Gun weight

[Questor]

I recently got into shotgunning clays and bought Jugurtha, my Winchester Select Energy Trap gun. It looks massive compared to Imola, my Beretta Silver Pigeon. The guns handle differently. With the same ammo, the Silver Pigeon, a light field gun, will bruise me on clay shooting. Jugurtha doesn't bruise me at all.

It's nice to have the extra weight on a clays gun. What gun weights do you like for your clays gun?  Jugurtha is a shade over 8 pounds.

[mcwoodduck]

I only have one target gun and that is a Beretta Custom made trap gun.  Other than that I shoot field grade guns and in 12 ga can range from 6.75 pounds to 7.5 pounds.  I'm not recoil sensitive and I shoot a lot so I tend not to get chewed up with standard loads.

[Graybeard]

For a 12 gauge DEFINITELY OVER 8 pounds and over 9 is even better. Folks using tubed sets for skeet with 28" or 30" barrels at times have guns weighting in at over ten pounds and they sure do tame the recoil but are so heavy it hurts my back to carry one around the field for a round of skeet.

As a result I've dropped back to using only 28 and .410s and mine weight in between 6.5 and 7 pounds which seems pretty much right for the small guns.

[GSaltzman]

9 lbs. 3 oz. with a 10 oz weight on the barrel. It's not for recoil but to smooth out my swing. Too light of a gun and I blow past the target and end up shooting in front on the middle stations.

[Straight Shooter]

I agree with GSaltzman.

I like the weight to smooth out my swing on a the skeet field.  I get real whippy with a light short barreled gun.

I don't shoot sporting clays.  If I were to ever try it I would probably use  my 12 gauge 11-87 and see how that worked. Since I haven't shot sporting clays I'm not sure if gun weight would be a hindrance or a help.