I have been a long time handgunner and now have begun trap and sporting clay shooting. Best part is my wife enjoys it as well. I am now at the point where I am looking to acquire my first trap/sporting clay shotgun after using my clubs guns. My question is can a Beretta 391 be used for both trap and sport clays? If not, what do you any of you experienced guys recommend?
Help for Trap and Sport Clay newcomer
- Thread starter sar
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ysr_racer
Member
Any sporting or hunting gun is fine for casual trap, skeet, sporting clays or 5-stand.
If you become a SERIOUS competitor you'll most likely want a dedicated gun for each discipline.
I shoot a browning sporting clays gun for all of them with no problems. And to answer your question, a Beretta 391 is probably the most popular gun out there.
Enjoy.
If you become a SERIOUS competitor you'll most likely want a dedicated gun for each discipline.
I shoot a browning sporting clays gun for all of them with no problems. And to answer your question, a Beretta 391 is probably the most popular gun out there.
Enjoy.
ysr_racer
Member
sar, 1 more thing. I came from a handgun background to shotguns a few years ago.
Here are some pointers.
1. Shoot with both eyes open.
2. Look at the target, not the beads or the barrel.
3. You need to shoot where the bird is going to be, not where it's at now.
Just the opposite of shooting a handgun
Here are some pointers.
1. Shoot with both eyes open.
2. Look at the target, not the beads or the barrel.
3. You need to shoot where the bird is going to be, not where it's at now.
Just the opposite of shooting a handgun
A 391 is an excellent choice as an all-round clay target gun.
A shooter who is going to play all the games shouldn't IMHO opt for a gun that is specific to any one sport. Trap guns are usually heavier, have higher ribs, are higher shooting and are designed for shooting rising targets. They are fine if all you want to shoot is trap but sporting clays presents targets that are dropping and coming from different angles. A flatter shooting gun is better for sporting and skeet and for trap just don't float the target above the beads and you'll be fine.
Paul
A shooter who is going to play all the games shouldn't IMHO opt for a gun that is specific to any one sport. Trap guns are usually heavier, have higher ribs, are higher shooting and are designed for shooting rising targets. They are fine if all you want to shoot is trap but sporting clays presents targets that are dropping and coming from different angles. A flatter shooting gun is better for sporting and skeet and for trap just don't float the target above the beads and you'll be fine.
Paul
Jim Watson
Member
Well, it costs less and kicks less.
On the other hand, it doesn't give you two different chokes for doubles targets.
And it throws your empties on the ground (Unless you get one of the little $10 shellcatchers for the singles.)
On the other hand, it doesn't give you two different chokes for doubles targets.
And it throws your empties on the ground (Unless you get one of the little $10 shellcatchers for the singles.)
This is a somewhat controversial topic around here based on previous posts.
My preference for shooting is an o/u and if you have the means to acquire a quality o/u then I think they are more user friendly particularly for a new shooter. I like shooting with people using o/us because I can tell at a glance whether the gun is safe or not. I've seen too many semi owners be less than circumspect about where their barrel is pointing and it's often hard for others to see that the breach is open. That said a good shooting friend and his son both use semis and they are very responsible and safe.
On certain sporting clay targets having two choke options is helpful. At our local club there are several presentations where I put different chokes in the barrels. Another advantage of two barrels is the ability to be able to see down them before shooting. Having once come far too close to a 12/20 burst into a semi auto I like being able to see the barrels are clear.
Having owned both, I've found o/us less demanding of maintenance and lubrication and more reliable when it comes to functioning with light loads. The semis are very reliable in their own right providing they are kept clean and oiled and they have less perceived recoil due to the gas system.
Paul
My preference for shooting is an o/u and if you have the means to acquire a quality o/u then I think they are more user friendly particularly for a new shooter. I like shooting with people using o/us because I can tell at a glance whether the gun is safe or not. I've seen too many semi owners be less than circumspect about where their barrel is pointing and it's often hard for others to see that the breach is open. That said a good shooting friend and his son both use semis and they are very responsible and safe.
On certain sporting clay targets having two choke options is helpful. At our local club there are several presentations where I put different chokes in the barrels. Another advantage of two barrels is the ability to be able to see down them before shooting. Having once come far too close to a 12/20 burst into a semi auto I like being able to see the barrels are clear.
Having owned both, I've found o/us less demanding of maintenance and lubrication and more reliable when it comes to functioning with light loads. The semis are very reliable in their own right providing they are kept clean and oiled and they have less perceived recoil due to the gas system.
Paul
Jim Watson
Member
All true, but for the price of any but an entry level Beretta O/U, you can get TWO autos and the missus can have her own. Browning Gold even has Ladies' models, stocked to suit.
An auto is a lot more forgiving on the shoulder than an O/U. Having autos, pumps, and O/Us I would probably still start with an auto to get going on clay target games. I prefer to shoot sporting with my 11-87 but my Beretta O/U has the choice of two different chokes at the same time, on the other hand lately I have seen several good shooters put their O/Us away and buy new 391s for shooting competition sporting clays.
Whatever you do you always will have another gun calling out to you to buy me.
Whatever you do you always will have another gun calling out to you to buy me.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
T'were I a new shotgunner just starting out, and not burdened by any silly biases towards or against any type action(like 870s), I'd probably reason it out as going for the gas auto.
And a couple years later I'd be eyeing a O/U for the reasons friend Paul gives.
The gas action would give me a head start on getting my form right sans pain.
