Advice for O/U Shotgun on a Shoestring

david58 said:

My wife is interested in grouse hunting here in NM, and of course I am enthusiastically going along on this ride. Issue is that her only shotgun is a 42" barrel flintlock fowling piece, not exactly where she wants to start out chasing Grouse. Thinking an O/U is nice, but I know little about the less expensive guns that I see out there. Would appreciate your counsel, and thank you in advance.

David
New Mexico

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Made in Finland for Savage Model 330 is going to be best bang for the buck.

A Spanish made Lanber 2097 has treated me well. It has chrome bores, so steel shot is gtg

My wife started with a hand me down Ithaca SKB. I bought her a used Browning shortly thereafter. The money on the gun means nothing....spend on the fit. Much better to have a “poor” shotgun with perfect fit than vice versa....

My go to is Larry Feland...great at fit, but expensive...

Once it fits, I bet she outshoots you

http://felandgunsmith.com/

My 5 ft-2 in wife shoots skeet with a 20 gauge Browning Citori Grade I Field grade (1990 vintage) with 26" barrels and a stock shortened to fit her. She does well with the gun on the skeet field.

Just a data point to consider.

I know several ladies not much taller than your wife who shoot sporting clays. One uses a 30" Browning O/U and the other a 28" Kreighoff. These guns weigh north of 8# and they do quite well with them, considering both are in their 70s.

Did you explore what your wife wants? A good single barrel would be worth considering. Go to a big gun store and have her shoulder a bunch of shotguns to see what trips her trigger. I had the recent pleasure of going to Reeds in Minnesota. I always have my eye on numerous guns and Reeds gave me a chance to get my hands on many guns for further consideration. Don't know what might be in your neck of the woods, but take her shopping; women love to shop

I have tried some cheap over/unders as well as side by sides. One problem I found is poorly regulated barrels or crooked ribs. Plus reliability and lock up problems. Save yourself some trouble. I saw a 11/87 in Walmart for under $500 today. A bit heavy for upland. I still kick myself for selling a Remington 1100 LT 20. I do like light shorter guns for upland especially grouse. My favorite is a Beretta 686.

My vote is for a Remington 1100 Lt 20. I shoot an 1100 12 gauge also. Both have 28 inch barrels, the 12 ga. has a newer Rem Choke barrel. If you look at them you will notice neither one has a recoil pad, so that tells you about the recoil. My 12 ga. was made in 1984, and my 20 ga was made in 1997. I shoot them both at Trap, Skeet, Wobble Trap, Sporting Clays, Doves, Pheasants, and Ducks over decoys ( before I retired to South Carolina from Wisconsin). I made some long shots with the 20 ga. on pheasants with required steel # 4 shot ( only in required areas ). Every Friday there is a group of retired guys that shoot the different clay games. So I usually shoot from 50 to 100 + rounds with no problem, and I am 70 years old.

I have 3 Turkish Yildiz that I purchased from Academy Sports years ago. All o&u's. 12 ga 20 ga & 410 bore. All have beautiful Turkish walnut stocks. None have ever failed and they have 1000's of rds through them. On the pattern board they shoot to point of aim. They each come with 5 choke tubes.. Snobs turn up their noses at Turkish shotguns. The Yildiz are great and can be had for less than $500. BTW I have my own personal skeet field so they get used a lot.

10 years ago when I was coaching youngsters, their parents were buying them Russian O/U shotguns, I believe they were Bakalil or something like that. They were decent guns with good wood to metal fitThen they were less than $200. I haven't shot shotguns in a looong time, so I'm sure the prices are not the same anymore.

PWC said:

10 years ago when I was coaching youngsters, their parents were buying them Russian O/U shotguns, I believe they were Bakalil or something like that. They were decent guns with good wood to metal fitThen they were less than $200. I haven't shot shotguns in a looong time, so I'm sure the prices are not the same anymore.

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I was viewing other forums where I saw many Positive owners of the Stoeger, One, a club member talked about how his club had 18 that they would use for rentals. In five years of heavy shooting only two had to be returned for repairs. Now, since I checked them out with owners that own them, I also heard different views, all positive and I made the leap to purchase after listening to them. And glad I did. For sure, I am seeing and shooting something completely different from some of the negative comments. Maybe things have changed over the years. I know thousands have been sold and maybe they had issues at the beginning, I do not know.
But certainly not the gun I now have and had have been shooting. I cannot speak for other manufacturers, but something tells me they probably run fine as well.
The internet is what it is and you do not have to go far too see bashing on some mighty fine shooting guns. For myself, trying to get the shotgun that fit my particular need was filled and I would have gladly have paid double what I did for this shotgun. even though I already own other shotguns that cost so much more but just were not the tool for what I wanted.

