Please help?

[joyoge]

I had my first lesson with Chris Batha today and totally enjoyed it...but I am getting very confused re getting my first gun...I used his Beretta 687 sporting 20, 28barrell...I shot ok with it...not great but was my first lesson...he suggested was good gun for me as I am a small female and was not too heavy...he also said could get the stock modified at local gunsmiths that he knew of...now I know it is very hard to find one of these second hand and have been offered a 686 or 686e from local gunshop and been told only difference between 686 and 687 is engraving on gun...then I was told by Oxford gun shop that not a good idea to get a Beretta and have stock modified as will cost a fortune and lower the resale price of the gun...they would find me the right gun and modify it...now totally confused as to what to do...Chris obviously knows his stuff but then others saying something completely different...any advice very much welcome before I start gauging my eyes open!

[sbald]

The choice is yours, but the most important thing about a gun is that it fits you not the name on it you should visit a few shops and if possible try a few guns.

The thing about altering a Berretta is it will cost a lot and will de-value the gun as anyone buying it from you will have to be the same size or pay to have it altered again.

[Catamong]

Joyoge,

 

Confused...you must be..??

 

If possible don't buy a 20 bore if you're primarily going to shoot clays, I know plenty of top class Lady shooters of all shapes and sizes, and they all use 12's. Consider using 24 or even 21 gram loads that will reduce the recoil to acceptable levels.

 

Stock modifications to any Beretta are very easy and are not expensive.

 

I know the guys in Radlett that Chris Batha uses and will PM you their details, they worked on many guns of mine over the years.

 

Also Oxford Gun Co tend to be at the top end of the price scale , you could get a better deal more locally, I will PM you the details.

 

Cat.

[pair away]

joy

 

my wife is only 4 feet 11 and she uses a 686 in 12 gauge ( 28 inch barrels )with 24g carts and she shoots with no problems , we got the stock shortened and a kick -eez pad put on it for about £70 the comb was altered with a bear tooth comb raiser ( £20 ) , so if she ever wants to sell the gun all she has to do is take it off , i dont think thats alot of money to get the gun fitting her correctly , i know it can be very un nerving for a woman to get advice on guns but you should keep going and keep up the good work.

[clayman]

Chris and I are old mates, we go back 20yrs to when we both qualified as Senior Coaches at Stilehollow SG in the 90s.

Chris is an expert gun fitter, and his advice is worth top money. Yanks buying £50,000 guns will seek his advise, and he can't afford to be wrong.

 

If you have a gun fitted to his measurements, it will be right ( provided you continue to mount it correctly and stand correctly)..

 

That being said, at this stage in shooting, do you need and expensive gun fitting job?

 

Most Semi-autos these days come with stock shims that allow alteration of drop to heel and cast without permanent mods to the gun that might de-value it. The single barrel semi is much liked by ladies, as the forward weight is lower than the U/O, and the action absorbs recoil. You coul pay £250 to £1000 for a semi, with good names like Remington and Beretta in that list. What you may not have been told is that a 20b kicks more than a 12g, and a short stocked, short barreled 12g U/O may be a good option to consider, less recoil while just as light to hold as long as its short stocked / short barreled.

 

What Chris is suggesting may be entirely appropriate for you, but what you don't yet know is if this is correct.

 

Go out and get more experience before committing. See Doug at Oxford Gun Co, and try a semi auto and some short stocked 12gs. Borrow some frinds guns, take some more lessons with other guns.

 

When you have tried enough guns to know what feels right, THEN buy the gun.

 

Its also very good practice to buy a "finding out " gun, ie entry level sub £300-00 Lanber/Baikal/Laurona etc , chop the stock off to 13.5" to get the weight back, blast clays with it for 6mths. At the end of that time you will have a really good idea of what you personally really want in a gun, and you'll be able to chop in the starter gun for what you paid for it, or keep it as a spare for when you have a friend round, or your nice gun is in the gunsmiths or when-ever you need a spare.