Best over/under shotgun

[gwchem]

I'm in a similar, but not exactly the same situation as the OP. I find myself about 3-5 weekends a year shooting clays, very informally. Basically, this is an afternoon activity at another event. We have access to a buddy's farm and he has a thrower, so I teach non-shooters how to hit a clay or two. Maybe 2-300 rounds total over a weekend, so approximately 1000 per year, maximum. Since they're all new shooters, and some smaller women, I'm starting to look for a 20 gauge O/U. O/U due to the simplicity (even showing them how to load my Mossberg 500 can be tricky), and 20 gauge to keep the weight and recoil down. Budget is not even $1000. I've done a lot of reading, and think I'll be picking up a CZ over the winter.

 

[Biggfoot44]

If you like your TriStar , and only use it for actual hunting , and only cpl hundred rounds a year for casual clays , more power to you.

Meanwhile the Turkish shotguns are improving in quality , and not unreasonable at their price point , IF the particular importer/ distributor offers decent support.

But for serious users who shoot more rounds in a month than casual shooters do in a decade , if nott their lifetime - step up to 2-3 time the budget.

 

[BenL]

Well Saturday night walking around Walmart I went to the sporting section and saw a Tristar 12 ga 3" 28" chrome lined over under shotgun there for $357. I said to myself it's only $357 so I bought it think if it was junk atleast it wasn't $1000 junk as from what I've seen u need to spent 3k+To get something "good". Sunday I took it to shoot trap. I shot two rounds of trap hitting 48/50. Mind you I never even patterned it basically took it out of the box the night before. So my question is why do u need to spent over 1k to get a "bottom end" over under as what I've been told. I guess if I spent a lot more for a gun I might have gotten those 2birds I missed. O and one more thing my brother was there with his Weatherby over under which I'm sure cost a boat load more than my tristar and he was having troubles getting the second barrel to shoot off. It's been returned for repair for that same reason before. Something to do with the inertia setting the hammer. So he shot my tristar there also. Haha. Just wanted to put that out there. I can't really see a $ 3k plus gun doing a lot better then my $357 gun and if I scratch it I won't cry.

It has more to do with quality of build and longevity than what you hit or miss. Gun lockup will loosen over time with a less expensive gun. Internal components will fail must faster on a cheaper gun.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

I run a Browning Cynergy, I could probably get away with a $200 junker. Some people must be retired or have some real gravy jobs, I can barely make the time to shoot.

We shoot with a guy every so often who hunts and does sporting clays with his Stoeger. It isnt pretty, but it keeps going. Its in the condition if we see a nail head sticking out of a sporting clay station, we use his gun to pound it back in.

 

[Mickey the Dragon]

Another vote for used if you're going to try and keep things under a grand. I was able to acquire a Beretta 686 from a pawn shop in Colorado Springs for about $900 bucks and it's treated me well for the past 12 years.

 

[Brickman301]

I don't think some of you read the original poster's question. He was asking about the best over and under shotgun, that was under $1000 in cost. Sure he could spend a lot more money and get a better quality gun, but that was not what he was asking for. So the Op took a chance and bought a Tristar. Will it hold up? Only time and use will tell. So far he's happy with it. From the little bit I have read one other fourms Tristar has a pretty good customer service rating. It also looks like they have a five year warranty. The way I see it if that is true, and it's totally junked in five years, after heavy use, and they no longer support the repairs, he got his money's worth.

 

[tomandjerry00]

Love my lamber and it was cheap


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bolts Rock]

Well Saturday night walking around Walmart I went to the sporting section and saw a Tristar 12 ga 3" 28" chrome lined over under shotgun there for $357. I said to myself it's only $357 so I bought it think if it was junk atleast it wasn't $1000 junk as from what I've seen u need to spent 3k+To get something "good". Sunday I took it to shoot trap. I shot two rounds of trap hitting 48/50. Mind you I never even patterned it basically took it out of the box the night before. So my question is why do u need to spent over 1k to get a "bottom end" over under as what I've been told. I guess if I spent a lot more for a gun I might have gotten those 2birds I missed. O and one more thing my brother was there with his Weatherby over under which I'm sure cost a boat load more than my tristar and he was having troubles getting the second barrel to shoot off. It's been returned for repair for that same reason before. Something to do with the inertia setting the hammer. So he shot my tristar there also. Haha. Just wanted to put that out there. I can't really see a $ 3k plus gun doing a lot better then my $357 gun and if I scratch it I won't cry.

