Have you ever had a gun you just didn't shoot well?

C

Creek Henry

New member
I took my son to the range today (his first real round of skeet) and I started with my Stevens 512 20ga... and did very poorly with it. So, I switched to me primary dove gun (SX3) and did much better.

But, I have never done well with the Stevens. I never actually purchased the gun but got it in a sort of trade. The gun fits me well and swings fine... it did not shoot to point of aim so I built up the rib quite a bit. Also, as most reviews of the gun say, it is clunky.

Last year I took it to the public dove hunting fields twice; shot a stack of shells and hit only a couple of birds. I do much better with any of my other guns.

So, I have 4 options; a) practice with it more and try to get better with it b) keep it in the safe as a backup gun c) sell/trade it from the gun I really want but could not previously afford (Franchi 20ga SA). D) invest in a new set of high end chokes for it

Any ideas of what the issue with the gun might be? I patterned it and the patterns are not great with any of the chokes so that's not good news either.
 
Yes, my 11-87 20g. There is something about that gun that doesn't swing well for me. Its just a field grade gun but still it should fit me like all other Remys do but it doesn't. LOP is the same as my 1100/870 and it patterns good. There just isn't any love between us. I would sell it or trade it but I will loose my but on it. Gander got too much of my money on that one.
 
Life's short,and the Stevens is a proven dead horse!Thin the herd,get what you want and shoot well.You'll be much happier too! :D
 
Many years ago I bought a Ithaca Mdl 37 in 16 ga. that gun never did fit me right and I had to work hard and shooting it well, my beagle hated it, he'd chase up a nice snowshoe and I'd shoot and miss, that dog made me a better shooter. Now this was 48 or so years ago.
 
Any ideas of what the issue with the gun might be? I patterned it and the patterns are not great with any of the chokes...
Click to expand...
You may have answered your own question.
Yes, I've had guns that just didn't want to work with me.
 
Ugh

TY for the replies... And sorry that option 3 isn't written in understandable language. I don't type well on this dumb ipad... But I got it for an Xmas bonus so it was worth what I paid for it.

Anyway, I hate being without a double but at least the Affiniti has an adjustable stock! And, maybe I can find a more upscale O/U with a proven track record that I can afford.
 
Yes, I've had guns that didn't work well for me too ....weight and balance wasn't right ...drop at comb and heel were not right...( so bottom line, they don't fit you )....

Modifying the stock is expensive...so sell it and move on is probably the best bet.

But you need to figure out this "Fit" issue....and what does work for you in terms of stock configurations...so you don't keep repeating the same mistake..
 
That is good advice. I sort of wonder if it could be the shorter barrels... But I am going to give twin modified chokes a chance for dove season and then sell it off.

The patterning that I have done was very inconsistent. The IC pattern at 20 yards was very sparse and the IM put a ragged hole in the center and the rest in a very sparse circle. Mod was not bad and I have 2 of them.

But, barring that set up putting a bunch of birds in my bag, it is a goner.
 
Sure. Since you aren't attached to it, sell it and move on.

Grandpa's old H&R 12 gauge doesn't really fit me, and kicks hard enough to be distracting. The fixed full choke doesn't help either.

I don't do terribly well with my Ithaca 37. The fixed full choke doesn't really help on that one either. I can't convince myself to sell it.

My neighbor had a Franchi 12 gauge semiauto. I assumed I just wasn't a shotgunner until I fired it. I was dusting clays left and right, cow pies, golf balls, dirt clods, whatever we could throw. It was night and day.
 
Ok, I gotta weigh in with mine. I have had a Win 101 for years that is a beautiful gun, smooth and well balanced. But for clays and some bird hunting, I do not shoot it well. The reason? It doesn't fit me well. To properly fit me, it needs a bit of cast off and so it tends to shoot to the left. For right to left crossing targets, that's not so bad since it gives me a little more lead. But in left to right crossing targets, I miss more often.

I was about to sell it but now have an invite to do some turkey hunting in Missouri. And since that is more of an aimed shot, I should be able to take the time to insure I am aiming straight, and I think the gun may perform well. So I think I'll keep it a while longer.
 
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I caved and traded the O/U for an Affinity. It is def not a gas gun and I love its operating controls. I have a mess of dove in the freezer now too so I am glad I made the trade before the season ended.
 
Yes, a Remington 1100 12ga with an English style straight stock. Gorgeous gun with gold inlay and fancy wood...with which I could not hit a flock of flying barns.
 
I've owned a few that didn't work for me. A couple SKB O/U guns, a Stevens S/S, I currently have an 11-87 Trap gun that may just be too heavy for me, I have an 870 Trap gun that I like except for recoil, I thought the 11-87 would kill 2 birds, less recoil and easier for doubles. I may just go back to the 870 and forget doubles. Sometimes you can make a gun fit, you can adapt a little bit, practice a lot. Prolly best to get rid of it.
 
I love the Benelli M1 super 90 and I've owned a few. I couldn't hit worth a darn with any of them, as much as I wanted to. The club-like 11-87 fits me and I can hit virtually anything I swing on as long as I don't think too much about it.
 
Yup.
I bought a beautiful Philadelphia Fox Sterlingworth SXS 12 ga.(I loved the shotgun) Pure old school beauty American double gun.

I just missed a lot.

The only thing that made selling it OK was I sold it to a good friend who knew what it was and appreciated it.

I had an Ithaca SKB 20 ga that was pretty much the same story.Nice little double,SXS.
I do love SXS doubles.
I've never really been fascinated with O/U's,but I used a friend's Berretta for a day of pheasant hunting.It worked!!
I bought a 686 Essential.Thats my bird gun
 
For some reason, I can't hit a thing with an 870. Maybe it's just mental at this point, but I can't.

I shoot a Mossberg 500 better than any other shotgun. Not at all saying that the 500 is better than the 870, it just shoots better for me.

I've also had a couple of rifles that were dogs (and shouldn't have been). Had a really nice Savage 7mm08 that I could never get shooting less than 2-3 MOA. The rifle was super nice and had a nice, blued finish. Had the Accu-trigger and everything, just wouldn't shoot with 4-5 different kinds of ammo. Really disappointing.
 
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