Over under for sporting clays.... (cont'd)
I'm not much of a clay shooter, but after a few 100 shell outings with different types of guns, I will say that the next day, the shoulder hurts noticeably less with a gas gun. As I get older, I appreciate that more. [;)]
Go check out the Beretta 400. Great handling gun, nice looking, durable as heck, and the lowest felt recoil of any 12 I've shot. If you don't have to have the "latest" model (and you really don't) you can probably pick up an older version (eg model 391) for a couple hundred dollars less.
I actually like the simplicity of an O/U, but a semi will break the clays just as well, with both your shoulder AND wallet hurting much less!
Also speaking in general, and echoing what was said in the prior threat on this, I've personally found little correlation between the cost of a gun and ability to hit with it. Its mostly about how the particular gun meshes with your personal anatomy.
I've shot my best round ever with a cheap Turkish o/u. There wasn't anything special about the gun itself. . .it was kind of rough in finish, action was sticky. . .but it just "fit" me, and I found it easier to break clays with it than with a different o/u that day that cost 3-4x as much.
Go check out the Beretta 400. Great handling gun, nice looking, durable as heck, and the lowest felt recoil of any 12 I've shot. If you don't have to have the "latest" model (and you really don't) you can probably pick up an older version (eg model 391) for a couple hundred dollars less.
I actually like the simplicity of an O/U, but a semi will break the clays just as well, with both your shoulder AND wallet hurting much less!
Also speaking in general, and echoing what was said in the prior threat on this, I've personally found little correlation between the cost of a gun and ability to hit with it. Its mostly about how the particular gun meshes with your personal anatomy.
I've shot my best round ever with a cheap Turkish o/u. There wasn't anything special about the gun itself. . .it was kind of rough in finish, action was sticky. . .but it just "fit" me, and I found it easier to break clays with it than with a different o/u that day that cost 3-4x as much.
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Thanks for "extending" my thread.
I am in no hurry, so I will continue my research and try to get few test drives in on some different guns.
I also appreciate the advice here....keep it coming.0 -
Okay, I'll go out on a limb here...I shoot trap on a regular basis, and use a 12 gauge to keep up with the outlaws that I shoot with in fun shoots...no sense in bringing a knife to a gun fight so to speak. However, when it comes to sporting clays, or skeet, there is not a target that can't be broke with a 20 gauge or less IMO. Look at the velocity of the 12 versus the 20. You have the same velocity with about 12.5% less shot with the 20, unless you're shooting those azz kickin' super sport loads, and about half the recoil..That's the neat thing about the clay's game, it's all about breaking targets and having fun w/o being beat up..Check out how PITA now has a sub gauge shoot:
https://shootpita.com/multiplex/0 -
Try a Kick-EEZ recoil pad and you should be good to go 0 -
First off, do not purchase a 20 ga. gun. The 12 ga. has better patterns, more loads available, lighter loads have less recoil then most 20 ga. O/U if you reload, Auto is OK if using factory.
As was stated, Fit, Fit, Fit!
Many of the newer guns come with adjustable LOP, adjustable comb, palm swell for RH, choke tubes, and double bead on the rib. Although I no longer use SKB's I think they are the best for the dollar. Look on their web site, O/U with all the goodies is under $1400.
Must have: Single trigger, Adj. LOB, Adj. comb, palm swell, 28-30" barrel, Sporting Style gun (should shoot 60/40).
Should get you by until you want to spend $5K or more.
Best of luck.0
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