Trap shotgun

[knkali]

looking to get involved in trap/sporting clays. Total noobe here. Can you guys rec an intro 12 ga shotgun (under$1K) that a novice can grow with.

Thanks

[Tom-ADC]

I have a Remington 11-87 Sporting Clays shotgun I shoot sporting clays, 5 stand, skeet and trap with it, comes with 5 chokes tubes. It has the light contour barrel so no magnum loads. It would be okay for doves/quail but its really a clays sports shotgun.

[ceh383]

There several good options you can go with, new or used. For Trap, a single shot will work, but not for Sporting Clays. For Trap, a pump will work, but not so good for Sporting Clays, but it will work. If you wish to shoot Trap And Sporting Clays, I would go for either a over/under or semi auto. At the 1k mark for an o/u, used I would look for a "B" gun (Browning, Beretta), new I would look at the CZ line. For a semi auto, I'd go new, Browning, Weatherby, Remington...Many to choose from. The most important thing is the fit of the gun. If you have a club near you, rent as many as you can, find what feels the best to you, then you will know what to look for.
People will give you recommendations on what brand to buy, but no one will know what feels best to you.
For me, I own a Browning semi auto, a CZ o/u and a Remington pump...I use the CZ the most, it just feels better...TO ME.

Good luck in your search...

[ysr_racer]

Rem 1100 or 1187 works just fine.

[bigbearbear]

If you're looking to keep the budget under $1k, semi-autos will get you the most gun for your buck. However, don't shop based on the price, the shotgun should fit you or you won't do well.

You should try these (semi-autos):
1. Weatherby SA-08. One of the few California based firearms manufacturer, they are based in Paso Robles. If you live within driving distance, you should visit their office which has a show room where you can try all their current product guns (no shooting though). I like the SA-08 a lot when I tried it, if I have the budget I'll get one as a spare shotgun.

2. Beretta Outlander A300. The range where I shoot, Coyote Valley, usually have lots of these in stock. They also seems popular with shooters there. If you live close to Morgan Hill, you should check out Coyote Valley and see if you can rent one for a test drive.

3. Franchi Affinity. Basically a Benelli without the bells and whistles. Think of Benelli as Lexus and Franchi as Toyota. It gets pretty good reviews. Randy Wakeman seems to like it: http://randywakeman.com/FranchiAffin...aderReview.htm


If you prefer break action shotguns (eg. Over/Under or Side by Side):
a. Mossberg Silver Reserve. My colleague bought one recently, a side by side model. The only thing you might want to do if you buy this, is to get a better recoil pad.


Good luck and have fun shopping!

[skeleman63]

i like my east German made Merkel 47E side x side 12 ga.

[knkali]

thanks everyone for your posts

[Gringo Bandito]

I see the a300 mentioned about and it is a great shotgun! Reduced recoil due to the gas piston and is a great pointer.

I will add that you should look at older ou guns as well. I bought a 40+ yo Beretta BL 3 many years ago and it is my favorite shotgun but probably due to fit.

Check out the Winchester 101 as well. They are nice guns and can be found in your budget.

Sent while driving at 80mph, eating a Big Mac and using my knee to steer.

[Souske]

I have been very happy with this:

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/bobwhite-202-b-case-hardened/

[dpop24]

Keep your eye on the classifieds here, you can get a lot of shotgun for your money. Don't be afraid of a used gun, just check for condition before buying. I got an old Winchester 101 O/U from the classifieds here for $800 and I can drop as many clays as my brother does with his $3500 Browning.

Unless you plan on buying a different shotgun for each clay discipline, make sure whatever you get has adjustable chokes.

[mjsweims]

Used Remington 1100 or 11-87 with 28" or longer barrel and set for interchangeable chokes. In order to ensure fit you can change the stock to a Jack West stock which will give you all the flexibility you will ever want.