Looking to get my first 12 gauge for trap and such

[john156cm]

I have this friend at work that likes to shoot, So after hearing a few stories and peaking an interest. I have decided its time to look at possibly 2 rifles or I rifle and 1 shotgun. I currently am into pistols and started USPSA and believe the other seems to be IDPA but this seems to be a solo adventure. With that being said, I would like something that more friends are into that I can also participate in. So It seems the Beretta A400 Explorer action would be a good candidate for Trap, skeet and clays. Then of course since I don't have any long range rifles thinking of a 6.5 tactical Creedmore. Just venting and throwing my ideas out there.

 

[GTN]

I shoot some skeet n sporting clays. I starting out with used Beretta 391. Nice semiauto but I wanted something better. Went to buy a Beretta Silver Pigeon but it just didn’t fit me right. Sights wouldn’t line up when I shouldered it. Ended up with a Browning Citori 725 at a much higher price then I intended to spend but it fits me, I shoot it very well, and it will last me a lifetime.
Now I’m not telling you what to buy but take a careful look at the a400 and a couple models above it. Spending a little more will save you a lot of frustration of missed shots and wasting ammo.

 

[john156cm]

I shoot some skeet n sporting clays. I starting out with used Beretta 391. Nice semiauto but I wanted something better. Went to buy a Beretta Silver Pidgeon but it just didn’t fit me right. Sights wouldn’t line up when I shouldered it. Ended up with a Browning Citori 725 at a much higher price then I intended to spend but it fits me, I shoot it very well, and it will last me a lifetime.
Now I’m not telling you what to buy but take s care look at the a400 and a couple models above it. Spending a little more will save you a lot of frustration of missed shots and wasting ammo.

Very good point GTN, I think what really has me sold on the beretta is the soft recoil system. But still need to see how it fits me

 

[GTN]

Very good point GTN, I think what really has me sold on the beretta is the soft recoil system. But still need to see how it fits me

I tried one and didn’t care for it. The spring noise bugged the crap out of me.
Also make sure it has 30” barrel and chokes. Mid barrel sight bead is a must

 

[john156cm]

I tried one and didn’t care for it. The spring noise bugged the crap out of me.
Also make sure it has 30” barrel and chokes. Mid barrel sight bead is a must

Thank you, any input is greatly appreciated

 

[GTN]

Now let’s talk about that long range rifle. What are you thinking about? I want one also. No bolt action. Must be semiauto for me.

 

[Acer-m14]

Now let’s talk about that long range rifle. What are you thinking about? I want one also. No bolt action. Must be semiauto for me.

all i can say is have a watch at this .. ... he mentions the 224 valkerie for semi .,. for bolt its the 6.5 creedmor

 

[Acer-m14]

i shoot skeet with a moss 500AT pump ... my best is a 24/25 with it after a year .. just shooting for fun .. i do have a skb o/u i got for 700 .. 25/25 once ..
i was not spending 2K or more on a gun just to have fun and try out the sport .. what if i didn't like it .. .. got to costly .. ect ..
reloading .. lead cost and time ?? ammo buying .. cant ship to home .. places wont ship to NY .. ect ect ect .. FUAC ..

where i shoot . yeah some guys have them 2 to 4k guns and still hit 20 /25 on a round hummm ..

 

[john156cm]

Now let’s talk about that long range rifle. What are you thinking about? I want one also. No bolt action. Must be semiauto for me.

I’m thinking of bolt action, I believe it will be more accurate than a semi auto and doesn’t have to be NY compliant. Not sure on brand yet or tactical or not. Hoping for a smoking deal and that will be what I get as long as reviews are descent.

 

[john156cm]

i shoot skeet with a moss 500AT pump ... my best is a 24/25 with it after a year .. just shooting for fun .. i do have a skb o/u i got for 700 .. 25/25 once ..
i was not spending 2K or more on a gun just to have fun and try out the sport .. what if i didn't like it .. .. got to costly .. ect ..
reloading .. lead cost and time ?? ammo buying .. cant ship to home .. places wont ship to NY .. ect ect ect .. FUAC ..

where i shoot . yeah some guys have them 2 to 4k guns and still hit 20 /25 on a round hummm ..

