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Which shotgun


owain
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Opinions please folk.

Im turning 40 this year, and I’m going to treat myself to a nice shotgun. I’ll mostly be using it for clays but maybe the odd driven day also. 
I’m thinking second hand browning or beretta over and under. Or can anybody else recommend something nice around the £1500 mark? 
Cheers. 

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29 minutes ago, JTaylor91 said:

Try as many as you can. Berettas and Brownings fit differently (I found the majority of Berettas too low in the comb for me). I have a 525 sporter which is solid and never put a foot wrong but its boring to look at, I’ve seen nicer wood used as floorboards. 

It is hugely important that you take the above advice per JTaylor91’s comments. Basically, if it fits it hits, if it doesn’t your wasting cartridges. It isn’t a question of Beretta fits / Browning doesn’t or vice versa. There is plenty of variation within those brands and models etc. The measurements they often publish in their web sites are usually nonsense by the way. I would shoulder a lot of guns before finally buying - better still shoot with a few demo guns.

When you buy the gun, get used to mounting it, then have any minor fitting ‘tweaks’ carried out by a professional stocker if necessary. With any luck you’ll be a ‘Mr average’ in gun fit terms and won’t need any further work. I’m always jealous of those lucky people….! 

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2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

That question is like deciding which chocolate to eat first out of a new box.  As Scully says, steel proofed and whatever takes your fancy and feels right. Lots of good examples out there today.

 

24 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

How long is a piece of string?

I’m not asking which shotgun I should buy. I’m asking for recommendations of what to look at in that price range. 
Cheers for the input though 👍

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Just now, owain said:

 

I’m not asking which shotgun I should buy. I’m asking for recommendations of what to look at in that price range. 
Cheers for the input though 👍

Basic grade Berettas, Browning/Miroku. Highest resale values. Again, buy one that fits. Hard to know re fitting as a novice - so see a reputable expert at a shooting ground who has demo guns. 
Enjoy!

 

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Buy a big cabinet first and foremost to put the six or seven you end up with in. My first shotgun was a browning 525 sporter one. Nice simple lump of a gun. 3” chamber and steel proofed. Does everything I could ever possibly want. That isn’t the point for me though. I enjoy shooting all different shotguns so I have a semi, several pumps, a lever action and some side by sides. I can hit things with all of them, but definitely best with the original browning that fits.

In that budget, if I was looking for another gun, I’d go second hand miroku MK38 sporter or maybe even trap or a trap made into a sporter.

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If you’re a novice and don’t intend to have lessons, forget about fit and  just pick one you like the look of, from one of the best brands such as those already suggested. 
If you intend to have lessons, then a good coach will advise which shotgun best suits your build etc. 

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21 minutes ago, Scully said:

If you’re a novice and don’t intend to have lessons, forget about fit and  just pick one you like the look of, from one of the best brands such as those already suggested. 
If you intend to have lessons, then a good coach will advise which shotgun best suits your build etc. 

Forget about fit……??

That doesn’t compute Scully….🙂

 

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Just now, Fellside said:

Forget about fit……??

That doesn’t compute Scully….🙂

 

In my experience, Novices don’t have a consistent enough mount to consider fit, unless they’re starting gun up as in DTL that is, in which case it doesn’t really matter which gun you choose as long as it’s a dedicated trap gun, because you have the time to get your ‘sight picture’ where you want it before calling for the bird. 
Most novices who don’t have lessons ( I’ve just realised that now I think of it,  I don’t know anyone who has ever had a shooting lesson ) simply buy a gun they like the look of then learn to shoot with it. 
 

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I probably should have said in my original post, I’m not a novice, I’ve had shotguns and rifles for years. 
I use a Benelli semi auto for all my shooting but fancy something a bit special for my 40th. 
I’ll have a look up at my local clay ground and see what fits 👍

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1 minute ago, Scully said:

In my experience, Novices don’t have a consistent enough mount to consider fit, unless they’re starting gun up as in DTL that is, in which case it doesn’t really matter which gun you choose as long as it’s a dedicated trap gun, because you have the time to get your ‘sight picture’ where you want it before calling for the bird. 
Most novices who don’t have lessons ( I’ve just realised that now I think of it,  I don’t know anyone who has ever had a shooting lesson ) simply buy a gun they like the look of then learn to shoot with it. 
 

Yes I see what you mean now. Perhaps Scully, your one of those lucky chaps for whom most guns fit….or near as damn it. I suppose I’m biased in advising gun fitting, as I’m one of the unlucky ones. Being tall, nothing really fits straight off the gun rack. I know an experienced coach, who roughly estimates that 60% of shot gunners are outside the ‘Mr average’ dimensions for which guns are made. If the OP is lucky, he will be a ‘Mr average’……?!

 

1 minute ago, owain said:

I probably should have said in my original post, I’m not a novice, I’ve had shotguns and rifles for years. 
I use a Benelli semi auto for all my shooting but fancy something a bit special for my 40th. 
I’ll have a look up at my local clay ground and see what fits 👍

Ah now you tell us. 

Great idea for a 40th….or any birthday. Choices, choices!

Have fun!

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1 minute ago, Fellside said:

Yes I see what you mean now. Perhaps Scully, your one of those lucky chaps for whom most guns fit….or near as damn it. I suppose I’m biased in advising gun fitting, as I’m one of the unlucky ones. Being tall, nothing really fits straight off the gun rack. I know an experienced coach, who roughly estimates that 60% of shot gunners are outside the ‘Mr average’ dimensions for which guns are made. If the OP is lucky, he will be a ‘Mr average’……?!

 

No, not really. 🙂 It took me years of expensive trial and error ( and a very good book ) for me to find those shotguns which I shoot best with, and I still practise my mount on an almost daily basis.
I now have all my shotguns set up to shoot the same ( like trap guns ) so I can pick any of them and get more or less the same sight picture with each one. 
I can’t shoot OU Berettas that well, not the 68 series anyhow ( they tend to slap me ) but have no problem with their autos. 
My 101’s shoot very flat ( with the exception of the 8500, which is a trap gun ) so it’s just a matter of applying different technique really. 
I’ll never be a top clay shot, but don’t embarrass myself most of the time, but for whatever reason seem to be a better than average live quarry shot. 🤷‍♂️🙂

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16 hours ago, owain said:

Opinions please folk.

Im turning 40 this year, and I’m going to treat myself to a nice shotgun. I’ll mostly be using it for clays but maybe the odd driven day also. 
I’m thinking second hand browning or beretta over and under. Or can anybody else recommend something nice around the £1500 mark? 
Cheers. 

Simply, one that fits you the best?

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There will be plenty of guns to suit your needs for much less than your stated budget.

Before you go looking eliminate the variables such as length of stock, length of barrels, cast, choke etc. Go to the gun shop with most choice in your area, put on your normal shooting jacket, and ask the gun shop to take off the racks all of the guns which fit your criteria, then spend time mounting and comparing.

I note above the comments about Mr. Average. That must be me. The last three times I have bought a new gun the first one I looked at was entirely suitable with no alterations necessary.

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5 minutes ago, JDog said:

 

I note above the comments about Mr. Average. That must be me. The last three times I have bought a new gun the first one I looked at was entirely suitable with no alterations necessary.

Same here.  I am not sure it's because I alter my shooting to fit the gun or they just fit.  Try not to look too closely at these things else I start to miss. 🙂 

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