OU on a shoe string. I think its doable.

Yildiz sold by Academy go on sale around here for as little as 399.00 and come with a 3 year warranty. I have 2 410s that have beautiful wood. One is an SxS. The other an OU. Barrels are well regulated and both came OTB with cast off. The SxS has over 1k shells through it without issue.

A shooting buddy has the steel framed OU in 12 gauge. This is his do everything gun from trap, skeet, SC and anything else you can through in. This gun gets a steady diet of field loads (because there cheap) on a nearly weekly basis. Our best estimate is that the gun now has 10-12k shells through it. Plus, it feels like a shotgun should. Some budget OUs feel like a 2x4 with a brick tied on the end of the barrel

Sorry, Yildiz ARE 2x4s with a brick on the end - (or more appropriately, the "pig on a shovel") If you truly think a Yildiz is a well-built, well-balanced quality gun, then you need to try some of the Spanish SxS and some of the Italian or German O/U guns. That WILL open your eyes

George P said:

Sorry, Yildiz ARE 2x4s with a brick on the end - (or more appropriately, the "pig on a shovel") If you truly think a Yildiz is a well-built, well-balanced quality gun, then you need to try some of the Spanish SxS and some of the Italian or German O/U guns. That WILL open your eyes

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Lol, I bet a Rolls Royce’s Ghost is better than handling than my Truck. So what? If the OP likes his gun, who are you to bash it? Are those comments necessary? If you can afford to own a nice Spanish or Italian SXS then I am happy for you. If the Yildz serves his purpose and he likes it, they I say great for him. Personally I always have felt it is NOT the gun that makes the shooter. Some folks need the most expensive to shoot well. And every body is not into competition. Each to his own.

Jeb Stuart said:

Lol, I bet a Rolls Royce’s Ghost is better than handling than my Truck. So what? If the OP likes his gun, who are you to bash it? Are those comments necessary? If you can afford to own a nice Spanish or Italian SXS then I am happy for you. If the Yildz serves his purpose and he likes it, they I say great for him. Personally I always have felt it is NOT the gun that makes the shooter. Some folks need the most expensive to shoot well. And every body is not into competition. Each to his own.

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Because some folks might think they'll get something of quality and then be disappointed. CAN a Yildiz maybe be good? Sure. Even a blind squirrel finds am acorn now and again. But the track record over the years has the odds against it. I hate seeing people buying cheap junk thinking they are getting something good and the being disappointed because their gun has to go back several times for repairs. I shoot a LOT of shotgun - I own pumps, semis, SxSs and O/Us over the years A half-assed semi or pump is better than a crappy O/U or SxS

George P said:

Because some folks might think they'll get something of quality and then be disappointed. CAN a Yildiz maybe be good? Sure. Even a blind squirrel finds am acorn now and again. But the track record over the years has the odds against it. I hate seeing people buying cheap junk thinking they are getting something good and the being disappointed because their gun has to go back several times for repairs. I shoot a LOT of shotgun - I own pumps, semis, SxSs and O/Us over the years A half-assed semi or pump is better than a crappy O/U or SxS

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Like I said, I guess you need a high end gun. I don't. I do not own a high end Spanish side by side or OV. But do own a inexpensive OV that does just fine for a short barrel shotgun. Puts as good a groups with the Buck shot as any guns I have seen. And I do also own some as you Put it "Have-assed pumps like the Mossberg 500 which my OV is build just as good and does just a good a job. In fact like it so much, now thinking about getting the Same in a SXS. Just for some old fashion fun!
It must be tough to spend so much money on a gun and some guy comes along and shoots a Have assed gun well. And saved a whole lot of money at the same time. More money for ammo. Some folks might say some of your pistols you boast about are nothing but cheap assed guns compared to some that run into the thousands. Like I said, live and let live. Go bash some place else.

Here is a guy with a cheap assed SXS. Seems to be doing well for him. Of course you are a much better shooter I am sure.

