I am getting into this and have been using my Ruger Red Label. It is always the shortest gun in the rack and I am not getting any better. I am thinking about the Browning Citori Crossover Target. Any thoughts?

Yeah, I want to do it too. But I'm not sure if I want a semi-auto or O/U.

The Citori Crossover Target is certainly a wonderful shotgun, reasonably priced.

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Jorge

I don't have the Crossover Target, but I do shoot sporting clays with my Citori 525 Sporting. It's got ventilated 30" tubes and is a beautiful, high quality gun with great ergonomics; works great for me... The Crossover Target looks like another Browning 'Special Sporting Clays.' I'm sure it is also a great gun for someone that is serious about the sport.

That all being said, it's all about practice. I've seen guys with much lower cost guns shoot the lights out on a sporting clays course. Personally, I would not go over 30" on sporting clays, as I find the longer barrels get cumbersome. I save the long tubes for my Trap shooting.

I say, if you want the Browning, go for it; great guns. Your score will increase with the more time you put into the sport. You may want to hang with your Ruger for a while until you know you are going to stay with it. Unless of course, you've got that money burning a hole in your pocket...

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NRA Life Member

Don't give up on that Ruger just yet........

A I/C choke will work on most lay outs ..........
but if the range is 40 yards or so a Modified choke is called for.

Many shoot with too tight a choke and loads that are incorrect for the range or angle of the birds.

Shove a I/C in each barrel and take four boxs of 1 1/8 oz., 7 1/2's at 1145 fps out for a test drive.

Many think super fast loads and lots of small pellets to fill the pattern, is the way to go.......... they do not have enough energy to break the clays at bad angles.

Mastering the correct lead for the angles of incoming and birds going away is the secret to good shooting. Many do not lead a crossing bird enough at 40 yards..........try 8 feet, maybe 10 feet if you have a slow body swing.

Good shooting.

It's not the arrow, it's the indian.

When I played the game every weekend, some 15-20 years ago, I used a short Beretta A303 Upland averaging about 85 out of 100. I often used a buddy's a exposed hammer, fixed choke, Rossi Coach Gun. Yes the snooty folks with their Kriegoff and Perazzi's laughed at first, until they saw it dust the clay. I have since purchased my own Rossi Coach Gun and have no need for any of those super fancy O/Us to hit a clay bird.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I shot 30,000 shells per year for several years and 32 in. O/U barrels work best for me. I also found out that anything less than a Beretta or Browning will not stay together long enough for a person to get good. I have always heard that so and so took a piece of junk and beat so and so that had a high dollar gun. I know a good shooter with a piece of junk can beat a bad shooter with a good gun but it doesn't matter how good a shot one is they will never get better than what their gun will let them. A good shooter with a good gun is hard to beat. Larry

Shoot with a Browning 'Special Sporting Clays.'

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Steve....

I use a 30 inch citori with skeet #1 and #2 chokes and it works quite well for most stations.Im too lazy to put in the mod choke on the longer shots

I shoot a Browning Citori Special Sporting Clays O/U, (and usually with a IC and Mod chokes) with 28" barrels, and an older SKB 20 Ga. O/U with fixed IC and Mod cokes. I use them for both Sporting Clays and skeet. Skeet is a good warm up for Sporting Clays, estimating the leads. There are a couple of good video's out there that give good instruction. I have gone to a 1 oz. load for all my 12 Ga. shooting.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Hope you're doing well Max. Nothing hugely insightful to recommend. Other than to say that I love shooting SC's whenever I get the opportunity, but don't do it regularly. I purchased a Browning (Myota) XS Skeet several years ago and it has served me well for the five times a year I shoot SC's.

I admittedly don't know what a good gun feels like, such as a properly fitted K80 and such, but the XS Skeet feels solid and comfortable and is as much as I would expect from anything "off the shelf" and it allows me to shoot respectable scores. I'm sure a fitted gun (and more practice) would give me more consistency.

It's a blast shooting SC's though!

