Entry level skeet gun.

[agent9]

I want to start shooting skeet at the Pacific Rod & Gun Club here in San Francisco. As they do not rent equipment I am looking for a good started shotgun. I see a lot of $2000+ skeet guns out there, and this is currently way out of my price range. Any recommendations / opinions are welcome. I have considered getting a Moss 500 for a little while for protection, but not sure if this would make a usable skeet gun, or even allowed at the range. As this is a new endeavor I do not need anything super competitive or even anything with super long longevity. More just looking to dip my toe in the hobby.

Thanks in advance.

[Hank15]

I would recommend an used B-gun that can be had for about $900 to $1300 depending on the condition.

A 686 with up to 20,000 rounds through it can be had for about $1000, and still have another 20,000 round life span.

Last time I saw a 687 with about 35,000 rounds through it for $1300.

[subrvin]

Montefeltro 28" 12ga is what I started with.

[trapperjohn]

Or, you can be very practical and pragmatic, and test the waters (to see if skeet/shotgunning is something you'll keep up with) by getting a good starter o/u like a CZ Redhead or Lanber (both in the $800 range new) and padding the comb if needed to raise your eye over the rib for proper mounting. For even less money, look into a Tristar o/u - still a decent gun, and very appropriate for what you want to do.

Will these guns last a lifetime and be worth passing down to your kids? Probably not. Are they good-shooting guns that you can use to get into the sport, then get something better once you've decided you love the sport, and keep this first gun as a loaner for your friends when they come shooting with you? Absolutely.

Also, do yourself a favor and take the Northern CA Shotgun/Skeet clinic offered by "thefeeder". It will be the BEST $50 you could possibly spend this year, and will set you up on the right footing for enjoying the clay sports with knowledge and safety. Detailed info can be found in the sticky at the top of the shotgun forum.

Tell him "trapperjohn" referred you....and he'll say, "Who?"

[repomanNWP]

In your situation I went with the CZ Redhead Deluxe, its a good value if you want to go new, and want to go O/U. Other good options:

- A used B gun (not gently used... I mean REALLY used, that's the only way to get down to the $1000 range)
- Remington 870. yeah, I know, a pump, but, its a good solid gun, screw in chokes, and the cheapest option you will find
- A used Remington 1100 (lots available, a good semi-auto option that won't break the bank)

Shooting clays is an expensive hobby, so just go in with both eyes open.

[MrElectric03]

I started with a Winchester 1200 and still shoot it today. 870 is great too, can't go wrong.

[Thefeeder]

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Pacific R&G does not allow any barrel less then 24"....Shotgun with field or sport stocks with standard mag tubes are allowed. If this is going to be your goto range then buy accordingly. You will want a shotgun with interchangeable choke tubes. Most shooters run Cylinder or Skeet chokes.

I shoot there offen and will be there tommorow at 1pm if you need some guidance or want to try a few different guns

There is also the Nor-Cal Skeet Clinics that I teach in San Jose

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=405000

Here is some info on buying a SG for clays

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=425953

[Wheelsonly]

So I know it's a trek but make it a trip come to coyote and shoot 2 or 3 side by side you never know a 800 dollar semi beretta may work perfect or maybe it will be a new browning lightning series youll only know when you try fire them on a skeet field

[Sky_God]

Get an over under, no semi no pump. Buy used, check out some non black rifle focused gun shops and you can find a good selection and enjoy

[trapperjohn]

Although if you are going to shoot skeet, a pump action gun will put you at a consistent disadvantage, since skeet requires shooting doubles, and the pump makes that very difficult (not impossible, but why make it harder on yourself, especially at the beginning).

As repoman points out, a good semi-auto is certainly an option, and good ones can be had for less money. Keep in mind that a heavier gun (8.5 lb +) is better for skeet than a light gun, and many shotguns that are not specifically designed for clay shooting are field guns designed to be lightweight.

One approach (that worked on my wife's gun) is to get a decent semi-auto and weight it for skeet (easier to add weight to a semi-auto than an o/u). An excellent and affordable semi-auto is a Weatherby SA-08 (in either 12 ga or 20 ga).

But take it from someone that's been in your shoes - take the Nocal Skeet Clinic, use rental guns for a while (and try different ones), THEN decide what you like best and that fits you best - before you shell out any money for a gun.

