I want to buy a quality light weight , 26" barreled O/U chambered in 20 gauge that is easy to carry all day for upland game ( mostly Ruffed Grouse and Pheasant hunting ) ! This would be my dream upland shotgun and already own a 12 gauge semi-auto for waterfowl and such ! Quality , reliability , and good handling are important , thanks !
Looking to buy a quality O/U upland shotgun and need suggestions ?
- Thread starter WIN1886
- Start date
jaguarxk120
New member
You can't go wrong with a Beretta.
Both Browning and Beretta have a number of models that will suit your needs.
On the Browning Citori....
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/finder.asp?f3=26&f1=008B&f4=&f2=20 &msrp=
all of these are 20ga / with 26" barrels...and they're all 500,000 shell guns easily...or more ...
On the Browning Citori....
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/finder.asp?f3=26&f1=008B&f4=&f2=20 &msrp=
all of these are 20ga / with 26" barrels...and they're all 500,000 shell guns easily...or more ...
Thanks all , these are the two makers I'm mostly looking at for a reputable excellent quality O/U but I am not real familiar with either ! Can anyone give a comparison in the features between a Browning Citori lightning and a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon 1 ? Both sound great...it seems the Beretta is a bit lighter in weight ! Thanks !
Beretta O/U's compared to most Browning Citori's ...will usually be a little lighter - Beretta also tends to be a little narrower in the grip area...and the barrel to receiver connection on a Citori and a Beretta are very different / but both adequate - although I think the Citori is stronger.
On many Berettas the drop at comb and heel will be different than the comparable Citori model ...
There is no right or wrong answer - or any feature that says buy one or the other, in my view.
It comes down to what fits you ( so it hits where you look - your eye is the rear sight on a shotgun / so stock dimensions are critical )/ what swing characteristics you like - what works for you / what weight, barrel length etc....
I'm a Browning guy ...and I own more than a few of the Citori's ( in all 4 gauges ) ...so I favor the Lightning or most any Browning Citori over any of the Beretta models ...because they suit me better, fit me better than any of the Berettas ( Browning Cynergy models, to me, feel more like the Berettas -- and I don't care for them either ).
My field gun of choice...is the Citori XS Skeet models ( no longer in the catalog ) and my 20ga version of that model has 30" barrels and weights about 7.5 lbs --- it has a parallel adjustable comb which suits me much better than any of the Lightning models ....and I add about 8oz of lead tape under forearm ..and 8oz of lead tape inside stock - to increase that 20ga ( and my 28ga and .410 also built on the 20ga receiver in that model ) so they feel and swing like my 12ga version of the same model ( I use lead - golf club tape)...
If I want to go with a lighter gun in the field...for upland birds / I may go with my Benelli Super Sport semi auto ...in a 12ga, with 30" barrel at 7.2 lbs ....or in a 20ga with a 28" barrel and only 6.2 lbs...( but if a gun gets too short / or too light ) to me now, not to you ....I find it whippy and I tend to slap at targets or birds vs making a smooth shot ..../ so you have to find that compromise...
I'd suggest shooting a lot of Skeet or Sporting Clays ...where you get a lot of left to right barrel movement ...and try and figure out what length, weight, etc feels right to you. / talk to a lot of shooters ...see if some of them will let you put a few shells thru their guns ...try and figure this out before you spend something over $2K on a shotgun that you may end up not liking very much.
But you won't get a bad gun from either Beretta or Browning ...
On many Berettas the drop at comb and heel will be different than the comparable Citori model ...
There is no right or wrong answer - or any feature that says buy one or the other, in my view.
It comes down to what fits you ( so it hits where you look - your eye is the rear sight on a shotgun / so stock dimensions are critical )/ what swing characteristics you like - what works for you / what weight, barrel length etc....
I'm a Browning guy ...and I own more than a few of the Citori's ( in all 4 gauges ) ...so I favor the Lightning or most any Browning Citori over any of the Beretta models ...because they suit me better, fit me better than any of the Berettas ( Browning Cynergy models, to me, feel more like the Berettas -- and I don't care for them either ).
My field gun of choice...is the Citori XS Skeet models ( no longer in the catalog ) and my 20ga version of that model has 30" barrels and weights about 7.5 lbs --- it has a parallel adjustable comb which suits me much better than any of the Lightning models ....and I add about 8oz of lead tape under forearm ..and 8oz of lead tape inside stock - to increase that 20ga ( and my 28ga and .410 also built on the 20ga receiver in that model ) so they feel and swing like my 12ga version of the same model ( I use lead - golf club tape)...
If I want to go with a lighter gun in the field...for upland birds / I may go with my Benelli Super Sport semi auto ...in a 12ga, with 30" barrel at 7.2 lbs ....or in a 20ga with a 28" barrel and only 6.2 lbs...( but if a gun gets too short / or too light ) to me now, not to you ....I find it whippy and I tend to slap at targets or birds vs making a smooth shot ..../ so you have to find that compromise...
I'd suggest shooting a lot of Skeet or Sporting Clays ...where you get a lot of left to right barrel movement ...and try and figure out what length, weight, etc feels right to you. / talk to a lot of shooters ...see if some of them will let you put a few shells thru their guns ...try and figure this out before you spend something over $2K on a shotgun that you may end up not liking very much.
But you won't get a bad gun from either Beretta or Browning ...
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I mostly hunt grouse and pheasant here in upstate NY, I mostly use my 20ga citori. conditions here are about what you have in Min., you need a gun that you can get up quick, and usually at most for grouse you will only be able to get off 2 shots. The times I don't bring the 20ga, I use my A-5 sweet 16ga, I usually just load 3 shots in it.
Jeremiah/Az
New member
I like the Browning Citoris. I am a sporting clays shooter & have many thousand rounds thru several of mine, I have never had one to malfunction.
Another fan of the citori. Shot a bunch if quail the other day, and carried it all day. Lightning. Beretta makes great shotguns, but not great for me. I think others have made that point here. A little extra weight never hurt to ameliorate the recoil. I traded a couple of long guns for mine; you can find them used for $1200. Have not seen many used 686's (or whatever their line is) used in our local/regional market. Have seen the lower end mossburg and franchi O/U dust plenty of clay and put plenty of meat on the table. Certainly the miroku and beretta should stay pretty tight for many thousands of rounds. Good luck with the grouse. I have not hunted much quail or pheasant, but hunting them last Saturday made me realize how much fun it is with good dogs. What a great time with my Citori.
last summer a like new upland special 2-3/4 chambered 12ga 24 inch choke tubed browning citori in the box was offered to me at a very good price. i bought it and its a fine shotgun i shot a 23-25 on the third round of trap i shot with it. it is a little heavier that a 20ga, but not by much. it,s a ringneck killing machine over dogs. eastbank.
Well , I finally had a chance to shop & check out some O/U shotguns today and I think I found the gun I want ! It was a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon 1 chambered for 20 gauge and it was like pure bliss to me ! It pointed and felt real natural to me when I shouldered it many times , light weight & good balance , and it sure seems like a very well put together shotgun ! They aren't cheap, so I might have to live on hot dogs & wonder bread for the next few months ! 