If all you're going to do is hunt with minimal clays it should work. I'd still have ponied up for a CZ in your initial price range for a better gun. Me? I saved my pennies and got a Beretta 686 that will last the rest of my life. My other shotgun is an 870 Express that I shoot almost as well and that one I take in pouring rain. I may eventually pick up a Beretta semi.

 

[PJDiesel]

It's an epidemic, people constantly talking about how many they break with "X" gun.....

Got to an NSCA shoot, out of 120 shooters you'll see probably between one and five of them that aren't O/U's, they will likely be women and children. $50k dollar exhibition grade K80, more than likely at least one of those, probably a dozen more that are above a vintage scroll level ($15k).

It's no accident or mere coincidence people are shooting high end guns at registered targets, it's the absolute norm. I get a chuckle when people say they broke "x" amount, do it every Sunday for a year, the answer is,..... you WON'T.

The confusion amongst clay games here is also astounding considering the internet age we live in.

Trap is shit, it's by far NOT the standard for any type of difficult presentations thrown. Shooting over top of a rising outgoing/ all dome target shouldn't even be a game.

 

[atblis]

It's no accident or mere coincidence people are shooting high end guns at registered targets, it's the absolute norm....snip

A good bit of that has nothing to do with the actual functionality of the shotguns, but more the sort of crowd that attends those events. That being said, $2k is about the minimum to get you a true target O/U (new), one that will last and is rebuild-able when it needs it. In terms of function, the law of diminishing return starts kicking in after that (IMO).

 

[Brickman301]

It's an epidemic, people constantly talking about how many they break with "X" gun.....

Got to an NSCA shoot, out of 120 shooters you'll see probably between one and five of them that aren't O/U's, they will likely be women and children. $50k dollar exhibition grade K80, more than likely at least one of those, probably a dozen more that are above a vintage scroll level ($15k).

It's no accident or mere coincidence people are shooting high end guns at registered targets, it's the absolute norm. I get a chuckle when people say they broke "x" amount, do it every Sunday for a year, the answer is,..... you WON'T.

The confusion amongst clay games here is also astounding considering the internet age we live in.

Trap is shit, it's by far NOT the standard for any type of difficult presentations thrown. Shooting over top of a rising outgoing/ all dome target shouldn't even be a game.

If the game I loved to play was shooting trap, I'd take offense to the end of that post, it isn't so I don't really care Once again the OP asked for help with a gun costing under $1000. He never said what he would be using it for. Most just assumed it was for shooting 10K + clays per year,and no one asked him either. He came here looking for help, and advice. His 2nd post was just stating what he experienced with the gun he bought. I knew what he wanted it for, as he is my brother. He wanted it for informal clay shooting,upland bird hunting, and small game like rabbits and squirrel. What he is using it for I think it's just fine. Anyone who would use a ultra high dollar shotgun in the thickets for rabbit hunting would be crazy. Hell, I thought he was crazy for even thinking of taking a $1000 gun in the brush. Maybe he should have stated what he was going to use it for, but no one asked either.

 

[Pinecone]

A good bit of that has nothing to do with the actual functionality of the shotguns, but more the sort of crowd that attends those events. That being said, $2k is about the minimum to get you a true target O/U (new), one that will last and is rebuild-able when it needs it. In terms of function, the law of diminishing return starts kicking in after that (IMO).

Exactly. One time my wife and shot with a guy who had a Krieghoff. His wife was along, and started talking about the Ladies Charity Classic events to get women shooting.

He looks shocked and says to us, "This is an expensive hobby, you know?"

Funny thing was, We both out shot him by at least 10 birds each. With our, at the time, lowly Browning 325s, that the two, with custom fitting Americases, cost less than his Krieghoff.

Oh, and did I mention his gold with diamonds Rolex?

Many people buy to impress, not to shoot.

But I agree, if you are going to shoot a lot, it pays to get a quality O/U. Ours went through about 7,500 shells each, the first year.

 

[Pinecone]

If the game I loved to play was shooting trap, I'd take offense to the end of that post, it isn't so I don't really care Once again the OP asked for help with a gun costing under $1000. He never said what he would be using it for. Most just assumed it was for shooting 10K + clays per year,and no one asked him either. He came here looking for help, and advice. His 2nd post was just stating what he experienced with the gun he bought. I knew what he wanted it for, as he is my brother. He wanted it for informal clay shooting,upland bird hunting, and small game like rabbits and squirrel. What he is using it for I think it's just fine. Anyone who would use a ultra high dollar shotgun in the thickets for rabbit hunting would be crazy. Hell, I thought he was crazy for even thinking of taking a $1000 gun in the brush. Maybe he should have stated what he was going to use it for, but no one asked either.

