Advice on what Gun to buy

[Gully]

Should be getting my SGC in the next couple of weeks so am looking for a gun but I don't want to buy the wrong thing and regret it later.

 

Initially all my shooting will be clays but I hiope that as I get better I will either find someone locally to show me the ropes of rough/pigeon shooting and get myself some land to shoot over or pay to do rough/pigeon shooting. Driven shooting doesn't reallly appeal too much at the moment. I'm looking to get an o/u at first.

 

I've recently had a look at a few guns. I seem to end up looking down the right side of the barrels of Brownings but Berettas fit me fine. Most of my clay shooting has been with a silver pigeon 28" game gun.

 

So, a few questions - Is there much difference between the handling of a 28" and a 30" gun? I see a lot of people prefer 30" - How can I get to try both and see which is better. Should I get fixed or multi chokes?

 

I've been to Park Street Guns but they don'e seem to have that many to compare. Some of the companies advertising in the mags seem to have literally hundreds of guns to choose from, is it worth the travel to find one of these places. Anyone know of any good shops in the home counties around NW London?

 

My budgets open really but I'd rather spend £800 than £1500.

[Suffolk shooter]

You say you look down the right hand side of the gun on brownings, are you left or right handed?

 

The main difference between trying a gun in a shop and finding one that you shoot well with is Gun fitting. By this it means the length of the stock, the cast of the stock (dependant on left or right handed, the angle at which the stock bends to one side or the other), the degree of drop of the stock and the comb height. All these things can mean the difference in shooting over, under or in front, behind the target object.

 

I suggest that you find a shop or more importantly a clay ground in your area that has a try gun. This is a gun that can be minutely adjusted to suit your stance, grip and your overall head/shoulder dimensions. Then when you choose the gun you like, get it fitted to these dimensions ensuring you of the best chance to hit the clays consistently.

 

At the moment I use three guns of which none have been fitted for me. The sabbatti has a stock length approx 1" -1 3/4" too short for me and I have been missing clays and pheasants over the top and behind. I need to get this fitted, it's just finding the time.

 

My Miroku skeet fits just fine although I have never had it fitted.

 

My Browning Semi auto can't be adjusted as it has a synthetic stock, but again I shoot well with it the majority of the time.

 

I suppose to a certain degree you adjust to the gun overtime knowing where it shoots and adjust yourself accordingly to hit the target. But if you wish to become world class or at the very least in with a chance at winning club medals etc, then getting the gun fitted is important.

 

The difference in using a 28"-30" or even a 32" barrel is the overall length and weight. a smaller barrel length can result in a light, whippy gun, which is great for disciplines such as Skeet, DTL, but tends to be too quick for sporting, ABT or trap etc.

 

The longer barrel lengths tend to be quite weighty and therefore a lot of effort is needed to get the momentum up and once going is harder to stop, so tend to be good for Sporting, ABT, Trap etc.

 

In answer to the choke question get yourself a Multi choked gun that way you then have a gun for all eventualities and combined with a 30" barrel you have a nice all round gun. It is worth travelling around to see what prices you can get on guns as well as seeing what sort of after sales service you'll get. Most of all though get a gun you like the look and feel of as with most things in connection with shooting, its 5% ability, 5% concentration and 90% confidence.

 

For £800 you're looking at bottom of the market guns in terms berattas/brownings or top end second hand, alot of the guys on here seem to like the lanbers, they look good and one of family has one and it feels nice to shoot with. A nice bettensoli can be had for £700 new (Diamond Sidelux).

 

Whatever you choose, remember to look after it in terms of cleaning and maintaining it,enjoy it as it will be with you for sometime to come.

 

Cheers

 

SS

 

Edit: I recommend going to see Micheal Aldis at the Essex School of Shooting Near Epping for Gun fit etc as he is excellant or even young Phil there. Both good blokes who will put you right.

[Gully]

Cheers. I'm right handed. Maybe I'm getting used to Berettas but if I put the Browning to my shoulder with my eyes shut then open them I am looking along the right side, with a Beretta my eye is straight along the top of the barrels. I'm happy to spend £1200-£1500, but if I can find a second hand version of the same gun for under a grand I'll be even happier.

[Suffolk shooter]

Still comes down to getting the gun fitted for you though Gully. It may be that the berettas have either more of or less of a cast than the brownings or the comb is too low on the brownings resulting in you rolling your head too far on the stock and seeing the side of the gun.

