Good OU 20 gauge for Sporing clays

[Orange Dust]

Not opposed to a good semi for sure. Been looking at the 686 sporting and the 725 Citori with adjustable combs, can't find any decent reviews on the 725 trigger. What about chokes any difference between extended or not? Are the Benelli lines any good. Again I know what it's like to buy once cry once but don't want to overspend getting started that make since?

Get the Beretta. Less recoil in top barrel and it will hold up better and has better resale. If you send it in for an annual every 30k rounds (I think, varies with mfg) it will last forever. They just weld everything back up and cut it back down. Just a little further up the price line is the Blaser F3. This is a good competition gun that will truly outlast you. I can personally attest to that, I have had three. There is one at my house I have shot over 1 million times, has a fresh annual and is like new except for blue wear. These are tough guns that have triggers as good as most match rifles. they feel and swing like a Perazzi which is not a bad thing. I always said they are a P gun that doesn't break. You can put a DT11 in with the F3 although it swings and shoots more like a k80 and isn't nearly as tough. Next up are the Kreigoffs, Perazzis and Kolars. These are the true competition guns everyone eventually gravitates to. You can add a Custom F3 in here too if you want. These run $20-100k or more just depending on how fancy you want your wood and engraving. Base models with plain wood and no or very modest engraving can be had new for $15-20k and are an absolute steal. the sky actually is the limit and you can pay more, a lot more for these and some less well known brands (unless you go to live bird shoots where they are common) I'm currently shooting a custom Kolar and love it. We will not discuss what it costs. My wife might read this. she says I need more rifles. They are so much cheaper LOL.

This might be just the best deal out there for you. Both of these are guns you can be proud of, and will do everything you are looking for:

687 Silver Pigeon III All Around 12 gauge 30" | New Beretta Shotguns Online | Inventory | Joel Etchen Guns, Ligonier PA | Joel Etchen Guns, Ligonier Pennsylvania | Shotguns Online

Browse Joel Etchen Guns collection of new 687 Silver Pigeon III All Around 12 gauge 30" shotguns.

www.joeletchenguns.com

Sorry there is just one right now. Cole Gunsmithing dropped or is out of their 687 all around gun. Please look at the 687 above. These are a lot of gun for the money. If you want an adjustable comb, and I would, Joel will add it before shipping. I have to adjust my gun if I gain or lose more than 10lbs. YMMV

 

[Orange Dust]

As for chokes shoot the ones in the gun for awhile anyway. In aftermarket Briley is a good brand that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. They are available in Stainless, Tungsten, Titanium, and hard coat aluminum. You can use chokes made from different metals to change the dynamic handling (swing speed) of your gun. You don't know what you want so leave them alone until you do. For now just start with LM in the bottom barrel and IM in the top barrel and LOOK AT THE BIRD! forget everything else. Just look at the bird and crush it.

 

[Orange Dust]

If you get one let me know. I will be glad to show you how to grease it when you put it together and shoot it, and how to maintain i etct. If you order the engraved gun above please also order this stuff: https://www.theoriginalrusteprufe.com This old dude will crack you up on the phone. He does business the old way. You call him an order and he will send you the oil with a bill and expect you to send him a check. Unheard of now days but he says shooters never screw him. get the oil in bulk and the applicator. Wipe your nasty, sweaty, wet, gun down with this stuff, put it in the case and go get a cold one. It will NOT rust. We don't use it for a lube, and it will thicken in winter. We use it to preserve expensive guns and for that it has no peer.

 

[Orange Dust]

Well I just pulled up the link above and he is now out of 30" guns. He does have maybe a dozen 32" guns. They are all nice but the bottom one #JE6425 has some truly outstanding wood for a gun in this price range. I've seen wood sets not much better than this sell for nearly twice what he wants for the whole thing. Outstanding buy. Remember this gun is a 687, not a 686 and includes a barrel upgrade. I would wager it is one of the best buys on the planet on a competition shotgun.

 

[bas402]

It is an impressive looking shotgun for sure I might just be calling them sometime soon.

 

[Bman940]

Lots of great suggestions. Decades ago I wanted a 20ga O/U and stumbled on a 20/28ga combo, what luck. Beretta Silver Pigeon field combo. It got to where I only quail hunted with the 28 and dove hunted with both. Great fun, low recoil, and quality built. It is a little short for my LOP so my wife confiscated it as soon as she found it in my safe! Need to remember to close that door even when I'm cleaning guns.

