who makes an affordable O/U shotgun?

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gaseousclay

New member
It'd be nice to have something to shoot trap with, but I can't afford a $1500+ O/U shotgun right now. so who makes an affordable ($800 or less), but decent quality O/U shotgun for someone looking to get into occasional trap shooting?
 
I

IowaYoungGun

New member
There are some pretty decent O/U scatterguns at Dick's Sporting Goods. They also have a 30 day like it or return it policy which is really nice!
 
B

BigJimP

New member
You can sucessfully shoot Trap singles with most any gun that fits you well / a pump or a semi-auto even ...but since you asked about an O/U ....

Honestly, a dedicated Trap gun / a good one - is going to cost you more than $ 1,500. One of the most dominant - dedicated Trap guns - and affordable - and still versatile for Trap Singles, Trap Doubles and Continental Trap where you can shoot 2 shells - is the Browning Citoir XT Trap with 32" barrels / but new they're in the $3,000 price range.

http://www.browning.com/products/ca...=citori-xt-trap-with-adjustable-comb-firearms

However, there are a lot of used Citori XT's out there / since its been a very dominant gun in that market for at least 20 yrs...( and I don't remember when the first XT's came on the market ) ... The 30" barrels on the XT's have fallen out of fashion these days ...and I see a few of them used / at very good prices.

Most - if not all - of the O/U's in the under $ 1,500 market have angled combs on them ( field combs ) - and they can be a real problem getting them to fit properly / and they don't shoot high enough to let you float a bird over the bead on a "Trap" gun. The XT's have a parallel comb / parallel to the rib ....and then if you go with the adj version / you can adjust the gun to fit you ...and so it hits with a 70%/30% pattern above and below point of impact or 60%/40% or whatever you prefer.

I used a Browning BPS pump gun for many years - when I started shooting Trap casually ...and ran lots of 25's with it / put a comb pad on it - to level out the comb ...until I could afford the guns I really wanted. Not that you can't shoot Trap with an O/U version of the BPS angled stock / like the Browning O/U Lightning series ( where you can find used ones in the $ 600 - $ 800 price range / made in the mid to late 80's ) ...very solid guns / and ok for casual Trap shooting as well ... ( a little light / no adjustability / but ok ).

So picking the next gun -- kind of depends on where you are on that curve ...do you really want a "Trap" gun ....or a gun you can shoot "Trap" with ...where a gun with a field comb might work for you for several years...
 
Z

zippy13

New member
Along Big Jim's Browning vein, there's the venerable Browning BT-99 single barrel trap gun that can be had for less than $1,500.
 
S

seansean1444

New member
i have a savage stevens 512 goldwing o/u and love it. cant say enough good things about it. brand new at dicks sporting goods for 615 bucks. highly recommend for trap
 
G

gaseousclay

New member
You can sucessfully shoot Trap singles with most any gun that fits you well / a pump or a semi-auto even ...but since you asked about an O/U ....

Honestly, a dedicated Trap gun / a good one - is going to cost you more than $ 1,500. One of the most dominant - dedicated Trap guns - and affordable - and still versatile for Trap Singles, Trap Doubles and Continental Trap where you can shoot 2 shells - is the Browning Citoir XT Trap with 32" barrels / but new they're in the $3,000 price range.

http://www.browning.com/products/cat...-comb-firearms

However, there are a lot of used Citori XT's out there / since its been a very dominant gun in that market for at least 20 yrs...( and I don't remember when the first XT's came on the market ) ... The 30" barrels on the XT's have fallen out of fashion these days ...and I see a few of them used / at very good prices.

Most - if not all - of the O/U's in the under $ 1,500 market have angled combs on them ( field combs ) - and they can be a real problem getting them to fit properly / and they don't shoot high enough to let you float a bird over the bead on a "Trap" gun. The XT's have a parallel comb / parallel to the rib ....and then if you go with the adj version / you can adjust the gun to fit you ...and so it hits with a 70%/30% pattern above and below point of impact or 60%/40% or whatever you prefer.

