[Geneseo1911]

Folks-
I'm wanting to shoot more this summer, and I'm planning on doing some 3-gun and shooting trap/skeet at least every couple weeks & maybe a few rounds of sporting clays. I really want a good O/U, and plan to invest in a B-gun or something similar once I have the cash saved up, probably within two years.

Anyway, my shotgun situation is as follows:
-Win 1300-I've shot this gun a bunch and it fits well, but the barrel is SO heavy and is hard to get moving.
-Ithaca 37- Light & fast, but full choked and needs a recoil pad
-Saiga 12- I bought this mainly for tacticoolness, ban-baitedness, and 3-gun, and I don't see myself ejecting the mag, inserting two rounds, chasing hulls, etc, so I think it's out.

The question is, I can only spend a couple hundred bucks to improve my clay games situation. The only thing I'd be willing to sell would be the Ithaca, which I think I could get at least $250 out of. This is how I see my options:

-suffer through with the Winchester, and get a good gun a couple months faster
-Send the Ithaca's barrel off to be threaded for chokes, and get a recoil pad to make it fit
-buy a Stoeger or the like

I know a cheapie O/U won't last very long, but I just want to get through a couple years until I can get something better. Supposedly they also don't hold any value, but the ones on GB are selling at new price.... What do the shotgun experts here recommend?:confused:

[oneounceload]

Can you get another barrel for your Ithaca, or get it threaded for choke tubes? (Same thought for your Winchester) Or get the Ithaca's choke opened up to something else, like LM???

Might be the least expensive options

[ilmonster]

One option might be to see if the Remington 1100 shotgun fits you, and if so you could sell the Ithaca and pick up an 1100 for somewhere around the $250-$400 range. Remington has made thousands upon thousands of them, and they make wonderful clay guns - the only caveat as always is does the stock/gun fit your build. I would like to have an 1100, but all the ones I've mounted have never fit me - comb is too low.

[Virginian]

Well, if you gave me an O/U I would sell it, so I am no help there. In the meantime you could get the Ithaca threaded with choke tubes and have a recoil pad fitted so the gun fits you, and then you ought to be able to stick with that until you can afford to get something you are going to want to stick with. Never get a new gun as an interim gun. You will lose major bucks. I would sell both pumps and get a used semi auto with choke tubes to shoot any clays game other than just trap with. I feel you will be handicapping yourself at skeet or sporting clays with a pump. I could be wrong - maybe you are the second coming of Tom Knapp.

[oneounceload]

You'd be better off with a quality used semi than a cheap new O/U, IMO. A quality gun will hold its value, a cheap gun will not

[Geneseo1911]

Well, I hadn't really considered an autoloader. I'm pretty handy with my pumps, and hadn't really seen the need for one. I usually don't have trouble with the doubles, but occasionally one gets away. I guess I didn't realize how cheap an 1100 Rem. is. I can't get rid of the Win., though as it was my first new gun.

Wouldn't an 1100 have the same problem as my Winchester, though? That long, heavy vent-rib barrel sticking way out there is awfully hard to get moving. I'll have to look and see if my dealer has any I can handle, and if he'll give me anything for the Ithaca.

I should've mentioned the Ithaca is a 1949 model, so switching barrels isn't really an option, as it would cost more than I gave for the gun.

[sm]

I'd run what I brung.

Fred Misseldine , Champion Shooter, used 1300s in all 4 gauges for Skeet, the 12 bore for Trap, and felled slews of quail, doves, duck and who knows what else, with 1300s.

Yes, the 1300 used to come in all 4 gauges.

Currently you have some classic guns, and if get rid of one, you will regret it, and even if you did find one down the road, it will not be the same.

If the 1300 fits as you say it does, then you want to use that gun, and the "heavy barrel" you really do want.

Sure, skeet has doubles and all that. So? Shoot from low gun, not premounted, Misseldine did, I did, we all did.

Oh they changed the rule book so some folks that were whining their butts off could mount the gun before calling the bird ( wimps) .

Run the pump gun, have fun, and to hell with anyone that has a fancy smancy gun and attitude to match, and "telling you" you are doing it wrong.

Have fun, and this means entering the side events like Pump Gun Reg Skeet, and Pump Gun Doubles.

Do note the fancy pants will not be shooting these events, he is a programmed shooter.

Pump gun events:
Your competition will surprise you. That young sweet thang that was using a Perazzi, is running a Model 12. That old man that was using a Krieghoff, is running a Ithaca 37, His brother with the nice Beretta O/U is hell-on-wheels with a 870.

