I must be falling behind on shotgun makers games like I am on skeet targets.
I have been looking for a new or newer shotgun at the stores and on-line and while I was enthralled with cosmetic enhancements I failed to notice important items. For example, those $2000 dollar guns in a cardboard box with popcorn choke tubes and crappy butt pads. I guess they are more interested in after marketing $, dangling a carrot in front of your nose than customer satisfaction. I mean, who wants to buy a nice Over/Under and put it in a cloth sleeve.
I have priced some of those cheaper but well made plastic cases like Winchester, Browning, Remington, Mossberg, etc. discounted to $50 bucks. Imagine how cheap they are for the gun makers to buy. The first thing any serious shotgunner does is to replace those popcorn choke tubes. Secondly, he starts looking for a decent butt pad that actually works.
Then of course, if you steer away from a $2000 gun discounted to $1799 and go for all the goodies that you want now and avoid shopping later that same gun [cosmetically enhanced] with better choke tubes, better butt pad, and that same $50 plastic case now cost you $3400 to $4000 bucks. If you buy an $8000 dollar Guerini you get that $50 plastic case thrown in for free.
I looked up a Browning Citori Feather Lightning, 12 ga., 28-inch barrel, 3 ordinary choke Iv+ tubes for $1800.00, it comes with a plastic butt plate and in a cardboard box. Also the same for the new Winchester 101 series.
I looked up a Franchi Instinct, 28 in barrels, 12 gauge, for $1350., with extended choke tubes and a plastic storage case.
And if that's not enough to deal with, I'm not seeing any right handed - left handed listings so I made some phone calls. I never heard of an Ambidextrous shotgun stock, does this mean I can miss targets with either hand? What happened to the 3 most important things in shooting; Gun fit, Gun fit, Gun, fit!
I might catch up on the game rules some day but it's hard to find order in chaos.
PS; Has anyone else seen all the Browning shotgun models that are discontinued? OMG.
I have been looking for a new or newer shotgun at the stores and on-line and while I was enthralled with cosmetic enhancements I failed to notice important items. For example, those $2000 dollar guns in a cardboard box with popcorn choke tubes and crappy butt pads. I guess they are more interested in after marketing $, dangling a carrot in front of your nose than customer satisfaction. I mean, who wants to buy a nice Over/Under and put it in a cloth sleeve.
I have priced some of those cheaper but well made plastic cases like Winchester, Browning, Remington, Mossberg, etc. discounted to $50 bucks. Imagine how cheap they are for the gun makers to buy. The first thing any serious shotgunner does is to replace those popcorn choke tubes. Secondly, he starts looking for a decent butt pad that actually works.
Then of course, if you steer away from a $2000 gun discounted to $1799 and go for all the goodies that you want now and avoid shopping later that same gun [cosmetically enhanced] with better choke tubes, better butt pad, and that same $50 plastic case now cost you $3400 to $4000 bucks. If you buy an $8000 dollar Guerini you get that $50 plastic case thrown in for free.
I looked up a Browning Citori Feather Lightning, 12 ga., 28-inch barrel, 3 ordinary choke Iv+ tubes for $1800.00, it comes with a plastic butt plate and in a cardboard box. Also the same for the new Winchester 101 series.
I looked up a Franchi Instinct, 28 in barrels, 12 gauge, for $1350., with extended choke tubes and a plastic storage case.
And if that's not enough to deal with, I'm not seeing any right handed - left handed listings so I made some phone calls. I never heard of an Ambidextrous shotgun stock, does this mean I can miss targets with either hand? What happened to the 3 most important things in shooting; Gun fit, Gun fit, Gun, fit!
I might catch up on the game rules some day but it's hard to find order in chaos.
PS; Has anyone else seen all the Browning shotgun models that are discontinued? OMG.