My buddy picked up the Barretta a400 for like $900 new wich was a smoking deal. It has the recoil system so little to no kick. For that price I thought I couldn’t go wrong lol. As far as ammo, I get my ammo online. For shooting trap, I am assuming it’s like $5 a box of 25 locally. So not gonna bother reloading. At the moment it would just be a hobby and nothing serious.
And congrats on shooting very impressive numbers.

 

[Criticalt]

Like @Acer-m14 alluded to, concentrate on proper technique and the gun is less important.
Very few out shoot me in trap or skeet around here.
I use a Mossberg 500 pump also.
Lead the bird and pull the trigger.
Shoot at a spot, not at the bird.
Yada, yada, yada.
As with most things, good technique is better than good equipment.

However, a fancy, shiny gun does make the experience better for many people.
I just get a kick out of out shooting guys with $4000 Benellis with my Mossy with duct tape around the stock.
I do have a Benelli M4 but havent shot birds with it yet.

 

[Saltwater60]

I looked at the beretta a300 and I hated it. It was heavy and clunky.
I liked the benelli Montfeltro much better and will buy one. They are about $1,000. Light, shoulders, and swings well.

 

[john156cm]

Like @Acer-m14 alluded to, concentrate on proper technique and the gun is less important.
Very few out shoot me in trap or skeet around here.
I use a Mossberg 500 pump also.
Lead the bird and pull the trigger.
Shoot at a spot, not at the bird.
Yada, yada, yada.
As with most things, good technique is better than good equipment.

However, a fancy, shiny gun does make the experience better for many people.
I just get a kick out of out shooting guys with $4000 Benellis with my Mossy with duct tape around the stock.
I do have a Benelli M4 but havent shot birds with it yet.

That’s awesome, as mentioned before any pointers and tips are very helpful. Currently don’t own any shotguns. The one I am looking at is more of a comfort thing vrs a fancy thing lol. But now I will have to put tape on it so I don’t look so bad lol.

 

[Mk44]

You said you have friends that's into trap/skeet. Have you tried the sport, or maybe tag along & ask to shoot your friend's shotgun to get a feel for it?
You don't need a auto loader for trap/skeet per say to tame recoil. 12ga target load is not a heavy recoil imo.
You can get a 20ga if recoil is a concern. Many many years ago, I started trap shooting with a 12ga pump, because that's what I had and I wanted to see if I liked the sport before I started investing into it. Now I shoot with a O/U. (I have a few auto loaders, but I don't use them for trap/skeet. my preference.) Guys only load 2 shells at a time for clay.
As others have stated, you need to try on the shotgun because if it doesn't fit you, you won't shoot well with it.

 

[Calculon]

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good trap gun. I use a Remington 1100 that I also use for 3Gun. Last time out I shot 24,25,25 in 3 rounds against guys shooting Perazzis and other $10k plus guns. They weren’t too happy

 

[GTN]

It is very true that you don’t need a big $ shiny gun to shoot clays.
Do you want this to be a once in awhile fun game? Do you want to shoot weekly and get good at it?
Everyone can have a good day and shoot 24/25 with a barebones SG but what do they shoot consistently? Me- I started out Berretta 391 and shooting 15/50 in sporting clays and kept improving to low 30’s consistently but just couldn’t seem to get better. Found out the gun didn’t fit me right. I did invest $2800 in a O/U that fit me perfectly with some money my Dad left me when he died. I wanted a nice gun that would last me a lifetime of 2000 rnds a year. My avg went from low 30’s to mid 40’s and lots of 47-48’s. So yes the gun can make a difference.
But if you just want occasional fun a pump with a 28-32” barrel and a few chokes is all you need

 

[john156cm]

You said you have friends that's into trap/skeet. Have you tried the sport, or maybe tag along & ask to shoot your friend's shotgun to get a feel for it?
You don't need a auto loader for trap/skeet per say to tame recoil. 12ga target load is not a heavy recoil imo.
You can get a 20ga if recoil is a concern. Many many years ago, I started trap shooting with a 12ga pump, because that's what I had and I wanted to see if I liked the sport before I started investing into it. Now I shoot with a O/U. (I have a few auto loaders, but I don't use them for trap/skeet. my preference.) Guys only load 2 shells at a time for clay.
As others have stated, you need to try on the shotgun because if it doesn't fit you, you won't shoot well with it.

