Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Hello fellows

Recently I had a chance to go skeet/clay shooting. I hadn't been in almost 10 years. And I had a blast (pun half-intended?). I used a Maverick 88 with a 28" barral and it was fun, but I instantly pined for one of those sweet O/U ones I saw the more serious guys using. So I'm now in the market for an afford, but still quality, O/U shotgun. I don't see myself getting super serious in skeet/clay shooting but I do see myself doing it regularly (at least once a month). I looked at Stoeger Condors but I've seen some mixed reviews. I'd like to keep this purchase under $800 if at all possible. Looking for a 12ga and of course I needs to have removable chokes!

I was in the same boat as you. I wanted an O/U to shoot clays with my sons, but didnt want to invest big $$. I picked up a Savage (actually mfged by Stevens IIRC) 12ga O/U 28" barrel, with removable chokes and it came with 5 total I belive, for $599 at Dicks in Fair Lakes. It looks nice and shoots very well. The breech break is awefully tight, but will loosen up over time. For my purposes, it fits the bill nicely.

Drewsifer wrote:Hello fellows
So I'm now in the market for an afford, but still quality, O/U shotgun. I don't see myself getting super serious in skeet/clay shooting but I do see myself doing it regularly (at least once a month). I looked at Stoeger Condors but I've seen some mixed reviews. I'd like to keep this purchase under $800 if at all possible. Looking for a 12ga and of course I needs to have removable chokes!

I'd hold off on the purchase.

There doesn't seem to be much of a market of competitive OU's in that price range. Most folks who are going after the OU's are getting a bit serious about the game, and are willing to put some substantial money at the purchase.

I generally shoot 4-6 rounds when I go out for skeet. With a round of birds at $5-6 and shells at 6-7+, and tipping my trapper.... I'm in for 12-15 a round. If I shoot 10 months a year, I'm in for $750 in consumables a year.

Here is the news flash... The gun is the cheap part of the hobby.

You clearly have a serviceable gun at this time, so keep shooting with it. See if you are still having fun, and how much you are still shooting. Once you know what level you are into the game, then you can know what you want to spend on the gear.

The more 'serious' shooters I know are buying shells in the 10's of cases at a time, and when a buddy tracks down a really good deal generally they all go in on a few pallets of shells. Shotgun sports is a decent into madness, but the good news is they all seem to be enjoying the trip.

If you are near Bull run in NoVA you can rent a decent OU from them for $11.

I shot with my 870 pump for 2 years and then upgraded to a semi, Benelli super sport. It fit me better, and was 1/2 the price of the OU's I was looking at.

Jdonovan, actually I was using a friends shotgun. My collection is sorely lacking a shotgun right now and getting a straight answer about them is even harder than figuring out the AR market!

I was looking at a Mossberg Special Purpose 500 with a 20" barrel to get started and was planning on purchasing a 28" barrel for the purpose of skeet shooting. But a friend of mine who shoots skeet immediately launched into a rant about using a pump gun for skeet and how an O/U was better.

A lot of people say get the 590A1, but I don't believe Mossberg makes longer barrels for it.

Drewsifer wrote:Jdonovan, actually I was using a friends shotgun. My collection is sorely lacking a shotgun right now and getting a straight answer about them is even harder than figuring out the AR market!

I was looking at a Mossberg Special Purpose 500 with a 20" barrel to get started and was planning on purchasing a 28" barrel for the purpose of skeet shooting. But a friend of mine who shoots skeet immediately launched into a rant about using a pump gun for skeet and how an O/U was better.

A lot of people say get the 590A1, but I don't believe Mossberg makes longer barrels for it.

IIRC, the problem with 590s is that the longer barrels won't fit on it.

Drewsifer wrote:I was looking at a Mossberg Special Purpose 500 with a 20" barrel to get started and was planning on purchasing a 28" barrel for the purpose of skeet shooting. But a friend of mine who shoots skeet immediately launched into a rant about using a pump gun for skeet and how an O/U was better.

Ahhh now this changes things... If you don't have a reasonable tool in the collection, then you really need something to get into the hobby.