[bigbearbear]

OP, I know it is very tempting to base the purchase of your shotgun on price alone, I've been there and done that myself. The fact is that shotguns, especially those used for hitting fast moving aerial target like skeet, should be purchased based on its fit and balance for you. Otherwise, you can spend over $10k on a shotgun and still not shoot well.

If I were you, I would sign up for one of those Skeet Clinics that a fellow poster here teaches (TheFeeder). Along with the lesson for skeet, he brings along a wide selection of shotguns for students and you can check those out and see which ones suit you better. Find a few that fits you if you can, then filter them further based on their prices.

Alternatively, you can also go to Coyote Valley Sporting Clays. They have a selection of shotguns for rental and you can try them out at your own pace, without the pressure of range officers breathing down your neck.

Another option, if you don't mind a bit of a drive, is to head down to Weatherby's office in Paso Robles. They have a showroom full of shotguns and rifles you can shoulder and try. Unfortunately you can't shoot them, but at least you'll be able to work the action and mount them to see how they fit you. I went there with my wife when shopping for her shotgun and I like what I saw there, their pump and semi-autos fit me well but unfortunately not so much for my wife. Might be worth a trip.

[agent9]

Thank you all so much for the advice, this is great. I have already contacted PRGC to get some details on a lesson. Going to start there, and probably take a clinic shortly afterwards. Probably going to start with something simple and cheap just to give me some access, and allow me to get a feel for the sport / shotguns in general, with plans to buy something more capable in the near future. Thanks again for all the advice.

TheFeeder: I would love to take one of your clinics, just need to figure out what dates would be the best. I will probably get signed up for something after your March 8th clinic.

[calif 15-22]

Thank you all so much for the advice, this is great. I have already contacted PRGC to get some details on a lesson. Going to start there, and probably take a clinic shortly afterwards. Probably going to start with something simple and cheap just to give me some access, and allow me to get a feel for the sport / shotguns in general, with plans to buy something more capable in the near future. Thanks again for all the advice.

TheFeeder: I would love to take one of your clinics, just need to figure out what dates would be the best. I will probably get signed up for something after your March 8th clinic.

If you are in SF you should consider taking a ride down to Coyote Clays as Bigbigbear mentioned. Heck maybe we could get another meet and greet going (since I missed the last one).

They rent Browning o/u for 10 cents a shot. 100 shots for $10 is pretty cheap. I'm sure if there were others of us you could try one of ours as well.

I've been clay shooting now 4 times total and all 4 there. Great place with great people. Metcalf clinic has great reviews as well, but I think you need a gun to go there as they don't rent.

Either way hope to see you out there some time.

Good luck . . .

[redrex]

As was said, fit, more then anything. But understanding price I also went with the CZ Readhead and I love it. I just saw CZ canvasback, one step down from the Redhead, in the WTS section for $600. Do a search in this forum for CZ and you can find several (heated) discussion on the topic of value/brand name.

As a noted contrarian I'd also highly suggest NOT skipping the black rifle shops. I've had some very good luck in just those types of shops.

The clinic is a MUST and do it before you buy.

[Mana4real]

If you want to dip your toe into it. Head do to coyote and rent some of the shotguns there. I've found 2 that I really like. The Browning Citori 725 Sporting and the Beretta 686E. Both are just about identical in form. The difference that I notice is the grip around the stock is bigger on the Browning. These are out of your price range. I myself bought a Lanber 2087 a couple years ago and have put about 6k rounds through it. In that time, I've had it double fire twice, fail to fire (feels like the safety is on) on many occasions, had the action not want to close or open on one occasion. The biggest problem that I noticed with the Lanber is that the receiver isn't sealed. So when you shoot it, all the powder crap goes into the receiver. It's easy to pull apart, but I have to take the stock off every 1000 rounds and clean inside the receiver otherwise I get problems. The fit isn't that great for me, but I make it work. I've shot 50 straight at skeet with it a couple of times. But in my opinion, anyone should be able to pick up just about any shotgun (properly choked) and get their average score.

All that being said, as soon as I can save up enough money to buy a new NICE sporting gun, I'm buying it. They feel considerably better than the cheap guns. Once you shoot for a while you'll notice balance and swing of the gun will make a big difference in comfort.