A fiend of mine is just starting also, so I haven’t tried his new shotgun or shot at a club, however a couple years ago at a 3D shoot for bow there was a setup for clays and I tried a few rounds with a 12 gauge pump. I did enjoy it and even hit a few but the interest was bow. Now talk of clays come about and I have taken an interest. I want to keep recoil to a minimum that’s all. It seems 20gauge is a light recoil gauge but distance and speed would suffer, IMO It seems 12 is the norm and who know maybe even pheasant hunt.

 

[john156cm]

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good trap gun. I use a Remington 1100 that I also use for 3Gun. Last time out I shot 24,25,25 in 3 rounds against guys shooting Perazzis and other $10k plus guns. They weren’t too happy

Impressive numbers calculon! I thought under a grand is a good price with something used and hopefully comfortable to shoot all day. 3 gun might also be in my near future.

 

[john156cm]

It is very true that you don’t need a big $ shiny gun to shoot clays.
Do you want this to be a once in awhile fun game? Do you want to shoot weekly and get good at it?
Everyone can have a good day and shoot 24/25 with a barebones SG but what do they shoot consistently? Me- I started out Berretta 391 and shooting 15/50 in sporting clays and kept improving to low 30’s consistently but just couldn’t seem to get better. Found out the gun didn’t fit me right. I did invest $2800 in a O/U that fit me perfectly with some money my Dad left me when he died. I wanted a nice gun that would last me a lifetime of 2000 rnds a year. My avg went from low 30’s to mid 40’s and lots of 47-48’s. So yes the gun can make a difference.
But if you just want occasional fun a pump with a 28-32” barrel and a few chokes is all you need

Great advice and sorry about your day. Right now I’m stuck on a shift that has terrible hours but a first shift should be available soon. When I get a chance to work days for a week I try to shoot pistol tuesdays and thursdays. Maybe clays will be once a week. But I don’t want to upgrade my shotgun so I am trying for just good. Hopefully with practice I will improve in just a hobby.

 

[Mk44]

A fiend of mine is just starting also, so I haven’t tried his new shotgun or shot at a club, however a couple years ago at a 3D shoot for bow there was a setup for clays and I tried a few rounds with a 12 gauge pump. I did enjoy it and even hit a few but the interest was bow. Now talk of clays come about and I have taken an interest. I want to keep recoil to a minimum that’s all. It seems 20gauge is a light recoil gauge but distance and speed would suffer, IMO It seems 12 is the norm and who know maybe even pheasant hunt.

I hunt pheasant every weekend since opening day. One of my friends hunts with a SxS 20ga, another hunts with a 28ga O/U and neither one feels like he's undergun. Many guys around here tend to bird hunt with an O/U, which tends to get expensive (a good O/U isn't cheap).

But, you'll want to get something that feels comfortable for you. Maybe visit a trap/skeet range that rents shotguns to get a feel of the different types/ gauges of shotgun before buying. The club I belong to rents all types of shotguns (auto loader, O/U, pumps in 28ga, 20ga or 12ga.)

You're not going to break/shoot a clay bird any better with a 12ga vs 20ga. That comes with practice.

 

[john156cm]

I hunt pheasant every weekend since opening day. One of my friends hunts with a SxS 20ga, another hunts with a 28ga O/U and neither one feels like he's undergun. Many guys around here tend to bird hunt with an O/U, which tends to get expensive (a good O/U isn't cheap).

But, you'll want to get something that feels comfortable for you. Maybe visit a trap/skeet range that rents shotguns to get a feel of the different types/ gauges of shotgun before buying. The club I belong to rents all types of shotguns (auto loader, O/U, pumps in 28ga, 20ga or 12ga.)

You're not going to break/shoot a clay bird any better with a 12ga vs 20ga. That comes with practice.

 

[john156cm]

I hunt pheasant every weekend since opening day. One of my friends hunts with a SxS 20ga, another hunts with a 28ga O/U and neither one feels like he's undergun. Many guys around here tend to bird hunt with an O/U, which tends to get expensive (a good O/U isn't cheap).

But, you'll want to get something that feels comfortable for you. Maybe visit a trap/skeet range that rents shotguns to get a feel of the different types/ gauges of shotgun before buying. The club I belong to rents all types of shotguns (auto loader, O/U, pumps in 28ga, 20ga or 12ga.)

You're not going to break/shoot a clay bird any better with a 12ga vs 20ga. That comes with practice.

