Inexpensive Shotgun for Clays

I dislike pump guns in general and specifically for shooting clays. They deliver a lot of recoil, especially with the off-the-shelf ammo their owner is likely using. Their operation, while reliable, is "manual" interfering with a quick smooth second shot. Their stock configuration and handling is comparatively awkward.

I would suggest a gas operated semi-auto. Good guns from Mossberg, Weatherby, Tristar, CZ and even Remington and Beretta can be found new and used around the $500 mark.

frogman68 said:

Dont know much about shotguns except they go BOOM

Looking to by an inexpensive one for clays in the backyard.

So far I have found the Remington 870 with a 28in barrel and a Mossberg 500
24in barrel . What other inexpensive shotguns will be good for clays and home defense ? Was looking for a 30 inch barrel but think 28 inch will do.

If an IP say if you have it in stock...

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That's what I started with, R870 with a modified barrel. A Mossberg 500 12GA is good, too. They're about the same gun.

Melnic said:

That's a good start, I'm guessing your using a spring loaded launcher or a hand launcher?
Shooting those clays are easier than shooting trap, skeet or sporting clays.
The "lest expensive" shotgun I have that will shoot clays is a single shot I got used from Duffy's for $150
Better than nothing for home defense but not nearly as good for HD as an 870 or 500

My 870 set up for defense has a 20" cylinder barrel
longer barrel is easier for shooting clays

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My M 500 has an 18" barrel and a pistol grip, loaded with the 2.5" 00Buck and slugs, alternately.

LRoberts said:

My M 500 has an 18" barrel and a pistol grip, loaded with the 2.5" 00Buck and slugs, alternately.

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okay... why? Just use buck. 4 bk at minimum, preferably low recoil 1 buck or low recoil 00. You can keep a segmented slug or two on the side, but don't know why you'd want to suprise yourself from shot to shot with what is going to come out.

Soo, I have fun with my Mossberg Maverick 88 with 18" barrel. Below is a pic of one with a 22" barrel. Barrels are available in 18",22", 26", 28".

The pic below is one from Sportsman's Warehouse for $199.

Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 pump in 12 or 20 gauge.

I was waiting for someone to mention the good old 1100. With shoot any game. Or play any game

CalvinMD said:

I was waiting for someone to mention the good old 1100. With shoot any game. Or play any game

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Post #19.

How about just starting where you will end....get an over and under either 20 or 12 gauge with 24 or 28 inch barrels, auto eject, and single trigger......

Samlab said:

How about just starting where you will end....get an over and under either 20 or 12 gauge with 24 or 28 inch barrels, auto eject, and single trigger......

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28” will cover most clay shooting. I wouldn’t go 24.

The first shotgun I ever bought was a Browning Broadway F/IM. Built in ‘68. Shot a lot of clays, ducks and geese with that gun.

frogman68 said:

Dont know much about shotguns except they go BOOM

Looking to by an inexpensive one for clays in the backyard.

So far I have found the Remington 870 with a 28in barrel and a Mossberg 500
24in barrel . What other inexpensive shotguns will be good for clays and home defense ? Was looking for a 30 inch barrel but think 28 inch will do.

If an IP say if you have it in stock...

Click to expand...

OP here is one thing that I would consider is fact and not theory like what you get with you tube videos for penetration, killing power and what will and will not go through walls etc. and probably the most important thing to consider when buying a shotgun. It is also what makes an expensive shotgun the same as a budget model for when it comes down to cutting nuts.

FIT. If your gun shoots to a different place than your looking it will affect pattern density, killing target breaking power how many pellets and remaining energy to kill a duck and all that happy horse shit.

You mentioned a gun with a thirty inch barrel and here is how it works. If the barrel is thirty inches long then for that instance there are 1440 inches in 40 yards. Into which 30 inches goes goes 48 times.
Every one hundredth of an inch lower or higher than the 1/4 inch from above the standing breech will make a difference of about a half inch of alignment at 40 yards.
So then by changing the stock or position of the face so the eye is directed an 8th inch higher or lower than the standing breech will alter the sight adjustment and location of the pattern about 6 inch's at 40 yards.

The trick is knowing where your looking and how it relates to how the gun fits you because its hard to gauge. If you mount a gun differently every time and your alignment is off by that much your pattern density and shot cloud will change and the gun appear to shoot differently nearly every-time whether it be a weekly trip into the goose pit or a short walk to the next station.

Take a plastic drinking straw with you when you try something out and tape it over the breech or the rib. By closing your eyes and the mounting the gun and then opening them quickly you should be looking through the straw and then seeing the bead muzzle and proposed target if you can approximate the technique without making gross adjustments to your head.
Manufacturers have to make a gun fit a lot of different people. Theirs no sense in selecting one that doesn't fit if you want to have something decent on the cheap, kill some rocks or throw that M(*&^ in the river or stuff it down a gopher hole if you have the wrong plug in a 3 1/2 gun, shot to late had one more than you should have at the ramp or whatever.

Samlab said:

How about just starting where you will end....get an over and under either 20 or 12 gauge with 24 or 28 inch barrels, auto eject, and single trigger......

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cause i am not sure if i will like clay shooting

frogman68 said:

cause i am not sure if i will like clay shooting

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I’ve never met anyone that didn’t enjoy shooting clays. I’ve actually converted several rifle and pistol shooters to shotgun shooters. To the point that they rarely ever shoot the rifles or handguns anymore. It’s a lot more social than the rifle range too. There’s an instant feedback with breaking a clay target that you don’t get from punching paper. I always advise people to get a good pump or auto as opposed to a cheap over and under. By cheap over and under I mean a condor or CZ or Huglu. If you’re not willing to buy a browning or Beretta over and under then stick with a Remington or Beretta semiautomatic.

frogman68 said:

cause i am not sure if i will like clay shooting

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There may be some folks on MDS who would be happy to do a post-pandemic meet-up and let you try out some options.

teratos said:

There may be some folks on MDS who would be happy to do a post-pandemic meet-up and let you try out some options.

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Now there's a prescription I can get into taking!!!!

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frogman68 said:

cause i am not sure if i will like clay shooting

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Just remember.....

Trap is your driving range...
Skeet is your putting green....
Five Stand is your Executive course...
Sporting Clays is your Country Club....


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just got home from picking up my 870 from Jlowes!!! No picture yet as the wife is checking it out. 12 gauge is too much for her but a girl can dream

frogman68 said:

just got home from picking up my 870 from Jlowes!!! No picture yet as the wife is checking it out. 12 gauge is too much for her but a girl can dream

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There are 1 ounce, light 12 shells available. I've used them for classes, very easy to shoot!! Some semis don't like them, but that 870 will eat them all day long.

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Mack C-85 said:

There are 1 ounce, light 12 shells available. I've used them for classes, very easy to shoot!! Some semis don't like them, but that 870 will eat them all day long.

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Thanks , but thinking (making my life easier) is to get her a 20 or 410 for Mothers Day. If Jlowe had one of them I would of walked out with 2.

frogman68 said:

Thanks , but thinking (making my life easier) is to get her a 20 or 410 for Mothers Day. If Jlowe had one of them I would of walked out with 2.

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Go with a 20ga. A 410 is a gun for an experienced shooter. And has limited utility. And the shells are expensive.