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Over/Under Shotgun Cases ??? Any Advice?

29K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  VTHokiesDuckHunter 
#1 ·
What do you guys recommend for a case for my new Browning O/U?

Considering that I will use it 50/50 for hunting and shooting skeet/trap/sporting clays.

a long soft case?
a long hard case?
a breakdown shotgun case?

Price being a major factor. I don"t want to spend that much money.

Any advice here would be great. Thanks so much. Cheers.
 
#2 ·
If there is any hunting involved at all I personally prefer a very well made, long gun/soft case. My favorites are made by Boyt, and are heavy canvas:

http://www.boytharness.com/inventor...&CatId={6D8C1062-2237-46AF-B8B8-67CD1821965C}

I have several of these, as well as a Cabela's, a Browning Waxed Canvas (another very nice one) and a Browning take-down case. I really prefer to use the canvas or leather long gun cases over the take down cases, unless it is for target shooting only.

The Orvis Battenkill cases are very nice as well:

http://www.orvis.com/store/product....9&group_id=22606&cat_id=24666&subcat_id=24668
 
#3 ·
What barrel length?

I have a couple of soft breakdown cases, and they're great for going on a road trip, where you might have a car full of stuff, and they take very little space.

HOWEVER... While a breakdown case (soft or hard) is great for travel and for the gun range, when you're out in the field, IME it's less than ideal.

You can't just toss the gun in the case and drive to the next spot a bit down the road; you have to break it down. With an O/U, that means you'll have greasy ends, and you don't want to get the case all greased up, nor do you want to collect dirt or grit in the grease. So you should wipe it down. Then, when you get to the next field or whatever, you have to put on some more grease and put the gun back together.

And of course, when you first get to the hunting spot, you'll have to grease and assemble the gun, sometimes in dirty or wet conditions that aren't good for the inside of the receiver. This is also a great way to bang the gun against the vehicle, too.

If you get a breakdown case for the field, also get a gun sleeve!

Personally, I'd get a good, well-padded long gun soft case first. Do your cleaning and greasing at home. You might want something else for travel, etc., but you'll never regret buying the long soft case. :)

Enjoy your new toy!
 
#4 ·
I have nearly every type of case known.

I prefer hard take-down cases except when hunting, even though they are probably not the best option. I generally use them for long distance transport and sometimes to go to the range.

The most dangerous time for your gun is when it is apart. It's awfully easy to drop a fore-end or bang the barrels into something. It's always safer to simply slide it into a good padded long case. I prefer the ones with a flap and buckle (commonly known as "gun slips" instead of "cases") so there are no zippers to scratch the stock.
 
#5 ·
I have a ridiculous number of cases. But I would agree with Barry. If you are going to hunt with that gun, first get yourself a nice, padded, soft long-gun case. I happen to prefer mine with a sling sort of strap attached, either well-sewn onto the case or attached by D-rings (preferably not-metallic). If you've got to tote any gear, especially for a friend or newbie, it comes in handy loading and unloading the vehicle.

This, too, is good advice. IMO: "If you get a breakdown case for the field, also get a gun sleeve!"

I'm a big one for when it's time to hunt, let's hunt. Have your prep done and your vest preloaded and ready to go. When I pull my vest off the hangar, it's got shells, two one-liter squeeze bottles of water, my cap and gloves and my home-built first-aid kit already in it.

So, I change cap and vest; slide that gun out of the soft case; crack it open and carry it open and empty to our starting place. I do 99 percent of my prep the night before, even preheat the Stanley bottle. I came to hunt, not dilly-dally about with my gear!

For club shooting, I generally use a hard, breakdown case. There are usually benches, counters or tables near the racks for setting up. And I usually like to say my hellos and have a cup of joe before getting onto my first squad.
 
#6 ·
I also like the Cabelas/Boyt quilted canvas cases with the pocket on the side for chokes, snap caps, etc. Side by side they are very close to the same and I wouldn't be to shocked if Boyt didn't also make Cabelas cases. You can also get the length you want which is nice.
 
#7 ·
BobsST said:
I also like the Cabelas/Boyt quilted canvas cases with the pocket on the side for chokes, snap caps, etc. Side by side they are very close to the same and I wouldn't be to shocked if Boyt didn't also make Cabelas cases. You can also get the length you want which is nice.
Tis true. Both are nice, and I would not be surprised if Boyt made Cabela's cases. They are darn similar. I have had 'em in full-length and soft breakdown. Good cases for sure.
 
#8 ·
"I have a ridiculous number of cases."

Me, too. Hard breakdown cases, soft breakdown cases, hard full-length cases, soft full-length cases, and a cheap gun slip that rolls up for expedient use. I have cheap ones (from a cross-country move when I just wanted to pad the guns) and I have a few good ones. I find uses where each of them is the best choice.

Boyt is a great company that stands behind its products. I have a dog handler vest from them. My wife was wearing it, and we figured that we could coil up the excess length of a thick thirty-foot check cord in the rear game pouch. This turned out to be a bad idea, when the dog took off running and ripped the vest open. I sent it to Boyt for repairs, and they just sent me a new one instead, free of charge. I told them it was my fault.

While their stuff isn't cheap, it's worth every penny. :)
 
#9 ·
Like a lot of guys I've tried many styles. I agree that cushioned long case is most convenient, but they tend to bump into walls and door jams a lot for me. Same with the soft break down cases. I guess if I went with a really high end super padded model those bumps would worry me.