IC

I am shooting skeet and skeet and can't get out of the 50's. We shoot once a month for 8 or so months out of the year. If I were a bit better, I might shoot more often. I hired a coach for a couple of rounds last year and he wanted me to keep my head down on the gun. With the Ruger, I ended up with a black eye and a very sore jaw.

I sold my Garand last week and have enough money for a gun more suited to the SC game. However, I see no need to spend good money and not get better. I can practice more and would like to spend more time with a coach.

The gun I am looking at has 30 inch barrels. I also have a friend who says he has 3 SC's guns for sale, but I have not seen them yet.

I'm not a serious SC guy but I am a pretty serious shotgun guy.

Before dropping money on a dedicated Sporting Clays gun I would spend a few hundred dollars and hire a good gun fitter. A good solid consistent gun mount and a properly fitting shotgun is really the key to hitting targets and birds.

Once you know the dimensions you need when it comes to cast, pitch, length of pull, along with drop at comb, face and heel you're ready to find the right shotgun for the job at hand.

Some people are lucky and many off the rack shotguns will work okay. Other can adjust to a poor fit and hit but give them a gun the fits and watch out.

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Bill Bates

Shoot the different guns if you can, They do not all fit the same and fit is what it is all about. Two different Browning 525s may not shoot (fit) the same. Browning Citori is a great gun and available in lots of models.

I got into it late in life. I was nearly 50 when my BIL introduced me. After my initial experience I went right out and bought a 12 ga. Remington 28" Model 870. I know you can pay a lot more for a shot gun but I don't see how you could get a much better gun.

We have an excellent municipal shooting range near me (Texas City) and they have a sho' nuff regulaion trap and skeet course. I never got around to the trap shooting but I wore out the official 25 shooting position skeet course with a "high house" slinger on one end and a "low house" slinger on the other.

One of the range officers operates the electronic slingers and offers helpful advice to those that are new to it. The first round I shot I hit 4 out of 25. Boooo Hisssss. thought about goiing bowling at that point but stayed with it.

I had about 12 or 13 years to enjoy it until the arthritis in my shoulders put me on the bench. But in my time I did improve some. The last round I fired I got 21 out of 25. I have always believed in quitting when yer ahead.

It was a major change from regular pistol and rifle shooting and I enjoyed it very very much. I still miss it.

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Real men love cats!

We had a beautiful place called TM Ranch about 15 miles from here. Like a golf course in the woods. They would change up the 2 courses every 6 mos. Went often with my docs when "big pharma" was paying. Never did break more than 2 out of 3 but then again I was there to sell pills. They went under several years ago. Haven't done it since. Still have the Fabarms Gold Clays I bought as a loaner, that gun must have a hundred cases of target loads through it. Still looks and shoots like new. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

If the gun shoots where you look, that's all that matters. I smoked a guy shooting a 10K+ Kolar with my lowly Browning GTI on Saturday.

I started shooting sporting clays with th a 30" Citori trap and after a couple years made the switch to the GTI. The flat rib is much easier to negotiate on dropping targets and I picked up a few targets per round.

Is one gun better than another? Maybe. It only depends on weekday you like.

There are tons of stories how guy A with a beat up old shotgun beat the tar out of guy B with a really expensive gun. The truth is, anyone can buy an expensive gun if they have the money, but that doesn't make them a good shot. However, you won't find any of the top shooters with a beat up old gun. Why do you suppose that is?

Just go shoot. Sporting Clays is a lot of fun. It can become a chore if you over think it. Don't do that. Just go shoot.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

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Freedom isn't free.

I started shooting Sporting Clays last year. I am strictly a recreational shooter. My goal is to improve my aim so I can get more ducks come duck season. I bought a Browning Citori 20GA as my main gun. I have also shot a couple of 12 GA's but I shoot mostly 20GA because I have become recoil sensitive since my shoulder surgery in 2012. I really enjoy it and try to get out every Friday morning. The range I shoot at uses remote trap triggers that allow a delay so I can shoot alone. I am just sorry I took so long to start this game but I could not get anyone else interested in shooting with me. With all of that being said I am going to have spinal fusion surgery on my neck next month and the surgeon told me no shotgun shooting for at least 6 months after. So much for duck hunting this year.

