Most inexpensive but decent O/U 12 gauge?

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  • Mij

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    Just a guess of course, but mounting, balance, swing- follow thru. Not to mention tradition.

    And unless your target is walking I’m thinking it’s hard to get off more than one or two effective accurate shots. JMO
     

    Dean C.

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    Why does everyone lean towards over unders for skeet and trap? I've never shot in formal competition but every time I go shoot trap/skeet/clays I do just fine with my old 870 pump. I would think a semi would give the best advantage but rarely see anyone using them, is semi against the rules when competing?

    I know a semi or O/U is preferred over a pump gun for pair targets. Mechanically speaking semi auto guns will have the least amount of recoil, the two separate barrels and the ability to choke them differently is an advantage of O/U guns. This is a personal thing , but I prefer an O/U for clays due to ease of reloading actually. Cannot say I enjoyed a round of 100 constantly reloading a semi auto guns myself, plus there is something just cool about an O/U action IMHO.
     

    gregkl

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    Why does everyone lean towards over unders for skeet and trap? I've never shot in formal competition but every time I go shoot trap/skeet/clays I do just fine with my old 870 pump. I would think a semi would give the best advantage but rarely see anyone using them, is semi against the rules when competing?
    O/U are fairly traditional in clays shooting. Pump action requires a quick hand when shooting Skeet and Sporting Clays. Not everyone is really fast on them and some want the advantage, real or not, that comes with a semi-auto.

    O/U's don't throw spent hulls at the guy next to you. Some folks get fairly perturbed when you hull hit's their Pedersoli.

    If a person is only going to shoot singles Trap, something like a BT99 would be work fine. But you are limited with a single shot.

    I use an autoloader to shoot Trap. It has a shell catcher on it. I would also use an autoloader for Sporting Clays though I know some guys like to run different chokes; one for the closer in shots and another for the second shot.

    When I was shooting a lot of Trap, the guys down at MCFG shot O/U. Up at Wildcat, there were several guys there shooting 1100's. And they were at the top of the scorecards most weeks.

    I had a couple O/U and really liked them: simple, effective. That's good enough reasons for me to shoot one.
     

    gregkl

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    but I prefer an O/U for clays due to ease of reloading actually. Cannot say I enjoyed a round of 100 constantly reloading a semi auto guns myself, plus there is something just cool about an O/U action IMHO.
    A good point I didn't think about when I replied. Reloading is much nicer with the O/U. I especially like them with extractors vs ejectors.

    Reloading an autoloader can look a bit cumbersome on the line.

    O/U: open, pull hull, put in pouch, insert shell(s), close.
     

    2in1evtime

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    I have used various o/u in the past good guns, but i bought a cz612 trap gun and love it, has a 32" barrel and stock is adjustable, i have quit using o/u and sold all mine off except one. The cz pump is excellent shooting, tracks great, and not all that heavy either, i do have a left-handed Remington 1100 with a 30 inch full choke barrel i use too.
     

    63PGP

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    I'd suggest you just go to INGC and look at everything in your price range, new and used. Depending on inventory and they seem to have a nice supply right now you may find a gem in a used shotgun. Looking at their current inventory page I see quite a few good candidates (OU and semi) that would be a great first shotgun. Let them help you find the right one that fits best.
     

    thunderchicken

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    Why does everyone lean towards over unders for skeet and trap? I've never shot in formal competition but every time I go shoot trap/skeet/clays I do just fine with my old 870 pump. I would think a semi would give the best advantage but rarely see anyone using them, is semi against the rules when competing?
    Post edited bc Greg nailed it
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Oh, and when you buy, if you don’t just give a gift card and tell him what to go buy himself, be careful with the 4473. You ARE the acual purchaser, and you ar NOT buying the gun FOR somebody else. They are asking about a straw purchase (which would be using his cash to purchase it)

    Dont confuse the fact that you are using your money to buy yourself a gun. What you do with your gun paid for by you is none of the stores business. If you even hint at what you are doing they may make a CYA assumption and refuse to sell to you.
     
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    thunderchicken

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    Yep troll the gun club for a used 686 or Citori, though a couple weeks ago IGC did not have much by way of used entry level o/u's in my opinion
    The weekend after Thanksgiving I saw a fantastic Citori CXS with 30" barrels for a good price. They had a couple nice used Citori trap guns. But again the things to keep in mind with a trap gun are, they are often a bit heavier and shoot to a higher point of impact. Not exactly ideal for a multi use gun but it cam be done.

    Based on previous conversations with the folks at IGC, most used "entry level" guns move pretty quickly. Always amazed me how quickly some will drop 2k+ on an AR or bolt gun, but act like it's crazy to spend that for a shotgun.
     

    BrockStrader22

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    O/U's don't throw spent hulls at the guy next to you. Some folks get fairly perturbed when you hull hit's their Pedersoli.
    I would bet that and the ease of reloading are the reasoning behind what I've seen in my experience. Most of my trap and clays shooting has been with 60+ year old's that use high end guns. I could imagine them getting upset about getting sprayed with hulls and I agree shoving shells in the bottom sucks compared to a break action. I'm sure there was some laughing at my expense, "look at that kid with a camo pump out here" haha but I don't think I would shoot any better with another gun, I've been shooting that old 870 since 2002, we have a relationship hah
     

    three50seven

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    I have a Stoeger Condor 20ga and honestly it is a really well made shotgun. It fits me very well. It accepts 3" shells and uses Mossberg chokes. Only thing I don't like is that it has extractors instead of ejectors.
     

    gregkl

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    Only thing I don't like is that it has extractors instead of ejectors.
    Interested in why you prefer ejectors over extractors. Not that it matters, I have always preferred extractors so I can grab the hulls and put them in my bag/pocket. Not to mention they are simpler with fewer moving parts.
     

    three50seven

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    Interested in why you prefer ejectors over extractors. Not that it matters, I have always preferred extractors so I can grab the hulls and put them in my bag/pocket. Not to mention they are simpler with fewer moving parts.
    They definitely have their advantages. My main reason is that I fumbled trying to unload and reload mine a few times while dove hunting and it cost me some birds.
     
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