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If you can only have one shotgun for clays?

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I have been a guest of friends at various outdoor ranges over the past 8 years around the country and have enjoyed shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays with borrowed shotguns.  Of those, I probably enjoy the sporting clays the most.  I have shot a wide variety of shotguns of different styles, lengths, weights and prefer ones with less recoil.

Here is the challenging question:
What would you recommend to someone (me) who is interested in finally purchasing one and only one shotgun that I could effectively and successfully use for all three sports on a recreational level?

I assume that I would not be formally or seriously competing in any of those three clay venues, but want to be proficient, (say 15 out of 20 hits),  so I understand that this would be sort of a compromise shotgun, most likely an over under 12 gauge, but am not sure.  What would the ideal total gun weight be, as well as barrel length?  Also, reading various threads in the Shotgun forum, it seems many folks make an initial purchase of a more affordable / entry-level shotgun, then realize they appreciate one that has other design or aesthetic features  and maybe a higher level of quality fit and finish and is usually more expensive and end up eventually buying it.  Since this would be my only shotgun I am willing to spend more than if I were to buy a separate shotgun for each type of clay shooting and would want a higher quality gun from a reputable manufacturer.  In this case, what is the price range I am looking at and the manufacturers you would steer me too?

Or am I kidding myself?  Should I just spend less money for a shotgun that is ideal for each type of clays?

Any thoughts and recommendations would be most appreciated.

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After several O/U's, which I still enjoy and use, my wish list is topped by a Beretta A400 Excel Parallel Target ($1600 - $2000) or the new Multitarget ($2500 - $3000) with 30" tubes.  Not sure my wallet can withstand the sticker shock of the Multitarget, but, they are sweet, smooth handling shotguns.  I enjoy the Beretta 1301 Comp for 3 gun, and have tried the Excel P/T on a sporting clays course. Just fine shootin' firearms.  

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This is a hard question to answer as everyone who suggests a shotgun is biased towards that specific shotgun but that is the same for a lot of 'what gun should i get' threads. I would suggest coming out to a shotgun shootout (there is one today actually) and you will be able to test out about 20 different shotguns to see what you like and don't like.

 

You say you only want one shotgun…that's lame! I would not doubt that you will buy more than one after this.

 

I'm guessing you are going to want to go the route of an O/U. I don't really have much knowledge of high end clay o/u shotguns but I'd say expect to spend $1500-2000 for a decent one. Sure, you have your low end $800ones and you could go the option of buying used and you will be able to get a nice shotgun for less as well. But good o/us's aren't cheap. I had one o/u and used it a few times but got bored with it. It just didn't "do it for me".

 

But this is all coming from someone who shoots trap and sporting clays with a $200 pump gun, so what the hell do I know :-) 

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First of all, do not be seduced by inexpensive, good looking over/under shotguns unless possibly you are looking for a hunting "carry a lot, shoot a little" gun. They do not hold up to high volume shooting. Inevitably someone is going to chime in now and say "my stoger/yildiz/turkish whatchacallit has been perfect". That is great, but if you want a gun that will hold up, you are going to have to spend. If you don't have the cash, then follow Recessed Filter's lead and get a $200 Mossberg and start shooting. They aren't clay guns, but they are super durable. The good thing about a quality shotgun is that they are hard to wear out and easy to get rebuilt. Buying used is a good way to insure you get your money back when you sell it. If you are ok with quality autoloader, check out the Beretta 390/391 series. Great guns which are selling for less than $1k because they have been replaced by the 400 series. And the shims and swappable recoil pads mean that the gun can be made to fit anyone. If you go the o/u route, stick with a used browning or beretta and again, you will get your money back when you sell it. Don't go by name alone. The guns fit very differently. Browning stocks generally have more drop than Berettas (which I like), but have neutral cast (which I don't. I need 1/4" cast off for my fat face). If you buy used, keep an eye on the weight. If this is to be primarily a clays gun, you don't want anything less than 7pounds in a 12 gauge. If it is mainly hunting, then lighter is good. Walking around all days with an 8pound gun really sucks.

 

 

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I don't shoot clay games except when someone drags me along and then I'll shoot whatever gun. That said, I've shot a few nicer O/U along the way and there was only one I've ever even considered buy for myself, the FN SC1. I have no need for one, and yet I randomly want one, for me it was the only O/U that made me want to shoot clays more.

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When I got into trap and clays, I had the same questions. The truth of the matter is that there are hundreds of fine shotguns out there, but the best shotgun for you is the one YOU like the best.

 

Get out there and try everything you can get your hands on. You might even want to keep notes on what you liked about a gun and what you didn't. Eventually you will figure out what you shoot best with and that will be the gun to buy.

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Also, the same gun with a different barrel, or choke tube, might change your mind about it. So don't be afraid to mix things up a bit. You might find that a gun you didn't like with a 28" barrel, is awesome with a 30", or a modified choke vs full choke, etc.

