Shotgun 12 gauge opinions

Alchemist27

Alchemist27

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So I went to the range today...I had an absolute blast!

Shot a shotgun for the first time and did a couple rounds of trap shooting.

I borrowed a fellow members Beretta 12 gauge semi-auto and loved it.

Now I am looking to get my own, I have looked into Beretta's, Remington's and Winchester's. Was hoping to get some advice from some NES people about which manufacturer and model is best.

Am looking for 12 gauge semi-auto shotgun that won't break the bank. Something close to $500 would be ideal, used or new is no big deal, but would be willing to spend more if it would be worth it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
You can get some pretty decent used semi-auto shotguns. Probably most likely candidates in that price range are Remington 1100 or 11/87's. I get a great deal on a Beretta AL 391 at Dicks (mine is in 20 ga) for $750. So you might be able to find a nice used Beretta in your price range. I don't know much about Winchesdter shotguns so can't help you there.

I love move over-under Browning for sporting clays/trap, don't dismiss a over-under until you have shot one - although are usually more expensive.
 
SMagee said:
For the price range you're in these are great shotguns. But do yourself a favor. Try or hold as many as possible before buying. Shotgun "fit" is THE most important part of shooting accurately and not causing bruised shoulders and cheeks. Worth taking a trip up to Kittery and shouldering a bunch til you find one comfortable. Or going to an active "clay club" and being nice and talking to people. Most will let you try theirs out. They don;t want to be the only ones spending thousands of dollars on guns. They like to create new addicts.
Click to expand...

+1

i got to shoot a guys Browning Cynergy trap O/U last time out....good thing im poor or id be broke from buying one!
 
Shotgun and clays are all about fit. Keep trying out different guns and see what "feels" right for you. A good way is to mount the gun with your eyes closed open your eeye and see where your staring. Staright down the rib or elsewhere. All the brands have a different feel and mount. But also all are adjustable with combs being cut into them or adjustable recoil reducers, but you're looking at about 50% of your asking price to have these added.

I would suggest trying as many different guns as possible, and also try some of the different sports. I love Trap as it seems so do you. So you could look at a Remington 870 TC pump and be happy for the rest of your life with it. Now for Skeet, 5 stand, or sporting you'll want at least a semi that fits (and shoots lower than a Trap shotgun) or an O/U (yes more expensive but less maintenance and more reliable over thousands of shells.

Also as I was told the shotgun will be the least expensive part of all this if you do the math. 4-8 rounds per week x's say 46 weeks at say $7 a box and 4 bucks a round your're looking at $6624 per year. So IMHO find the correct shotgun even if it costs you a little more at first.

My first "real shotgun" I got at CDNNsports.com a Lanber 2097 sporting. I really like it had some comb work done and some stuff added so i went from a $600 to almost $1000 to get it to fit right. I am happy now but maybe I should have just spent the $1000 for a different shotgun. I also picked up a used Browning Sporting Clays semi those are nice and deals can be had.

If you ever get up to the NH/MA/Seacoast border PM me and you can try them out, as well as my friends Charles Daly Superior, and a Winchester Supreme.

But just try out as many as you can before buying IF you want to save some money and be happy. Good shooting and May God have mercy on your wallet!
 
I cannot say enough about Beretta 390's. One of mine has way over 100,000 rounds through it with hardly a problem. I also agree with gun fit. Most new guns are adjustable for cast and drop so they can be custom fitted without much hassle at all. The Remingtons mentioned are great guns but last I knew were not adjustable for fit and the gas system is less than ideal compared to the other big brands. Just my opinion. If you are near the south shore I would be glad to let you try what you want. I shoot at Old Colony in Pembroke and can meet you some Sunday if you would like.
 
Though it isn't a semi auto, I love my Benelli Super Nova. I also have a Remington 1100 that I like almost as much, and used to own an 11-87 that was awesome. Any one of the three would be nice. I am old school and prefer a pump for it's versatility and reliability. And I can shoot just as quick as most can with a semi, as it still takes a second to get back on target.

Find a place that has a large selection and see what fits best. Fit is very important with a shotgun.
 
The 1100 and 11-87 may be classic reliable guns... but some of the new semi-autos are simply better - more reliable gas systems, lighter, and (at least to me) point much more naturally. The Beretta AL391 and its variants are great field guns and work great for any of the clay games.
 
Smagee is dead on.

Fit is everything. After that it's preference and prejudice (I've heard break-open shooters call automatics "washing machines").

At our Club, we have a wide range of guns in use from Kreighoffs, high-end Berettas and Perazzis, to one cheap Yankee SOB with a pre-war Browning A5.
Not many birds make it to the ground....

Try on a few, then a few more. You'll find one that feels right. Ideally, if you get one with adjustable chokes, you'll have a more-versatile gun, good for more games.

If you're local to Hopkinton, we're having a "105" trap Shoot at Southborough Rod & Gun Club this Saturday.....there will be a wide assortment of guns there. Also, April 17, we're hosting the GOAL cup - you might find that interesting, too ( threads for both are on the Competition Forum)

Welcome to Trap!
 
