the chance to say my peace. btw...and they dont make sbs's for canoes either.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0 -
Bobski has made the correct call...A lot of time was put into writing this essay...He knows what He's talking about....So...My advice is to listen to what He's saying...There's more than book work in His reply...He's probably one of the Most knowledgeable Shot Gunners around....and all His years in the S.E.A.L. Teams and participating in World Class Matches Both Pistol,Revolver,Rifle and Shotgun, has given Him First Hand Experiance with about everything that Goes Bang!...If there's any doubt about His Resume...Challege Him to a Match...Christmas is Coming and He needs the Money......
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
bobski,
Your time and effort are greatly appreciated. You presented a wealth of information without belittling the readers intelligence.
Not an easy thing to do.
flatdog.
"Intelligence has nothing to do with politics".0 -
I, too, bit on the "nice look, cheap price" of the Stoeger. Mine was the older uplander with fixed chokes. The gun functioned OK , was 26" barrels, 12 ga.. Action is very stiff and trigger pull so- so, but still stiff. A buddy and I tried shooting sporting clays and only got thru about 20 rounds before we'd had enough. Kicked like mule. Look in past posts, it isn't only me that said it. I just had to have a really nice looking fox model B. Was surprised to find it was not nearly as nasty to shoot. They can be found in the same price range. Otherwise, as bobski said, stick to a nice over/under or quality auto. You'll be happier in the long run. 0
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