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The weaknesses of any shotgun will show in the first few shots. The weaknesses of many shotguns will show after many thousands of rounds. If you want comfort you'll need weight (to absorb recoil and enhance swing.) You can compensate a little less weight if you go with a gas auto (like a Beretta,) but with a single barrel you are limited to one choke tube at a time, and that may be a disadvantage if you are shooting a sporting clays course. A longer barrel is the style today but 28" or 30" are good compromises for most shooting disciplines. 

 

If you are going to shoot a lot, get a gun that is durable and will hold up. Anything Beretta or Browning builds will fill the bill for you. Pick the action you want and then pick the shotgun that fits you best. Try as many as possible. To lessen the pain up front at purchase time, buy a good used shotgun. If you don't like it chances are when you sell it later you'll get most of your money back. 

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The Mossberg JM Pro is a nice gun, but it is not a dedicated clays gun. If you are interested in 3 gun, or just like being able to blast fast shots, it would be a good choice. In my opinion, the weight distribution is not great for clay games. If you want an upland bird gun, it should be a light gun that is quick pointing and light in the barrels because most shots will be fast and going away from you. For a clays gun, you want the gun to be heavy with weight distributed towards the barrels to help smooth out your swing for crossing shots. The Browning Crossover Target and Beretta Silver Pigeon SP are the two best values in dedicated clay over/under guns. You will get more gun for your money though with an autoloader. Much of the expense in a nice shotgun is the barrel. With an O/U you are paying a lot for the second barrel.

 

 

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Another +1 for Mossberg 500. I shoot he hell out of my 20 year old mossy that has probably had well over 100k rounds through it. Only things that have broke were an extractor pin and the wood for grip. I cam keep up with most shooters in any clay shooting disiplin, but it's not a dedicated clay gun it's my go to shotgun for anything from hunting to sporting clays and even a HD gun for my wife. If you want a dedicated clay gun your going to spend some cash. If you want a durable shotgun that does everything well get a 500.

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Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.

I am going to take most folks advice to continue “test driving” as many shotguns as I can reasonably try and postpone my purchase until the spring of 2016.

At this point, based on my originally stated criteria to ultimately get a high-quality fit&finish, dedicated shotgun for trap/skeet/shooting clays and the vast level of experience that many here have shared, I think I will focus my attention on the quality manufacturers of the “big 3 B’s” (Beretta, Benelli and Browning), and consider 12-gauge with either a 28” or 30” barrel length and interchangeable choke tubes. While I am still leaning towards an O/U, I am not counting out a semi, understanding the pros and cons of both and the whole felt recoil issue.

Yes, it will be expensive, probably in the $2,000-$3,000 range, so I will be saving up for it over the next 5-6 months. Whatever it is, I will most likely purchase it new, in order to get the mfgr’s warranty, since I do not plan on selling it. Can I buy a less expensive shotgun? Of course… But I do believe that for the most part you do get what you pay for.

Based on you’re experiences and suggestions, I am intrigued by and specifically want to try shooting the following shotguns in this process to help me decide:

• Beretta A400 Xcel Multitarget

• Beretta 686 Onyx Pro

• Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon 1

• Beretta 692 (Ok, this is a beautiful gun that I want to try, but realistically way out of my price range….)

• Benelli Super Sport and Vinci Super Sport

• Browning Crossover Target

Also, I have never tried any gun specifically made by Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre (FN) from Belgium, (now known here as FNH USA) and will see if I can get my hands on a FN SC1 O/U , which looks like a very nice shotgun on their web site. One concern with this gun is that some owners have experienced an issue of the wood forearm splitting into two after shooting many many rounds, (30,000+). (I wonder how many years it would take me to shoot that many rounds….?)

I find it rather interesting that all of these companies are somehow related through historical sharing of manufacturing or ownership today, but guess that consolidation is where the shotgun manufacturers are going.  Again, thanks for all of the comments, suggestions and recommendations.

AVB-AMG

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Remember there are only so many actual real companies.

 

FN/Winchester/Browning are really the same company

 

Berretta/Benelli/Franchi are really the same company and I think they own Stoeger as well.

 

You will find that sometimes the same gun is shared between different brands in the same family at slightly different different prices. Or you will see features and parts from one gun appear in the others.

 

Heck we are getting to the point were you can interchange parts between shotguns spanning multiple companies, like using Benelli parts in Remington guns and so on.

 

Find the features you like, then look for the guns that have those features.

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Vlad is right about companies sharing parts. If you look at the bolt design on a new Beretta A400, you will notice a remarkable resemblance to the original Benelli rotating bolt head design. Additionally, if you like the Benelli Autoloaders but want a cheaper option, take a look at the Franchi guns. I believe they are made in the same factory, albeit with slightly different parts. Also, on the Benelli's, do not just judge by how they fit. Their inertial recoil design takes one of the advantages of semi-auto's, recoil reduction, and negates it. The bolt doesn't actually start traveling back until you have absorbed the full recoil impulse. Of course that said, it does lend itself to extreme reliability. I have a Benelli Vinci as a hunting (and occasional clays) gun. It is great. And they have a top notch warranty. beretta's warranty sucks (1 or 3 year), and their service department is terrible. So much so, that a shop in Maine (Cole's) has taken over the bulk of warranty work. And Cole's is a great place to deal with. Browning technically doesn't have a written warranty, but they are known to have excellent customer service and will fix problems for free. 

