It's time for me to start getting more into the above and I need opinions on shotguns. I'm thinking of either a Browning or Beretta O/U. But there are a lot to choose from. So, I'm looking for suggestions. It has to have the ability of changing chokes but what features do I want and what models?
O/U for Trap/Skeet
- Thread starter joed
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Well what works best for skeet won't be as good for trap, and vice-versa. Pick which game you really want to excel at and get a gun for that shooting discipline. Trap guns need to shoot high as the target is rising up and away. Skeet and sporting clay guns are more set up as field guns.
You can use one gun for all sports, and can do quite well, but you will always be just a bit handicapped trying to make one gun fit. An adjustable comb on the other hand will let you switch from trap to skeet and back again as long as you have time to change the settings back and forth.
I prefer Beretta, as they fit me a bit better than Browning guns. Your best bet is to try multiple guns at different clay games.
You can use one gun for all sports, and can do quite well, but you will always be just a bit handicapped trying to make one gun fit. An adjustable comb on the other hand will let you switch from trap to skeet and back again as long as you have time to change the settings back and forth.
I prefer Beretta, as they fit me a bit better than Browning guns. Your best bet is to try multiple guns at different clay games.
sappyg
Member
Good question. Most of the shooters at our club are using a 'sporting' model of the o/u of their choice for just about everything. The most useful of those will have an adjustable comb. The Browning 725 is the most popular choice amoung the more experienced shooters there but, there are more options for sure.
For instance, a friend uses an Berreta SP1 sporting with 30" barrels for everything. I like it. IMO It's better at SC and skeet. Shoots flat and balance is excellent. Tends to feel more like the Browning 725 to me.
I use a 30" Browning Citori CX as my main gun. It's strongest suite is trap (compared to the Berreta) as it shoots a bit higher than the Berreta but that's not to say that it's at all bad for the other games. In fact, I shoot more skeet than anything and the gun holds its own quite nicely.
Most seem to prefer 32" barrels but I'm not sure there is any bennifit over 30" barrels. I'm comfortable with the balance of 30" on either gun but if 32" was all I could get I would be fine with it.
You can make just about any gun pull double duty. The key is to know your gun. It's what you become comfortable with.
For instance, a friend uses an Berreta SP1 sporting with 30" barrels for everything. I like it. IMO It's better at SC and skeet. Shoots flat and balance is excellent. Tends to feel more like the Browning 725 to me.
I use a 30" Browning Citori CX as my main gun. It's strongest suite is trap (compared to the Berreta) as it shoots a bit higher than the Berreta but that's not to say that it's at all bad for the other games. In fact, I shoot more skeet than anything and the gun holds its own quite nicely.
Most seem to prefer 32" barrels but I'm not sure there is any bennifit over 30" barrels. I'm comfortable with the balance of 30" on either gun but if 32" was all I could get I would be fine with it.
You can make just about any gun pull double duty. The key is to know your gun. It's what you become comfortable with.
243winxb
Member
Early Citori's had the same stock for trap and skeet, when the gun is mounted before calling for the bird.
International skeet required gun down and a field type stock, same as hunters clays today.
International skeet required gun down and a field type stock, same as hunters clays today.
Armored farmer
Member
It looks to me like you have already been given some sage advice.
If I were you I would choose a gun for the discipline that you are most interested in.
The trapgun isn't the best sporting gun, or vice versa, imho.
If I were you I would choose a gun for the discipline that you are most interested in.
The trapgun isn't the best sporting gun, or vice versa, imho.
CopperFouling
Member
It's easier to shoot trap with a skeet shotgun than skeet with a trap shotgun. Someone gave me that advice on here six or seven years ago when I was buying my O/U, and it was good advice.
As kudu mentioned earlier, the Brownings and Berettas fit slightly differently. If you're fortunate to have a place to shoot both, do so. You may find that you have a preference. I shot both and found that the Browning fit a little better (although I don't think the fit was so different that buying a Beretta would have been a poor choice).
If I were going to buy another O/U, I would buy a Browning Citori Silver Lightning. I shoot an Ultra XS (since discontinued) that is pretty similar.
As kudu mentioned earlier, the Brownings and Berettas fit slightly differently. If you're fortunate to have a place to shoot both, do so. You may find that you have a preference. I shot both and found that the Browning fit a little better (although I don't think the fit was so different that buying a Beretta would have been a poor choice).
