Game gun for clays... your opinions

[southernlad]

Hi all, Looking at a Silver Pigeon V game gun 28" as a first shotgun, which I've compared against a 30" SP sporter and prefer the mount and swing with the lighter shorter gun. Both fit like a glove but I can't shoot either to try 'em out cos they're brand spanking and I don't know anyone who's got one I can try. I'm definitely going to be shooting game at some point in the near future but feel I should hone my skills on some clays before I let loose at anything with a heartbeat, in the interest of humane kills. I reckon I'll be getting into a fair bit of regular clay shooting too.

 

What do you reckon to shooting a game gun on the old clays? Am I going to get knocked about like a good'un?

[al4x]

You'll be fine its a good choice of first gun, 28" barrels I also find are easier in the field.

[andythechicken]

I have a silver pigeon 3 and absolutely no problem with clays. You may find that using 24g cartridges will help reduce recoil.

 

Andy

[Big_Sam]

All depends on the recoil pad I have found. My little light (6lb) Rossini was hammering the shoulder using 28g, but stuck on a recoil boot thingy with some extra padding and now cant even notice the recoil even with 36g carts! Amazing what a little shock absorbing does.

[peter-peter]

no problem just remember dont, pull the gun to tightly to your shoulder. just brush your shoulder with the gun and you will be ok avoid heavy recoil carts for a start, rio's have a hell of a kick

gamebore or hull are much softer on your frame.

[southernlad]

Cheers for the info - was wondering about a recoil pad, the gun comes with a standard beretta wooden heel plate which I suspect has about zero recoil reducing properties. Anyway, i'll give it a go and change if necessary. The main thing is it fits and swings nicely, and by the sound of it you chaps don't think the lighter weight will be an issue, so i think I'll have it! nice one.

[Baldrick]

Get a Pachmyr pad fitted, or one of the Beretta Gel Tek pads. I use a lightweight Browning with a thick Silvers pad, and find the recoil perfectly OK.

[Kevitree]

Not sure where your getting your gun or whether this will help, I cannot offer any advise I dont own my own but again was looking at the pigeon 5

 

Avalon guns have access to a clay ground not to far from the store that you 'try before you buy' might be worth a phone call and book it first

[southernlad]

Cheers for the heads-up kevitree, have been over to avalon before and they're good blokes but it's a fair way from me whereas Sportarm in Dorchester are just down the road from work, so I've been talking to them and they've got a beauty in there with some lovely wood which I've reserved at £1450 (second hand but in mint condition). It was really just a question of deciding whether to go for it or not.

[landrover]

i use my silver pigeon s for every thing including clays once a month (100 birds) never had any problems

[Alycidon]

100 x 28gr clay loads in an hour through a 687 game gun will make your shoulder ache, pad or not. Personally I use my game gun for clays with 28gr Blue Diamonds but I dont shoot clays that often. The sporter I handled felt like a railway sleeper compared to my 687. 24gr may well be the way to go, when |I started 30 or 32 gr was the normal load.

 

A

[southernlad]

That's how sporters tend to feel to me too... that's why I was attracted to the game gun, just felt 'right' and was quicker to mount, balanced beautifully and fit perfect. The only other game gun I've shot for 50 clays or so was a mate's 28" browning - not sure what model but it was a lovely weight and feel, just nearly gave me a black eye cos the fit was all wrong. Think mainly the comb was too high for me. No real problem on the shoulder though that i remember. Think that was with 28gr loads, can't remember. Will try 24gr loads though. Bit less lead wasted every time I miss...

[Alycidon]

As an old american once said, " Boy your first few lorry loads of shells contain a lot of misses'. When pheasant or pigeon shooting they become conservation loads !

[beardy_bradderz]

I have a Geltek pad fitted on my 30" Silver Pigeon IV (used exclusively for clays at the moment), and 150+ carts can easily be fired wthout any significant shoulder beating occuring using 24g cartridges. Some people would probably be fine with 28g though, as I am very thin!

