[Duffy1]

I've been a pistol shooter for several years and thoroughly enjoy it but I had been thinking of expanding my horizons. About the time I had the epiphany my brother invited me to go shooting - sporting clays (did about 16 stations) and skeet (lost count but we were out there for about an hour+. I had a blast. Been out twice more and now i'm trying to evaluate which is the right gun for me. Tried my brother's semi auto Beretta (12 guage) and my sister in law's 20 guage Browning (I believe it was a side by side). Nice guns but they weren't "comfortable". Been to several gunstores and asking questions and here's what I think I want:

- an over/under (semi's seem to be a pain to clean/more to go wrong)
- a heavy gun rather than light - manage recoil and is a secure fit
- a pistol type grip near action for comfort and security
- ported barrels
a gun maker known for reliability

With my very limited knowledge on shotguns I'm thinking that the Browning Citori 525 hits all my criteria.

- What else should I be thinking about?
- What other guns would you recommend I look at?
- What price points are reasonable for all of the above?
- If looking at a used gun what are the key things I should be careful of - look out for?
- What ammo would you recommend and why (and what does it cost)
- What chokes would I use for what I'm looking to do - what is the difference between chokes and those that manufacturer them.

Sorry for all the questions but I've always looked at my guns as a longterm relationship and I don't want to fall in love and find out I hitched up to the wrong gun. Thanks,

[redneck2]

Might go thru a search here, limited to "Shotguns" forum. There have been a few threads about "starting shotguns". Your best gun will be the one that fits you the best, and that's something you just have to try AFAIK. If it were me, I'd go to the clays range and see what guys are using. There's usually a reason.

FWIW...I got a used Weatherby Orion II. I don't think the average guy wouldn't wear out a good O/U in 10 lifetimes. If it's not right for you, it's worth nearly what you paid on trade.

There was a really good thread maybe 2 weeks ago about ammo for clays. #8.5 shot load which I was unaware of. Good read. It also covered choke selection.

[riverdog]

I'm thinking that the Browning Citori 525 hits all my criteriaOutstanding choice. I'm a Joe Average 5'9, 165# and the 14 1/4" LOP is perfect and the stock shape gives me an excellent cheek weld. Perfect fit out of the box. In shotgun sports, fit rules. Just do it!

[DWARREN123]

What you like and fits properly will make you happy. Don't give up on semi's, the Benelli's with the inertia system are easy to maintain with minimum parts.:)

[txgolfer45]

Both are proven performers.

Scott

[BozemanMT]

A Browning 525 is a VERY nice gun. The wife has a lefty version.

I personally like beretta's better, but I wouldn't throw a Browning out of my safe for any reason.

I don't think you can go wrong with either of those two manufactuers.

One thought is that you might buy used at first (it's pretty hard to break either oen of those) and then if you don't like it or want to move up later, you can with less hit on the pocketbook.

welcome to our crack habit. :p