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DMR921

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey SGW. I am looking to get started with shooting trap / clays. Pardon my ignorance as I don't have much experience / knowledge between the different games. Though that isn't the idea of this post.

I am very interested in getting an O/U and have had my eye on specifically two models. The Mossberg 12 Silver Reserve w/ 28" and the Savage, Stevens 512 Gold Wing 12ga 28" The reason I am looking at these two is because they are so far the most comfortable for me.

I know both guns are cheap but I can't justify spending $1,000+ for a gun when I am not too sure about how involved in the sport I'm going to be.

I have seen a few other threads like mine and always have seen responders ask a few questions so I'll try and do my best to clear things up ahead of time..

I am about 5'10 225 lbs, I am planning to shoot maybe a few times a month at first, and see how "into it" I get, and may possibly shoot more often. The gun would mostly be used strictly for trap as I have an 870 express to hunt with.

If any other information is needed, please go ahead and ask. Thanks!

I also made an identical post in the "Clay Shooting" section of the forums but thought it wouldn't hurt to post it here as well as I am trying to get as much information as I can. If any of the moderators have an issue with this I apologize ahead of time.
 
" a few times a month"....cost--$6 for 25 trap targets....$20 for 50 sporting clays targets.

plus shells ($6/box) , gas to the club , etc.
 
Don't buy one.

The 870 will work fine for Trap. I used one when I shot Trap; balance and swing work fine for it, and generally better than a 28" O/U, even a good one. These are not good ones. Unlike cheap O/Us, the 870 will last.

It's a lot cheaper to build a decent modern pump gun than a decent O/U, for various reasons I need not go into here. You get a much better gun for X dollars if you buy a pump than if you buy an O/U with the money.
 
My advice is to find a gently used, not abused, Beretta, Benelli, Browning or Winchester autoloader which can do double duty as a hunting gun and a clays gun. Of the bunch, a Beretta (due to the gas operation and slightly heavier) may be optimum (though I love my Benellis). Sell the 870 Xpress to someone you can easily whip or who lives far away.

Then you will have a good gun for clay games and a good gun for hunting. With your present plan you will have neither. The guns you mentioned might be fine for hunting (lot of carrying not much shooting) but will not hold up under thousands of rounds. And the "hunting gun" you have now is . . . well, do a search on this site if you don't already know.

You can get a very serviceable Winchester or a new Beretta autoloader for around $600. Sell the tomato stake for a hundie and you're in for $500.

You will also become a better shooter if you stick to one shotgun when you are fairly new to it (I'm making this assumption).

Barry is right about a pump being fine for trap. If you're already used to one, you could really upgrade your situation by finding a great old Model 12 Winchester and using it for trap and hunting. The auto might be better if you ever want to shoot other games.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Thanks for the replies so far, only reason I'm not so much looking into a semi-auto is due to the fact that I am left eye dominant and have had some not so great experiences in the past with shells going across my face / body. And as far as selling the 870 goes, ive been thinking about it for some time, but right now i guess its better than nothing..

i guess too it makes a difference which i forgot to mention is that this gun is going to be a gift for my 21st / golden birthday
 
DMR921 said:
Thanks for the replies so far, only reason I'm not so much looking into a semi-auto is due to the fact that I am left eye dominant and have had some not so great experiences in the past with shells going across my face / body. And as far as selling the 870 goes, ive been thinking about it for some time, but right now i guess its better than nothing..

i guess too it makes a difference which i forgot to mention is that this gun is going to be a gift for my 21st / golden birthday
O.K., if the lefty deal is a reason, not an excuse, I have the solution. Browning BPS. They are a little heavy, but that's good for clay shooting, esp with a fixed breech gun. EXTREMELY reliable built like a tank. Get the longest barrel you can and a handfull of chokes and you've solved your problems. You MAY need to get the stock bent if it's cast, but that's cheap.

NOW, if you just really really really really want a O/U for the cool factor (we've all been
there, well, most of us have), save your money and get one that will hold up. You can find a decent older Win 101 for $750-$900, or a SKB Ithaca for around the same.
 
A Tip on forum etiquette:
Generally, you post one question in one thread. If you spread it out over three forums, you'll get all sorts of different answers depending on what forum you posted it. In addition, it kind of ticks people off if they have given you a long drawn out answer only to find somebody else answered the same question with a long-drawn out answer in another forum. Burn a guy a couple times and they stop answering your questions.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=254256
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=254253
 
BarryD said:
Don't buy one.

The 870 will work fine for Trap. I used one when I shot Trap; balance and swing work fine for it, and generally better than a 28" O/U, even a good one. These are not good ones. Unlike cheap O/Us, the 870 will last.

It's a lot cheaper to build a decent modern pump gun than a decent O/U, for various reasons I need not go into here. You get a much better gun for X dollars if you buy a pump than if you buy an O/U with the money.
I agree fully with this. I was talked out by a gun store to get an 870 instead of these 2 same guns and a stoeger that I was looking into for myself. He sold me something less money so I didn't run into future problems

Sent from my Droid Incredible using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
marist89 said:
A Tip on forum etiquette:
Generally, you post one question in one thread. If you spread it out over three forums, you'll get all sorts of different answers depending on what forum you posted it. In addition, it kind of ticks people off if they have given you a long drawn out answer only to find somebody else answered the same question with a long-drawn out answer in another forum. Burn a guy a couple times and they stop answering your questions.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=254256
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=254253
Yeh i posted this in other areas because i was trying to get as much info as i can and thought if this is like any other forum site ive been on, certain people only check certain areas of the forums.
 
I agree with the others, the 870 will do you just fine for now. Those arent high quality OU's and if the 870 is even relatively new and you take care of it, it will probably last as long as any of those OU's will, and that is the main reason trap shooters use OUs, for the longevity, and also the 100% reliable ability to shoot target loads as opposed to Autoloaders which soemtimes have trouble cycling them. If you shoot for awhile and decide that you are really into it(you probably will be, try some sporting clays, its like hunting except you always shoot something) the you can pick up something like a Citori or a Winchester 101 used for a ittle over $1000, that will take you to the point where you decide whether you want to be really competitive about it or if you want to just shoot for fun, something to do, and because the people are great. It you go the competitive route then youll be spilling more money into it but Why the He11 not,if you're having fun who cares
 
If you are looking for a dedicated trap gun, and like the 870, look into getting a 870TB. They are built for trap, are very reliable, and quite cheap to buy. Used they usually run between $425-$550. There are even a few left-handed models floating around out there.

I also agree with the sentiment of the others, do not buy a cheap O/U. Their performance and function will be sub-par compared to a good semi or pump. They will also not hold their value. Many have gone down that road, do not follow.
 
I have to agree with the rest of the posts. Get a Remington 870 or a Browning BPS. They are better guns then the two you are looking at. You can also get a nice use Beretta 391 or a Remington 1100 or 1187.
 
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