Budget Shotgun

A good semi auto is a far better investment than a cheap O/U. Being smart means learning from your mistakes, being intelligent means being able to learn from other's mistakes.

Beretta 391 would fit the bill.

Beretta A300 is a good place to start.

A used semi-auto ought to get you there. I am partial to Rem 1100 as I know how to keep them running and they shoot pretty softly. And there are a bunch of them and parts out there. There are other good semi-autos, though.

Budget O/U and SxS are generally not a good deal.

i have a verona sa12 im looking to sell.

As I was told, a cheap o/u is a waste of money. Go for an 1100. Fairly inexpensive auto. Armored Farmer here has one that I believe has an adjustable comb. Looks like a good clays gun.

Quality on a budget means a good condition, used semi. Remington 1100, Beretta 303, 390, 391, Winchester SX-1. You really won't want a field gun as they tend to be too light for a steady diet of shooting (and your shoulder shoulder will thank you.)

Hide from the Condor and look for a good auto as suggested above or up your budget and find a good used Citori.
In the past three years I've bought the following: Citori super light, $1100, Citori field, $875, and a Superposed Lightning, $850. Good stuff out there.

I understand the budget O/U issue. If you that is what you have in mind I suggest one that the company guarantees the barrles to be regulated. Much easier done on an O/U than a SxS. I don't think the Condor is. My Remington Spartan 310 is but they are not imported anymore. They are made bu Baikal and you may find one of those around. Not too many Spartans. Be aware that it is an intro gun. It shoots and functions very well but it is not made to be shot tens of thousands of rounds in the sporting clays or trap games. Don't let folks tell you it malfunctions, triggers are... steel is...... ALL guns have issues and the Baikal made guns issues are exaggerated to the max. Second choice would be to go used Browning, Beretta, Winchester etc etc. That may take even longer to find one not abused and shot until it needs attention. That is, at a good price! Nothing like an O/U that fits and shoulders well. I had to cut the stock on mine about 3/4" and remount and grind to fit the original pad. I t was a tad long for me and now it shoulders and aims perfect!. Stock cast fits my face exactly.

Budget. Quality. Over/Under. Pick any 2 of the 3.
I have been mulling over the same question, after getting back into Trap after 30 years away. I have done exhaustive research. I really want a BT-99, as I have always shot them well, and any new gun I bought would be mostly a Trap gun, but I like to shoot Sporting Clays and pheasants, so I was thinking maybe a Citori or Beretta 686. ( I have shot several of both, and shoot both well.) I have decided that in the short term, I am going to turn this;

(Which I have been shooting all this year, ending up with a 22 average) into a dedicated Trap gun by adding this:

http://www.mcssl.com/store/billdavi...nterprises-pro-combo-ultra-adjustable-stock-4

Bill Davis stock , and an adjustable Add-a-rib;

http://adjustarib.com/adjustable_ribs_BROWNING.htm

and invest the $400-$600 I save over a BT-99 in glasses and shells/reloading supplies.
Don't worry I have another HD shotgun, an Ithaca 37.
All of this is easily installed by me, (even if I weren't a gunsmith), and easily reversible in case I want to pheasant hunt, (thought I could shoot it set up for Trap at live birds, too.) or turn it back into the Zombie Apocalypse Zed Shredder I originally bought it for.

Submitted for your consideration.

Remington 1100, 1187 or V3.
Browning Silver, Gold or Maxus
Beretta 300 series or 400 series
Weatherby SA-08
Winchester SX3, SX2 or SX4
Mossberg 930

As previously stated, run from a Condor.

For my budget clay buster I picked up a nice older Remm 1100 for under $400. It's heavy, but it shoots like a Cadillac.

For skeet, trap or sporting clays most people want a heavy shotgun.

Weatherby SA-08 .

None of my three 1100s cost over $350. All were field guns, one w/o a rib. I picked up a vr full choke barrel for it ($100), a skeet barrel for another and the third came with mod and skeet barrels. Granddaughter now shoots the 20 in youth league and will move up to the 12 next summer and another grandkid will get the 20. The guns get a lot of use and have had no problems.

I'm very amateur at shooting at clays.
I started with a used Yildiz O/U I got on the cheap. It is too light, and beats me up. Shoots good though.

I bought a Mossburg O/U for around $700 new. I shoot this pretty good, and it's a joy to shoot.
I picked up a used Store branded AyA Matador SxS on the cheap. It's box lock design will never go loose. It shoots well for me, and has a generous amount of cast that makes it point like a dream for me. I shoot it quite a bit, along with my Mossburg.

I recently picked up an Armalite AR-17 for a song. I had to fabricate an extractor, which is why it was so cheap. To say it's light is an understatement. I've shot a box of Estate #8's Target load through it, and I wouldn't want to shoot it all day, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. The short recoil action seems to absorb quite a bit of the recoil.
If you locked me in a barn, and told me to shoot the broad side with it, you'd probably need a roofer. I do not shoot it well. It's too light, and the Monte Carlo style stock encourages me to try to shoot it like a rifle. It's a great example of what NOT to get in a shotgun.
It will go, as soon as I'm done with it.

