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Sidearms & Scatterguns Sporting clay shotgun recomendations
- Thread starter Safety_3rd
- Start date
This thread reminds me how much I regret trading away that Beretta 391 Parallel Target, 16 years ago. Sporting clays was fun, but rather harsh on a recently married guys recreational budget. Action pistol was a (relatively) less expensive pursuit. I could shoot two or more pistol matches for the costs associated with one round of SC.
So a friend invited me out to shoot a round SC later this month at a rather posh establishment. Having only a 3gun styled 11/87 and beater ex-PD 11/87 18-incher, I began looking around for a more appropriate tool. Picked a 30” Benelli Montefeltro Sporting last week, kind of an impulse buy. Yet, I’m confident based on the long term durability and robustness of the action’s design. Find a different barrel for a more general hunting shotgun down the road, options are good you know. Slim and trim, the Montefeltro seems to fit and swing agreeably. We’ll see soon enough...
So a friend invited me out to shoot a round SC later this month at a rather posh establishment. Having only a 3gun styled 11/87 and beater ex-PD 11/87 18-incher, I began looking around for a more appropriate tool. Picked a 30” Benelli Montefeltro Sporting last week, kind of an impulse buy. Yet, I’m confident based on the long term durability and robustness of the action’s design. Find a different barrel for a more general hunting shotgun down the road, options are good you know. Slim and trim, the Montefeltro seems to fit and swing agreeably. We’ll see soon enough...
Yep, CG bought Fabarm about 6 - 8 years ago I think? Great choice.
Anyway, I did own a Fabarm back in the late 90s (long before CG got them) and they were great guns then easily the equal of the Beretta 686 series.
Gee - looks like we have some sporting clays shooters on this forum. I've been shooting trap 1-3 per week for the last couple of years, but don't shoot SC or skeet, so not much to add to these comments other than Beretta and Browning are really the two quality entry level guns you should be looking at. I own a Browning Citori CXT(the dedicated trap version of the Citori line) and it is a great shooter and has been 100% reliable. Completely agree that fit is crucial and you should spend a little extra to get a model with an adjustable comb. If you really plan to pursue the sport seriously you might even think about going to a professional stock fitter.
In his opinion there wasn’t a shotgun in the 3K range that was more durable than the Fabarm.
The kick off system is very nice. After shooting one I nearly bought one, but wanted to shoot 3 1/2" goose loads.
I was having the most success with my Dad's Rossi coach gun. Pissed off the dedicated guys. After 4 boxes of shells my shoulder would bleed.
I goose hunted with a 10g sxs. It sucked having to hand load my skeet loads and I wanted more capacity. I stepped down to a Remington Versa-max. Wood furniture is not available so it's ugly as hell with the black synthetic crap. The gas system is nice, you go from heavy 3 1/2" goose loads to skeet loads and it cycles them all. It's very soft shooting and came with 5 chokes (I still had to buy a skeet choke). It's my first auto loader, so I've had to get used to all the noise from the action.
If you get a Versa- max, get the parts for the large bolt release button like they put on the tactical model.
I was having the most success with my Dad's Rossi coach gun. Pissed off the dedicated guys. After 4 boxes of shells my shoulder would bleed.
I goose hunted with a 10g sxs. It sucked having to hand load my skeet loads and I wanted more capacity. I stepped down to a Remington Versa-max. Wood furniture is not available so it's ugly as hell with the black synthetic crap. The gas system is nice, you go from heavy 3 1/2" goose loads to skeet loads and it cycles them all. It's very soft shooting and came with 5 chokes (I still had to buy a skeet choke). It's my first auto loader, so I've had to get used to all the noise from the action.
If you get a Versa- max, get the parts for the large bolt release button like they put on the tactical model.
good luck finding those parts, now that rem is no longer, and people have been buying them up to hoard or sell at grossly inflated prices
When i shoot clays and have the most fun im shooting my wingmaster 870. Im no pro, but i can hit a clay at 40 yds about 6 foot off the ground with 1 1/8 oz target loads. I just have the old dangerous spring launcher at the moment and it doesnt fling them super far. For me its just super well balanced and holds a pretty tight pattern
I got them over a year ago. There was one part I had to get from somewhere else. You can get aftermarket stuff.
Beretta 686, Browning and Benelli O/U or semi autos are excellent choices in their sporting clays versions. What ever feels and fits best for you.I'd like to hear some opinions on a sporting clay 12 Guage. Ive got a mossberg 930 that I like a lot but wanted to step up a little. I really like the beretta a400 black with the kick off (I'd pretend to tell you my wife shoots it and she really likes the recoil reduction... But she doesn't shoot it... Not because she doesn't want to... But because I don't have a wife). I'm also kicking around the idea of an over under so I can use two chokes for the near and far bird. I like a wood stock because it looks classy and prefer extended chokes that I can install and remove by hand. I'll hunt doves with it too but will probably keep the 930 for that primarily. I'd like to keep cost below 2500. Thanks in advance.
Having run an upland bird hunting lodge I've handled way more shotguns than I could ever remember.
The only one that stood out from the pack, a Blaser F3 supertrap.
The guy that owned it had this incredible custom stock made for it by who, I have no idea, but it was *different* and the wood was unreal exhibition grade turkish walnut.
The guy also owns and runs the sporting clays range right near the NRA Raton range.
The thing just swung into the shoulder like liquid perfection for me (I know, everyone's body is different).
To me, every single thing about it was perfection, I've still never seen anything that even came close.
Only bummer....he was pushing $35k with the gun and stock work.
It should be perfect at that price eh ?
The only one that stood out from the pack, a Blaser F3 supertrap.
The guy that owned it had this incredible custom stock made for it by who, I have no idea, but it was *different* and the wood was unreal exhibition grade turkish walnut.
The guy also owns and runs the sporting clays range right near the NRA Raton range.
The thing just swung into the shoulder like liquid perfection for me (I know, everyone's body is different).
To me, every single thing about it was perfection, I've still never seen anything that even came close.
Only bummer....he was pushing $35k with the gun and stock work.
It should be perfect at that price eh ?
My son shoots sporting clays competitively. Practice 3 times per week and NSCA comps 1 once a month. The beretta a400 is the most recommended shotgun for shooters new to the sport. I like over/unders, so he shoots an over/under. He must be approaching 30,000 rounds on that gun and it never fails to fire or eject. It got its first (professional) cleaning in March of this year, becaues he got a coupon for a free cleaning. Of all of the guns he ha seen shot, the one brand that stood out to him is Blazer.
”Dad, do not EVER buy a Blazer.”
”Whah, why?”
”They constantly malfunction. Every time I see a guy with a ‘click’ instead of a ‘bang,‘ it’s a Blazer.”
One shooter’s observation. Nothing more.
”Dad, do not EVER buy a Blazer.”
”Whah, why?”
”They constantly malfunction. Every time I see a guy with a ‘click’ instead of a ‘bang,‘ it’s a Blazer.”
One shooter’s observation. Nothing more.
Browning Citori CX and the aforementioned bag of chokes.
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