Filthy Pheasant

CptnAwesome

CptnAwesome

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2015
Messages
682
Location
Alabama
The wife and I are about to try out SKEET shooting to see if it's something we'll like. I don't want to spend much to get started (in case she doesn't like it) so I've been looking at lower end O/U shotguns, but want something fairly decent to start off with.

12ga for me, 28ga for her

The Gforce Filthy Pheasant has caught my eye. Made in Turkey like a lot of low end shotguns now days. Surprised me when I looked into a CZ O/U and found it's was sourced out of Turkey also.....

All reviews of the Filthy Pheasant (video and written) I've seen have been pretty good.

Anybody here have any experience or knowledge with this
one?
 
Last edited:
Fit is really important in competitive shooting. I’d run around with the wife and try out different guns to see what she is most comfortable with. LoP, weight, stock configuration etc.

THEN, if one of the Turkish O/U’s met her criteria or was able to be modded cheaply…(again say LoP) I’d consider one.

If that Filthy Pheasant met the criteria I’d not have any reservations about picking one up. If she got into skeet and wanted to later upgrade (or didn’t like it and decided to quit) worst case you’d have a loaner gun for a friend and relative.

General consensus on the Turkish guns is they are fine in their price range but won’t hold up to high round counts. All of mine (Huglu O/U 12 ga which I think CZ’s are sourced from and my auto 20 ga Charles Daly) are hunting guns and have done well so far…HOWEVER, they are hunting guns and have NOT seen high usage.
 
Last edited:
One of the guys at the gun club had a Turkish one he got at Walmart. He was always having it fixed under warranty. But he shot at several clubs too. So it was used hard. He bought a Benelli then.
 
A lot of the smaller gauges are very light weight, they will kick almost as much as a 12 gauge. After getting beat up a lot of novice shooters don't really want to continue. I love the 28 gauge, but it is expensive to feed and some of the guns are very light weight. I would suggest an auto loader in 20 gauge for her, and possibly a 12 for you. RemArms is offering the a 20 gauge 1100 again, just like the LT20 from 30 years ago. Saw a guy shooting one a couple weeks ago. I don't know what they cost, but was a nice looking well fit gun. Autos will mitigate some of the recoil. Beretta autos are top notch also and you will be more likely to get your money back out of either the RemArms or Beretta if you decide to pursue other hobbies after the fact.

If your heart is set on buying O/U's heavier guns absorb some of the recoil as well as what ammo selection you make. Stay away from High Velocity game loads. Nothing over 1200 fps. The 1oz 12 gauge shell with velocity of 1050-1100fps is a great soft recoiling shell. Remington Gun Club shells make some as well as I believe Federal target loads too. I personally reload my 12's with 7/8oz of shot going about 1100 fps. A real powder puff that crushes targets and will still run in my autoloaders if I decide to use them instead of my O/U or pump guns.

Find an experienced shooter willing to show you the ropes, many will offer to let you try their guns out if asked politely, and maybe offer to buy the round or offer some shells. Most skeet shooters are more than willing to help out new shooters.
 
I love the 28 ga for skeet. I had my first class win at a skeet tournament in 28 ga. Killed my first pheasant with a 28 ga.

But, it can be difficult to shoot and the additional misses will make shooting it discouraging,

Best, look for a 20 ga for your wife.

While I was shooting skeet competitively, my 20 ga averages were better than my 12 ga averages. I shot 20 ga in the 12 ga events for the most part when I saw where my averages were headed.

My 5'-2" wife shoots a 26" barrel 20 ga. Citori. The stock has been shortened to fit her smaller frame.

@kudu has some excellent advice.
 
Frulk said:
Fit is really important in competitive shooting. I’d run around with the wife and try out different guns to see what she is most comfortable with. LoP, weight, stock configuration etc.
Click to expand...
Okay. Very good advice, thank you!
 
kudu said:
A lot of the smaller gauges are very light weight, they will kick almost as much as a 12 gauge. After getting beat up a lot of novice shooters don't really want to continue. I love the 28 gauge, but it is expensive to feed and some of the guns are very light weight. I would suggest an auto loader in 20 gauge for her, and possibly a 12 for you. .
Click to expand...
Your whole post is good advice, thanks.

I haven't looked into 20ga semi for her but based on your advise I will.

I'm not considering 12ga semi for me because I already have 2 that I could use.

And.... I can use this as an excuse to buy something else....😁
 
243winxb said:
I agree. BUT- Only 1 shotgun is needed. Both hubby and wife can shoot same gun for skeet, on same squad. Buy 1 great gun, a Citori. If skeet is not liked, resale value is good.
Click to expand...
While that is very sound advice, and I considered that myself at the start of this venture... I now have a chance to add 2 low end guns to the collection.