Thats a great thing if you can rent one to try it out. By me I know indoor ranges have pistols you can rent but don’t have anywhere for clays. Thank you for mentioning the small if any difference between the 12 and 20 ga for my purpose. This may help or create more of a head ache because now I have more options lol

 

[GTN]

if you're ever by Roch let me know and we can go shoot clays

 

[john156cm]

if you're ever by Roch let me know and we can go shoot clays

Thank you and greatly appreciated!

 

[Saltwater60]

Thank you and greatly appreciated!

I used to love shooting clays with my Ithaca model 37 feather weight. Great gun and you can get them for like $450.

 

[john156cm]

I used to love shooting clays with my Ithaca model 37 feather weight. Great gun and you can get them for like $450.

Thank you and will have to look into it, who knows what I am gonna end up with. It seems there are a lot out there and maybe used or maybe new lol. Waiting for that great deal because I have plenty of time. stuck on second shift for at least another 3 months.

 

[Grimscale]

I started trap shooting with an old J.C. Higgins break-action shotgun. The kind where you had to cock the hammer before you shoot.
Moved on to a Mossberg 500 pump I bought for around $200.
Now I'm shooting with a Remington 870TC I found at a gun show for $400. Love this gun.
Used to get 24s regularly. (I'm in a bit of a slump right now).

I second the call to go with your friend and try it with their guns. But you won't need a ton of money to enjoy the sport.

 

[john156cm]

I started trap shooting with an old J.C. Higgins break-action shotgun. The kind where you had to cock the hammer before you shoot.
Moved on to a Mossberg 500 pump I bought for around $200.
Now I'm shooting with a Remington 870TC I found at a gun show for $400. Love this gun.
Used to get 24s regularly. (I'm in a bit of a slump right now).

I second the call to go with your friend and try it with their guns. But you won't need a ton of money to enjoy the sport.

Thanks for the feedback, What I found is a lot of places by me I guess are public shoots, so there is no membership fees involved, and it seems like $10 on the average to shoot that day. For that price I can't go wrong and ammo seems to be cheap also. Have to see what I find at a gun show or a clearance rack to see what I end up with lol

 

[Acer-m14]

@john156cm and don't forget .. you can make a shotgun fit you .. if the one you want does not fit when you buy it
my moss 500AT my dad gave me .. first time shooting it getting ready for deer season .. scope eye , bruise on shoulder .. ( no recoil pad on it ) just a
piece of plastic .. it sat in the corner for 20 yrs .. i hated it .. got back into shooting .. what can i do with old MOSS ..
bought a limbsaver recoil pad .. did some measurement to get my trigger pull .. tossed in some common core math LOL ..
cut the stock down for the new pad .. filled the hole under it with #9 shot to help in recoil ... ..

Totally New Feel to the gun now shooting .. its not a mule kicker with slugs and works like a champ for skeet ..
I love shooting it now ..

I like shooting skeet with the pump more then the over under .. for the fact that i have to do more then just pull the trigger for the next shot .. gotta remember to rack that slide and get back on the next bird ..

 

[meketrefe]

all i can say is have a watch at this .. ... he mentions the 224 valkerie for semi .,. for bolt its the 6.5 creedmor

He is high on drugs.

For hunting the 7mm-08 is the one to go and on top if occasional long range is wanted it beats all the 6.5 calibers in every single aspect.
Not only that but it can push 168 and 175gr for large game like large Elk.
The 6.5mm doesn't have the momentum to knock out large game or heavy steel if some circuits.

In terms of short cartriges the 6.8, 6.5LBC or grendel are amazing options.
But one option that is amazing for long range is the 6mm BR or 6.5mm BR wildcat.
Any of those leave the Valkerie in the dust.
Even the very same Valkerie case or 6.8 in 6mm (6mm SPC wildcat) is much better than the 223 version as it gives
more barrel life, similar trayectoris but much better ballistics and... lots of great hunting bullets too!!

A 21" bolt action in 6BR is a joy and that is a world champion cartrige in terms of accuracy.

I mean, in case one doesn't want to go hotter.

the 243 is great but it is overbored and the Creedmoore cannot evolve past the stporting use
as it is maxed out in bullet weight and the 30 dgree angle in the case shoulder is a no go
for gas guns for service use so it will not be adopted past sport.

If one likes the 6.5 bullets the 260 is an amazing choice and can get a bit extra speed
vs. the creedmore and works better in gas guns/autoloaders.