Author Topic: Opinions: Best low end O/U 12 ga  (Read 1058 times)

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Offline nasem

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Opinions: Best low end O/U 12 ga
« on: May 09, 2006, 10:05:11 AM »
Im in the process of trying to figure out what O/U to get.  The price I have in mind is in the range of $600.  I really like that Mossberg Silver Reserve but I been hearing some bad reviews on them.  Then you have the russian O/U and I know nothing about them.

Im just trying to get some ideas here,

thanks

Offline Graybeard

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« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2006, 05:48:14 PM »
A friend of mine in PA bought one of the Mossberg's based to some extent on my recommendation that they looked and felt good but I had no experience with them. It's gone already in less than a month and he's the kinda guy who just doesn't trade off guns. It doubled on him regularly causing him to miss the biggest longest bearded turkey he's ever called in.

He now has a CZ Huglu Redhead to replace it.

The Russian guns are just too butt ugly and don't have the "feel" a shotgun needs to hit well with it.

I don't recommend anything cheaper than the CZ Huglus.


Bill aka the Graybeard
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I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!

Offline nasem

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« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2006, 12:57:24 AM »
Dang it.  This O/U project is supposed to be a $600 one and I feel like its going to end up being a 1200 dollar one.  The CZ shotgun you recommend is about 800-900 dollar in price.  I know for darn sure that those Ruger Red Labels get some awesom reviews.  

So Now Im thinking of getting that new ruger red label in the Stainless steel (it looks sooooo wicked nice).  Problem is, I never do any bird hunting, its only going to be for trap / skeet.

Offline nasem

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« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2006, 12:59:40 AM »
One more question:

Can you shoot slugs / buck shots from an O/U ?  In southern parts of michigan, you can only hunt deer with a shotgun.  So I'll make some kind of an arangement to use this gun for white tail.

Offline Greybeard

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« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2006, 04:20:42 AM »
Trap and skeet are two totally different games and really need two different guns to shoot if you're even half way serious about them. If you're just doing it totally for fun and really don't care what your score is you can use the same gun on both but it's not really recommended. Get the O/U for skeet and/or sporting clays and a pump set up properly for trap or a semiauto.

Yes you can shoot slugs thru O/U guns but not very well. It's a very close range proposition only. If you want a shotgun for slugs a double whether SxS or O/U is about the worst possible choice.


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Offline nasem

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« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2006, 07:42:50 AM »
Do you know anything on those Ruger Red labels in all weather Stainless steel and synthetic stocks ?  I saw pictures of them and oh baby, they look sooooo good

Offline nasem

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« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2006, 07:44:36 AM »
oh and to answer your question graybeard, I do not shoot for scores or anything like that.  I just like to make orange clay disks go "pooof".  All my friends are starting to do it and it seems like alot of fun.

Offline Graybeard

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« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2006, 07:57:55 AM »
Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder. To me those Ruger SS synethtic Red Labels are as ugly as home made sin. You'd not catch me holding one on a moonless rainy night much less in broad daylight.

But if that's what cranks your tractor go for it. They are strong guns but have several short comings that keep me from owning another. I do like the looks and feel of the 20s but me and they don't look to the same place and I can't hit the inside of a barn with one with the door closed.

They have automatic safeties and on a clays range that will cause you a LOT of lost targets. I won't have one on a gun for clays use, fine on a hunting gun but even then I prefer to decide when it's time to put on the safety not the gun. They don't fit everyone but then none do.

I've probably owned more Brownings than all the others combined I guess. I like them best too and have more of them now than any other brand of double. I've owned them in .410, 28, 20 and 12 and currently have both 20 and 28 ga. Brownings. The only Ruger Red Label I've owned was a couple of 20s back soon after they came out. They looked good and felt good but that auto safety and the fact they didn't shoot where I looked caused them to go soon after I got each. I've not made that mistake again.

If you really want a nice gun get a Browning Citori or Beretta Sporting clays gun with 30" barrels. It will work wonderfully for skeet and sporting clays and do OK on trap altho it's not stocked quite the same as a true trap gun would be. But it's the best compromise if you're gonna use only one gun for both skeet and trap.


Bill aka the Graybeard
President, Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises
256-435-1125

I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!

Offline nasem

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« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2006, 08:50:46 AM »
those browning Citories are just..... beutiful guns.  I don't fully underestand what the ruger "automatic sastify" problem is but it seems like its a pain in the a$$.  

Ok, now you got me leaning towards the citories.  I wanted one in 26".  Do they come around the $1000 range ?  Im gonna go to gunbroker and see for my self

Offline Graybeard

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« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2006, 12:25:27 PM »
Take the advice of someone who's been shooting the games since the early 70s and go with at least 28" barrels. If skeet and bird hunting were your only uses I'd just let it slide but 26" barrels seem kinda short on a double gun. The 28" is a much better balanced gun and for trap most folks use 30" even on pumps and semiautos which make for a longer sighting plane than even 34" barrels would on a double. If you get 26" I think you'll be wishing you hadn't soon.

The auto safety goes ON SAFE every blasted time you open the gun. Do you want to have to remember to take it back off EVERY shot? Trust me you really don't. A decent gunsmith can fix it so it doesn't do that on a Ruger but it's just an extra cost and hassle you shouldn't have on a target gun. No other maker I'm aware of does that.

I'm not sure if the base line Citori can still be had for $1000 new or not. Certainly so used and there are a lot of used ones out there. The last one I bought was a 28 ga as new with box and extra extended choke tubes. I think it was marked $1289 but I traded for it so am not sure how much actually cash I put into it. If I had paid straight cash I might have gotten him down to $1150 but doubt he'd have gone less. My 20 ga is an XS model that goes for almost $3000 new. That's the nice thing about them you can get a Citori in a wide selection of price ranges and made for the field, skeet, sporting clays or trap as you wish.


Bill aka the Graybeard
President, Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises
256-435-1125

I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!

Offline texagun

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Opinions: Best low end O/U 12 ga
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2006, 01:55:11 AM »
Just a recommendation:  Before you buy a "cheap" gun that you will be sorry for later, save an extra $300 or so and consider looking at the Weatherby Orion Upland priced at $995 around here.  You'll be glad you did.