O/U entry level options - who knows what?

[baba]

My brother scored a pretty good deal on a Mossberg Silver Reserve at the last 1500 show. He took me trap shooting for the first time in my life shorty after. I have a remington 870 that I did pretty good with, considering my first time and all. So I was thinking I might want to get an o/u as well.

I don't have a lot of cash to spare, so here are my options.


1. Keep going with the 870. If i do this, can I expect to get good enough to still shoot doubles?
2. Baikal - cheapest option. Not pretty. Inertial trigger reset that I'm not sure I like. Are they useable?
3. Stoeger Condor - Still pretty cheap. Still pretty ugly. Still has the non selectable inertial trigger reset
4. Mossberg Silver Reserve II - getting more expensive, but my bro's is nice. Better looking, still feels solid. Light but not too light.
5. CZ Readhead - seem much nicer, but at or above what is even feasible for me. Would probably have to sell something else to put towards it.

Anyone have any of these? I'm sure they all have trade offs, but I'm not able to go to a Browning or Beretta, etc. I've read lots of reviews on the internet. most of them are the same. "Total POS. Doesn't have x,y, or z. I threw it in the trash and bought a $3k Browning - don't waste money on anything less." Or "Bought this at <some store>, fired it once and liked it. Would highly recommend."

Not much help there. Any actual users out there? Or someone with more experience using a pump gun for these types of shooting sports?

-Brian

 

[Cameramonkey]

I have a condor. still NIB though. Reminds me I REALLY need to get out to play with it at Indiana Gun Club.

The only complaint I have is the auto safety, but Google shows its easily corrected with a simple mod.

And I have used a pump, but I was shooting sporting clays two shot report. So I had plenty of time to rack it before I needed to sight the second bird. In my youth I used the same 500 for 4H clays, and I dont recall having much of a problem on the follow up shot.

 

[Vamptepes]

option 1. You can shoot doubles with an 870 just practice. If you want an excuse to buy an ou go ahead. But i still say 870 is good enough that what i used to use until i scored an 1100

 

[Hookeye]

FYI , there can be quite a bit of difference in the stock dims of the Baikals.
Don't buy one you haven't checked for fit.
I reworked one to usable and it shot pretty good for me (first time out it ran almost 50% on doves, limiting out, and that was in a 20 running crap steel shot). I yanked the auto safety though, and cleaned up the triggers a bit.

Inertia triggers.

Yeah, those POS Browning Citoris have 'em. I liked mine (30" magnum- perfect for trap IMHO), 'cept it hit high for me (so it went bye bye).........and I'm used to a flat gun.

So I run 870 and 1100's.

 

[singlesix]

Don't know what your price range is but Lanber is another inexpensive model. I got a O/U Sporting Model NIB for $500.00. Been shooting Trap for over 10 years and I can tell you any gun is capable of break a straight 25, it depends on the shooter. Biggest mistake I made was rushing into a new gun, in hindsight I could have saved a lot of money if I just was patient. If there is a trap club near you go and check out the guns, most trap shooters will let you shoot their gun.

 

[jrh84]

I started out shooting sleet with a Mossberg pump. If you are purely going for fun, it's hard to beat shooting true doubles with a pump. It's especially fun keeping up with the guys and their $14k Kreighoffs.

I have a Remington Spartan 310, which is made by Baikal. I actually liked it over the older Mossberg Silver Reserve. I liked the "plain Jane" of the Baikal over the cheap looking dot-matrix engraving and embellishments on the Mossberg and other lower end O/U's. I have no complaints about the exterior fit and finish of the Baikal. It's not a Browning, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. There are some machining and tool marks on the action when it's broken open, but nothing that affects performance or lock up. I'm not too ashamed of it to bring it to the trap/skeet range, nor am I too proud of it to take dove hunting and get it muddy (and do pretty well with it).

The Silver Reserve I rented a time or two at Atterbury was pretty loose, but also probably had 10k + rounds through it. I have probably 2k rounds through the Baikal, and it's as tight as the first day I got it.