If I were going to buy another O/U, I would buy a Browning Citori Silver Lightning. I shoot an Ultra XS (since discontinued) that is pretty similar.
bannockburn
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I have always liked the way Beretta O/U shotguns have handled for me. Came across a less expensive Franchi Renaissance that pretty much felt the same way as the Bereta I use to have. Worked very nicely shooting trap.
JohnnyFlake
Member
Over all the years that I shot, both Skeet & Trap, except for the last 2/3 years, I used Rem 1100s with various barrels. The last two years or so, I won a Ruger O/U 12ga, with two sets of barrels, in a Skeet/Trap Tournament. One set of barrel was a 26" (Skeet) and the other was a 32" (Trap). It was a great gun and I really came to love it. Ruger is not mentioned often when it comes to shotguns and that's a shame, because they produce great O/Us at reasonable prices.
I loved my Ruger, until it started falling apart, as so many of them have that have any round count through them. And since they no longer make or willingly service the existing shotguns they have out there, it is not a real recommended shotgun for that very reason. I have had 3 of them, one a dedicated skeet gun that started falling apart at about 50,000 rounds another sporting model that would have intermittent firing pin problems and a 28 gauge that I really loved but it started having selector switch problems and I got rid of it also.
I had never seen a 32" barrel on a Ruger, possibly custom made? They made a Sporting Red Label for a while with 30" barrels.
Milkmaster
Member
I used a Remington 1100 for a good while until I could afford a decent O/U. I went with the Beretta 686 series. Good bang for the buck and fits me well. Sure is a lot easier to keep clean than a gas operated shotgun. Just pull a bore snake down the tubes on an O/U and wipe the rest of the action. Then you are good to go. Beretta or Browning will serve you well. Pick the one YOU like best and never look back.
JohnnyFlake
Member
As far as the Trap Barrels, I am pretty sure that, they were 32". I really don't know what Ruger offered back in the day, early 80s, but these may have been special sets produced by Ruger, for prizes for a number of Skeet & Trap Clubs in the Midwest, where I use to shoot most.
I presently have a Ruger Red Label All Weather. It's a heavy gun and is not well balanced. I just went around with Ruger trying to get parts for it. It isn't falling apart but the top barrel does get light strikes that no one seems to be able to cure. And this shotgun does not have a high round count, maybe 600.
Now you know the reason why I'm looking for a new O/U.
Now you know the reason why I'm looking for a new O/U.
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entropy
Member
If I had to shoot Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays with any one O/U, It would be a Beretta 686 Sporting Clays. A good used Browning Superposed would be second, though a bit pokey for Skeet.
One can shoot Trap with a field gun, I've done quite a lot of it. But I do like using a dedicated Trap gun like a BT-99.
Surprise, surpise, a Ruger that is heavy and clunky. I think the Bearcat .22 might be the only one that isn't.....I loved the looks of the Red Labels, didn't like shooting them.
Pops offered me his Redlabel "all weather". NIB.
It had 26" bbls so was unusable for what I wanted. Sold it not long ago he did.
Anyway, yrs ago I bought a Browning Citori fixed choke M&F "Magnum". Nice gun, decent shape..........hunted, not abused.
Tried it at trap.........hit high.
Grew up shooting "flat" guns.
Went back to a reg 1100 magnum and also a Trap model (either worked fine, the trap had the comb lowered to be almost field gun dim).
Still sucks to this day, that old Browning just not working out. Doubled in value........but I just couldn't use it.
Wish I could have. Bismith 2's and honkers.
I'm just stuck using cheaper guns that shoot flat. Oh well.
It had 26" bbls so was unusable for what I wanted. Sold it not long ago he did.
Anyway, yrs ago I bought a Browning Citori fixed choke M&F "Magnum". Nice gun, decent shape..........hunted, not abused.
Tried it at trap.........hit high.
Grew up shooting "flat" guns.
Went back to a reg 1100 magnum and also a Trap model (either worked fine, the trap had the comb lowered to be almost field gun dim).
Still sucks to this day, that old Browning just not working out. Doubled in value........but I just couldn't use it.
Wish I could have. Bismith 2's and honkers.
I'm just stuck using cheaper guns that shoot flat. Oh well.
entropy
Member
Nothing wrong with that. I've shot most of my 25's in Trap with 1100's and 870's.
Armored farmer
Member
Me too. And 100s. Except for the ones with a model 12 Win. And the ones with a 4E Ithaca.
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