If you're looking for new, I'd recommend a CZ O/U. It's affordable, and will serve you for many years.

If you're budget is more limited, a nice 1100 can be had fairly cheap, or even a used 870 Wingmaster pump gun. The older Wingmasters are so slick that they're a joy to shoot.

I once got schooled in skeet by a kid with a cylinder bore 20ga Mossberg Maverick. I was shooting a Beretta SP. It's more the shooter than the shotgun. There's just a smidgen of skill involved.

I agree with pretty much everything said here. A used 1100 or Beretta semi's really can't be beat. If you want to go over/under, look at the CZ. My father-in-law has one and I have a CZ side-by-side, both great guns for the money. May not be the best for thousands and thousands of rounds, but if you really get in to the sport, you'll probably want to upgrade at some point anyway.

Remember, most top clay shooters shoot ammunition by the pallet load. Their guns have to be reliable enough to handle that kind of service.

Obviously, most more than casual, but average, clay shooters will not put that much use on their shotguns but they will still push the limits of reliability. Use of budget priced shotguns will end in disappointment in the long run as one will chase a series of reliability issues.

For over/unders, Browning Citoris or Beretta 686 series guns are the minimum for reliable service. I shot competitive skeet in the 1990s with a tubed Browning Citori with good success and reliability.

Remington 1100 series guns or Beretta 300 or 400 series guns are good auto loaders that stand up to the rigors of clays shooting. These guns are generally a bit lower cost than the over/unders. They have their advantages and disadvantages over over/unders.

When I was actively competing in skeet in the 1990s, many of the top shooters would use an auto loader for the 12 ga events and an over/under for the three sub gauges events. I have not kept up with the sport so I do not know what the hot set up is these days.

A Beretta BL Series is an older but very well made O/U. If you are patient you can find them for $500-700 in good shape.

"Budget" could mean a lot of different things. There's cheap, and then there's good value for your investment. I think everyone wants a good value.

You certainly don't have to pay an arm and a leg just to shoot clays. I shot trap a couple days ago with a guy who was shooting an old bolt action magazine fed 12 gauge he bought for $80. He was good. Unfortunately I was too preoccupied to determine what model it was. Point is, it was cheap and broke clays like everything else on the line.

If you're looking for an inexpensive sporting clays gun, any decent used O/U or semi-auto will be a good value. It's almost certain to cost you nothing in the long run... literally selling it for what you paid is very common. "Decent" here means Browning, Beretta, Remington 1100 or 870... something reputable and common and can be found for < $1000. All are known to last for decades and many tens of thousands of rounds.

Baldman said:

The Stoeger Condor seems to be at a great price point but the reviews seem to be hit or miss.

Click to expand...

Stay away from Stoeger, not that I have any personal experience with one, but I've heard enough from others with first hand experience with them to avoid it myself. I'm not sure what you mean about "reviews" but almost all "reviews" found on mass market publications are totally worthless. Anecdotal stories (i.e. some guy told me so-and-so) aren't much better... yes my reply is included in that category!

New: potentially undervalued choices include CZ and Tri-Star. I have personally been very tempted to buy one of them, but I have yet to see anyone shoot clays with one. It's not likely they will hold their resale value but you can say that about any new gun. The "can't go wrong" choices favor the old reliables.

A lot of this decision has to do with what you are exactly speaking of when you say "budget". If you are just starting and your budget is $350 then you may be limited to a pump like a Remington 870. They will work even if they are not as fancy. You can get you a decent older semi-auto like you mentioned for a little more. I used the Remington 1100 successfully for a period until I could finally afford a Beretta 686 that I still shoot today. I will say that most shooters I know do not stay with the same gun they started shooting clays with in the beginning. For me it took a little time, a few years actually, to learn and occasionally shoot some other guns from fellow shooters to figure out what I liked and what worked for me. For instance, the Beretta seemed to fit me better than the Browning o/u guns so that's what I got eventually. Nothing was wrong with either brand. It has to do with comfort and shootability. Don't be afraid to experiment. Like my motto says....it doesn't have to be the last gun you ever buy!

...And by the way....I also would stay away from the Stoeger guns. I know from personal experience.

I shot my first 25-25 with a friends Remington 870 TB 12ga in the mid 60,s and he still has it and only god knows how many thousands of shells it has fires over the years. cry when you buy and laugh when it lasts. over the years the shells and club fee,s will cost much more than a top grade shotgun don,t ask me how I know, my own browning BT-100 I paid 850.00 for used and in over 40,000 shells I have only have had to clean it, no repairs or parts replaced. and I know I could sell it for north of 1000.00 today. two weeks ago I bought this older browning citori crossover target used in the box for 1000.00, the first night at the sunday trap shoot I could have sold it for more than I paid for it.