I'd also give a look at the shotguns made by CZ. They are just starting to penetrate the US market and are not super well known yet. They make many quality guns, and have for decades.... its just most US shooters have never heard of them.

You can get an entry level mallard out the door for $550 ish. No it won't have hand engraved metal, or oil finish wood, but it will shoot decently. #1 thing you have got to do is go hands on. The fit of a shot gun is VERY important. If it does not pull into place correctly, each time you shoulder it you'll fight it and have trouble getting good scores with it.

I think a canvasback or a readhead, with single triggers would be a better choice. Cost a few $100 more, but a step up in quality and fit/finish.

Here is a look at some of CZ's offerings and prices... http://czcustom.com/underandover.aspx

I'll add my 2 here. IMO there is nothing wrong with a pump for skeet. I used one for awhile. I did eventually change to an O/U.

Does it have to be new? If so then the CZ or a Lanber would be something to consider. If you look at the used market you can find a Browning or Beretta or a Ithaca/SKB The problem is that these will more than likely be a fixed choke gun.

Keep in mind that you could have the chokes opened up to what you want. Or you could have tubes installed. Having tubes installed is a bit pricy.

The point is for that 800.00 price range you have quite a few options.

A buddy got the Mossberg O/U 20 gauge they sell at Walmart, and while it doesn't seem to be the nicest gun in the world, it seems pretty decent and he likes it.

Used guns are also a good way to go. I picked up an older Charles Daly trap gun and a Churchill skeet gun for $600 or so each. I'm fortunate in that I have a bud very active in clays who also owns a gun shop up in PA; he kept an eye out for me and knew the off brands well enough to recommend guns that aren't big names and hence pricey even when used.

I'm a big guy at 6'6" so other considerations such as length of pull, comb height, and such helped narrow things down. My suggestion would be to find a local shop that does a lot of sporting clays biz, figure out what sort of fitting issues you need to heed, and then wait for something used to get traded in. Lotta guys out there go for the flavor of the week; you can pick up on their cast off cheaper than buying new.

Take a look at the CZ line of O/U. I really like the CZ Canvasback... http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/37_588_989/products_id/12333 The next level up would be the Woodcock for not much more... http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/37_588_989/products_id/17984

They both come with 5 screw in chokes.

the stoeger is a good shooter and a great value...the stevens and mossberg are also of good quilty but if you could sneak into a CZ or a Franchi you would be happier

My neighbor has one of these...and it is a lot of gun for the money. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... 259011#PIC

My 12 Gauges are Citori and Cynergy but last year I bought one of these in 410 for fun along with a MEC 9000 to go with it and I put probably 6 to 700 rounds through it. First it's a blast and second it has perfrormed flawlessly for not too much money. Everyone who sees it wants to shoot it and then don't want to put it down.

Dang, I forgot the link.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/957805584/Gu ... U_NEW.htm#

I've shot a few targets in my day, but as an avid bird hunter (dove, grouse, quail, ducks, geese), I always used the shotgun I was going to hunt with. That meant a Browning A-5, ;then later an A-500, then a Benelli Super Black Eagle, and then a Browning Silver; all 12-guage. And I now have a brace of Browning Gold 10-gauges for waterfowl, but I probably won't take one of them to a sporting clays shoot. You guys with the sexy straight O/Us and SBSs would probably stroke out.

Speaking of Sporting Clays.................

I was a damnsight past being a grown man before I was exposed to such a thing. Took me a while to get my head wrapped around it. After having hunted GAME for 30 years or so, I had a little bit of a hard time with the idea of hunting dinnerware. I guess one thing that struck a note of cognitive dissonance with me was the ingrained notion that you were honor-bound to eat what you shot. Them little saucers just wasn't much punkin when it came to eatin' - even if you could find all the pieces. I finally did figure out that they did make a good thick gravy if you boiled them long enough; but it wasn't fittin' to eat. Worked pretty good to seal a driveway with, though............

You can get a right nice O/U used in that pirce range if you shop around or Dicks puts non-continued guns on clearance right round febuary/march (this is when their buyers start shopping for the next hunting season). I was a lodge lead at dicks for a while. I remember selling Franchi I 12's for 699.99 and Franchi Diamonds for 699.99