And if this takes off and she loves it, which I'm sure she will... I'll have the chance to add 2 more high end guns to the collection....

It's all about making her happy and making sure she has the best..... :thumbup:
 
Does the skeet and trap range where you go rent shotguns? That would be the cheapest way to find out if she likes it, doesn't matter about fit just for that.
 
CptnAwesome said:
I'm not considering 12ga semi for me because I already have 2 that I could use.
Click to expand...
Depending on the brands of semi autos you have, maybe consider buying a separate butt stock to cut down and let her run a semi with the lightest loads the gun will reliably eject. I've had my Remington 11-87, Remington 1100, and a Beretta 391 easily handle the 1oz reduced recoil loads that are in the 1100fps range. My 11-87 runs my 7/8oz reloads consistently. I have a butt stock that I used to install on both my 28 gauge 1100 and the 20 gauge 1100 that I cut down to teach my daughters to shoot with. I removed almost 2-1/2" of wood and put a 3/4' recoil pad on, had to put a stick on comb riser to get their eyes lined up with the barrel. When I helped out with 4-H shooting sports I had brought this gun for a couple of the smaller kids to try out.
 
CptnAwesome said:
The wife and I are about to try out SKEET shooting to see if it's something we'll like. I don't want to spend much to get started (in case she doesn't like it) so I've been looking at lower end O/U shotguns, but want something fairly decent to start off with.
Click to expand...
As had been said, larger gauge shotguns can be used at lower pressures and shot loads that produce lower recoil.

With my wife’s 20 ga Citori, I stumbled into a stock that had been shortened for a youth. It fit my 5’-2” wife to a tee. It allowed me to keep the original stock that came with the gun.

That is something to consider. A replacement stock may be a savings over a new shotgun and then make the shotgun easier to move if it is no longer needed.

The youth cut Citori stock I got was from a fellow competitor at a skeet tournament. The donor asked if I had a child interested in skeet, I did at the time, and he would give me stock as long as long as I pass it on when we no longer needed it.

As I said, the stock works well with my wife.

To honor my agreement, I’ve payed it forward with a number of other items, mostly related to sports car racing. I’ve given away transmission parts and body parts for cars that it is getting difficult to find replacement parts.

I usually request the recipient make a small donation to the choice of church or charity of they’re choice.
 
kudu said:
Depending on the brands of semi autos you have, maybe consider buying a separate butt stock to cut down and let her run a semi with the lightest loads the gun will reliably eject. I've had my Remington 11-87, Remington 1100, and a Beretta 391 easily handle the 1oz reduced recoil loads that are in the 1100fps range. My 11-87 runs my 7/8oz reloads consistently. I have a butt stock that I used to install on both my 28 gauge 1100 and the 20 gauge 1100 that I cut down to teach my daughters to shoot with. I removed almost 2-1/2" of wood and put a 3/4' recoil pad on, had to put a stick on comb riser to get their eyes lined up with the barrel. When I helped out with 4-H shooting sports I had brought this gun for a couple of the smaller kids to try out.
Click to expand...
@kudu's advice is valuable.

Serious skeet shooters shoot ammunition by the pallet load and as if someone else bought the ammunition. That is not to say someone can do well shooting less amounts of ammunition. But, shotgun reliability is important. Budget shotguns are poor choices for clay target shooting as they do not have the reliablility need for heavy target shooting. But, quality shotguns can be easily sold if necessary. Browning Citori's or Beretta 686's are considered the minimum for reliable for clay target shooting.
 
cfullgraf said:
@kudu's advice is valuable.

shotgun reliability is important. Budget shotguns are poor choices for clay target shooting as they do not have the reliablility need for heavy target shooting. But, quality shotguns can be easily sold if necessary. Browning Citori's or Beretta 686's are considered the minimum for reliable for clay target shooting.
Click to expand...
Agreed

If this doesn't take off, I'll just sit on the shotguns. I swore off of selling guns (except to family or) years ago. Too many regrets down the road :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
  • Locked
New O/U
Replies
2
Views
480
bearmgc
B
A
  • Locked
Double Barrels, SXS or O/U?
Replies
7
Views
738
huntsman
huntsman
H
  • Locked
New shotgun
Replies
16
Views
848
Snarlingiron
S
M
  • Locked
Ithaca Guns
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
Man With A Gun
M
L
  • Locked
Orion For Pheasant
Replies
15
Views
691
loose noose
loose noose
Back
Top