I am looking for a new shotgun
I have one semi-auto Remington 12ga. that I have used/grown up with for the past 20 years. I do not have the luxury of trying many shotguns for feel, etc...I am looking for a break-open, over and under (prefered) or side by side 12ga. that I can use mainly for trap and skeet and where I can use it for hunting if I need to. I am not looking to spend a fortune. Any suggestions? Thanks.
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Don't know how much a fortune is these days, but you can't go wrong with a Browning Citori. I prefer the Lightning model, 12 gauge, 28" barrel. Nice feel and balance. But you have to find a gun that fits you. These sell for $850, excellent, used. The Hunter model is the same gun with a different forearm and fixed chokes. These sell for $750, excellent, used. Go to your local firearms dealer, and try throwing different models up to see how they fit you. Then you start looking for that model used in the ads (GunBroker.com) for instance. I discovered the Citori models because a brother-in-law had one and let me shoot it. It was the first shotgun that I didn't have to move my head around to be looking down the barrel. My shooting when instantly from 1 hit out of 6 or 7, to almost everyone. I just sold a Citroi to a friend who just had to have my gun after I let him shoot it. He had the same results and comments as I did. Hope this helps.
Edited by - flyboy on 10/16/2002 21:38:070 -
Browning Citoris are great. I like the feel of my 12ga Ruger Red Label, 28" barrels. A little heavy to carry all day and it has some of the attributes of a mule with heavy loads, but a great choice for an all around shotgun. Pretty much can count on it lasting a life time, plus a few years. I found that a one or two hundred dollars more for a gun you really want, is quickly forgotten if you are happy with your purchase. A new one can be had, by a good shopper, for around $1,000.00 or a little less. LOL
Worry is the interest humans pay on the debt of miscalculation.0 -
Browning Citoris are great. I like the feel of my 12ga Ruger Red Label, 28" barrels. A little heavy to carry all day and it has some of the attributes of a mule with heavy loads, but a great choice for an all around shotgun. Pretty much can count on it lasting a life time, plus a few years. I found that a one or two hundred dollars more for a gun you really want, is quickly forgotten if you are happy with your purchase. A new one can be had, by a good shopper, for around $1,000.00 or a little less. LOL
Worry is the interest humans pay on the debt of miscalculation.0 -
What is your price range. I think 800-900 is a lot myself. I must say, buying a shotgun without trying them is like a mail order bride. It might look good but, it may not work out. 0 -
I OWN AND SHOOT BROWNINGS, SO I FEEL THE CITORI IS A GREAT CHOICE. I DO NOT OWN A RUGER RED LABEL, BUT HAVE SHOT THEM. THEY ARE USA MADE AND I MAY OWN ONE SOMEDAY. I SUGGEST STAYING AWAY FROM THE CHEAP IMPORTS. AS THE OLD SAYING GOES, "YOUS GETS WHATS YOUS PAYS FOR". 0 -
You can buy an over and under or a side x side from Eaa for around $300.00 or less and they are fine guns.Check here at GB and see what they have on Auction.Or go to www.southernohiogun.com they stock them.Most have walnut stocks and are very attractive guns,but most of all they shoot excellant.EAA= (Europeian American Armory)
Best!!!
Rugster
Toujours Pret
Edited by - Rugster on 10/17/2002 12:14:390 -
I get the CDNN Investment Fliers occasionally and the new Fall edition has some great prices. I took it to work to show a friend who has been looking for an inexpensive over under and he ended up getting a Lanber. It came in yesturday and he brought it to work (a no, no) to show me. I cant believe how nice this shotgun is for only $275, it has walnut furniture and an engraved stainless reciever, nice vent rib blued barrels and a single select trigger. I may have to break down and get one. He ordered it through a local shop and the guy tacked on some extra fees but he still ended up in it pretty decent.
When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....0 -
I'm looking at the very same issue myself right now. I've shot the same Remington 1100 for 20 years. I love the gun, but I've also looked longingly at O/U's for a long time. I'm currently undecided between the Beretta 686 Onyx and the Winchester Supreme. Both are shown MSRP above $1,000, but can be bought at GB for less than that NIB or Excellent. I've shouldered both and both are outstandingly quick to sight. I'm leaning toward the Winchester because it's made in the good old USA.
Just my thoughts. Good luck to you.0 -
Just a few thoughts...
You really do get what you pay for. A Yugo will take you down the road at 60 mph and so will a BMW or Mercedes. If your intention is to take only a trip or two at 60 mph, the Yugo is the way to go.
That having been said, the most important thing about a scattergun is feel and fit. My personal taste runs to the 20 ga. Red Label because it fits me and feels good. And after almost 20 years it still makes me smile and remember that I'd make the same purchase over again! That doesn't mean that the Ruger is better than a Browning or a Winchester, only that it's better for me.
The economic choice between guns is something to consider, but perhaps not as important as we all seem to think. Consider...
You go and purchase a "cheap" O/U for $450.00 because of price and the fact that it shoots "just as well" as the more expensive guns. Every time you look at the gun you tell yourself that it's just as nice as the more expensive offerings... But it's not! You know it, I know it, we all know it. It's a burr under the saddle that will never go away. A year from now you'll wish you had a Red Label or the like. Two years from now you'll secretly regret your purchase. Shortly thereafter you'll bite the bullet and do what you really should have done in the beginning.
Wouldn't it be worth the wait to pony up those extra dollars for something that will give you pleasure for a lifetime?
Nord0 -
If you are planning to shoot skeet and trap, you should probably thing O/U. SxS's are great on game, but for most folks not as great on clay. Look at what the competitors shoot. I shoot a Franci and older one that fits like a glove, and the Veloce is currently a very nice Franci model. I am also partial to the Citori Ultralight Feather which is in 20 and 28 bore, but the Feather in 12 bore might be a good one to look at. I agree with Nord: you get what you pay for. It would be worthwhile to save a little longer and buy a higher quality shotgun. Certainly don't buy with out handling. You want shomething that comes to the should so naturally that all you see is the rear bead. Good Luck! 0
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