I used a Browning BPS pump gun for many years - when I started shooting Trap casually ...and ran lots of 25's with it / put a comb pad on it - to level out the comb ...until I could afford the guns I really wanted. Not that you can't shoot Trap with an O/U version of the BPS angled stock / like the Browning O/U Lightning series ( where you can find used ones in the $ 600 - $ 800 price range / made in the mid to late 80's ) ...very solid guns / and ok for casual Trap shooting as well ... ( a little light / no adjustability / but ok ).

So picking the next gun -- kind of depends on where you are on that curve ...do you really want a "Trap" gun ....or a gun you can shoot "Trap" with ...where a gun with a field comb might work for you for several years...
Click to expand...

when I went trap shooting for the first time last Fall I used both a 12ga pump shotgun and an O/U. unfortunately, something was wrong with the pump (maybe the barrel?) and it was causing my shots to go a foot under the target. even the trap instructor couldn't hit a moving target with it. so, the instructor let me borrow his O/U, which I believe was a Browning Citori, and it felt perfect in my hands, and I managed to hit 9 targets out of 25. my friend had a Weatherby O/U that looked pretty nice but I didn't get to experience using his gun at the time. I would gladly buy a Browning but they're incredibly expensive and I don't see myself shooting trap frequently, so I can't justify spending the money.

I suppose I could buy myself a gun to shoot trap, like a Browning BPS, that way i'd have an 'all-purpose' gun that I could use for hunting as well.
 
J

Jimbo-Indy

New member
I got a Stoger also, it's a Condor Competition. The main advantage over the standard Condor is an adjustable comb. Features 30" barrels, a wide rib and nicer wood than the standard. No, it's not a Browning, which I would love, but for new, out the door @ Dicks for $600, it's not bad. In full disclosure, I did have some problems with the stock not being inletted correctly which caused drag on the hammer spring = misfires and one of the trim pieces between the barrels came loose and had to be reattached. I like to tinker so I fixed these my self. Now it works just fine, patterns about 60/40 for me. Trigger is a little heavy but crisp. It should do for a few years to practice the basics while I save up money for a real quality gun.
 
V

Vt.birdhunter

New member
There are some pretty decent O/U scatterguns at Dick's Sporting Goods
Click to expand...

Very true, I picked up a Franchi diamond there about 5 years and 5k rounds ago for $800 on sale. Its prettier than many, more expensive shotguns and points natural for me; love it.
Ive heard they make special, less expensive models such as the Diamond that are exclusive to Dicks. Good way to save some bucks and still end up with a nice O/U.
Be warned though, never before has a store been so aptly named;) Ive left the gun counter furious more than once, managers dont care.

Also...Baikal makes some great products, very inexpensive usually.
 
B

big al hunter

New member
I purchased a new Kahn 12 ga o/u for $450 a few years ago. I have killed many ducks and clays with it. It does not have spring ejectors or anything fancy but the ducks and clays can't tell the difference and I don't mind that they are not there. But for less than half the cost of the fancy guns I have a nice balanced duck slayer that has become my go to for birds. But I still use my pump on occasion.
 
D

darkgael

New member
Trap

When I finally get a "real" Trap gun, it'll be a single (unsingle?). Or maybe a combo? Or maybe....? The sky is really the limit.
For now, I'm using a second hand Mossberg pump with a 30" FC barrel. I'm a slow learner and haven't gotten beyond 24 but that'll happen.
The old Mossy wasn't made to do this kind of thing, however, and with 5K shells through it in the last year, it's starting to act up.....bits are loosening.
Fitting....I put some spacers in to increase LOP and added a lace-on comb to the stock to raise my eye.
Great fun.
Pete
 
B

BigJimP

New member
A Browning BPS Hunter model ...is a good solid gun / and a gun you'll have long term. Even though I've moved on to some dedicated Trap and Skeet guns ....I still have the BPS's in both 12ga and 20ga that I bought in the late 1970's and they're still great guns.

When you say your instructor had a "Citori" ... the problem is, there are about 26 different Citori's ....and they all have pluses and minus in terms of being a dedicated "Trap" gun. Not all Citori's are adjustable / and not all of them are created equal in terms of how they fit .../the barrel to receiver connections are the same / and they're all very strong guns ...but some of them may be a poor choice.

