Author Topic: Shotgun for many uses? Need help! (Read 1187 times)

TedTF · « **on:** February 09, 2003, 06:51:48 PM »

Just getting back into some shooting and want to purchase a multipurpose shotgun. I want to be able to shoot sporting clays, skeet, and hunt with it. Many have suggested the Beretta Urika 391 series autos. I am partial to the sex appeal and feel of an O/U. I like the looks of the Ruger O/Us. By the way, is the recoil form a 12 auto the same as a 20 gauge O/U? Any info is appreciated. Do I need a 12 gauge to shoot effectively. I will probably target shoot 85% of the time and hunt the other.

popplecop · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2003, 08:17:03 AM »

If you like OUs go for the Ruger it is a good buy and very relialble. The Beretta 391 is an excellent shotgun also, personally I favor OUs. If the recoil is a problem there is a whole host of recoil reducing pads on the market. I like Pachmeyers Decellerator pads myself. Good luck and enjoy shooting. Temp. here was 6 yesterday but a friend and I shot some claybirds anyway, nobody said we're sane.

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2003, 11:09:03 AM »

Hate ta break it to ya like this but really there is no one single shotgun that is well suited to all of those needs. Not if you are gonna be very serious and shoot competition at least. Now if you are only gonna be shooting for fun you might make one do OK.

A trap gun needs to throw a large percentage of pattern above aim point as the targets are climbing as they go away from you. A skeet gun on the other hand shoots more to aim point as the targets never rise much and as many are falling at the shot as climbing. Sporting clays was originally intended to help a shooter with their field shooting and the same shotgun used in the field or for skeet worked fine. Now it has become very competitive and the guns have become more specialized and are no longer likely to have field or skeet gun dimensions. If anything one of these might best fit for an all purpose gun to use for hunting, skeet, trap and sporting clays.

If you are gonna be a serious competitor the O/U is the ONLY way to go really. Some shoot semiautos but most of the better shooters use an O/U and I suggest you do so also.

Do you need a 12 gauge? Yes actually you do if trap or sporting clays are gonna be a big part of what you do. Skeet is shot with 12, 20, 28 gas and .410 bore. Trap with 12 ga. only and sporting clays with all the skeet gauges by some but most use 12s. No the recoil from a 12 ga. semiauto is not the same as that of a 20 ga. O/U. There is really no proper comparison and it just plain depends on what two guns you are comparing.

GB

kevin.303 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2003, 05:26:12 AM »

i'm fairly new to the world of scatterguns, but if you wouldn't mind a pump i'd reccomend a mossberg 500. they'll chamber all three shell lengths and you can purchase rifled slug barrels. best of all is the price. i'm not sure of the american price but it would be cheaper then Cdn. up here they cost about $450 and barrels run about $280. nice and affordable for some one on a fast food income who's putting themselves through a trade school!

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2003, 07:22:57 AM »

I favor the O/U but it depends on what you intend on hunting. If it is small game and the occasional waterfowl the O/U will still serve you nicely. If it is deer hunting (slug) then a pump or auto may be a better choice. You won't find lot of guys that reccomend the O/U for waterfowl but I think the primary reason has more to do with shell capacity than anything else

exflatlanderNH · « **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2003, 07:34:42 AM »

If you are willing to spend the money, go for a 30 inch barreled browning or beretta o/u with choke tubes.

I used to shoot trap, skeet, sporting clays and upland birds with the same 30" o/u browning GTI.

The 30" is the most versatile length in my opinion and balance better than the 26" guns.

The beretta and remington autos are good as well, but you need to get proficient and taking them apart and cleaning them every few 100 rounds.

Bob_K · « **Reply #6 on:** February 15, 2003, 03:07:14 AM »

I have a bunch of shotguns, mostly Remington 100 and 11-87 in Trap, Skeet, and Hunting formats (including one SuperMag). I also have a couple of Browning Citori O/U. No doubt that Greybeard is right about O/U being the only way to go for target shooting. One of my Browning Citori could fit the role you are seeking as an all around shotgun. It started life as a 3" Citori hunting gun. At some point porting was added to the barrels, and an adjustable comb was added to the butt stock, as was a mercury recoil reducer. I've done well in both Trap and Skeet with it (comb up about 1/4" for Trap) and the 3" chambering and HeviShot would meet most of my hunting needs. I'd still use my Remington 1100 with Hastings Rifled barrel and 1X4 Leupold Shotgun scope for my deer hunting. (I live in a shotgun-only county, although muzzleloaders were just approved during the shotgun season.) Using an O/U for target work sure beats picking up hulls all over the place!

Suggestion if you decide on an O/U format: Go to a gun show and check out how various O/U shoulder and point for you. I personnally prefer how the Browning feels as opposed to the Ruger, and the fit at least psychologically plays into the different felt recoil between the two guns.