What is the best buy on o/u shotgun

[outdoorarki]

Hey guys. I am joining the local gun club here after moving a couple months ago. I have never been in a club before and the trap and clay range looks like fun to me. What is the best buy for cost and reliability on a o/u gun? Not sure on the gauge yet.

[james25889]

well if i was going to shoot trap i would definitely get a 12 gauge

[Graybeard]

Not the cheapest choice but you'll find most folks shooting Browning Citori or Beretta. Ruger has some following but it's way behind the two previously mentioned. The Huglus imported by CZ and DeHaan are nice guns but not in the same league with the Browning and Beretta. Some folks shoot the Russian made guns and they seem to hold up OK but are clunky looking and feeling and I'd never buy one personally.

[Stuart C.]

The older Belgian Browning Superposed 12 ga used but in decent condition are sometimes absolute bargains... IMNSHO of course.  Good luck.

[jlchucker]

At my club, there's only one trap range, and the members who shoot trap there range are pretty much locals with a variety of guns and shooting experiences.  I've seen everything from 28 ga thru 12.  Shotguns from one lady who had a Winchester 21 to a guy with an old single-barrel break-open behind-the-farmhouse-door hammergun.  A lot of 870 and Mossberg pumps. Greybeard mentioned Russian Baikals, now imported by Remington--basically the only difference is that they stamped Remington on them and upped the price by about $100. I use one of these in side-by-side myself, and shoot in the low 20's.  I had one  Russian over-under, and there are still a lot of these in play, but I got rid of mine because I'm left-handed, and these all had stocks cast off for a right-hand shooter.  A friend of mine, before I got rid of the over-under, took mine and shot a 25 with it right away.  He usually uses a Citori, and is a competitive shooter. Those Russian guns are not pretty, but are very durable. There's lots of choices for you if you are going to shoot at a club where everyone shoots for fun, and nobody's a gun-snob. You can have fun without breaking your bank. Good luck, and enjoy.   

[jbmi]

First off decide which sport you're going to do most. Sporting Clays, Skeet, and Trap all use a slightly different gun, mostly in the stock configuration and barrel rib. You can shoot all three sports with one gun, but you won't get the best out of your skills. There is even a difference between a Field gun and a good Sporting Clays. If you have to have just one gun until you decide which sport to concentrate on I'd buy either a good Sporting Clays gun or Trap Gun. I would not buy a Field Gun.
As mentioned above, Brownings are about as good a starter gun as you can find, many nice used ones out there and they come in all of the styles mentioned. Next would be Beretta's, also available in many makes and models. If you look you can find some nice used ones for decent prices.
Also don't overlook SKB's, Remington 3200's, and Winchester 101's. I'd stay as far away as possible from those cheap Russian, Turkey and low end Spanish O/U's. They may look nice, but quality is their big weakness.
I'm sure you'll get hooked on one of the shooting sports, and like everything else you'll start looking at what the "Good" shooters are using. If it's trap It won't take you long to long for a nice Krieghoff, Perazzi's ,Kolar , Caesar Guerini, or the real high end Silver Seitz.
There are a lot of places you can try before you buy, or shoot as many different types of guns as you can, a good start are your friends guns.
The one thing you need to remember, a well fitted gun is more important than an expensive gun, spend a few extra dollars to have one fitted to you and you'll shoot a whole lot better

[Questor]

The Winchester Select is a heck of a deal.

[Forestclimber]

If you are a beginner, and trying to decide how much you like shooting clay birds, get an 870.  You can shoot trap or skeet with choke tubes.  There are only four sets of doubles on a round of skeet.  You will be surprised how much time you have to shuck a second shell. Or shoot all singles. As for sporting clays, if you are shooting practice rounds, you can shoot singles or ask to shoot the second bird on report.  That means they don't throw the second bird until you fire at the first one.  Most guys at gun clubs are pretty ok and don't care what someone else is shooting, and they are willing to help a beginner.  The number one thing is HAVE FUN!

[oneounceload]

The older Belgian Browning Superposed 12 ga used but in decent condition are sometimes absolute bargains... IMNSHO of course.  Good luck.

Ain't THAT the truth!...I've seen some online for half the price of a Miroku-made Browning

[leatherman92]

Savage/stevens o/u 12ga.the best buy you can get on a o/u

[Dustyvance]

I shoot trap and sporting clays in a Handicapped shoot twice a year and I have the Ruger Redlabel. Flawless so far and I have had it for 9 years without even a hiccup. It IS a little more expensive than some , but not bad. Kinda middle of the road in price but a beautiful and hard working gun.

[SHOOTALL]

i agree with GB but add SKB is putting out some nice guns and stand behind them better than Browning . I shoot a Browning at the club but a SKB in the field some .

[oneounceload]

Before you buy anything, go to the local club, rent guns if available, or borrow and shoot a variety of guns to see which ones fit you best.  Since target shooting involves a lot of shooting, buying a cheap gun that won't last is generally ill advised.  If your budget is limited, look at a semi auto like a Remington or Beretta or Browning.  If you can afford more, then a nice O/U from Browning, Beretta, SKB will work, but get a target model, not a field model.  Beretta's fit is different than Browning's.  If one fits you well, then odds are the other one won't, so try, try, try before you buy

[1marty]

Don't look for cheap or expensive; don't look for the "name". Get a gun which fits. I've seen guys with $15,000 Perazzi's who couldn't hit the side of a barn. The first time I shot 100 in skeet it was with an old beat up Remington 1100 which mounted and fit perfect. Today I shoot with a Beretta silver pigeon II with 30 inch barrels. I have both 12 and 20 gauge ballels. The Beretta fits me just perfect. Try different guns before you settle on the "right" one. Have a professional fit you. If, you just want to spray pellets all over the sky and hear the gun go "boom" then just buy the name and price.

[WESTTX4570]

How about  a Lanber 2097 Sporting Lux? I have put around 4000 rounds through mine so far without a hickup whatsoever. Great gun for under $1000 bucks.

[Questor]

I'm very late entering this discussion, but I am very delighted with the Winchester Select trap gun. Gander Mountain had some fabulous deals on them. Mine is stock, except that I added Browning Midas finger-screw-in-able-and-out-able chokes, which fit the gun without modification. We are very pleased with it. Cost was just over $1000.

It's an O/U, and the manufacturer says it's a trap gun, but it doesn't shoot so hight that it can't be used for skeet, or even hunting.

[ctrout]

If you can find the special run of Dick's Sporting Goods Benelli (Franchi) Diamond O/U guns, they are supposedly just a plain Jane Franchi Alcione.  Price on a new one is in the $700 range I think.  I have an Alcione and if I could have gotten a dressed down version brand new for $700 I probably would have went that route.  I don't feel like I gave up anything at all in the quality department by buying the Franchi instead of the Beretta.  The Franchi fits me better too.  Incidentally, I paid $650 for my Alcione used on Gunbroker and aside from an aftermarket recoil system installed in the stock, the gun was almost factory new.  The lever is so far to the right that sometimes I have to wonder if it's closed all the way.  I've since ordered a second set of barrels in 20ga for $450 (including a trade-in) so I have a VERY nice two gauge gun that I shoot as well as anything I've ever owned and it only cost me $1100.