 

[derfssor]

If you can find one, the Browning Citori is a light quick handling gun. I talking about a used one to save some money.

 

[skipglo]

Thanks, that's not easy due to short inventory. what about barrel lengths? I realize it also comes to a balance issue as well but 28-30" be fine?

28-30 will be fine along with interchangeable chokes! Which are a must

 

[Allen Kitts]

Shotgun shooting is vastly different from Rifle shooting. To shoot a shotgun well it has to fit you perfectly. You eyes have to meet the rib, it has to flow with your movement. No other person can recommend a shotgun for you. You will need to go to a large sporting goods store or gun store and pick up every single one you can get your hands on. It has to fit and I mean well or you will never be happy with the results. I have probably close to 50,000 targets shot in sporting clay's between practice and competition and I think Sporting Clays is the best shooting sport in the world. There are a plethora of shotgun on the market that I would love to own but many just simply do not fit me. If you are looking at a over and under then I would suggest that you look at Browning, Beretta maybe even Guerini. If you have the money Kolar and Kreighoff are exceptional and they will work with you to get the gun to fit. If you cant find and over and under that fits your eye then you might want to look into a semi auto. I am currently shooting a Benelli M2 in 20 ga that fits me like a glove. It is an outstanding little shotgun and it wont break the bank. It also passes as a wonderful gun in the field for upland bird. Just my opinion, have a great day.

 

[skipglo]

Thank you very much for some great advise. I really don't plan to compete unless it at my local range, they have a great layout there with 2 courses. As far as the money, I understand completely I have been competing in precision LR & ELR for about 12 yrs and I'm not even going to get into the $$$ I have invested but let's just say "I get it". I reload all my ammo and set up nicely with supplies even shooting 2-4K per yr. I have now retired and will cut my precison matches back cause I can't seem to keep up with the youngsters. Been lurking around the sporting clays game and it looks like fun. Again much appreciated!

See if you can find a Kral Model S500...save a ton of money and never look back. Great guns for the money. I like them better than my 101s for less than 1/2 the price. Just me...but I'm sure you'd be happy with it. I have sold many here in Canada and everyone is more than pleased with the quality. Come with 5 chokes, sling, 3 fiber optic sights on the vented rib.

 

[bas402]

Lots of great suggestions. Decades ago I wanted a 20ga O/U and stumbled on a 20/28ga combo, what luck. Beretta Silver Pigeon field combo. It got to where I only quail hunted with the 28 and dove hunted with both. Great fun, low recoil, and quality built. It is a little short for my LOP so my wife confiscated it as soon as she found it in my safe! Need to remember to close that door even when I'm cleaning guns.

Looked at the combos but I only want one to start with and as we say on the CF side "learn how to drive it" then I will expand. Just want to spend wisely. Great info though thanks

 

[bas402]

See if you can find a Kral Model S500...save a ton of money and never look back. Great guns for the money. I like them better than my 101s for less than 1/2 the price. Just me...but I'm sure you'd be happy with it. I have sold many here in Canada and everyone is more than pleased with the quality. Come with 5 chokes, sling, 3 fiber optic sights on the vented rib.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Coopershawk]

Just as the title says. I am a small guy so don't want the recoil of a 12 and I'm just getting started.

I didn't see them mentioned yet- but Caesar Guerini would be another brand worth looking at. They build a nice gun in the range above the Beretta 687 but well below the Perazzi and K Guns. Autoloaders are great- but at 63 I don't relish scrounging for hulls on the ground;^)

I would echo what some others say about sticking with a 12ga. Especially now when 12 gauge is the only ammo on the shelves. It's very easy to get 7/8 & 3/4oz 12 gauge wads if you load your own. With the weight of the gun and the light loads it will kick less than a 20.
We have a lot of youth trapshooting in the area and all but the tiniest kids shoot 12 gauge guns. That's due more to gun weight/dimensions than recoil.
Also, you can buy small gauge tubes for the 12 gauge- more weight and less recoil. And when other ammo comes back on the scene you can shoot the small gauge events.

 

[skipglo]

Thanks for the info.

Most welcome...