If you find yourself in New Hampshire any time in the near future, shoot me a PM. I am a recent escapee from Jersey. And I have a shotgun problem. :)

I have several of the guns (or reasonable facsimiles thereof) you would be interested in trying.

Beretta 682 Gold E Sporting (has same dimensions as 68X series Beretta sporting guns)

Browning 725 field in 20 gauge (has same dimensions as 20 gauge 725 sporting model)

Beretta A400 XCEL target, which I have been considering selling since I mainly shoot the 682. 

Benelli Vinci, which has nothing to do with guns you are looking for, but is just a remarkable gun in design and feel. 

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Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.

I am going to take most folks advice to continue “test driving” as many shotguns as I can reasonably try and postpone my purchase until the spring of 2016.

 

At this point, based on my originally stated criteria to ultimately get a high-quality fit&finish, dedicated shotgun for trap/skeet/shooting clays and the vast level of experience that many here have shared, I think I will focus my attention on the quality manufacturers of the “big 3 B’s” (Beretta, Benelli and Browning), and consider 12-gauge with either a 28” or 30” barrel length and interchangeable choke tubes. While I am still leaning towards an O/U, I am not counting out a semi, understanding the pros and cons of both and the whole felt recoil issue.

 

Yes, it will be expensive, probably in the $2,000-$3,000 range, so I will be saving up for it over the next 5-6 months. Whatever it is, I will most likely purchase it new, in order to get the mfgr’s warranty, since I do not plan on selling it. Can I buy a less expensive shotgun? Of course… But I do believe that for the most part you do get what you pay for.

 

Based on you’re experiences and suggestions, I am intrigued by and specifically want to try shooting the following shotguns in this process to help me decide:

• Beretta A400 Xcel Multitarget

• Beretta 686 Onyx Pro

• Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon 1

• Beretta 692 (Ok, this is a beautiful gun that I want to try, but realistically way out of my price range….)

• Benelli Super Sport and Vinci Super Sport

• Browning Crossover Target

 

Also, I have never tried any gun specifically made by Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre (FN) from Belgium, (now known here as FNH USA) and will see if I can get my hands on a FN SC1 O/U , which looks like a very nice shotgun on their web site. One concern with this gun is that some owners have experienced an issue of the wood forearm splitting into two after shooting many many rounds, (30,000+). (I wonder how many years it would take me to shoot that many rounds….?)

 

I find it rather interesting that all of these companies are somehow related through historical sharing of manufacturing or ownership today, but guess that consolidation is where the shotgun manufacturers are going.  Again, thanks for all of the comments, suggestions and recommendations.

 

AVB-AMG

 

You've picked some good choices here. 

  • If you are looking at any of these models, I would go stackbarrel for the versatility of two different chokes, better trigger, and a competition wide rib which offers a good sighting plane. 
  • If I had to pick one for myself, it would be a toss-up between the 686 Onyx or 686 SP. (That said, I'd also hunt around for a nice used 682 SC.) The weight of the Beretta's are often less, which on a positive note can make them versatile for any shooting discipline, or even hunting.
  • IF I was to shoot trap only, I'd look for an older Browning Superposed Broadway model and I'd probably be happy with my selection. But, that's my personal taste. 
  • The FNH-SC and Winchester share the same frame, with trunnions as hinge pins and conical locking lugs (like a Beretta,) while the Browning Citori (Miroku) is still the same full-width hinge pin and tapered under-locking bolt designed by J.M. Browning and introduced in the 30's. It's a solid, robust design but was always a tad on the heavy side and has a slightly taller receiver, especially in the 12 ga. All three (Browning, FN, Winchester) share the same choke tube system I believe.  

 

Footnote for Chris: The Benelli Vinci, which epitomizes the modern age of shotguns built by robotic machines, may be cutting edge in design and function, but to me is quite possibly the ugliest shotgun on the market today. (Second place ugly would go to the Ljutic Space Gun, third place would be the Browning Recoilless Trap.) I simply cannot warm up to ugly guns, no matter how well they work.  

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Footnote for Chris: The Benelli Vinci, which epitomizes the modern age of shotguns built by robotic machines, may be cutting edge in design and function, but to me is quite possibly the ugliest shotgun on the market today. (Second place ugly would go to the Ljutic Space Gun, third place would be the Browning Recoilless Trap.) I simply cannot warm up to ugly guns, no matter how well they work.  

 

Kevin,

 

I like good looking guns and really wanted to not like the Vinci. But it shoulders and points more quickly than ANY 12 gauge I have ever handled, semi-auto or double.  I think it may be the shape of the pistol grip. I feel like the camo pattern makes it ever so slightly less ugly. And that Ljutic is way uglier.  :)

And it shoots well enough that I am going to sell my Beretta A400 XCEL target gun, which says a lot. 

SuperVinci.jpg

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Chris, 

 

I've tried to wrap my head around liking black plastic or camo clad guns, I just can't bring myself to liking them. There is something about the look of polished and blued steel, with finely fitted walnut. I'm just a sucker for traditional guns. 

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