The lower cost would leave me more money for ammo, range fees and maybe even, dare I say it, LESSONS!
And about the time it showed some wear, I'd add a stackbarrel gamer gun.
And then an 870, just for something different.
And a couple years later I'd be eyeing a O/U for the reasons friend Paul gives.
The gas action would give me a head start on getting my form right sans pain.
The lower cost would leave me more money for ammo, range fees and maybe even, dare I say it, LESSONS!
And about the time it showed some wear, I'd add a stackbarrel gamer gun.
And then an 870, just for something different.
TrapperReady
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Having done this within the past few years...
I started with an auto -- a Benelli Montefeltro. I shot very well with it, but at some point decided I needed an O/U. I ended up buying a Browning 425. I shot that one well also, but at a price. The pounding I took was taking a toll on my cheek (100 trap targets in a night would leave a golf-ball sized lump on my cheekbone), and I started to develop a flinch from being smacked so hard and often.
In a fit of anger over that, I bought a Beretta 391. I could have gone back to the Benelli, except that my wife had already laid claim to it. Of all of them, I shoot the Beretta the best. I use it for trap, sporting clays, 5-stand and pretty much anything else.
However, in the past month or two I've begun experimenting with the Browning again. This time, I'm using 7/8oz loads moving at a sedate pace. So far, the recoil is manageable and targets are breaking pretty well (but still not as well as the 391 with heavier loads). Since I reload, the convenience of an O/U cannot be overstated. With autos, you end up hunting around for your empties. With an O/U, you just pull them out and put them in your pocket. I think that's the main reason I'm willing to try again with that gun.
So, what does all this rambling mean? If I were starting over, I'd get a gas-operated auto (I'm very happy with my 391) and shoot the proverbial snot out of it. In the meantime, I would use every available opportunity to shoot other people's O/Us. See if you can find out what you like and what you don't. Proper fit seems to be even more critical with an O/U than with other platforms.
If you shoot trap (especially in a league) and get the 391, I highly recommend a T&S shell-catcher to prevent spitting hulls onto the shooter to your right. They should cost about $10, and are worth every penny. BTW, for whatever reason, I find my 391 just about perfect for trap. It patterns slightly lower than my Browning, and that seems to fit my shooting style a little better.
I started with an auto -- a Benelli Montefeltro. I shot very well with it, but at some point decided I needed an O/U. I ended up buying a Browning 425. I shot that one well also, but at a price. The pounding I took was taking a toll on my cheek (100 trap targets in a night would leave a golf-ball sized lump on my cheekbone), and I started to develop a flinch from being smacked so hard and often.
In a fit of anger over that, I bought a Beretta 391. I could have gone back to the Benelli, except that my wife had already laid claim to it. Of all of them, I shoot the Beretta the best. I use it for trap, sporting clays, 5-stand and pretty much anything else.
However, in the past month or two I've begun experimenting with the Browning again. This time, I'm using 7/8oz loads moving at a sedate pace. So far, the recoil is manageable and targets are breaking pretty well (but still not as well as the 391 with heavier loads). Since I reload, the convenience of an O/U cannot be overstated. With autos, you end up hunting around for your empties. With an O/U, you just pull them out and put them in your pocket. I think that's the main reason I'm willing to try again with that gun.
So, what does all this rambling mean? If I were starting over, I'd get a gas-operated auto (I'm very happy with my 391) and shoot the proverbial snot out of it. In the meantime, I would use every available opportunity to shoot other people's O/Us. See if you can find out what you like and what you don't. Proper fit seems to be even more critical with an O/U than with other platforms.
If you shoot trap (especially in a league) and get the 391, I highly recommend a T&S shell-catcher to prevent spitting hulls onto the shooter to your right. They should cost about $10, and are worth every penny. BTW, for whatever reason, I find my 391 just about perfect for trap. It patterns slightly lower than my Browning, and that seems to fit my shooting style a little better.
Everyone should have one gas gun, regardless of what you buy in the future.
If you buy the right one, you can always buy additional bbls and stocks if needed to change into a skeet/trap/sporting/hunting/HD, etc, etc.
Buy a good one and hang on to it. If you stay with a gas gun, which many do, then you will end up with additional ones anyway.
Although I prefer an O/U, I've used my 30 year old gas gun for everything that I didn't want to use my O/U for... like in a duck blind for example.
When I'm asked to go deer hunting, I borrow a bbl and throw it on...easy stuff.
They do have less perceived recoil, but you would be hard pressed to convince me that a 7 1/2 lb gas gun "kicks" less than 8- 8 1/2 lb O/U... with a proper fitting stock. I think the gas guns really 'shine' using heavy hunting loads and deer slugs... ouch.
If you buy the right one, you can always buy additional bbls and stocks if needed to change into a skeet/trap/sporting/hunting/HD, etc, etc.
Buy a good one and hang on to it. If you stay with a gas gun, which many do, then you will end up with additional ones anyway.
Although I prefer an O/U, I've used my 30 year old gas gun for everything that I didn't want to use my O/U for... like in a duck blind for example.
When I'm asked to go deer hunting, I borrow a bbl and throw it on...easy stuff.
They do have less perceived recoil, but you would be hard pressed to convince me that a 7 1/2 lb gas gun "kicks" less than 8- 8 1/2 lb O/U... with a proper fitting stock. I think the gas guns really 'shine' using heavy hunting loads and deer slugs... ouch.
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