[Glenn Kelley]

I'm looking to buy an o/u shotgun and have it down to the Browning Citori or the Beretta 686 Onyx.The gun will be used for hunting and some clays.

So my question is how do they compare?

[RUT]

One is as good as the other. The important thing is, which one fits you better?

[ArmedBear]

They are radically different guns, especially in 12.

The Citori is heavier and much taller. Put a 30" barrel on it (or better yet a Superposed, which balances the same) and I love it. Put a 26" barrel on it, and I hate it. Seems like it wants to go up and down but not side-to-side, because of the weight distribution, with a short barrel.

The 686 is a low-profile gun, more side-to-side but a bit less tendency to move vertically than the boxier Citori when you swing it. (Browning's Cynergy is similar)

So it's not just about fit, it's about your body weight distribution, your shooting style, what you want to shoot at, and what length barrels you're looking at. Since the gun is an extension of your body, it all depends on how well it fits YOU, and not just the length, either.:)

Do you mean sporting clays, trap, or skeet?

A 30" Citori is a wonderful trap and SC gun, but I wouldn't want it for close-in doves, for example.

If you can, try them both. At least swing them both a lot. Try different lengths if you can. Close your eyes. Feel what you like. Open your eyes, see what you like.

They're both excellent shotguns. They just feel so different, that's how I'd choose.

(I just returned a Superposed I'd been borrowing. I want it.:) )

[Dave McCracken]

Neck and neck on quality, fit and feel should be the determinants. Try some out first.

[PJR]

As noted the Citori is a taller actioned gun due to the underlug locking system while the Beretta is shorter and wider due to its locking system.

I've owned both and prefer the Beretta due to its lower profile and easier safety/selector system in the field. I've never cared for the Browning "H" type safety/selector.

Berettas also come with some right hand cast in the stock and generally have more shootable dimensions for me. YMMV.

[Glenn Kelley]

Thanks guys.I have shouldered and shot the Citori.They are easy to find around here at reasonable prices.I haven't seen a used Beretta but the length of pull and drop at heal are close or identical.The Citori works for me but I don't like the weight and the deep receiver is unappealing.On the up side I shot it well,it's reliable.

So I will be looking for a 686 to continue the comparison.Any other comments will be welcome.

[JAMES77257]

I have a Citori 525 in 20 ga. It's by far the best shotgun I've ever fired (for me).

The Berettas are nice, but the auto-safety (you have to click it back to fire every time you open it) kills it for me.

[45auto]

Try as many as you can.

Browning, in particular, has so many models that they feel like "night and day" to me. Meaning, the 525 compared to the 425/XS. The hunting models have lower stocks, sporting models with high and low ribs, etc, etc.

Beretta has different variations also, both new and old.

Both are very good guns IMHO, so take your time if you can! Hunting models will be cheaper. Good used ones are a "bestbuy". ;)

[ArmedBear]

I have a Citori 525 in 20 ga. It's by far the best shotgun I've ever fired

Something to note. The Browning scales WAY down in 20 Gauge. It becomes a lot sleeker, and it drops a pound and a half vs. the 12.

Whether that's good or bad depends on what you like, but the Citori is a really different gun in 20 than in 12.

[mswestfall]

So it's not just about fit, it's about your body weight distribution, your shooting style, what you want to shoot at, and what length barrels you're looking at. Since the gun is an extension of your body, it all depends on how well it fits YOU, and not just the length, either.

I'm w/ArmedBear on this one.

I looked at the 525 and comparably priced 68x series.

I'm a pretty tall guy with long arms and a relatively long neck. So one fit me alot better than the other. They are both very good guns!

You have the right idea in shooting both. Keep in mind that you will probably have to "adjust" either of them to fit you well. So look at what needs to change and which would be easiest to change.

Either will probably last you a lifetime.

[zinj]

The Berettas are nice, but the auto-safety (you have to click it back to fire every time you open it) kills it for me.

The target models don't have this, and a gunsmith can remove it on the hunting ones.

[ysr_racer]

Ford or Chevy? Blonde or redhead? Vanilla or chocolate? Hardtop or convertible?

The choice is yours alone.

[Hawk]

My 687 has significant cast-off. I'd guess it'd be near unusable by a leftie. I believe it shares this with the 686 but wouldn't swear to it.

IME, if one fits you like a glove, chances are the other won't, making the decision easy.

[mswestfall]

Sorry for being off-topic but:

Chevy, Vanilla, convertible and by far most importantly, Read head?

[Glenn Kelley]

I bought the 686.I was able to compare a citori and a 686 that had very similar features.3 inch chamber,both full and mod,most importantly both have 30 inch barrels.It just felt right when I shouldered it.The guns not light it just feels light next to the Citori.Thanks for the help.

[Dave McCracken]

Enjoy, and let's see a T&E once you've wrung it out a bit....

[scubie02]

isn't it Beretta that has O/U's with the fake plastic wood? I'm sure they have real wood models too, but the fact that they'd even CONSIDER putting fake plastic wood on a shotgun of that type that they would charge that much for is a huge turnoff.

I agree with the above poster who also mentioned that the Citori's have a completely different character in 20 or 12. I have one in 20 and it's a very nice upland gun, and has just spectacular (real) wood. I used to have a 12 gauge Superposed, and while I could appreciate the bank vault qualities and history, the long and short of it were I didn't shoot it as well as the Citori, and on those 20 below NY winter days it would occasionally not fire the second barrel--I think something about the cold temps (or maybe my frozen stiffness on those days) was keeping the inertial system or whatever from cocking the gun for that second shot.

[retrieverman]

I have owned both and prefer the Beretta. The Citori is too "clubby" for my taste, and I do like the slim lines of the 686.

If you are in an area that has a place to handle both, I would recommend it. There are no such places where I live, so I had to buy them to try them.

I currently have an english stocked Beretta 686 Onyx 12 ga and love it.

BTW There are some deals to be had on O/U's if you watch the online auctions. I just bought my Dad a 686 Onyx 20 ga for $780.

[1911 Shooter]

Beretta all the way, about 50k rounds off it anf I bought it used. I see too many brownings with problems on the skeet field. But it is a ford VS chevy thing.s

[Hawk]

isn't it Beretta that has O/U's with the fake plastic wood? I'm sure they have real wood models too

Something for everybody. You're in NY - check out the Gallery. Last time I was at the one in Dallas they had a piece of lumber marked at 7,000.00. Nice lumber though even if it was unshaped and unfinished.

As to why they'd "consider" it, why not? Didn't Browning put a polymer stock on an O/U? - Cynergy, I believe it's called. Painted on wood or tupperware - ya pays your money and takes your choice. Seems like most of the stocks at my club were painted by the same people that used to design electric guitars in the late '60s. Kinda grows on you...

[mswestfall]

What, nobody else likes readheads?