Does such a beast exist? Are the only reasonably priced shotguns that are suited for sporting clays semi-autos? I want something proven, durable, and versatile. I understand that fit is the number one thing, but with the exception of much more expensive shotguns, the specs seem to read just about the same between all of the big names and that if they don’t work for you you need to have one fitted professionally.
Everyone tells me to either look used(but I’m clueless and don’t know what to inspect to see if it’s in good shape,) or to buy a Browning 725 Citori Sporting or a Beretta 686 SP1. Having loved my FN SLP MK1 in 3-gun, I’m also curious about the FN SC1.
Are there other good options? I’d like to save 1K and get the Beretta instead of the Browning, but what am I giving up for that thousand dollars? Where is the extra money going when you go up in price? I don’t really care about the wood, and if there were good options with inexpensive wood and no engraving I’d be all over it. But I don’t know what I don’t know. I mean, hell maybe a decent semi-auto is the way to go anyway to keep me from overthinking choke choices as I learn the game?
Yes, I realize that M4C is not the ideological home of sporting clays…but the philosophy here is more suited to the way I make purchases than exists elsewhere.
As a guy who researches everything ad nauseum to control my fear of “buyers remorse” (hence how I found this site) I strongly suggest you ask this question on a “m4carbine.net” like site for shotgun sports. I always scratch my head when I see questions here on backpacking boots, TV’s, etc.
That being said, IMHO the Beretta 686 series is one of the best values in O/U’s. I own a White Onyx Sporting with a 30" barrel. It is a nice balancing shotgun with a good trigger. Also, Beretta doesn’t really change their action until you get pretty far up the food chain and this action is one of the best. All you get for your money until that point is engraving and nicer wood. I like that their “Sporting” models have oiled stocks rather than urethane as it is classier looking and far easier to fix dings and scratches.
Brownings are nice but over priced IMO…and made in Japan. If you want an American made shotgun, Ruger is your only choice and they just changed the design of their Red Label. I haven’t researched that model. Their old version was plagued by bad triggers which turned me off.
Id rather buy an Italian shotgun than a Japanese gun…for no other reason than nostalgia. To me Beretta is a shotgun maker 1st and the oldest at that. I like that kind of stuff. 500+ years of history in that Valley
Also, O/U shotguns are simple weapons and a higher price usually only gives you nicer aesthetics. Shotguns are also much like Swiss watches in that a very expensive mechanical watch is still not as accurate as a cheap quartz watch.
If you are serious about Clays, find a place that can fit the shotgun and /or get an adjustable stock. This is super important because to point shotguns rather than aim.
Just remember an Olympic Skeet shooter with still break 25 of 25 with a $400 Stoeger OR a $50000 Perazzi.
Forget about an O/U and buy a Beretta gas gun. The only people that shoot sporting with O/Us are being paid to shoot or want to look like they are paid to shoot. Shooting 7 1/2, 9 and spreader loads through a single choke overcomes the imagined 2 barrel advantage. Put a skeet choke in it and learn how to shoot. When you get good put a light mod in and forget about. A gun that fits is very important! You have to be able to mount the gun consistently. You have to look at the target not the gun. The gun has to be pointed where you are looking. If you are shifting you head around looking for a sight picture you will never be a good sporting clay shooter. The gun has to be part of you! GH
As someone who has shot a lot of trap and dabbled in sporting clays for fun I will say that if you plan on shooting any appreciable amount (IE 10’s of thousands of rounds) over the course of the shotgun’s lifetime buy an over and under and spend the money for a good one. I have seen a lot of autoloaders, and do think highly of the Beretta 390 and 391s, but they do not hold up as well to high volume amount of rounds and will require more maintenance, also with fewer moving parts it is easier to transition to the next target in my experience. Also, the ability to have two different chokes for two different shots makes things easier as well. As far as the over and unders that have been mentioned here are my thoughts and experiences. Ruger’s Red Label is a fine field gun, and I ran my first 100 straight in trap with one. Have never had any issues with it, but somethings to take into account. They are field guns, meaning they are lightweight and made for carrying a lot and shooting a little. They kick like ****ing mules, or at least the ones I have shot do, and if you put several hundred rounds or even 1K plus through them over the course of a weekend or longer shoot your ass is going to be sore as hell. This is partly due to their light weight and very short forcing cones. I’ve heard from some that Ruger lengthened their forcing cones, but I haven’t verified their myself. While it treated me well I wouldn’t recommend it. As far as the Beretta and Brownings. Both are good guns, have a Browning combo that I’ve got around 10s of thousands of rounds through since 2005-2006 to include several major wins, and have not had any issue other then wearing the damn finish from where I am constantly touching the shotgun while shooting. Not a huge deal and I could refinish it if it ever bothered me. In my experience with Berettas over and unders they are find shotguns though I have seen a larger number of parts breakage compared to the Brownings shotguns at shoots, then again I see more Berretta than Brownings too, though they are no where nearly as bad as some models/manufactures, Perazzi for example is known for eating hammer springs. Beretta shotguns also have a metric ton of accessories made for them and you can get damn near anything you could ever want or need for them and that could also be a selling point.