 

Brad

Edited September 13, 2008 by beardy_bradderz

[peter-peter]

all interesting stuff from you lads but.

at 8 years old I used an old english hammergun, very light using 32 gramm carts and above.

the cart of the day where eley alpamax.

sellier bellot or baikal rough stuff on the shoulder.

but if you get in the habit of holding your gun right you will be able to handle owt.

my 15 year old grandson uses 28 gramm rios they have quite a clout but he can handle it well.

secret is dont pull the gun tight to your shoulder.

let it brush gently to your shoulder,

at 68 years of age with arthritus in both shoulders recoil does not present a problem mto me.

if you pull your gun hard against your shoulder say at 120 psi

and the gun recoils 120 psi you are getting 240 psi whacking your shoulder. ouch

[Alycidon]

Alphamax in a hammer gun?. might have been a wildfowl gun or some fillings would get loosened. My first 12 bores were hammer guns, fed them a diet of Grand Prix 6s. Only prooved for 1 1/8 ozs. (32 gr), no way would Alphmax have been safe but I suppose we are not talking about safe and today.

 

A

[rimfire4969]

When i bought my Silver Pigeon it came will a gel butt pad, i have no trouble with clays or game. I use a Clear Pigeon cartridge in 30g i think, and 24g for the clays.

[Jim145]

I use a Silver Pigeon III Game 28" for all my shooting without problems. I often put over a hundred through it in one day - 28g Hull Comp X for clays. There is no recoil pad on the gun, but my skeet vest is padded. Went pigeon shooting on monday and used three boxes of Hull Special Pigeon 32g again without any discomfort.

[Cushat]

I'm obviously not as manly as peter-peter as I used to have a 687 EELL game which I used for everything. Fit perfect and I shot well with it, but it used to knock me around something terrible. 100 x 24g carts on a sunday morning and I'd be sore, even with a kickeez pad.

 

And yes I know how to mount and hold a shotgun

 

My advice would be to go for the sporter if you're predominantly shooting clays as you'll have no problem shooting game with it. A game gun may feel better waving it around in the shop, but that is very different to actually shooting with it.

[CharlieT]

Modern game guns such as Beretta are still heavier than English sbs game guns and therefore you should, if the gun fits properly be able to fire several hundred cartridges through it in a day without problems. I am only a little old small framed person but even I can fire a couple of hundred cartridges through mine without any problems.

 

The gun must fit.

[George1990]

if you pull your gun hard against your shoulder say at 120 psi

and the gun recoils 120 psi you are getting 240 psi whacking your shoulder. ouch

 

120 psi? My gun only weighs 0.5 pounds (8 ounces) so I think i'd have to be the worlds strongest man to push my gun into my shoulder that hard Like having a small man sitting on the end of your gun if you were pointing it upwards.

 

Why would a game gun have more recoil anyway? :lol: Don't they just have an auto safety and nicer engraving?

If the gun fits you you shouldn't even notice the gun fire, recoil pad or no recoil pad.

[southernlad]

Top answers fellas, cheers for all your thoughts!

[JonnyR]

it is all about gun fit and technique. My wife shot 600 shells in a day 24g of 7.5 - through her Silver Pigeon game gun the other day at a simulated day. Oh, did I forget to mention it is a really light 28" barreled 20 gauge!

 

I have a 28" Beretta SP III game gun which I used for 2.5 years sometime shooting in excess of 250 shells in a weekend. I even shot the Beretta Worlds this year which was 120 sporting using ultra quick Hull Sovereign fitasc shells and wasn't sore at all.

 

cheers, Jonny.

[garyb]

No complaints here...

 

I recently traded my Clay sporter (Beretta 682 Gold E 12g) in for a new 223 rifle setup, as it was no longer my first choice shotgun in the cabinet since I purchased the Game Silver Pigeon III in 20g.

 

I fitted a Gel-Tek to mine, but this wasnt due to recoil, more to add a little bit of extra length.

[the_commoner]

i traded in my browning 525 for a beretta SP III game gun, love it to bits and 150 carts is no problem at all