There really is nothing worse than a poorly handling double gun. There are those who say "good enough for me", but really, they aren't. There is just no good reason to own a badly made, poor handling, or strangely configured double gun when there are very good used guns or semis available that do handle well. The whole idea that cheap guns are really 'hidden gems' is simply not true. There is a reason that they are so much less expensive. And the reasons are almost always: poor fit and finish, poor handling, poorly made, soft inner parts, or overall low quality with bad barrel regulation, non-concentric chokes, or wobbly ribs. There is no good reason to own such a gun. Better a well worn "Charles Daly" Miroku, an older Citori, an old Verona, a Lanber (if one can find one) or a worn Fox B, for example, than some pot metal, chemical burn, mystery wood thing with poor barrel regulation and the handling characteristics of a step ladder.

Take the Baikal, as suggested above. They are tanks. For school/club guns, they are probably a great idea. They will handle a great deal of abuse because they are built like People's Revolutionary Tractor No. 10 for Third Five Year Plan Fulfillment, and, since nobody will ever get any better shooting one, they will keep the school/club/etc., in students forever. They are strong, but they handle poorly.

If a decent used double isn't in reach, then a good used semi should be. A cheap double will never be a joy.

Sure looks like the guy in the Video above is enjoying his. And he say he has had it for years and used it for Cowboy action shooting. I know one thing, I sure have had some fun with my Stoeger OV 20" 12ga this summer. But like I said, I have other guns like a Beretta and Benilli. But actually have more fun with the OV. and I enjoy shooting the cheap ass Mossberg 500 in 20 ga. Train with it often for self defense. I do plan on getting the Stoeger SXS and Maybe another OV in 20ga. I am really sorry that upsets so many guys with high end guns. But I am having a blast (no pun intended) and the gun is performing very well. For myself, I am so glad I did not put out a chunk of cash on a gun going into a swamp to hunt deer and turkey. That would have been totally foolish.
I also own a Benelli that I paid something like $1500.00 for. And have always kicked myself for putting out so much for a gun that one of my Beretta's, even the 1200 does just as well and I paid little for that gun.
I understand, a lot of dedicated shotgunners here that shoot high end competition and tens of thousands of rounds per months. I do not do that and do not want to do that. I just like to hunt and roam the woods and have some fun shooting on weekends. And the guys in my Hunt Club that I belonged to sure enjoy theirs.

George P said:

Sorry, Yildiz ARE 2x4s with a brick on the end - (or more appropriately, the "pig on a shovel") If you truly think a Yildiz is a well-built, well-balanced quality gun, then you need to try some of the Spanish SxS and some of the Italian or German O/U guns. That WILL open your eyes

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Several things I think I should clarify:
The OP was asking about less expensive OU guns his wife might consider for hunting in NM. He got the usual good advice from respected members.

Now, in order to add value to the OP I offered personal experience with a sample of 3 specific guns by one manufacturer. I did not say they were of the same quality as Beretta for example. Nor did the OP ask about the quality of a used Beretta. And yes, the Yildiz IMO is a better balanced and fitting budget OU than others I have personally tried.

You're also making assumptions about my experience that are untrue. I HAVE tried most of the guns you mention. I currently HAVE 2 Beretta OUs and the little 28" 686 20 gauge would be MY first choice to hunt in NM but it doesnt fit the OPs budget. Even used.

I get the feeling you prefer quality. So do I. coincidence? Hardly....
I also get the impression that you have zero experience with Yildiz. Maybe you should try one before you give a less than objective opinion about them. By TRY I mean actually shoot them over a period of time.

BTW, my avatar has my Browning CX in it that I used for about a year for just about everything. Really nice gun and I would recommend it to just about anyone given a specific purpose and that it fits properly.

George P said:

I own pumps, semis, SxSs and O/Us over the years A half-assed semi or pump is better than a crappy O/U or SxS

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Ummm no. A half assed SA or pump sucks just as much as a crappy OU if you are stating that the half assed semi or pump is unreliable. Otherwise I think we are discussing guns built to a price point to which you have made your opinion known.

I've owned an 1100 410, that was quite expensive, that I considered 'half assed' due to being unreliable. Down the road it went. I own a 'crappy' SxS 410 that goes pop every time and hits what I'm looking at.

I have 3 Yildiz under & overs. 12-20-410. Have been shooting them for 3 years at doves, quail and my personally owned skeet field. They look good/shoot to point of aim and feel good in the hands and mount. They have NEVER failed in fire or function......I don't care what George or anyone else says about them. Mine ain't going anywhere and I would recommend them to anyone