 

SS

[garyb]

Strange... I have had the exact same problem, I couldn't look down the rib on the Browning's (having shot with two or three different ones) I just ended up looking down the side, and had to move things around to get it right. Just didn't feel right.

 

I brought my Beretta from Park Street, if you want to look at the Beretta range then perhaps a trip to the Gallery in London would be an idea?

 

But don't spend any money there as the prices are far to high.

[Dr W]

I'm in a similar position and I was wondering how you go about getting a gun fitted?

 

Is it where you go and someone gives you your dimensions and then you take these to a shop and say I want a gun to these specifications

 

or

 

Do you have to buy a gun first and then have it fitted to you?

 

Can you have a 2nd hand gun fitted or with 2nd hand guns is it a matter of luck?

 

Sorry bit confused with all this fitting talk

[Dunkield]

A GOOD shooting school will do this for you with a try gun, they can they give you a card with your ideal dimensions on.

When you buy your gun you give the card and your gun to a decent smith and he will adjust it to those dimensions.

Sounds easy doesn't it? Well it is if done properly but can be expensive if it needs a lot doing to it...

[Catamong]

Gully,

 

I live near you and have shot Beretta OU's (and others), for many years.

 

I will PM you with details of a Beretta dealer that I use who can do you a good deal, but you obviously need to shop around to make sure you're getting the best price.

 

Litts of Newport or Chris Potter in Tunbridge Wells often do good deals.

 

If you are serious about shooting good scores at Clays, it is VITALLY important that your gun fits you properly, as the majority of guns will not fit perfectly straight from the box.

 

My advice would be to book a lesson at Holland and Holland in Northwood with their chief instructor, (it used to be Ken Davies, but he may have retired), tell them when booking that you want to use the "try gun" which is fully adjustable.

 

You will then leave the ground with the ideal dimensions written down on a piece of paper.

 

Once you have purchased your gun, take it to Ladbroke & Langton at Hill Farm, Radlett who will then alter it to those exact dimensions.

 

If you then miss a target, at least you can't say that the gun doesn't fit...!!

 

All the best,

 

Cat.

[Gully]

Thanks, I am definitely keen on getting good scores. I'm a little confused about how they adjust a gun to fit you. Can you actually change the alignment of the stock the the barrels or is it a case of only being able to take wood off the stock to change it? I'm assuming the gun needs to be quite a good fit before they start?

[Catamong]

Gully,

 

Believe it or not, stocks can be "bent" to pretty much whatever shape is required, using heat.

 

It sounds awful and I wouldn't like to watch the process, I'm no expert on how they do it, but believe me, it needs to be done to ensure a proper fit. The new stock dimensions need to be checked every so often to ensure that it hasn't "crept" back to it's original dimensions, (tip - never leave your gun in an outdoor gun rack in mid Summer, if the hot sun gets on the stock it can easily warp it, always keep it in the sleeve).

 

The other more radical alternative is to shave wood off, again sounds dreadful, shouldn't be required in the majority of cases.

 

Cat.

[Gordon R]

Alternative would be to have the stock made adjustable or buy one that is already done. One of the snags about having a gun fitted and then altered (by removing wood) is that you are stuck with it, if your gun fit alters. I would buy a secondhand Browning, Miroku or Beretta with an adjustable stock. There are many well within the lower end of your budget. You could get a new one for the bottom endish.

[Gully]

I've spoke to H&H Shooting Ground. Ken Davies has retired. The new chief instructor is a guy called Chris something. They charge £103 for an hour with him :blink:

 

I haven't decided what to do yet, but just to clarify, for a perfect fit should I go with the try gun first and get the measurements before buying a gun or buy a gun that seems to be a good fit and then get it fine-tuned to the measurements?

[Catamong]

Gully,

 

I would buy the gun first, and shoot with it for a bit, before booking a trial fitting.

 

You need to feel very much at home with the gun, and your style of mounting may well change over the first few months if you've only just taken up the sport.

 

Most off the shelf guns nowadays will require only minor adjustments to make them fit, so don't get too hung up about it.

 

A word of advice, always "screw" your head down onto the stock when shooting clays, many beginners don't realise the importance of this and the result is that targets are missed over the top.

 

As to the cost of a proper gunfitting at £103, it's worth it if you're keen on shooting good scores, if you're only interested in blasting a few targets at the occasional YFC straw bale shoot before a heavy session in the pub, then don't bother. :blink:

 

Others will no doubt tell you where you can get it cheaper, but that's the most convenient place relative to where you live.

 

Cat.