All of that said, here are my thoughts. You are new to the game a Beretta 390 used or a 391 might be a damn good choice until you are more comfortable with the game, find out what you want and need, and it will give you a chance to see what guns are out there, try several, and perhaps get a good deal on a used shotgun. Also see if you can find a sporting clays club that rents shotguns, one near me rents some really nice ones. With that said, it depends on your budget as well, though I generally recommend to avoid the excessive chicken scratch on the guns since it doesn’t make you a better shooter, unless it is something you want or if you end up like my father and find a smoking deal on a higher grade model.
I paid $2400 (gun only in 12ga was only around $1000) Brand new, for a Beretta 686 onyx sporting in the early 90"s. It came with a set of Briley sub gauge tubes (20, 28, & .410) with screw in chokes and an Americase aluminum hard case. I have thousands of rounds through it and never had any issues. Was money well spent. If you decide to get a Beretta get a competition model as they have mechanical triggers, the field version 686 I had was inertia.
Shot nsca for years including a few us opens and most of the big east coast tourneys. I could write 100 pages worth of advice, reasoning , rational and experience but will sum this up in a few small sentences. For auto guns stick with 390/3901/391. For O/U if it isn’t Italian or German it ain’t shit. 68x series is the finest gun design in over understand until you get into dt10/11 or p and k gun territory. A fine o/u is a piece of art and a pleasure to shoot. A beretta 3xx semi will get you the most bang for your buck and allow you to be competitive while having market support anywhere you shoot. Half the guys at any sporting clay tourney could tear down and rebuild a 390 with their eyes closed. It is that prolific of a gun in the last 25 years.
Thanks a lot guys…I shot both a Beretta and a Browning today, both fit very well out of the box. Went by Briley and their fitter told me he wouldn’t change anything based on putting me behind the ones they had in the shop. Unfortunately Briley’s prices are a good bit higher than I can find them online for…and they don’t have the White Onyx grade.
In terms of actual shooting performance, both worked well for me. The porting on the Browning didn’t do as much as I’d expected…but I’m relatively adept at eating recoil. The palm swell was nice though.
As it stands based on being hands on and shooting them, I’m pretty much sitting at six of one and half a dozen of the other. I definitely appreciate Beretta’s history and expertise in building shotguns and I might enjoy it more because of that.
If you are decided on a Beretta O/U, Look for a used SP3 or Prevail online. You can get a nice gun with pretty wood for under $2k. You cannot afford to outshoot a Beretta. Even if you do, they can be rebuilt like new. Were talking 100K + rounds, Best O/U design there is and not bulky and combersome like the browning/underlug design.
Porting is a gimmick and waste of money. All it does it make noise. Notice how most top end shooters do not use porting. There are some other good italian made guns that can be had cheap out there too. B. Rizzini guns,ect.