If you're looking for an inexpensive (as opposed to "cheap") used shotgun, you can't go wrong with a Browning A5, or its cousin, the Stevens (or is it Savage?) 745. You can get the Browning in decent shape for $300 - $400, and the 745 for $100 - $200, they may be old, but don't let that stop you, they'll last forever and a generation.
 
Saiga 12 with the Banana Mag. (^_^) Shoot a half a round of trap or skeet with just ONE mag!

madmike_saiga_12ga_6781.jpg


Nothing says "SERIOUS" like an AK shotgun!

(^_^)

OK, maybe that's a little much, but hey it's still an option.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with a Beretta 391 while staying close to your budget.

Chris said:
Nothing says "SERIOUS" like an AK shotgun!
Click to expand...

There was a Saiga Skeet league at our club in RI. Over the 16 rounds of the league the winner had a 100 target average 94.75. One shooter had 3 straight 25s by the end of the league.
 
Not to interrupt the discussion, but I thought the Saiga's had a rather short barrel for skeet work? Always wanted one, but I didn't think they had much of a practical use. How do they shoot with slugs and what barrel length was used for clay's? I appreciate any info given. Sorry for getting off topic.
 
Kenny474 said:
Not to interrupt the discussion, but I thought the Saiga's had a rather short barrel for skeet work? Always wanted one, but I didn't think they had much of a practical use. How do they shoot with slugs and what barrel length was used for clay's? I appreciate any info given. Sorry for getting off topic.
Click to expand...

Saiga's come in 19" and 22" versions. 38SuperMatt is more of an expert on skeet and was a particpant of the Saiga league but I believe that, although far from ideal for the game, the barrel length is less of a factor than what pattern is generated. Whatever they choked with, it was enough to shoot decent enough and have fun. They shoot slugs as good as anything else, although some mags don't like feeding high-brass without some smoothing.

Primarily these guys use 1100s, Citoris, and a couple K80s. This was just a fun league.

The best advice for getting a clays gun is to hang out at the skeet field try out what people have, it will probably lead you to good deals on used shotguns as well.
 
We've had shooters with shorty shotties on our trap field. Ballistically, the barrel length is not as important as choke, and since most short-barreled guns have cylinder bore, it's not best for trap. [crying]

Also, most trap fields allow only one round in the gun at a time, so it's not that practical. A conversation starter, yes, but not practical! [laugh]
 
GTOShootr said:
Saiga's come in 19" and 22" versions. 38SuperMatt is more of an expert on skeet and was a particpant of the Saiga league but I believe that, although far from ideal for the game, the barrel length is less of a factor than what pattern is generated. Whatever they choked with, it was enough to shoot decent enough and have fun. They shoot slugs as good as anything else, although some mags don't like feeding high-brass without some smoothing.

Primarily these guys use 1100s, Citoris, and a couple K80s. This was just a fun league.

The best advice for getting a clays gun is to hang out at the skeet field try out what people have, it will probably lead you to good deals on used shotguns as well.
Click to expand...

I have a Rem. 1100 and a Benelli Super Nova, no need for a trap gun here. I was just curious about the use of a Saiga. Thanks for the info.
 
I have a Saiga 12, it's a ton of fun. It has no issues with anything high-brass, but light trap loads don't cycle it too well. If you're looking at one, shine a light into the gas block (you'll have to take out the regulator and puck) and look down the barrel. If you don't see three holes, you may have a "vodka special", there's a good thread on the saiga forums about them. They seem to still work, but they don't cycle light loads. It's repairable, but I understand it takes some gunsmithing.
 
MisterHappy said:
Well, now....that would depend on who has the open choke, and how much the wager is! [rofl]
Click to expand...

I have an old goose gun with a cut down barrel, and I can hit clays with it just fine, and it has a cylinder bore. Just have to shoot quick before they get too far away. And no it's not sawed off, still legal length.
 
Kenny474 said:
I have an old goose gun with a cut down barrel, and I can hit clays with it just fine, and it has a cylinder bore. Just have to shoot quick before they get too far away. And no it's not sawed off, still legal length.
Click to expand...

I shot a 7/25 with my 18.25" Saiga-12 cylinder bore. Just bought a Franchi Field O/U yesterday for the trap range though [grin]
 
MisterHappy said:
Southborough Rod & Gun Club www.srgclub.com shoots Trap and Skeet every Sunday, 1-4 and Thursday nights May-Sept 6-9.

Come on down! [smile]

Seriously,you make a good point....if you know your gun, that's the key.

Good shooting!
Click to expand...

I would love to. Just one problem, no FID or LTC. I need to look into an FID. Such a PITA not having one.

If I was going to shoot clays, I would bring my ancient Steven's double. I like it over anything else I have for clays. Needs a new stock,( has the old plastic stock) but I usually do well with it. The goose gun just throws such a massive pattern it's almost hard to miss unless they get out too far.
 
Kenny474 said:
I would love to. Just one problem, no FID or LTC. I need to look into an FID. Such a PITA not having one.

If I was going to shoot clays, I would bring my ancient Steven's double. I like it over anything else I have for clays. Needs a new stock,( has the old plastic stock) but I usually do well with it. The goose gun just throws such a massive pattern it's almost hard to miss unless they get out too far.
Click to expand...

There are no non-resident FIDs.
 

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