Recommendations for sporting clays

This is an interesting thread.
I like an SA for clays because on my course the birds will tend to be further away and higher velocity shells and heavier shot is more common. Gun cradles on a golf cart are rough on stocks so i prefer plastic or composite stocks for this. All stations at my range have handrailing so a OU poses a small but noticeable loading issue FOR ME.
Frankly i dont care where the shells land.

Most of the people i shoot with will shoot the same gun they use for everything. That gun will be an OU. Oddly, for me, my SC gun of choice is my back up semi that fits me very well. Its what you would call a beater gun.

If i were to buy a dedicated SC gun tomorrow it would probably be an Beretta A400 with a composite stock wearing a 30" barrel or there abouts. The rest will take care of itself.

You guys caused me to dig out some of my clays guns because of the comments following my post #10.

Target guns have high visibility beads as opposed to the steel bead that sits atop most field gun barrels.

Forgive the crappy photography, but the two on the left are ivory/white, the middle two are tru-glo green, the furthermost right is a field grade steel bead.

The truglo are my favorite. They are of the light gathering pipes type. I changed one out after the ivory was lost, and liked it so well that I changed one out on my 4E. The brighter the day, the brighter the sight.
Pray tell: what color are your dull and non-distracting beads?

I shoot 1-1/8 @1250 to 1300 in my almost 9# O/U - works great. If I could find a great load of 1oz @1250 in 7.5; I'd use that for everything

Armored farmer said:

You guys caused me to dig out some of my clays guns because of the comments following my post #10.

Target guns have high visibility beads as opposed to the steel bead that sits atop most field gun barrels.
View attachment 968022
Forgive the crappy photography, but the two on the left are ivory/white, the middle two are tru-glo green, the furthermost right is a field grade steel bead.

The truglo are my favorite. They are of the light gathering pipes type. I changed one out after the ivory was lost, and liked it so well that I changed one out on my 4E. The brighter the day, the brighter the sight.
Pray tell: what color are your dull and non-distracting beads?
View attachment 968040

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None of my target guns have anything more than a brass or small white bead - and I prefer it that way otherwise I am looking at the bead, not the target......

No beads for me please. Lost the bead on my beater some time ago thank goodness and it will never offend me again.

Beads are 'pointless'... dare i say... aimless

George P said:

I shoot 1-1/8 @1250 to 1300 in my almost 9# O/U - works great. If I could find a great load of 1oz @1250 in 7.5; I'd use that for everything

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Understood. I prefer 1- 1 1/8 oz moving at 1145 fps. In 12 gage... i dont like heavy guns.

i love 1/2 oz moving at 1200 fps but thats just me and it doesnt work well at SC coarses so far.

Hey Savage116...My 2 cents. I've shot lots of them and currently own several: pumps, semi-autos, O/Us, and SxS........Remington 870 Wingmaster, Winchester Model 12, Remington Model 17, Ugartechia SxS, Benelli, Beretta A300, and Browning Superposed O/U.................so, what to recommend? No easy answer. Ya gotta try them and see what you like. Discovered that I shot worst with the SxS, so I eliminated it. 2nd worst is the Browning O/U, but not bad. Best? Probably the 870, but all the rest are close to tied. But, would not recommend the pump for clays, but that's just me. My brother was a very good competition shooter with a Winchester Model 12 skeet model pump!! Go figure. Good pump shooters are amazingly fast and can shoot with the best of them, the very best of them. I learned to shoot as a young man with my dad's 870 and that stuck. Just don't think I am ever going to shoot that way with a SxS or O/U. You have to learn what fits you.

Sappyg2.0 said:

No beads for me please. Lost the bead on my beater some time ago thank goodness and it will never offend me again.

Beads are 'pointless'... dare i say... aimless

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Yes, as we know, its the fit....not the bead.

I always wanted a sidelock SxS stocked by Klaus, and engraved by Heidimarie, Hiptmeyer.

Even with the green fiber optic bead, I still want to shoot the Ithaca. (Mine (37) has one too, but it's my bedroom gun.) You'll have to settle for the white bead on the Ljutic when you shoot it, AF.

My favorite combination so far.

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HIVIZ M300

Tough Q's to answer there. My shotguns are (12ga.) purpose purchases. One for trap (Browning XT) one for International skeet (Beretta 687EELL it's FAST from the hip line) American skeet (Beretta AL390 Gold Mallard always low mount) and 5 stand (Miroku 500 SxS I like the traditional thing)

Can I shoot more than one discipline with only one shotgun? Yup but I don't have to, I no longer have a wife Anyway... if I had to the EELL would do everything but trap, if I did not have that, the 390 would do but only one choke would hurt (I'm just not THAT good) 5 stand. I have not shot SC, it never interested me.

I've had Browning field grade O/U's but I shot the Beretta EELL better.

I started with what I had. No sense spending thousands on a state of the art shotgun that will break your budget. So an 870 with an 18 inch barrel was my starting point. If the pro’s laugh at you, that’s on them. After that improve your situation as you can. There are some fine shotguns to be had.

Cvans said:

My favorite combination so far.

• View attachment 968128

HIVIZ M300

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Just say NO to light pipes - your eyes need to be hard focused on the target, not the end of your barrel.

gnappi said:

Tough Q's to answer there. My shotguns are (12ga.) purpose purchases. One for trap (Browning XT) one for International skeet (Beretta 687EELL it's FAST from the hip line) American skeet (Beretta AL390 Gold Mallard always low mount) and 5 stand (Miroku 500 SxS I like the traditional thing)

Can I shoot more than one discipline with only one shotgun? Yup but I don't have to, I no longer have a wife Anyway... if I had to the EELL would do everything but trap, if I did not have that, the 390 would do but only one choke would hurt (I'm just not THAT good) 5 stand. I have not shot SC, it never interested me.

I've had Browning field grade O/U's but I shot the Beretta EELL better.

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I have more than one shotgun and I am still married................. Berettas, Brownings, SKBs, even a S&W SxS

George P said:

I have more than one shotgun and I am still married................. Berettas, Brownings, SKBs, even a S&W SxS

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I got most of mine while still married, but one purchase back then must have tipped the sales in my favor! I think it may have been the Beretta EELL.

I tell anyone who will listen... "I was a happily married man for 19 years... of a 29 year marriage" Arf, arf

George P said:

Just say NO to light pipes - your eyes need to be hard focused on the target, not the end of your barrel.

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Unfortunately George we aren't all made the same. This combination works extremely well for me. I'm looking directly at the target but my peripheral vision is bringing the two together without me even thinking about it. I'm now bringing down clays faster than I ever have. Just saying it works for me. If we lived closer to each other it would be fun to shoot with you.