Dumping the semi, Getting a Sporting O/U; Opinions?

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  • dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    So the Beretta A400 Xcell Parallel Target is on its way out. Good for a trap-only gun but that's about it IMHO. Here are the O/U's I plan on shouldering over the next 2 weeks. This would be for all three clay sports.

    Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon Sporting (number one choice)
    Winchester 101 Ultimate Sporting
    Browning Citori CXS
    Browning Citori CXS White (number two choice)
    [EDIT] Browning Citori 725 Sporting (a bit above my price range but doable)

    Thoughts?

    I have shot a Citori Lightning 28" before and it was a good fit. Hope to try out a Beretta O/U this week.
     
    Last edited:

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    You need to road trip it to Joel Etchen’s. They stock Browning’s and Beretta’s. They are great people. They sell more Beretta’s than anyone in the country. They can show you all the different options. The Beretta is the way to go. And not just because I shoot one. The 680 series is well respected the world over.

    https://www.joeletchenguns.com
     

    rouchna

    Defund the ATF
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 25, 2009
    5,951
    Virginia
    You need to road trip it to Joel Etchen’s. They stock Browning’s and Beretta’s. They are great people. They sell more Beretta’s than anyone in the country. They can show you all the different options. The Beretta is the way to go. And not just because I shoot one. The 680 series is well respected the world over.

    https://www.joeletchenguns.com

    This. Go through Joel Etchen for a Beretta or speak with August Crocker about a Caesar Guerini.

    It was a tough decision for me but ended up with a CG and couldn’t be happier.
     

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    STeveZ

    Thank you, Abelard
    Sep 22, 2011
    779
    Aberdeen, MD
    I'm a Beretta guy so I'd recommend the SP1, or maybe look at a used Onyx Pro for a few hundred bucks more.
    The Browning 725 is different from the previous Citori-based models; its receiver is wider and lower, like the Beretta.
    The CXS (Citori) in 12 gauge will be narrower and taller, not to my liking in 12 gauge.
    A 12 gauge Beretta Sporter w/ 30" barrels is as good an all-arounder you'll find for around $2K NIB.
     

    rouchna

    Defund the ATF
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 25, 2009
    5,951
    Virginia
    http://www.augustguns.com/ ??

    Looks like he is in Clearwater FL.

    When I bought mine 2 years ago, he was out of Austin, TX. He came recommended by ElFlasko here on MDS. August spent an hour with me on the phone going over pros and cons of each shotgun. Once I made my decision, I paid him and he shipped the shotgun to my FFL same day. The guy knows a lot of O/Us.
     

    winch

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 14, 2011
    1,326
    Towson
    I bought the SP1 w/32" barrels last year. It's a great gun. As a relative newbie, I did not realize that you need to ensure that the gun fits you. I got lucky with mine in that it fits me right well, but if I bought another, I'd go someplace where they could do a fitting to be sure. Also note that I've used mine solely for trap and I can't comment on sporting or skeet yet, but I plan to try both. I picked mine out online and the EZ HQL guy gave me a good price (not affiliated).
     

    r100rsman

    Active Member
    Mar 9, 2017
    111
    Olney
    I have a Caesar Guerini Summit and absolutely love it. Shoots like a dream, well made and a great looking gun. You need to shoulder one before you buy anything else.
     

    dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    When I bought mine 2 years ago, he was out of Austin, TX. He came recommended by ElFlasko here on MDS. August spent an hour with me on the phone going over pros and cons of each shotgun. Once I made my decision, I paid him and he shipped the shotgun to my FFL same day. The guy knows a lot of O/Us.

    Makes sense.
     

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    So no love for the Winchester 101 Ultimate Sporting?

    1. Beretta. It’s been around a lot longer than CG. There are Olympic shooters shooting Beretta 680 series guns.
    2. Caesar Guerini. Relatively new but their custom service is top notch.
    3. Browning They’ve been around longer than CG but their warranty service sucks.
    4. Winchester


    If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your budget?

    How much do you shoot? Week, month, year?
     

    dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    1. Beretta. It’s been around a lot longer than CG. There are Olympic shooters shooting Beretta 680 series guns.
    2. Caesar Guerini. Relatively new but their custom service is top notch.
    3. Browning They’ve been around longer than CG but their warranty service sucks.
    4. Winchester


    If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your budget?

    How much do you shoot? Week, month, year?

    Budget: $2800.

    How Much do I shoot
    (a) Now: 6 or 8 times a year a mix of trap, skeet, and sporting clays socially with the guys at work and/or my gun club.
    (b) Moving forward: Monthly.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    http://www.augustguns.com/ ??

    Looks like he is in Clearwater FL.

    lol - did not need to see that. My in-laws are in Clearwater, FL and we visit them about once a year. Looks like visiting the in-laws just became more agreeable with me and possibly more expensive too. Good grief.

    Alright, I looked and looked for the address, but could not find it on that website. Somebody help me out here.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    1. Beretta. It’s been around a lot longer than CG. There are Olympic shooters shooting Beretta 680 series guns.
    2. Caesar Guerini. Relatively new but their custom service is top notch.
    3. Browning They’ve been around longer than CG but their warranty service sucks.
    4. Winchester


    If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your budget?

    How much do you shoot? Week, month, year?

    I agree with his ranking. Krieghoff and Perazzi would be way too expensive compared to a Beretta 686.

    I really do like my Beretta o/u and semi-auto shotguns.
     

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    Here’s something used I found on Gunbroker. Don’t worry about it saying Trap. A lot of Sporting and Skeet guns look like trap guns nowadays. This would be a great gun for any game. It does have a step rib. It allows you to have your head more upright which means better visibility. The adjustable comb would cost you at least $250.00 to have it done. The barrels are ported. I don’t look for porting but it wouldn’t stop me from buying this. The gold series guns are gorgeous to me. Mine’s a silver gun like my avatar. You definitely want choke tubes and at least 29.5” barrels (which is 75 centimeters). Italians. This model would be considered a step up from the 686 Silver Pigeon.

    https://www.gunbroker.com/item/790777365
     

    rouchna

    Defund the ATF
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 25, 2009
    5,951
    Virginia
    lol - did not need to see that. My in-laws are in Clearwater, FL and we visit them about once a year. Looks like visiting the in-laws just became more agreeable with me and possibly more expensive too. Good grief.

    Alright, I looked and looked for the address, but could not find it on that website. Somebody help me out here.

    In all of my email correspondence with him, his address is out of Austin, TX. Not sure where FL comes into play. Either way he will happily spend time talking to you on the phone. He is also a CG elite dealer which gets you lifetime pit stop services.
     

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    dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    In all of my email correspondence with him, his address is out of Austin, TX. Not sure where FL comes into play. Either way he will happily spend time talking to you on the phone. He is also a CG elite dealer which gets you lifetime pit stop services.

    My bad - clicked on some link that brought me to another site.
     

    Tomfowl

    Member
    Oct 14, 2010
    18
    Towson
    I would shoulder both the Beretta and the Browning before purchasing. The Browning fit me whereas the Beretta did not. The Caesar Guerini is a nice gun but above the budget you listed. Jack Bart is a Caesar Guerini elite dealer and is in MD. You can meet him at one of the skeet ranges in Md. and shoot one if you like.
     

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