best trap OU/side by side?

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patsfan

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Hey all, im looking to add a shotgun to my collection and want everyones advice on a good shot gun for trap. I want an over under or side by side but im not sure where to even start looking. I rather spend the money the first time and get the right one so any advice from the veterans out there will be greatly appreciated. New or used -it doesn't make a difference, i'm sure this topic has beat to death in the past so bare with me.

Patsfan
 
If you want a good O/U trap gun, get a Browning Citori XT trap. Forget about side by sides if you want to be competitive in clay target sports.

Pat Brophy
 
Didn't feel that I needed a semi-automatic, not to say that I wouldn't buy one. I thought that "trap" grade shotguns typically weren't semi's? Just going by what I've seen at my range and really haven't talked or asked about it yet. Am I way off?

Patsfan
 
A SxS is pretty much out for a trap gun. There are many good choices out there for O/U's as well as semi-autos. Many top notch shooters are going to semi's for competition. After sometimes 300 shots + in a day fatigue is less with a semi gun than others. I shoot a pump M12 Trap, have had O/U's and Unsingles as well.

http://www.jaquas.com/gunlist/Search.asp

Go here to look up trap guns and prices.
 
Well at least you are considering real shotguns!

Perazzi seems to be the most common O/U Trapshooters aspire to. But they are 'spensive. Verry 'spensive.

There are to my knowledge no SXS guns currently made expressly for Trap, although Purdy or Fabbri or David McKay Brown will make one for you if you can wait a few years. Annie Oakley shot trap with a 16GA SXS hammer gun made by Parker. There are plenty of old vintage Trap guns out there. But you need to do a lot of research on them and be prepared to pay for them.

Trapshooters are fond of single shot guns, for singles events. Browning makes (or made) a couple of nice guns.


Beretta, Browning and a couple of other manufacturers make guns set up for trap. Usually they have high ribs and adjustable buttplates/combs.

Try to shoot several guns before you think about buying. Other shooters will let you try their guns if you make it known you are in the market.

Doubles are more fun than rattletrap autos.

Real shotguns.
 
perrazzi or pizza gun

good choice is a pizza gun sooooo pretty


there are many others and the queston is ... what are you looking to spend? I have found two for my kids by going to trap ranges that i shoot at and post ads. i bought a superposed broadway for son, and a rizzini for my daughter, hers is more a sporting clays than a straight trap gun but it works very well for what she wants and they were significantlly less expensive than new. I found a single barrel ithaca trap for five hundred that shouldbe worth five times that much because the guy wanted to sell it to an up and coming trapper.
 
My personal choice is Browning or Beretta- pick the best fitting gun you can afford.

When I shot trap I used a 682, now I have a 686 Sporting for sporting clays and ducks and a 686 ultralight for qail- no complaints with any of them.
 
The most popular guns for Trap seem to be actually single barrels as opposed to O/U. Of course there is no rule. I use a Browning BT-99 or BT-100 mostly. Many trap shooters use pumps and auto shotguns. I too use my Browning XT O/U for trap doubles. I have often shot with a Baretta 390 and it smoke them as well as anything. My trouble with a SxS is that there is so much barrel in the air, it is like looking down a sidewalk as opposed to a more standard shotgun rib.
There are a lot of Perrazi and Kreigoff shotguns being used, I love them, shoot them well, but I just have a hard time wanting to part with that much money. I am looking at a Rizzini right now, a buddy has one and it is really impressive for the price., I will wait a bit and see if he has any breakdowns before I buy one. One thing about Brownings, I haven't seen anybody get off the line because of a malfunction, but I have with some of the VERY pricey guns though.
The bottom line is, you can get any gun mentioned in these posts and be assured you have a good gun, some just more costly than others.
 
Well from the sound of it a SXS is definately out as well as the Perrazi. Very nice shotguns but theyre out of my tax bracket. Im still searching for the "right one" and should be able to find one under 2k. The Browning Citori XT looks like a great fit, it's on the list. I checked the local shop and it just makes choosing all the harder.. so many that I like there. Any one read the American Rifleman magazine- it has a great write up on semi auto's, the idea of one all around rifle is nice although im still partial to o/u's.. not sure why but theirs something about them.
 
You might give some consideration to the De Haan shotguns. They are all Turkish imports but made on CNC equipment. The ones I have seen (3) are all great dollar for dollar values.
The stocks are Corsican walnut, the engraving is all hand done, the metal is finished very well with no blueing salt residue that you find on other lower priced guns. The wood mates to the metal with no space.
They also offer a money back gaurantee, assumiong the gun is unfired and in mint condition.
You get all this for under $1,000, including shipping.
 
There are a number of fine O/U's to be found on the used market in the $2000 range. Do some research in publications like "Double Gun Journal" "Shooting Sportsman" and "Grays Sporting Journal".

O/U's are like cars, everyone wants a Ferrari but most of us will have to settle for a Mini Van :)

Most of the guns from Russia and Turkey work just fine, but lack the handling and refinery of more traditional imports. It is hard to explain to newbies about why some of the 'spensive guns are worth the price, you just have to learn from shooting.

I would suggest a Browning Citori or Beretta as your first gun. Buy used and shoot and enjoy. If you decide to stick with the sport you will probably eventually go to a different gun (Everybody does) and you can sell your first gun to someone else. B & B guns generally have higher resale than obscure or cheap imports.

That advice was given to me by a Master Class SC shooter when I first started. I did not listen and it cost me money time and frustration.YMMV.
 
Geoff, So true about trading up, so true.
Your advice about buying a used gun is good too, there are a LOT of good used guns available being sold by "move up" shooters. I see lots of them for sale at the 2 Clubs I belong to.
I also agree with your assesment on using an Browning or a Berreta as a starting point and at trading time they will bring a better $
 
torque

over/under ist better because side by side puts torque into you recoil, ie the recoil wil also give the gun a sidways movement since your barrel is not in line with the stock of the gun.
 
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