Shooting 100/100 is easy, the real competition is in the Shoot Offs.
Pump Gun events are some serious fun!
When you get plumb crazy, you will find a .410 pump gun and shoot the .410 , pump gun only events.


Money Gun, is the nickname for a 28 ga 870. This gun has over 300,000 rds thru it, and is still running.
There is a very good reason that gun earned its nickname.

I was one that shared this gun with some others. Very very special group we were.
Now we have been known to show up with only two shotguns, a 28 ga pump, and .410 pump and shoot Thursday thru Sunday with just these two guns.
WE had to use a .410 in .410 events, hence the reason we had one, everything else we did with a 28 ga pump.

Helluva deal, we all run straights (100/100) and in shoot offs, and it would not take long to note...it wuz just us shooting against each other.
We had a good time!

I mean seriously we have ran almost 6 boxes one time against each other in a shoot off.
Don't tell us a Shot Shell Mfg is going to supply shells for free, because we ain't used to "new storebought" and we are gonna have fun shooting these and "making hulls".

11:10 pm and shooting under the lights and we finally "crit".
This was described as a "hypnotic orgasmic fantabulism" , even the skeeters gave up biting folks , snagged a seat and watched.

Low gun, mount gun to face, slap trigger, rack slide, drop stock, mount gun to face, slap trigger, repeat.

I mean you have can fun with a Nice Semi, or a O/U, but if you are going for "hypnotic orgasmic fantabulism" , you gotta run a pump. *grin*

[oneounceload]

I have an 1100 in 28 gauge that I ADDED 8 oz on the mag cap to add some weight to improve the swing - it was WAY too light and whippy before - it has become my total fun gun for 5-stand and FITASC targets.....(and bending over to pick up those hulls helps keep me in shape!)

[WV_Vizsla]

Might surprise you how cheap the saddle worn ones can be. Buy with outside wear, clean inside from lack of use. Mine should have greater than 40K and works fine. If the 1100 fits, it hits, I added a longer recoil pad to get the FIT it needed. Keep the other big bore if possible.

BTW a 1100 with one OZ loads @ 1200 fps is just sweet. I have started dozens of new shooters the enjoyed the experience. Mine only fits if greater than 5'10"
That said I currently run a Ruger Red Label stainless 30" for informal sporting clay and switch to 26" tubes to pheasant and grouse hunt. 30" swing smoother, 26" way faster.

[sm]

oneounceload wrote: (and bending over to pick up those hulls helps keep me in shape!)

Folks that there is a true blue shotgunner with a full grasp of the definition of Rationalization.


When you get really good with a shotgun...
.... you go with a O/U or SxS, and get "into the shape" by not bending over. Dead Serious, you know you are in tip top shape when you can't see your feets.

Oh yeah, you do this so you can give the young whippernappers with six pack abs a sporting chance when you shoot against them.


When you get really really good, you step out with a Single Shot Shotgun .
The ability to not count past "one" is not a age dependent thing, heck, I have been at this stage of life for a bit now.


*neener*

[Peter M. Eick]

My shooting buddy and I used match Saiga's for sporting clays and did "ok". For first time shooters we were both in the mid 30's. It does draw some interest on the sporting clays lanes though.

After a while we both recoginized we were fighting our equipment and both Browning over and unders. Our scores jumped about 5 birds first time out. We are both still getting better with them so I expect we should be into the mid 40's soon.

[Bill B.]

This is how I see my options:

-suffer through with the Winchester, and get a good gun a couple months faster
-Send the Ithaca's barrel off to be threaded for chokes, and get a recoil pad to make it fit
-buy a Stoeger or the like


The other option is to sell the Ithaca and buy a Remington 870 Express that already had the tubes. Already will have the pad and threaded.Buy ammo with the extra money you will get for the Ithaca.

From what clays I have shot with a pump I want a port to drop the rounds straight in. Tried a Browning BPS for skeet and didn't find it fun at all. I think you will like the 870 and your M37 should get you some extra cash.

[Geneseo1911]

I appreciate the opinions guys. I think I'm just gonna stick with the old 1300 for the time being. It cycles pretty darn fast and has never failed me. SM, you made a bunch of good points. The 1300 will probably still be my hunting gun, so shooting it more can only help. My dealer has a nice used Citori that I'm gonna start saving for.

I'll keep the Ithaca around for occasional trap duty and because it's unique. Plus, it's only worth about $250, so it's not hardly worth the trouble of getting rid of. I have a soft spot for John Browning's designs, anyway.

Definitely going to take the Saiga to the Sportsman's Club as soon as we get a decent day. I'm sure it will get some attention in the rack, but I'll be amazed if I hit anything with the crappy stock, lousy sights, and mag sticking out right in the way of my arm.