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I'm looking for an idea for a new shotgun for clays. My old one is a pump 34 years old from Sears. Price range for the new one $1000-1800

Thanks

Browning A5 light 20ga old school... gold trigger. great balance, low recoil. great gun

Im building a saiga 20 up for clays right now that should make the purists plenty mad. I don't care for the over and unders no matter how fine they may be.

I got to use a Browning Citori last time I shot. I really liked that gun.

sookandy wrote:I got to use a Browning Citori last time I shot. I really liked that gun.

O/Us are the best! Brownings are great guns.

The Winchester SX3 12ga is what my wife is shooting until her new Beretta comes in, price is running about $1000 and extended chokes are about $40. I shoot a the Beretta A400 Xplor 12ga and it can be bought for around $1400 and same price on chokes. Recoil is just about non-existant on both of these guns. I like the O/U shotguns but without spending a chunk of cash for an after market recoil system for them you will have some kick. If you are going to shoot two or three hundred clays at a time this makes a difference recoil wise.

That being said the O/U has an advantage of being able to use two different chokes in the bbls to set up for different distance birds as seen in sporting clays. The Browning Citori O/U runs about $1600 and extended chokes $40. The Beretta O/Us start around $1800 and same for chokes.

AndyC wrote:

RKirkwood wrote:I'm looking for an idea for a new shotgun for clays.

Which sport, specifically? Trap, skeet, sporting-clays, 5-stand....?

The latter 3 you could use the same shotgun if you had some screw-in chokes.... but for trap, you want something with a higher comb on the buttstock and probably full-choked.

Andy, I'm ashamed to say I'm fairly new at clays so I would have to day sporting clays

RKirkwood wrote:

AndyC wrote:

RKirkwood wrote:I'm looking for an idea for a new shotgun for clays.

Which sport, specifically? Trap, skeet, sporting-clays, 5-stand....?

The latter 3 you could use the same shotgun if you had some screw-in chokes.... but for trap, you want something with a higher comb on the buttstock and probably full-choked.

Andy, I'm ashamed to say I'm fairly new at clays so I would have to day sporting clays

No need for shame. I, too, am new to clays. Heck, I'm new to shotguns. I only fired my first one about six weeks ago and then jumped right into the deep end and entered a 5-Stand match two weeks ago. It was a lot of fun and I didn't come in dead last. Okay, second to last, but it was still a lot of fun.

WildBill wrote:

sookandy wrote:I got to use a Browning Citori last time I shot. I really liked that gun.

O/Us are the best! Brownings are great guns.

You might want to look into a four barrel set of Brownings? They are indeed fine guns for 'clays'.

Andy C is absolutlely correct especially if shooting clay is going to become your major hobby. It can be kind of addicitive. If however you are using clays as practice for hunting, then I am going to go against the grain and suggest you use the shotgun that you hunt with. It can make you look pretty out of it when you show up with your 870 wingmaster with a 30" full choke barrel (ask me how I know ;) ). When sporting clays first became accessable at a lot of ranges I shot them pretty frequently. I am a confirmed duck hunter and grew up in an area where shotgun only hunting was allowed. The practice was really helpful in many of my hunting situations, whether duck hunting or pheasant, rabbit or deer. I used that 870 for all of them. The only time I switched was when I was grouse/woodcock hunting and you can imagine why.
Find somebody who can fit you with a gun, just like you would for a new set clubs. It will be worth the effort.

C-dub wrote:No need for shame. I, too, am new to clays. Heck, I'm new to shotguns. I only fired my first one about six weeks ago and then jumped right into the deep end and entered a 5-Stand match two weeks ago. It was a lot of fun and I didn't come in dead last. Okay, second to last, but it was still a lot of fun.

Where is the "LIKE" button

Oldgringo wrote:You might want to look into a four barrel set of Brownings? They are indeed fine guns for 'clays'.

Not for trap, 5-stand, or sporting. Shoot whatever you brung!! Although - either an O/U or semi in 12ga probably would be better - a pump gun will still break birds and I've seen shooters that are very capable at the doubles with pump guns - but I think the action of the pump can cost some shooters their target acquisition (IMHO). A 20ga will suffice but can handicap ya just a little on some of the loooong shots (IMHO again). The four barrel set is a skeet competition (12ga, 20ga, 28ga, .410 caliber) gun or set of guns - but you don't have to shoot all four bores and most matches are straight up 12ga shoots. Course you can always shoot a 20ga in the 12ga match etc. Go have some fun...

couzin wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:You might want to look into a four barrel set of Brownings? They are indeed fine guns for 'clays'.

Not for trap, 5-stand, or sporting. Shoot whatever you brung!! Although - either an O/U or semi in 12ga probably would be better - a pump gun will still break birds and I've seen shooters that are very capable at the doubles with pump guns - but I think the action of the pump can cost some shooters their target acquisition (IMHO). A 20ga will suffice but can handicap ya just a little on some of the loooong shots (IMHO again). The four barrel set is a skeet competition (12ga, 20ga, 28ga, .410 caliber) gun or set of guns - but you don't have to shoot all four bores and most matches are straight up 12ga shoots. Course you can always shoot a 20ga in the 12ga match etc. Go have some fun...

I've shot lots of clays with pumps, it is all in whether you train. I shoot an Ithaca that is older than I am, 30" barrel bottom ejection pump action, I can knock down .every. .clay. .put. .up. on a stationary stand. End of story. Shooting it at trap/skeep does require a little more concentration due to the barrel length coupled with the length of the action.

For this reason, I own a Lanber 2087 O/U, 28" barrel, that I absolutely love. Fits me like a well-formed combat boot(which many should know usually fit better than any glove!). Smooth as butter, trigger is excellent, quality is superb. When I bought mine it was 1/3 the price of a Browning or Beretta. I can shoot mine interchangeably with my father's Beretta O/U which was over 3x the price, and while the Beretta certainly is the more handsome shotgun, they perform the same.