jimbobborg
Oddball caliber fan
Reading threads like this makes me very glad I don't shoot clay sports.
Reading threads like this makes me very glad I don't shoot clay sports.
It can be addicting.
First year the wife and I tried sporting clays, we ended up shooting about 15,000 rounds.
Amateur.
I used to shoot Sporting Clays quite a lot, even have Life Membership in the NSCA, but I can't afford it anymore......just got a flyer on two 100 bird shoots, $125 and $135 respectively.........I haven't shot anything registered in a long time, but damn I don't think I ever got close to $100 and that was for a two-day 200 bird shoot. I could afford/justify it when most of the local fundraisers (50 bird) were $40-$50 and Registered tourneys (100 bird) were $60-$75, but not now.
I quit shooting registered anything. Just got too expensive. I shoot Trap, Skeet, 5-stand and Sporting Clays for fun. And still shoot between 9,000 and 10,000 rounds a year (at least my Cabelas bills say I do). Also reduced to just 3 guns, and don't shoot 28g or .410 anymore.
I’ve been shooting Skeet for 37 years. I can’t tell you how many people buy a “budget” O/U and regret it later. Even Ruger told a customer that their Red Label wasn’t made for clay target shooting. If you can’t afford a lightly used Beretta or Browning than stick with an auto until you can. I shoot a Beretta and recommend them over the Brownings just because there are all kinds of extra barrels and stocks out there. Not so much with the Brownings. Also, a Beretta can be rebuilt/tightened up more than a Browning. But you would have to have a lot of money/time to shoot either one out.
whats a good to fair price on a Beretta
It really depends on which Beretta you are asking about, it would help to know which model.
that would help A400 xcel money might get in the way for that one 2nd choice 687 silver pigeon
A400 1500 to 1600 new, 1000 to 1200 used in my opinion.
whats a good to fair price on a Beretta
Even within the 680 series of guns there’s such a big window depending on used, new, condition, barrel length, screw chokes or fixed, etc. I’ve seen old fixed choke 686’s go for $1000 to 687 EELL’s at $8000.00.
I really like Etchens. They know their stuff. And can help with fitting. You could call Etchen and see if they could price match the one in the Basspro link. It’s currently on sale.
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Beretta-686-Silver-Pigeon-I-Sporting-OverUnder-Shotgun
https://www.joeletchenguns.com
Full disclosure, I have no affiliation with Etchens. They’re the biggest Beretta dealer in the country for a reason. They know how to treat the customer. They understand it’s a big purchase for the customer. Whether the gun is a $1000 or $30,000.
Slight hi-jack, but I'm in a similar boat as the original poster.
1. Is the consensus still to get barrels on an O/U as long as you can? I'm trying to decide on a 30" or 32" Silver Pigeon 1 for a dual use clays/field gun.
I'm not really worried about barrel length for field shooting as we seldom use blinds which are obstructive.
As a sporting gun with occasional field use, 70/30%,go longer 30" minimum. 32" is for sporting use 90/10%. A field gun has to been lighter, as much as possible. It will have more felt recoil.
Are you using this for waterfowl? If so dont. Buy a cheap semi-auto.
Try it....you’ll like it.
If you're OK with 32" barrels you won't find a much better deal than this: 686 SP1 Sporting