I've never shot one of the CZ's, but they seem pretty nice. They seem to be pretty good quality, but keep costs down by keeping the embellishments to a minimum. I'll own a Red Head one of these days

 

[deadsquirrel]

I would keep the 870 and practice more. It is not hard at all to hit doubles after getting more proficient with it. Shoot it a few rounds and you will see what I mean. I had a CZ and I still shot my 870 better on everything. You do not need a O/U to shoot doubles

 

[Crossbow]

My vote would be for a CZ USA Mallard 104A O/U in the $450-$500 price range.

 

[jamesb]

I have shot clay games and hunted with a mossberg 500, SxSs and O/Us. To tell you the truth, option one is the easiest and probly the best since you have only been once. With a little practice will be getting doubles. After a season of shooting what you have you can decide if you want to invest in a dedicated clay games gun. Also this will give you time to try out other peoples/club shotguns to see how you like them. If you really get into the clay games, shooting in leagues and multiple time a month you can easily were out the lower price point guns. My wife shoots a 12 ga Browning 525 sporting and I use the old 16 ga zastava SxS I hunt with. For the price the Condors are hit or miss. Some guys have no problems with them, others have had to send theirs back. I think they were having issues with soft firing pins. The spartens are a good solid heavy russian gun, not too pretty but will get the job done. Again they seem to be hit or miss. My buddy has a silver reserve in 28 ga and it has always worked fine for a few rounds of clays. He has used it upland hunting and there were no problems. I have no experience with the CZ O/Us but I like their SxS and they seem to be really well made.

 

[Contender]

I had a Baikal once. The pattern was so bad it would not kill a squirrel at short range. After having issues I patterned it and could not believe how bad it was. Have also had 2 citori's and could not hit the broad side of a barn with them, they just did not fit me. Expensive lesson to learn.

Personally I would stick with the pump for a while and if I wanted to change my choice given your price range would be a semi-auto over a double, I prefer Benelli's but there are many cheaper autos that run fine.

I do have a CZ Ringneck (SxS) that I have always been impressed with the quality on and has never given me any trouble but that does not matter if CZ's are out of your price range. Hard to find a good double for much under $800.

 

[Steve B]

Between my brother and I we had 4 Baikals. (2-12ga,1 20ga, 1 410 ga) They all were built very good and shot beautifully. I did sell mine but only as I got out of shotguns all together.

 

[Zoub]

1. Keep going with the 870. If i do this, can I expect to get good enough to still shoot doubles?

My first triple on Rabbits was with a Winchester Model 42 (pump .410).

My first and only triple on quail was with an 870.

Yes you can easily master doubles with a pump and once you do, if you shoot enough that you feel the pump is a liability you will have a pretty good idea for what you want next, O/U or Semi auto. Slow down and learn, it is not the gun, it is the shooter. When I really want to go old school AKA shoot trap, I often pull out my first trap gun, a 1978 Wingmaster.

Also if you hunt AND shoot clays with that 870 you will only get better at both with that gun. Describe your current barrel. How long? Vent rib? Choke tubes?

 

[ThatOneKid]

If you ever decide to really get into it, look for a well used Browning Citori or and older BT-99. They're a bit more expensive, but if you get committed, its well worth it.

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

I'd say keep practicing with the 870.

 

[baba]

I went again with the 870 last week. It went OK. didn't try any doubles with it though. I kind of thought I should get to the point where I can hit the first one more regularly. I enjoy shooting the 870 for sure. The O/Us are just beautiful though. Even the cheaper ones.

My barrel is the standard 28" vent rib. I have a modified choke. I bought this when I was 14 or 15 to go hunting with my dad. Haven't fired it since really. I also bought a skeet choke at the recommendation of the guy at Cabelas. I have not opened the package yet though. Seems like choke selection is a bit of a personal choice....I feel like skeet will be too wide. Seems like something around modified is a better choice?

-Brian

 

[jesse485]

The Condor was the first gun I ever owned. It has never let me down, and I do well with it. I've owned it for 15 years, and I'll never get rid of it. Auto safety is a little annoying, but doesn't really bother me considering I'm used to it, and it won't be used for defense.

 

[PGRChaplain]

If you want to shoot Trap get a used Trap Gun. The point of impact is higher so you don't cover the target. I had a Beautiful Ithica/SKB Over & Under that served me well for several years. The only drawback with the O/U is the barrels act like a sail on a boat in windy conditions. Its harder to swing at angle targets. That's why the barrels are split on high dollar O/U's.
Good Shooting!