O/U Shotgun Question

[BigRed3588]

A relative recently questioned me regarding O/U shotguns for trap shooting. I told him the little bit that I knew about the subject. That is, I know some of the reputable brands and that it really depends on what he wanted to spend because the range in price can vary greatly. He said he wasn't wanting to spend a ton of money on one, and just wanted something reasonably priced and appropriate for a beginner. What are your thoughts/what information should I pass along?

 

[Mgderf]

Stoeger Condor

 

[Birdblastingbrad]

Stoeger Condor

Remember though, you get what you pay for. Over/unders are precisely engineered pieces of equipment, and some of the cheaper ones will do the job. Personally, I would recommend looking to spend no less than $1,500 on a nice used Browning or Beretta and you have a gun that will last many, many years. The Stoegers, or others in that price range that I've shot or handled were crude at best. If you don't want to spend that kind of coin, I recommend sticking with a pump or auto. It will simply give you better service.

 

[Landon]

For shooting trap I don't see the need for an over/under. Now for sporting clays where there is multiple clays thrown an over/under or auto is nice. Trap is typically one shell, one clay and can be shot with about any shotgun.

 

[DustyDawg48]

I had a nice Mossberg Silver Reserve and it wasn't a bad gun but it sure wasn't a Browning or Beretta by any stretch. There can be some gun snobbery involved when talking about budget O/U but for the most part a lot of the argument against them holds a lot of water. They may look nice but the quality of the build isn't there when compared to a company that builds quality O/U guns like Browning or Beretta. It isn't about how nice the budget O/U look but how well they are engineered and actually assembled particularly the joining of the twin barrels. If a shooter just wants to shoot trap a nice Remington 11-87 or even an 870 would fit the bill for a beginner trap shooter and if he decided he likes it then he might be more inclined to pay a bit more for a nice used Browning or Beretta.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Considering that the metal isn't the important part of a good sporting gun...

It's the gun's fit to YOU. Spending $5000 + on a gun won't help your game at all if it doesn't fit.

But spending $1000 on a gun that DOES fit will ensure a higher likelihood of higher scores.

 

[fastwally]

Not a double, but you can't beat a BT 99 for trap. Much easier to swing with less weight. I am a fast shooter and when I went to the Citori I could't swing it fast enough.

 

[illini40]

For shooting trap I don't see the need for an over/under. Now for sporting clays where there is multiple clays thrown an over/under or auto is nice. Trap is typically one shell, one clay and can be shot with about any shotgun.

Good point. I have dabbled in shooting trap, and was quickly influenced that an O/U was needed. However, with only loading one shell, why is an O/U considered a requirement by so many for trap? A semi auto shoots one shell just fine, with less felt recoil.

 

[gregkl]

I see guys shooting O/U and singles. I took up Trap this year and I started with my O/U, but after awhile I switched to my autoloader with a shell catcher.

In my observation it depends on your goals. If the goal is to be a top placing Trap shooter, then spend money on a purpose built shotgun, get fitted properly and have at it.
If you are looking to have fun on a limited budget and/or are honing your bird shooting skills use a multi-purpose shotgun like some of those mentioned above.

I have noticed more than "some" gun snobbery among Trap shooters, but that's okay. They out shoot me so I keep my mouth shut.

 

[BigJ]

Considering that the metal isn't the important part of a good sporting gun...

It's the gun's fit to YOU. Spending $5000 + on a gun won't help your game at all if it doesn't fit.

But spending $1000 on a gun that DOES fit will ensure a higher likelihood of higher scores.

I can't stress this enough!! Ask any instructor what the most important thing is in a trap/skeet gun, and they will all say fitment! Find someone who knows what they are talking about and start trying guns. Indiana Gun Club is a great place to start, he can try out almost any gun there he wants and they can give him great instruction on fitment!

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

And if you can't afford a gun + custom fittment...

Then do your best to get "as close" to ideal as you can!

Signed,

not a trap or skeet shooter.

 

[Hookeye]

I got a deal on a new Baikal/Remington Spartan O/U a few yrs back.
Tried one out used before, stock fit OK, pattern was center of bead, it shot flat like my 870/1100's.

So when a customer changes his mind, the new rig at super price was a "buy".

Turns out the stock dimensions were way different from the used gun I pattern tested. The patterns of the new gun were acceptable but the stock fit was horrible.
I had to redo the comb and got it usable. Still needed bent, but didn't want to go through that attempt. I also had to redo some internals.

No big deal, the gun was way better after doing all that work, but if i paid to have it done probably would have added a few hundred to the price.

I really really liked my Browning Citori Magnum, fit and feel, unfortunately it shot way high for me. My buddy's Redlabel shot flat, and fit OK, but had a funny odd feel to it. His Remington Peerless fit better, but also had some odd feel I couldn't quite pinpoint.

Finding a good fitting, good shooting O/U....................can be an expensive proposition, even if staying in the lesser ranks and having to sort through a bunch.

I'd like a nice feild/target OU.............but after shooting a few others, my buddies guns and owning a few myself.................yeah, I'll stick with my 1100 and 870's.

 

[Leo]

For shooting trap I don't see the need for an over/under. Now for sporting clays where there is multiple clays thrown an over/under or auto is nice. Trap is typically one shell, one clay and can be shot with about any shotgun.

A lot depends on where you shoot trap. Some clubs have the doubles thrower going at most shoots. People shoot singles, handicaps and doubles on the same outing. That is why so many single/double barrel combo guns are sold. Like you, I also like Sporting Clays so the ability for a fast second shot is mandatory. I used to have a "singles" gun and a "doubles" gun. Then I bought a couple different combo guns, including a 4 barrel set skeet rig. Now I just use a Beretta 12 gauge O/U for everything and have a set of Kolar subgauge tubes for the .410, 28, and 20 gauge events.

 

[singlesix]

Best advice, this coming from a guy that spent more money than common sense and has three "trap" gun gathering dust, don't be in a rush. Find a local club and hang out and shoot all types of guns. Most Trap Shooters I know are more than willing to help someone (in many cases too much advice is offered ).

 

[RLC]

Not a double, but you can't beat a BT 99 for trap. Much easier to swing with less weight. I am a fast shooter and when I went to the Citori I could't swing it fast enough.

I agree with fastwally . Unless you're shooting double trap the BT99 is outstanding. Bt100 was great too. I also like the safety factor of using break actions on the trap field. It just let's other shooters see you not loaded. I acquired the Browning XT for double trap and also highly recommend though it a bit pricey.