True.

But the point is, under $1000 in an O/U is the very low end. For most any use, under $1K, you will get a much better pump or semi auto that will last longer and be repairable if something breaks.

Under $1K O/U are the cheap ones.

 

[Brickman301]

Pinecone, I totally agree. He has a nice semi auto, he just wanted something different.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

Trap definitely sucks though, offense implied. It's the most common around here I guess because of cost, and space. Skeet isnt too far behind unless you want to build trap houses out of rare mineral from the Amazon. Sporting Clays you definitely need property but the 5 stand you can make do without.

We were kind of dreaming Harford County turns the Scarboro dump into a shooting facility like PG Couny, doubt that will happen.

 

[JoeRinMD]

It's an epidemic, people constantly talking about how many they break with "X" gun.....

Got to an NSCA shoot, out of 120 shooters you'll see probably between one and five of them that aren't O/U's, they will likely be women and children. $50k dollar exhibition grade K80, more than likely at least one of those, probably a dozen more that are above a vintage scroll level ($15k).

This is virtually identical to the comments made by folks in the rifle forums about how "my gun will shoot one-hole groups all day long". Ahhh...yeah...sure. Bring it to a real benchrest competition and then the next day, see if you make that claim again. It's very easy for internet boasting to stem from a casual shoot at an informal range -- a lot harder to have it corroborated against real competitors at a regulated match.

JoeR

 

[sxs]

True.

But the point is, under $1000 in an O/U is the very low end. For most any use, under $1K, you will get a much better pump or semi auto that will last longer and be repairable if something breaks.

Under $1K O/U are the cheap ones.

The other thing about sub 1K guns besides durability. is that some aren't regulated very well either...although that can, and does, vary from gun to gun. One negative about many clays guns is that many shoot the center of their patterns well above the bead so you must 'float' the clay. That's fine for clay shooting but if you also shoot field guns, it requires an adjustment. That's exactly the reason why I sold my BT-99s just a couple years after buying a field Citori...I basically had no problem moving from a field Citori to any of my other field guns or C&R shotguns...but the BT's? Well I had to consciously remember the difference...i.e. to float the clay for the BTs. For casual shooting, I just started shooting the Citori at clay games then sold my BTs. I did add a Field Guerini Magnus to the herd a couple years back. The Guerini handles very similar to the Citori...as does the Weatherby Orion...although I don't shoot the Orion that often at clays since it is 20 ga.

 

[tigmaned]

how about the new model Winchester 101 field guns. Bass Pro has them for $1099.. on sale right now $50 off and another $100 if you use a BPCC... not bad for a FN Belgium made gun.

>>>> if anyone knows were a Beretta 686 field gun with screw in chokes is for sale let me know!!! <<<<

 

[Redcobra]

The other thing about sub 1K guns besides durability. is that some aren't regulated very well either...although that can, and does, vary from gun to gun. One negative about many clays guns is that many shoot the center of their patterns well above the bead so you must 'float' the clay. That's fine for clay shooting but if you also shoot field guns, it requires an adjustment. That's exactly the reason why I sold my BT-99s just a couple years after buying a field Citori...I basically had no problem moving from a field Citori to any of my other field guns or C&R shotguns...but the BT's? Well I had to consciously remember the difference...i.e. to float the clay for the BTs. For casual shooting, I just started shooting the Citori at clay games then sold my BTs. I did add a Field Guerini Magnus to the herd a couple years back. The Guerini handles very similar to the Citori...as does the Weatherby Orion...although I don't shoot the Orion that often at clays since it is 20 ga.

For Trap, which i love, my gun shoots about 90/10 so I float the bird. For SC and 5-stand and Skeet, I shoot a 50/50 gun. 12g for SC and 5-stand and 20g (as well as 28g and .410) for skeet. Oh bye the way...Trap rocks. Them that disparage it are them that can't shoot it. (not talking about cow pasture trap)

 

[PapiBarcelona]

You are right, I definitely can't shoot trap. Too monotenous for me, I don't have the brain capacity to shoot at the same easy targets over and over.

All that as side, trap is more mental like skeet. Its more convenient and cost effective, besides PG county if you aren't close to the PA state line or Eastern shore its a haul to get to a 50/100 target Sporting clay course for amateur hour. Not sure what VA or WVA has for Sporting clays