New 12ga O/U under $1000, anything worthwhile?

[BananaKetchup]

Looking for one new for about $1000 or less, mostly for ducks/dove and maybe some clay shooting. Anything to consider for that price range? Used Beretta/Browning is always an option, but before I comb my area for used guns I am wondering if the newer ones are decent enough.

[GeorgeMG]

I have a couple of Stoeger side by sides that have been great. Their over unders are basically the same as the s X s, just a different configuration. They're pretty affordable as well.

[whutsup40]

C.Z makes a few really nice o/u, Check out the redhead premier! I have a few of there's and they are a really good shotgun.

[Boarhuntor]

A little off-topic.
You don't want O/U for hunting and for ducks in particular.
I doubt you want to drug a nice gun with wood furniture in the mud, water and all

For hunting, you would appreciate a third shell.

Another point, O/Us are usually heavier than semis, meaning less weight to lag around while hunting.

IMO, save your money and buy a synthetic Remington V3 or A300

...

[Bakerloo]

I have a Weatherby Orion 1. It's a Turkish made O/U. I like it. Won it in a raffle. Bought a single $10 ticket. I use it for doves.

[CWL]

Weatherby Orion. Nice shotgun, it is made in Turkey now, but it is more or less a Beretta clone.

[G-forceJunkie]

You probably want a 3 1/2" chamber semi auto in a durable camo finish for duck. For dove, quail, phesant, chucker and busting clays an O/U is good. I'mlooking for something similar right now and pretty much narrowed it down to a CZ Drake or Redhead Premier.

[Imageview]

There are a few used Beretta and Browning's available on the marketplace. There are other possibilities, but I'd trust a used 686 over the budget options personally.

[SandHill]

OP, I am not going to tell you what you should want, but respond to what you asked for, an O/U under $1,000. It is possible.

I just bought a Winchester 101 Field at Bass Pro: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Winc...rUnder-Shotgun

$1100, but with discount gift cards available online, you can get it for under $1,000 pre-tax and DROS. I bought Cabela's gift cards on Raise at a 13.6% discount.

The Winchester 101 is made by FN in Belgium at the same factory they make Brownings. Design has the hinge pins on the side of the receiver block, rather than the bottom like a Browning Citori. This makes for a more compact, lower profile receiver, more like a Beretta, which I like.

I have not had mine long and only shot it once. I think the gun looks pretty good. Walnut quality and finish are both beautiful. The wood to metal fit is OK, but definitely not up to the precision of more expensive guns. The engraving is not very impressive. The lock-up is very solid and the trigger is smooth with a nice clean break. Gun has chrome lined bores and chambers, back bored, invector plus chokes and ejectors. Balances nicely and fits me well. LOP is 14.25," which is 0.25" more than I am used to, but it still feels good to me. I'm loving it and think it's a great value for the money.

The reviews I have seen on them are very positive. I think the only corners they cut with these guns are cosmetic. You should check them out. If you are good with the cosmetics and it fits you, I think it will serve you well.

[StandardFinn]

I second the A300 - I have an A400 for hunting/sporting clays. I think it's the perfect mix of nice/functional...but a little over your price limit if you wanna stay under 1000.

[Ducky's Dad]

At that price point, your best bet will be a used Beretta, Browning, F. Rizzini, Miroku, or similar. The original Japanese (Olin Kodensha) Winchester 101s are attractive, but parts are very scarce, so I would avoid them (although I own two). The first generation FN 101s were poorly balanced and too heavy, but they fixed that in the later production guns. So, if you buy an FN 101, try to handle it before you buy, or make sure it is later production. F. Rizzinis are extremely nice guns and were marketed in the US under a number of names (Verona, Cortona, etc.). B. Rizzinis are generally too expensive for your budget but you might get lucky, and they were marketed by several importers, including Sig. There are some sleepers out there, like Fabarms. There is also the Ruger Red Label, solid gun but heavy in 12 ga. Heavy is good for a duck and clays gun, not so good for a dove and quail gun. You will probably get the best bang for your buck with a used 686 or Citori, and you will always be able to get your money out of one.

[whutsup40]

You probably want a 3 1/2" chamber semi auto in a durable camo finish for duck. For dove, quail, phesant, chucker and busting clays an O/U is good. I'mlooking for something similar right now and pretty much narrowed it down to a CZ Drake or Redhead Premier.

Both are good guns, My drake is 28 gauge and the redhead is 20 gauge.

[md2020]

Looking for one new for about $1000 or less, mostly for ducks/dove and maybe some clay shooting. Anything to consider for that price range? Used Beretta/Browning is always an option, but before I comb my area for used guns I am wondering if the newer ones are decent enough.

New CZ or use B-gun... A few months ago I was exactly where you are. For me I was looking to buy my first real shotgun

I was really close to buying a new CZ Redhead. Its a good looking gun and many people are very happy with their CZ. Its also a little over half the price of a new B-gun. I asked similar questions and the B-gun fanatics had a lot to say, claiming the superior performance and reliability of the Browning/Beretta's made it better than the so-called Turkish junk I could get for half the price.

I did end up with a used Browning, but mainly because I was on GunBroker throwing out low offers and one got accepted. I like the browning, a lot. But I would have liked the CZ if I had gotten that.

Right now, my fancy, ultra-reliable Browning, that I'm supposed to be handing down to my great, great grandkids... is in the shop because of a damaged lower firing pin. Is that supposed to happen with the B-guns? I am currently "gun-less" (new word)

I was already considering a second gun, maybe a different guage, so my niece could shoot with me and I'd have something different to shoot. Guess I'll be looking at a CZ afterall... go figure...

(oh... one thing I've learned in my less than two months of clay shooting... the cost difference between the $1K CZ or the $2K Beretta/Browning is insignificant. The real money is spent on shells any cost saving efforts would be better spent on ammo)

[Imageview]

The difference with the b guns is more about parts availability and smith's familiar with working on them in my opinion. Guns that get shot 10's of thousands of times have parts wear out. Once I've found a shotgun that fits, I basically want to keep it and not have to do that again.

For the cost differential between a cz and a b gun, you can buy 2 or 3 czs and keep the one that works best for you and sell the rest. If a shotgun fits the extra money isn't going to make you any more accurate with the b gun.

[RNE228]

I would lean towards a pump or semi-auto for duck hunting. I've shot pump, semi-auto and O/U on the range for skeet, trap, five stand and sporting clays. O/U is great for that.

My concern would be hunting from blinds, especially pit blinds. Not enough room to maneuver a break action.

Not saying they're not out there, but in last 15 years I've seen like one person on a refuge with an O/U