I ended up buying another one for myself. Street price was just under $800. They cut corners on the scroll work, but the action is really solid. Over 2,000 shells through each and they are still like new. Everything still nice and tight. Very pleasantly surprised with them.
I am in the same boat and can pick up a used CZ HUGLU canvasback with aftermarket chokes (can’t remember which) and hard case for $550 Is this a good entry level gun for clays? What about price? Thanks!
If looking for a good O/U clays gun, and not wanting to break the bank I would look for a used Beretta. They can be had for a good price, and are very solid guns. Keep an eye out for a used Guerini or Franchi. Used it might cost about as much as a new Beretta but you won’t look back after getting one.
The FN SC-1 is basically a current production Winchester model 101 dressed up in a laminated stock and with FN markings. So anything you read regarding current 101s will apply to the SC-1 and anything you read regarding the SC-1 will apply to the sporting versions of the 101. (Except minor differences due to stock construction and possibly geometry.)
Also: Porting is widely considered to be useless due to the extremely low pressures the gases are under at the muzzle-end of the barrel and are not even included on similar guns not designed for the North American market (although that is probably primarily a noise pollution issue). So don’t expect to see much in the way of decrease muzzle rise, just as a 45 and 9mm will see less benefit from a comp than a 38 Super, 357 SiG, 10mm, &c.
In any case, almost all the serious clays guys I know are either Beretta guys or Browning guys.
I’m relatively new to sporting clays but if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on your initial shotgun, I would highly recommend you looking at a Lanber for a starter O/U. I purchased one last Christmas as a starter gun and I have been extremely impressed with the gun and it is definitely a quality piece. They are Spanish built guns and were popular in Europe with a good record of durability but never really took off in the U.S. I did a lot of research before purchasing one and I don’t think you can’t beat it quality wise until you spend about $1000. CDNN seems to have purchased much of the remaining stock and I purchased my 2087 Hunter for $550 and the sporting clays 2097 run from $699 to $799.
The only downside is that they are not well supported here in the U.S.
Besides the Lanber the other good option for a budget O/U (sub $800) is the CZ particularly the canvasback and redhead. I think the Lanber is the better shotgun but the CZ is much better supported here in the U.S.
If you want to spend more money lets say $1000 to $1300, I would look at the re-released Ruger Red Label or the Winchester 101 (FN built in Belgium).
Over $1500 you are in Browning Citori and Beretta territory and those would be my choice in that price range.
Disclaimer: I shoot probably 1500 shells a month on skeet, trap, and sporting clay courses. Mostly skeet, though.
For an “entry-level” O/U stick to the B-guns. Beretta and Browning. The 68x series is very good from Beretta. The Brownings are good as well. If a new one is a bit spend find a used one. They are all over. Most shotgun clubs have a few for sale sitting around. The difference between them depends on you. I much prefer the feel, weight, and balance of a Beretta. My friend shoots a Browning 725 and loves it. Both are very quality guns.
Above that you have the Krieghoffs (what I shoot on the skeet field) and Perazzis. Great guns. Hold one and you’ll see why they cost more. But…not required for most shooters.
As for automatics buy a Beretta 390 or 391. End of discussion. Benelli makes great clay guns but everyone, including me, that had one sold it. They are super reliable but they’ll beat you to death in 12 gauge. Gives you a headache after a full day on a field. Everyone knows how to fix a Beretta and the parts are easy to find. Remington 1100/1187s are good choices, but aren’t as reliable as a 390/391. Everyone can fix those as well so if it goes down it’s not a big deal… But look around and the vast majority of automatics you’ll see at most clubs are Berettas.
Below a B-gun in a O/U and it gets ugly. You can find guns from Turkey and Russia but they aren’t worth the hassle. If you want to spend <$1K get a good used Beretta 390/391 and call it done. Most likely you’ll be shooting full load 12gauge anyway if it’s for sporting clays. O/Us are nice due to simplicity and being able to shoot any load you want without worrying about it cycling an automatic. Two-chokes is nice, if you’re serious about SC.