what semi-auto should I get?

J

JTgunner

New member
Want a semi-auto that will shoot the 2 3/4 cheap shells for shooting trap at my house with my daughters. Any ideas? $600.00 range. thx. JT
 
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was just looking at those. good price! thx for the direction. only been shooting for a couple years. don't know much about shot guns. but luvin it.
 
i bought a used 1100 in 12ga 23/4 chamber for 275.00 for small game and got a 30 inch(full) trap barrel at a gun show for 100.00 new in the box. i have shot many strait 25,s at trap with the trap barrel and 39-41 at sporting clays with the original 28 inch barrel(mod). i shoot 17grs red dot with 1-1/8 oz. 8# and rem rxp wads. useing frog lube it will run 600 rounds with out a problem(i clean at 600 rounds if it needs it or not). i do use a mec 9000g for loading. i just loaded 1000 trap loads as i shoot two times a week.i own and shoot two rem 11/87,s an browning BT-100,browning citori and several model 12,s all costing more than the rem 1100,but do not feel out gunned useing the rem 1100, haveing shot many 1000,s of shells with out any part breaking. eastbank. ps sunday i shot three 24,s at trap with the 1100.
 
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Don't overlook Browning / Winchester in semi-auto gas guns either...since Browning bought Winchester...( and FN owns both ) ....Browning has tried to keep an entry level semi-auto in their Silver line ...like the Silver Hunter series...and while they list in the $ 1,200 price range...they are often on sale for around $ 800 ...and companies like Cabelas ....sometimes have some deals / sales - especially when they're holding a grand opening like they are now in some areas of the country with new stores...

There are still some of the older Browning gold series in 12ga out there as well ...even the gold series is now only made in a 10ga....but a friend of my son's just found a new in box Gold 12ga for around $ 700...

Don't overlook the used market too ...if you have a good gunstore in your area ...or even a shop like Cabelas ...where they do have some used inventory.
 
You will not find a better gun for your purposes than a used Remington Model 1100. You can spend more money by a long shot, and i have, but I have yet to find a gun I like better. They have killed a many a clay pigeon. You din't mention gauge, but the LT-20s are really nice 20 gauge autos.
 
the 1100 20g that I have is kinda beating up this ole' guys shoulder. I've got a 870 wingmaster pump that I love. was just hoping for a nice semi-auto. JT
 
If your old 1100 20ga is beating you up ....try adding about 1 lb of weight to it ...using some golf club lead tape...put about 8 oz in the forend...and another 8 oz inside the butt stock...( all the big golf stores sell it ..in pckg's of about 8 oz for $ 10 or so ...) ...and I wrap it in blue painters tape ( so its like a stick of gum ...) and position it where I want it in the gun - and tape it down.

put some tape on the receiver first ...and mark the balance point....and then position the weight under the forend and inside the stock ...so the balance point is unchanged.

The extra 1 lb will reduce the recoil at least 20% ..../ make it handle more like a 12ga probably ...as to swing characteristics...( I add 1 lb like this on my Benelli Super Sport semi-auto ....because I find it too light at 7.2 lbs ..and its kind of "whippy" ....) and this solves all that ...and its easy to take it out / if one of the grandkids wants to shoot it - and needs it lighter.
( not that you shouldn't buy another gun ..) ...:D

A number of companies make forend nut weights ...but they're expensive --and they make the gun nose heavy. There are some mercury recoil stock reducers out there too ...and you can drop them inside the stock / or take a spent shell ...and load it with shot ...( to get it to 8 oz ) ...and tape it in the stock as well. Lots of ways to add weight - to reduce recoil.

But it might be "Fit" that is causing the gun to beat you up ...especially if its too short ...or has too much drop at comb or at the heel...
 
saiga 12 is pretty fun and gives you a lot of chances to hit the skeet.
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Skeet with a Saiga 12... your chances are slim and none. Of course, the OP might be thinking of multiple shots at stationary targets, but I doubt it. Shooting trap with a Saiga 12 might keep his daughters entertained for a few minutes.
 
I shoot skeet with a Saiga 12 all the time and do great with it. So don't say it would be slim to no chance to hit the target unless you have tried it first. I have had these guys with $10,000 skeet guns try my Saiga 12 and like it. And my Saiga 12 is legal lenght to shoot skeet and only 2 rounds go into my 10 round mags.
 
I shoot skeet with a Saiga 12 all the time and do great with it.
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What's "great" to you -- 50% of the targets, 95+% or better? I've heard a lot of folks who claim to do great at Skeet. They say they always get 23 or 24 out of 25. But, you get them on a Skeet field and they can't break 20 without taking a few mulligans. Go where they shoot NSSA Skeet and "great" is 100 out of 100 -- it happens every day with those $10,000 (and a lot less) Skeet guns, but I haven't heard of it happening with a Saiga 12.

Would you honestly recommend a Saiga 12 as the best $600 gun to someone who's looking to shoot trap with his daughters, I think not.
 
You can do great with any gun you just got to learn how it shoots. And he is shooting with his daughter in the back yard and not at a NSSA skeet shoot.
 
You can do great with any gun you just got to learn how it shoots.
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Obviously, our definitions of "great" differ significantly. Have fun with your Saiga 12; but, please, realize others may be more discriminating when selecting the right tool for the job.
 
I would not recommend something that I have not used before. I do pretty well with the saiga, just as well as I do with my Mossberg. The shooter is what counts mostly, not the firearm. If I buy a high-end shot gun does not mean I would do any better than with a saiga. Being that he is going to be in the back yard, he is probably going to be hand throwing or have a spring machine; the saiga should do just fine. I recommended this firearm because out of all the years I have been shooting, this gun has been downright the most fun shotgun I have shot. Once skeet shooting gets old you can load up 20 rounds and just let it rip. Take it hunting. Take cool pictures with it. Use it for home defense yada yada yada. It is a very reliable design that has been time tested. Some guns can have more than one purpose even if it isn't accepted by the "elite"
 
The OP is asking for a recommendation as to what to get for shooting trap at his home. While it is possible to learn to shoot clays with a Saiga12, I can't begin to fathom why anyone wouldn't recommend a better suited gun within the OP's price range. As for calling names, such as "elite", no one is talking about spending the money on a top flight clays gun but I suppose a true mall ninja would be more comfortable letting rip with a Saiga12.

I'm not knocking the Saiga12 and might choose one if I needed something for its intended purpose, war, but I simply cannot comprehend why anyone would recommend one for shooting clays.
 
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