What does a $30,000 shotgun bring to the table?

[jnormanh]

<<It's just a fact that some people happen to shoot really well with a very common shotgun, so well that it will take a REALLY expensive one to make a positive impact on their shooting.

And I don't think there's anything wrong with an SKB. I like them. I was just illustrating that for the guy in question, spending double or triple the amount on a shotgun didn't help his score, and that even spending 10 times as much or more didn't give him what he wanted until he'd had it fitted a few times.

Many records were broken with the Model 12 and the 870, in the hands of a few really great shooters, like Rudy Etchen.>>

It's true, Rudy Etchen set lots of records and won championships shooting Model 12s and 870s. It's also true he used a very expensive custom-fit Purdey for hand thrown birds.

 

[RNB65]

Many of the advantages of a custom shotgun have already been discussed here -- custom fitted stock, custom tuned balance, custom engraving, etc.

I saw a TV show one time where a gunsmith compared a new mass produced Browning Citori with a new hand fitted Browning Superposed. He coated the inside of the receivers with a dye marker (or he may have coated the breech end of the barrels that fits inside the receiver, I don't remember). He put the barrels on, closed/opened each one, then removed the barrels. The dye showed clearly how much more steel on steel contact there was with the Superposed than with the Citori. The Superposed had near perfect steel on steel contact while the Citori had large areas with no contact. He said that the same would also be true with the internal components as well. He explained that maximum steel on steel contact is one of the keys to long-term reliability as it eliminates wear points and helps the gun better handle recoil.

It didn't convince me to run out and order a Belgian Superposed, but it was the best demo I've ever seen of the advantages of a hand fitted shotgun.

 

[redneck2]

I find it interesting that the same guys that rag on you for spending 10k on a shotgun will spend 40k on a street racer car, 40k on a pretty much worthless 4wd with big tires, or 20k of stereo equipment

The absolute all time worst investment has to be a car, and particularly an expensive car. Look at the number of Lexus, BMW's, Cadillac's, etc that are sold every year. Even "collectable" cars are pretty much worthless for actual use. Can't drive them much or you put on too many miles or show too much wear.

I talked to a friend the other day. His mother goes to bingo at least three nights a week and takes at least $200 each time. Wouldn't take long to buy a decent O/U.

But, as long as you don't cost me money, you spend yours any way you want. Just don't run your mouth about how I spend mine

 

[scchokedaddy]

dont know

if it works for you doesnt matter if you paid 39 or 30,000 i shoot b80,1100,A5 and SKB in 12 gauge Browning XS in 20 and Spartan o/u in 20 but i shoot Bakail,1100,870, in 16. But my favorite guns for clays are a pair of 1148s with cutts. Both are cut to fit I carry one with spreader tube, the other with mod tube Please note I am not a registered shooter not even in doing that I just love shooting, I shoot with people who shoot the high dollar guns and find most of them are fairly nice people BUT there are some out there who make you wonder. I usally just stop and let them go on so I dont upset them by being happy shooting my OLD guns and being happy, after all I dont want to upset someone who is SOO much BETTER than I am because I dont shoot high dollar gun or shoot their brand of ammo. If you ever been shooting clays then you know the guys Im talking about. BUT you will also find some of those highend fellas to be the most helpful when you are having trouble with certain presentations. well Ive rambled enough , so I better make my point before you go to sleep , What Ever Works For You Is tHE best for you

 

[gezzer]

It's a Famars.

Lovely gun, sweet marble cake wood, round botton, nice engraving!! Give me that over a 50 grand SUV any day!!!!!!!

 

[strat81]

Slightly O/T, but I find this thread interesting. I used to work for one of the big musical instrument chains in both the guitar and drum departments. We sold all kinds of gear... $100 imports to four- and five-figure instruments. Our flagship store had stuff even more expensive.

Yes, an expensive instrument was made better, had better wood, electronics, and generally sounded better.... IN THE RIGHT HANDS. I heard plenty of $350 Mexican Stratocasters in the hands of musicians that played them beautifully, far more beautifully than a $350 instrument deserves to be played. I've also heard some nasty sounds come from $5,000 Les Pauls.

Let it go on record that some of the best guitar sounds were done with what many would consider mainstream instruments. Clapton, SRV, Eddie Van Halen... these are musicians who are not defined by their guitar. It's in their hands. Hardware can only take you so far.

 

[TrapperReady]

Hardware can only take you so far.

True enough, although I don't think anyone is arguing that you can merely buy your way to skill.

At many of the larger multiple day shoots, there are ample opportunities to see folks shooting guns other than their main clays guns. For example, it's not uncommon to see SxS or pump-only events. Guess what? If you compare the scores between the main event and these side events, there's a pretty strong positive correlation. Guys who can shoot well with a K-80 can generally do so with an 870. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that almost anyone who shoots an "expensive" gun also has one (or a dozen ) plebeian scatterguns somewhere at home.

 

[Bill_G]

Uhh.......pride of ownership?

 

[Stiletto Null]

A $30k shotgun doesn't do a thing for me, but I'm not a shotgunner.

Let's talk about double-barrel Blaser straight-pull magazine rifles.

 

[ArmedBear]

It's true, Rudy Etchen set lots of records and won championships shooting Model 12s and 870s. It's also true he used a very expensive custom-fit Purdey for hand thrown birds.

His competition 12's and 870's weren't exactly off-the-shelf working guns either.

My point is just that, if something works for you, it works. He clearly used what worked for him, in whatever situation. Sometimes that was an 870, sometimes a Purdy. The numbers don't lie, either way.

 

[JohnBT]

www.joeletchenguns.com/pride.htm

"RUDY'S FAVORITE GUNS
A PRIDE IN QUALITY"

"GRITS: Did you have an "Etchen Special" put on your Purdey?

RUDY: As best as I could get the English to do it. They have definite ideas as to what you should shoot. It's a problem to convince them that you know better what you want than they think they know. They don't believe in pistol grips, Monte Carlos or beavertail forearms, and think a ventilated rib is unnecessary.

GRITS: How about that Schnabel forearm on the old Parker?

RUDY: When the Lefevers were particularly interested in a fine piece, they put the Fleur-de-Lis on, which was native to the finer grade Parkers, and would use the Schnabel-type forearm even on the side-by-sides. Beautiful work. A very special job received these lovely "extras" from the Lefevers. Frank and Art Lefever are now dead, but Bob lives at Lee Center, N.Y., where he's very much alive and very active and still does beautiful gun work.

GRITS: Do you shoot the old Parker that came home?

RUDY: I now do all of my columbaire live-bird shooting with it."

 

[30 cal slob]

i've shot trap with a street sweeper.

if i get some fancy gold inlay engraving on it, think i could use it for sporting clays?

 

[ArmedBear]

Etchens was clearly one of the best shotgun shooters who ever lived.

He had a real appreciation for top-quality, hand-made, expensive guns.

It appears he wasn't a snob about them, though.

It's important to note that, while there are jerk-off gun snobs who can't really shoot so well, there are also really good shooters who just plain can tell the difference, so they spend the money.

I think that's the take-home: spending $30,000 isn't as ridiculous as some people think. It's also not necessary, if you just want to learn to start out, shoot well and enjoy yourself.

 

[jnormanh]

Different strokes for different strokes, eh? You can drive to California in a Hyundai , a Mercedes, or a Ferrari. They'll all do the job.

Me, I'd rather have a Hyundai and a mint Rem 32 than a Mercedes and a JC Higgins.