Like others suggest - I'd stay away from a lot of the lowe end O/U's on the market / Browning and Beretta have long since set the price on what is a "good solid long term O/U" ...and to go below that price level ...gives you suspect metalurgy and sometimes some big time nightmares. But if you really want to go down that path - at least pick a gun that has a solid warranty - like the TriStar sold thru Cabelas with a 5 yr warranty.
 
B

BigJimP

New member
The link to the essay by Jeff Hunter is interesting ...although I don't agree with some of his asessments on guns like Huglu ( which I think are junk ) ...

What isn't written there is why some of these guns are ok / and some of them just don't hold up ..... the quality of the internal components, the quality of the steel, the sturdiness or lack thereof of the barrel to receiver connection, is the point of impact on the barrels set to hit the same spot ( you'd be shocked to find out over 50% might not be - and some are way off ) ....my point is, its not just about fancy wood. The internals /and the steel matter ...

I'm a big Browning Citori fan - and have owned or shot every model of O/U they've made in the last 30 yrs ....but when we use the term "Citori" none of us know what we mean. As an example / the 625 series - is a beautiful gun - but it has way too much drop at heel and comb for many shooters. For me personally, the 425, 525, 625 series beats me up ( pushes the meat in my face against the cheek bone - bruising / breaking skin ) ...so its a horrible $3,000 mistake for me personally. Citori Lightning model -- is their entry level field gun ...and its a great gun / but again a lot of drop at heel and comb ... The guns I shoot Skeet with, sporting clays and bird hunt with is the Citori XS Skeet model with the adj comb in 30" barrels ....the gun I shoot Trap with is the Citori XT Trap in 32" barrels. I can shoot Skeet or Sporting with an XT Trap ...but at 32" barrels and almost 10lbs - its like swinging a big ole sewer pipe out there ...at fast moving left and right targets like sporting and skeet or bird hunting ....so its just not my best option for an all around gun ( and I'm 6'5" and 290 lbs ) ...but its just a little too big and clumsy for fast moving targets left and right vs Trap - where its a great gun.

In Mr Hunters essay - he uses the term Citori generically .../ and thats too general / there are too many models - and they're way too different to be that general in my opinion.
 
H

hopper810

New member
You're right Big Jim,but for folks that that have little to no experience to draw from,I thought it might help those in the above category.;)At least a hint anyway.

And how many times does the question come up? A bunch:eek:so instead of having to repeat the same answer every time,put the link in a reply and go from there.

But it's all good,so break um all:)


Jerry
 
Z

zippy13

New member
darkgael said:
I'm a slow learner and haven't gotten beyond 24 but that'll happen.
Click to expand...
Pete, my friend, that's what I used to say about my jumpy little Winchester 101, .410 Skeet gun. Never could get a 25-straight with it. Twenty+ years later I got a tubed 12-ga and was soon broke the barrier with the .410-bore. Please, don't wait 20 years without admitting that you may have reached your plateau with the Mossy. Get a nice trap combo, your scorers will soar and you'll wish you'd changed sooner.
Of course, with all of your other shooting and loading, I don't know when you find time for trap.;)

BigJimP said:
The link to the essay by Jeff Hunter is interesting ...although I don't agree with some of his assessments on guns like Huglu ( which I think are junk ) …
Click to expand...
My friend, we're of like minds here. I was curious to see what Hunter recommended for high end guns, and his answer was perfect:
I've got over $5000 to spend
Dude, why are you asking me? If you're spending this kind of jack, you already know what you want. If you don't know what you want, stick with an off-the-rack gun until you know what you want.​
 
B

BigJimP

New member
Hopper and Zippy ...you're both right .../..that link is a good place to start ...

As I get closer to retirement ( and I don't really want to work too hard ) ....I'm thinking of opening up a small shop ...that will do some gunsmithing ...and do a little bit of retail on used gun sales ( higher end used guns ) ....handguns and shotguns primarily ...stuff I know...

I hang out in some used gun shops now ....and its just amazing
 
R

Radtechy

New member
If you want to get your feet wet cheap get a pardner single shot open acrion from dicks form 130.00 then when your hooked save up for an o/u. I bought an 870 that I really won't use and wish I did that. Form 130 how can you go wrong for now. I got a 525 citori used and love it

Sent from my Droid Incredible using Tapatalk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top