trap help

G

Garydoolin

Inactive
Hey fellas, I'm in the market for a new trap gun. That being said I have narrowed it down to a couple choices. Either a bt99 plus. The new one from browning, (released athe the 2014 shotshow) or a citori xt trap or speical sporting clays. I have had several tell me that they believe that the speical sporting clays is probably the best built browning o/u ever. I don't know. I may shoot doubles one day and then again I may not. Don't really know. What's your thoughts on my situation. Thanks gary
 
Personally I couldn't pay more than $200 for a singleshot and I would be all over the browning citori xt if I had the cash.

At least with those there are places where you can rent them to see if you like them for yourself.
 
Neither, but it's your money. The Citori will give you some flexibility down the road whereas with the BT you're locked in to singles trap. If all you are going to shoot is trap, get the trap version.
 
Personally I couldn't pay more than $200 for a singleshot
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Just a SLIGHT difference between the $200 one and the Browning..... ;)

Which one fits you the best? have you looked at other brands to see if one might fit even better? have you tried out others at your local trap club? If doubles/skeet/sporting is in the mix, you do not want the single shot unless you intend to get another for those games
 
I am buying this gun for trap singel and handicap only. I have a 1100 if I want to shoot the other games. Blindstitch why couldn't you pay more than that for a single. Virginian what do you recommend.
 
If you're just shooting singles the BT-99 is a darn nice gun. Well made, good solid shooter. There are cheaper single shot guns and much more expensive ones but the BT is as good as any in it's price range. Have had one for years and love it. I also have a Remington 1100 Classic Trap if I decide to shoot other games.
 
I'm not sure what the Special Sporting Clays model ...is ....but if its a Citori...its solidly built / but no stronger than any of the other Citori models in my opinon. Can you give us a link to this model / is it discontinued now ...??

I'm a big Citori fan....and have a lot of them .....and the XT is a very solid gun/ and its worth every dime, if that's what you want, in my view.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?fid=008B&cid=013&tid=621

If you go with the XT -- make sure you go with the adj comb option / I know its list for about $3K...but for serious Trap shooters...you need the adj comb for adjusting the Point of Impact. Not that you can't shoot Trap with a field gun - you certainly can --- but the Citori XT with 32" barrels is my first choice in a Trap gun. I have my XT set up right at 10 lbs...so its a little heavier than the stock gun that is about 8.75 lbs...
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I favor the XT over any of the single barrel guns....but if you go single barrel than go with a 34" barrel - to help smooth out your swing. The older BT-100's are nice guns ( drop out triggers which are a nice feature ) ....and I favor it over the newer BT-99's....but Browning is marketing a lot of different BT-99's now too...and adj ribs are the latest thing I guess with Trap shooters...
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Go to your local club .....talk to a lot of guys / about their guns - why the settled on that model, etc...before you buy --- barrel length, weight, comb adjustments, gracoil systems, etc... / a lot of them will probably let you put some shells thru their guns if you show some interest.

Drop me a note if you need more detail.....( and no matter what / make sure you have fun with this process !! ).
 
Blindstitch why couldn't you pay more than that for a single.
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The reason why is because my guns all have to double as workhorses if that call to action happens. I know they are nice and work fine as my friend has one a few years old. It's like a sports car version of a single shot.

On the other hand a good double can go a long way.
 
I still think a good solid used Citori XT ...with 32" barrels....is where you're going to find the best gun for your budget in the short run......and the easiest Trap gun to sell down the road ...

( every Trap shooter I know ....moves on from their 1st guns ! ).....not that the XT can't be a very good long term gun, I think it is ......but its far from being in the arena of the fanciest with Krieghoff, Kolar, Perazi, Blaser, etc...

I don't really lust after any new shotguns anymore ...but my buddy has a Krieghoff KX5 single ...with an upgraded stock on it....that's so pretty, it'll almost stop your heart.../ but appearance doesn't break targets either.
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If you're shooting 10 lines of Trap a week for practice that's about $ 150 a week or $ 1,800 a year.../ so the cost of a new gun is the least expensive part of this game, by far !! So it gets pretty easy to justify, at least in my mind, on spending $ 5K - $ 10 on a Trap gun that you really like !!
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A pair of XT's that I have...both in 32"...one with an upgraded stock and a Gra Coil I bought used for around $ 2,500 about 8 or 10 yrs ago...and still a solid gun ..
http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=82013&d=1339792349

and right now, I think there are a lot of very good deals on used Trap guns out there....
 
Per Slugo on Shotgunworld, the special sporting clays edition was brought back for Guns Unlimited. Slugo bought one, of course. I would like to know if this is a 725.
 
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I too just started trap shooting and while the BT is awesome, at some point you will want to shoot doubles.

I'd suggest shouldering / shooting as many as you can before you buy. I ended up with a Beretta Silver Pigeon Sporting after shooting assorted guns.

No matter what, I think you would be best served with an O/U at this point.
 
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