12ga Skeet Gun Suggestions

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rfwobbly

rfwobbly

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I bought a very nice Browning Auto-5 in 16ga for dove hunting. While practicing at my club I've gotten interested in skeet. (Not necessarily competition, but just friendly 1 on 1.) 16ga shells are VERY hard to find and my gun club only allows 1 shell in the gun at a time.

So I've decided to buy a 12ga to take advantage of the cheaper/ more plentiful 12ga ammo. I'd like to hold the price to about $650. What would you suggest I buy? An O/U or a more modern auto? I'm the type guy who'd rather have a used Browning, Beretta or Benelli than a brand new no-name. But if an inexpensive gun like a Stoeger O/U is an outstanding deal, then let's hear it.

One last thing... no offense, but I'm not really interested in what you have. I'm more interested in what gun coaches are guiding their beginning students to so that they get the best value.
 
The local high school shooting team's coach seems to get everyone started out with an 1100 or 11-87. Only a few of the students have O/U's
 
The Valmet 412 can often be picked up at bargain prices. I picked up a like new one for $600. Base Berettas and Browning can also be found for good prices if you are willing to shop around. Don't overlook the Remington Peerless either. AT Purdue the school owned team guns are mostly 1100's but from talking to the coach that is a price issue, he would much rather have O/Us but the school won't spring for them.
 
Keep an eye out for a used SKB. They are much under rated shotguns. I have a Mod 500 I use for 5 stand and it's a really nice gun. If you find one with fixed chokes, you can either have it opened up, or get it machined for choke tubes.
 
I would recommend another A-5, if you shoot your 16ga good and it fits you, this makes the most sense and they can be had in very good condition for well under your budget limit.

I bought some Belgium 12ga and 16ga A-5s recently for $350 - $450 range and all were crack free, in excellent condition and hunted or shot very little.

Another option is you could buy a 16ga press and handload your own shells, a MEC Sizemaster could be had for $150/$200 in used very good condition and then you have $450+ for supplies. The satisfaction from hunting and shooting with your own hand loads is bonus and adds a new dimension to your sport and you can fine tune the loads to your gun and your shooting style.

I would buy an additional fore end for your 16ga since they are prone to cracking, and while your at it you can reinforce both with epoxy and fiberglass or kevlar to prevent this. If you look at the receiver end of your fore end it has a small relief cut for the magazine cutoff and that is where most 16ga and 20ga A-5s crack.
 
If you shoot more than 200 targets with a competent instructor you will realize that a Browning A5 is no skeet gun. The most bang for your buck will be a 1100 or 11-87 with a 26" barrel.
 
any nice previously owned Browning Citori 12ga/28" field grade. Makes a terrific skeet gun and built to last decades...
browning_citori.jpg
 
Another option is you could buy a 16ga press and handload your own shells, a MEC Sizemaster could be had for $150/$200 in used very good condition and then you have $450+ for supplies. The satisfaction from hunting and shooting with your own hand loads is bonus and adds a new dimension to your sport and you can fine tune the loads to your gun and your shooting style.
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That's been considered. I already reload metallic cartridges, so a lot of the powders are the same. But considering that my invite to dove hunt comes once or twice a year, I think a gun more optimized to skeet might be a better path.
 
I got a mossberg silver reserve 12ga at bass pro.
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I can also recommend a Silver Reserve. I bought a 28ga from an unhappy shooter at the clays range. I had intended to just hunt quail with it, but it fits, and shoots great. I have shot trap, and sporting clays with it....maybe 2000 rds so far.
 
12ga recoil is a factor when you consider O/U guns for target shooting. It's true that most skeet shooters use tubed 12ga O/U's to shoot 20,28&.410 events. A lot of the same ones use 12ga gas operated guns in 12ga and double events for recoil reduction. A Remington 1100 or 11-87 with a 26" barrel has a 29" sighting plane which is more than enough for skeet and sporting clays. After market choke makers like Briley and Kolar specialize in screw in chokes for target shooting. Beretta's repeater is also very popular with skeet shooters.
 
A lot of times you can pick up a used Miroku or Charles Daly mid series Commanders(made by Miroku) O/U used for less than a Browning. Since they make the Browning too, its pretty much the same thing. I've had 2 Miroku skeet guns 12 and a 20, that cost $350 and $375, at the pawn shop, that would have sold for 5 or 6 if it said Browning.
 
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Get the twelve that fits - you can always reload down to 3/4 or 7/8 for softer shooting. You will be able to get a better quality semi for the same money than you would an O/U.

Regardless of brand name, if it doesn't fit, it doesn't matter how much or how little you spent
 
I suggested the A5, because you already had one in 16. Some guys, even competent Skeet instructors, can't hit with them. So they don't like them.
But they have sold a bunch of them, so somebody likes em.

I had a Remington 11-58 Skeet gun and I shot everything with it. Awesome pheasant gun.

With a lot of companies the models designated SKEET have premium wood. An auto 26" with skeet choke, cylinder, or Improved cylinder will all work and you won't have to pay for the high end wood. Gas auto might be a little better.
 
the A5 is a classic piece of machinery, but nowhere as refined as the newer gas guns. That includes the tried and true 1100, which I still shoot competitively...
 
No one shoots A5s or 11-48s in skeet shooting circles. The cycle time is too slow and bothersome for doubles and the recoil operating system dampens none of the recoil. Parts and service for either model is problematic in a lot of areas. For years Wayne Mayes held the High Overall 12ga skeet record with a Winchester 1400 shooting on order of 5000+ NSSA registered targets a year. I think he finally switched to a Beretta.
 
If you shoot more than 200 targets with a competent instructor you will realize that a Browning A5 is no skeet gun. The most bang for your buck will be a 1100 or 11-87 with a 26" barrel.
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No one shoots A5s or 11-48s in skeet shooting circles. The cycle time is too slow and bothersome for doubles and the recoil operating system dampens none of the recoil. Parts and service for either model is problematic in a lot of areas. For years Wayne Mayes held the High Overall 12ga skeet record with a Winchester 1400 shooting on order of 5000+ NSSA registered targets a year. I think he finally switched to a Beretta.
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I disagree on both accounts, I did shoot an A-5 for many years at Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clays, you may not see them to the extent you see the gas autos, but to say they have no place at the sport is wrong, and if the recoil is too heavy with target loads, something isn't set-up correctly.

Because you shoot one particular gun doesn't make any other gun a poor choice for the shooter, the person buying the gun has to decide if it is right for him. I have tried them all, what some call junkers to what some call overpriced, with proper maintenance they all go bang, while some are not as "nice" as others, they do what they were designed to do.

If this was me and I shot the 16ga A-5 good, I would buy a 12ga A-5 period. They set up the same, they tear down the same and they will only increase in value unlike other potential choices.
 
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