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| Posted By |  Subject :Good inexpensive shotgun for skeet |
We've got a great place to shoot clay pigeons here, but I don't have a decent shotgun (only a pistol grip Mossberg). A friend brings his Browning autoloader and it's a great shooter but a little spendy. Can anyone recommend a good yet inexpensive autoloading 12-gauge shotgun for skeet? I'm just a plinker and not into competitive shooting.
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Is auto loading a must have? A used Remington 1100 or one of its variants would serve you well.
Did you know that a skilled operator can shot a pump gun faster than any autoloader?
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A pump is fine with me but the recoil was noticably less on the auto-loader. After shooting 100 rounds my shoulder will be bruised and it really doesn't bother me. However, a couple of women have mentioned they'd like to come over and try it and I'll be sharing the gun with them. So recoil is an issue. I don't want to scare 'em off.
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There-in lies a problem. Felt recoil has a lot to do with the fit of the stock.
Generally speaking, men and women cannot shoot the same guns because the stocks are not anywhere near a universal fit.
My wife is 5'-7" and a youth model 20 gauge Remington 870 fits her very well and she shoots it well. I have tried shooting her gun and I can't hit squat with it.
She can't hit anything with my full size 870 or my vintage Winchester Model 12 and they kick the crap out of her.
You need a "Ken" gun and a "Barbie" gun.
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Thanks, Mark, great input. I hadn't considered getting two different guns. A smaller model for the women makes good sense.
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I agree with what Mark said. The Remington 20 gauge youth model is exactly what came to mind for inexperienced women and kids. The Remington Model 1100 not a bad gun at all if you don't put a lot of ammuntion through it. I had a Model 1100 that threw the ejector claw, sping, and retaining hardware after about 5,000 rounds. I now use a Remington Model 11-87 Premier that I modified with mercury recoil compensators in place of the magazine plug and in the stock. This adds nearly 4 lbs. to the gun and helps in maintaining momentum of the swing. I would also recommend that you get at least a 30 inch barrel. I like a 32 inch barrel. The added weight and length helps with swing and recoil reduction.
Another area you can mitigate recoil is with the ammuntion you fire. The best (most gentle) recoiling 12 guage load I have used was Remington Blue Magic hulls, Federal 209 primer, windjammer 1 oz. wad, and I believe 21 grains of IMR SR 7625 powder. Reloading is not very cost effective unless you fire large quantities. When I was shooting overseas, I would fire about 8,000 rounds per year of 12 guage and it made "cents". I have also tried the Winchester AA 3/4 oz. international loads with pretty good results although your have to be a bit more accurate with the shot firing 3/4 oz. vs. the old 1 1/8 oz sheet/trap loads. I think most ammo producers make a standard 1 oz. load now.
I have some medical issues that don't allow me to tolerate a lot of recoil so I had the figure ways to shoot 12 guage. .410 is my favorite but is a much more challenging load to fire due to such a small amount of shot.
If you plan to shoot a lot of skeet, trap, or sporting clays; I would strongly suggest you take a look at a good quality over and under 12 gauge shotgun. If you get into the sport more, you can have it tubed to fire 12, 20, 28 guage and .410 bore all from the same gun and barrel. These aren't cheap. Just thought I would mention it for your knowledge. Browning also make a Citori 4 barrel set that fires all 4 guage/bores from the same gun but has interchangable barrels. That is what I use to fire 20, 28 guage, and .410 bore. I use the 11-87 Premier for 12 guage. Hope this was not "TMI". Enjoy the sport and have fun!
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Almost forgot! Another really good alround inexpensive shotgun is the Mossberg Model 500 pump gun. They can be used on the skeet, trap, or sporting clays range but they can put you at a big disadvantage with follow up shots and doubles. The model 500 will allow you to fire what I call "semi-semi automatice" in that for some reason these or at least my gun were built so that you can just hold the trigger and actuate the pump action and the gun will fire automatically provided you make good FULL lock to lock strokes with the action. Probably not a good practice to get used to. Kinda like a release trigger of sorts which I am not a big fan of.
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Boy, you guys know your guns. The 20 gauge small model 870 sounds good for the ladies. If they get serious they can buy their own. Just trying to do my part by taking some liberal women out to shoot. I want to buy guns that will last a long time though. We have a great place to throw clay at the top of a hill adjacent to state forest land. A two minute hike out the back door brings us to a flat area next to a 150 foot drop. Fly a clay here and it will float for 8 seconds. Great for us amateurs!
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I use an 1100 synthetic that I picked up cheap at a Walmart clearance. I don't shoot enough to wear it out, at least not yet, my shoulder will give first. I use 1 ounce loads to reduce recoil.
I have seen model 1187 for sale used in several gun shops fairly reasonable. Also many of the O/U that Chief is referring to are floating around. Try a Gander Mountain or Dick's Sporting Goods store as well as the private shops, that is where they seem to show up around here in volume.
Stay away from an inexpensive O/U, I have one that is already giving me problems.
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What shotgun did you decide on buying Ken?
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