What I've been using lately is a relatively inexpensive SKB breakdown case. It has loads of padding, is very light and I have no worries whether the guns in my back seat or the bed of a pick up truck.

http://www.skbcasesusa.com/skb-case-2skb-sc3409.htm

 
#10 ·
MGF said:
I have a ridiculous number of cases. But I would agree with Barry. If you are going to hunt with that gun, first get yourself a nice, padded, soft long-gun case. I happen to prefer mine with a sling sort of strap attached, either well-sewn onto the case or attached by D-rings (preferably not-metallic). If you've got to tote any gear, especially for a friend or newbie, it comes in handy loading and unloading the vehicle.
+100!
Padded, soft long-gun case!
Straps are a Bonus when hauling gear to and from the car.
A single trip to the club (Me & my Wife), could involve 4 shotguns and hundreds of rounds of shells. Straps and bags with handles (99 cent cloth shopping bags) really help with hauling stuff.
 
#11 ·
steveziv said:
Like a lot of guys I've tried many styles. I agree that cushioned long case is most convenient, but they tend to bump into walls and door jams a lot for me. Same with the soft break down cases. I guess if I went with a really high end super padded model those bumps would worry me.

What I've been using lately is a relatively inexpensive SKB breakdown case. It has loads of padding, is very light and I have no worries whether the guns in my back seat or the bed of a pick up truck.

http://www.skbcasesusa.com/skb-case-2skb-sc3409.htm

Dang you, Steve. I'll probably now have to have one!
 
#12 ·
The McCallister and Flambeau floatation gun cases made for waterfowlers are also pretty darn good for uplanders. Often, they come with no zippers, just velcro. You can open them 3/4(sort of like an envelope) and pop your gun out, no sweat. Measure your gun's overall length before you buy and you'll end up with one that's pretty protective, highly portable and not terribly expensive.
 
#14 ·
A hard case when traveling involves air or long distances with a lot of stuff in the back that fall on the gun. For regular trips to the club- I use a soft sleeve from Bob Allen - not quite as thick as your foam padded soft case, but easier to toe whether around a sporting course or a quail hunt with a handle and shoulder strap

http://www.bob-allen.com/inventoryD.asp ... 40T&CatId={AF884E34-91B4-430A-B32F-19E46992C820}

$15.00 list price

http://www.bob-allen.com/Enlarge.asp?im ... XLarge.jpg

The one I use - $42 list, can be found online for less
 
#15 ·
steveziv said:
Like a lot of guys I've tried many styles. I agree that cushioned long case is most convenient, but they tend to bump into walls and door jams a lot for me. Same with the soft break down cases. I guess if I went with a really high end super padded model those bumps would worry me.

What I've been using lately is a relatively inexpensive SKB breakdown case. It has loads of padding, is very light and I have no worries whether the guns in my back seat or the bed of a pick up truck.

http://www.skbcasesusa.com/skb-case-2skb-sc3409.htm

Wow, that one is really nice. And I recently saw the perfect little SKB 28 gauge that would look nice in it. Plus maybe I'd buy a second one for taking the XS to the range. I think I can find a Buckmark patch to sew over the SKB logo...... :)

Seriously, like I posted above, and as mentioned by Barry D and others, I really like the long, padded Boyt cases best when hunting, but that SKB bag would be nicer for the range than some of my hard cases.
 
#16 ·
Try Beretta ABS Plastic hard cases for take down. Joel Etchen had them for $50 , just put Browning sticker. They come with new Beretta, Browning is too cheep, except in EU and UK.

Take a look in EU/UK for Browning Black edition 725, real nice gun (has black and gold receiver with modern lines, but no roll engraving or silver receiver) and comes with ABS Plastic Black Browning fixed and cloth lined case.. I have a traditional Brown Browning case that cost hundreds and had to move block to fit 32" Crossover barrels. Nice felt.

Try other case manufactures on internet for closeouts. Browning makes a plastic Mirage for rifles in US, but no shotgun yet!
 
#17 ·
steveziv said:
Like a lot of guys I've tried many styles. I agree that cushioned long case is most convenient, but they tend to bump into walls and door jams a lot for me. Same with the soft break down cases. I guess if I went with a really high end super padded model those bumps would worry me.

What I've been using lately is a relatively inexpensive SKB breakdown case. It has loads of padding, is very light and I have no worries whether the guns in my back seat or the bed of a pick up truck.

http://www.skbcasesusa.com/skb-case-2skb-sc3409.htm

I have one, and it is very nice for the range. But the big factor in buying it, is the case will hold 32 inch barrels.
 
#18 ·
jaguarxk120 said:
steveziv said:
Like a lot of guys I've tried many styles. I agree that cushioned long case is most convenient, but they tend to bump into walls and door jams a lot for me. Same with the soft break down cases. I guess if I went with a really high end super padded model those bumps would worry me.

What I've been using lately is a relatively inexpensive SKB breakdown case. It has loads of padding, is very light and I have no worries whether the guns in my back seat or the bed of a pick up truck.

http://www.skbcasesusa.com/skb-case-2skb-sc3409.htm

I have one, and it is very nice for the range. But the big factor in buying it, is the case will hold 32 inch barrels.
I just ordered this same case.
 
#20 ·
If you want the best of both worlds, a take down case and a case for hunting, and you just happen to hunt from a utv.

These are really nice very padded and dont bang around, hold two shotguns, one on each end. So you put your shotgun together in the field and slide it in one of these for the day. the only problem I have with long soft cases is they flop around in the back of the truck driving off road. When I got my UTV it was worse, these fit the bill.



http://www.walmart.com/ip/QuadGear-Extr ... ethod=p13n

Mike
 
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