quality O/U shotgun for trap/skeet for under $1000?

C

Chris17404

New member
Hi all,

So... I got my father-in-law interested in shutguns again after years of being away from them. He went trap shooting with me recently and loved it. Anyway, he does have an old semi-auto and a single shot, but he'd like to get an O/U for shooting trap and skeet. He has more funds available than I do, so he's looking for a quality new or used O/U for less than $1000 (ideally closer to $750 or so). He's an old-time hunter and trap shooter, but hasn't been shooting for over 20 years. He's 51 right now. We went to Bass Pro Shops today and the salesman in the "fine gun area" really turned him on to the ideas of of a 28 or 20 gauge. What are your recommendations?

Chris
 
keep shopping and read up a little

.... he'd like to get an O/U for shooting trap and skeet. ......the salesman in the "fine gun area" really turned him on to the ideas of of a 28 or 20 gauge. What are your recommendations?
Click to expand...

Perhaps you mean casual clay birds from a hand trap? In which case buy any gun that feels good and falls into your price range.

The same inexpensive gun for both trap and skeet is unlikely. Some experienced shooters use a trap stock for skeet and float the birds high but in general the trap stock is unique to trap. In American trap all the targets are rising and going away.

As a practical matter all serious trap guns are 12 gauge - casual shooting with smaller gauges is fun but just might get a novice shooter laughed at - a 28 gauge would be a very unusual sight on the trap field and a hard brag to back up for the novice at skeet apart from the gauge specific events.

Might consider sporting clays and a gun to match but mostly keep shopping and read up a little more.
 
28 gauge is great, but unless you are also getting him into reloading, plan on paying quite a bit more for factory ammo. Maybe the sales clerk suggested 20 or 28 gauge for the associated benefit of less recoil?
I'd look at the Spartan brand of O/U's. They are a decent gun, and made by Remington, or by another manufacturer under contract to Remington. Or you might get lucky and find a good used Ruger Red Label or Browning Citori Lightning around $1000. It's pretty hard to go wrong with 12 gauge, and if you reload, you can make 1 oz. loads that are very mild recoil, if that is an issue.
 
CZ Mallard Just Bought One

Hello,
Mike here, new to the Firing Line..........
Just picked up a CZ Mallard last night, I admit I bought it because I liked the look of the Double Triggers, and I got my first taste of shooting Doubles last weekend at the range, I was using my Mossberg Pump (835) against A guy with an O/U and another with a Semi-Auto.......
......they tore me up pretty bad =0)

Anyhow, first impressions:
Fit and finish are very good, engraving is obviously done by hand, done well, but just enough variation to beleive it wasn't machine done, triggers are a bit on the heavy side. Locks up with a cofident clunk, nothing appears loose or sloppy.

Range Report to follow!!!
 
You should be able to find a Browning Citori or SKB O/U for $1000 or less. You might be able to find a Beretta 686 in that range. All are durable guns that handle well.

I prefer 20 ga for the way the guns handle but that is personal preference only. 28 ga is great but is more of a niche guage. You are better off sticking with either 12 ga or 20 ga.
 
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