I need help on shotgun purchase

[Mugapug]

I was out shooting clays for the first time this weekend. I had a great time and am now in the market for a shotgun. I know very little about what kind of shotgun would be best for this activity. Please give me some advice and opinions what to buy.

[normanvin]

You could tie up a ton of money getting a good compition gun. I would go out and check out a Mossberg.

[Triggerh4ppy]

moss burg 500

[BrowningBoy]

Trap, skeet, sporting clays? Each one requires different barrel lengths and chokes. If you are just shooting at clays from a hand thrower or enjoy shooting a box of birds once and a while by all means buy a Mossberg. If you are planning on shooting trap or skeet every weekend you will need to buy something along the lines of a Browning Citori or at least a Remington 1100 to stand up to the sheer number of shells that will be fired.

Decide which game you are going to play and then it will be easier to find an appropriate gun to use.

[akapjr]

Beretta a400 xplor

[thefirstndsecond]

I am a Remington man. I do not like mossburg. Remington 1100 will shoot fine. They run 1000.

It really depends what you plan to do with it. Is money an issue?

Rem 870 pump for fun. 1100 more money less recoil fun picking up shells. Over under extractor again recoil but nice to shoot spend the money for quality.

I have shot shotguns my entire life. Good length is 28 in for all around. Chokes etc.

Trap skeet sporting clays all different, but for fun auto or o/u 28inch 2 3/4.

I use 12. The upper class may use 410 or 28 ga o/u. 20 GA is OK as well.

It has to fit you and you have to swing the barrel.

[Pete D.]

Trap skeet sporting clays all different, but for fun auto or o/u 28inch 2 3/4.

True.
You can buy a dedicated gun for each discipline if you have the inclination.
I just started with the clay games myself and have been using my hunting guns. I went through a process of elimination about accuracy (pretty much the same in all my guns) and convenience of the second shot. The pump gun came in last (love the Ithaca, like the Nova but....) double barrel guns were the easiest and I shoot them as well as the pumps or the semi.
I have been shooting an old Parker SXS 12 ga. and a 20 ga.O/U - both are my hunting guns as it turns out.
So.....that's what I'd recommend - a double barrel, either a SXS or an O/U. You do see way more O/Us out there than SXSs.
Pete

[ishoot4fun]

All good info so far.

I'd say it also depends on how "serious" you're going to be about shooting. I enjoy shooting clays as well. After an outing, I bought a basic Remington 870 12 guage at Wal-mart for $250 or so (may have had a rebate). Since I bought the gun, I've shot clay birds twice...those times being relaxed time in the farm field with some friends. As a bonus, I bought an 18 1/2" barrel and the remington 870 has now become my home defense gun. And if I want to shoot clay birds, I just swap out barrels.

I don't have any experience with higher-end shotguns. But if you're going be shooting a good bit, it seems as though a good semi-auto or nice over/under shotgun would work very well.

[thefirstndsecond]

By the way,

If you purchase an O/U = Over under, you can change the chokes and use it for upland hunting, small game, but not really used for other types of hunting. A little more recoil because their isn't a gas piston. Usually 20ga is good if you are using just for clays or it is more challenging for birds. 12ga wil be fine if you shoot low brass or lower powder shells for clays all day.

O/U - Stoger like 300, Franci, Mossberg, Remington, Browning, Ruger Red Label to upper end from 1200 - thousands

Rem. 1100 is a semi auto gas gun. Can be used for birds, clays, deer, small game. Usually heavier, less recoil 12GA.
Almost forgot Benelli Supersporter II (I want one), very nice gun beautiful, light, inertia driven.

Your pump guns are ok for Trap maybe skeet. I had some difficulty my frst time on a sporting clay round. - Rem 870, Moss 500, Winchester

Barrel Length, and chokes matter for all shot gun uses. Longer gun, longer sight plane, may be heavier to swing fast, longer shots. Get one that fits you, work with the shop owner.

[str8shooter]

I'm going to go against the grain here and suggest you buy the cheapest double barrel or pump with an open choke that you can find. There are lots of used ones to be found at most gun shops. If you run across a model that's designed so you can change barrels or the choke for different types of shooting, all the better. Even a single shot would do, but it's nice to have that second round at the ready to take another shot at a missed target, or test your skills at shooting two clays thrown at the same time.

My 13 y/o daughter can hit 70-80% of her targets using her single shot youth 20 gauge with #8 shot, and that's only getting to shoot a few times each summer. So unless you really think you're going to get serious about either trap or skeet and aspire to reach competition levels, I don't think as a recreational shooter you need to go dropping a ton of money on a high end gun, especially if you don't see yourself getting out very often.

It can be just as satisfying watching the clay burst into pieces from a $100 used NEF single shot as it is a $1000 Remmy semi-auto.

ETA: This reply sneaked in while I was typing. As you might have deduced from my reply, I totally agree with ishoot4fun's philosophy.

All good info so far.

I'd say it also depends on how "serious" you're going to be about shooting. I enjoy shooting clays as well. After an outing, I bought a basic Remington 870 12 guage at Wal-mart for $250 or so (may have had a rebate). Since I bought the gun, I've shot clay birds twice...those times being relaxed time in the farm field with some friends. As a bonus, I bought an 18 1/2" barrel and the remington 870 has now become my home defense gun. And if I want to shoot clay birds, I just swap out barrels.

I don't have any experience with higher-end shotguns. But if you're going be shooting a good bit, it seems as though a good semi-auto or nice over/under shotgun would work very well.