I started shooting clays in 94. I am an addict! I have 2 autos and 8 o/u's (all Browning, 2 are Superpose) I shoot 12, 20, 28,and 410, I found 410 the most fun and average 2 or 3 less than 12 gauge. Took a 3 tear break for stroke rehab (just don't get old) and started back up a few months ago. Averaging 32 now, used to be around 39-41. I might get there again. Ivan

Practice makes perfect, you've heard it before. The best practice for me for a SC shoot is a skeet/trap mix prior to the shoot, I have unlimited access to a range. Nothing beats dove hunting though to settle the "surprise" the target gives you. A gun that fits you well and throws a decent pattern is all you need. I do best with my nephews Weatherby Athena. It's tubed in 12, 20 and 410, 20 is what I shoot. It's all about what you want to accomplish. I just want to hit fairly well and enjoy the company of the group....always a fun time.

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I'm Proud To Be An American!

The Citori is a nice gun, but I would keep working with your Red Label for a while. I shoot a Cynergy (love it) so consider it as an option.

As others have said, it is the shooter not the gun. I shoot a short barrel (26" Cynergy) and always mount the gun after the birds fly. I am not that good, but good enough to win a few guns in tournaments so I have a Beretta 391 (semi) that I tried for SC and did not like it. The over and under is better. The last gun I won (some AR), I traded it for a EAA Witness Hunter.

Keep up the practice with the Red Label. Good luck and have fun!

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SWCA 1646

Max....

Been shooting clay targets at clubs since 10 years old, that would be some 5 decades ago. Gun fit is absolute, and head down, if the Ruger and your thumb is hitting you in the jaw and eye, the gun does not fit you, and you will lift your head before the shot, and develop a flinch. Both will result in developing bad habits that will prevent you from improving
Just curious, as I am from Illinois as well, what club / clubs are you shooting?

When I started shoot trap, I was young and poor........
My first O/U was a Churchill and the shells were Peter's Blue Magic, since they were a lot cheaper than the Winchester AA's.

Only thing that kept me into breaking clays was years in the field with a .22 as a youngster, shooting moving live targets.
A keen eye, quick reflex and muscles up the "Ying yang", helped
me shot a half way clean score.

As I aged, I learned to take more time in getting things just right, as I was getting onto the birds. You learn that a clay at normal ranges...............
can NOT out fly lead pellets, even if just 1145 fps..........
so there is no need to panic.

If you are ever lucky enough to get half good at shooting, one day you may get into ... "the Zone". Where every thing is blocked out and every shot is a broken bird...even if the lead was not correct.

It is not always about beating the other shooters......... but also in my case, about improving your skills each time you pull the trigger. Seeing the shot before the bird flies, helped me get higher counts and shooting in bad weather can actually help, even though your scores will be very low at first. Learning what wind does to a patter can add many "Notches" to the score board.

Later.

Sporting clays is such a great game. I have a nasty habit of shooting a different gun each time, though... pump action 26", O/U 26" or SxS 28". I have even shot an 18.5" pump with the only disadvantage being targets out past 30yds.

I still hit about 60% of my targets. So the gun, for me, is not the problem; it's practice. I get out there maybe once every 3 months or so.... yeah, that part really stinks.

Anyway, I can't argue against buying a new shotty, but cash spent on practice is better. Practice also will tell you if it is just your technique that needs improving... like mine does. While your shooting clays, a friend may offer to let you shoot their shotty. practice AND a road test... the best of both worlds.

just my .02

Last week a friend let me borrow his Browning Ultra Sporting. I shot it well and broke 69 targets. I missed a few easy shots and the top score in our group was 79, so I was happy with the score. I tried to buy that gun as I thought he let me borrow it as it was for sale. However, he did not want to sell it.

I tried to find one similar, but no luck. I ended up buying a Browning Crossover Target. It is very similar to the gun I shot, but the barrels are not ported and it has a satin finish. It does have a longer length of pull and I think that is what I need. I don't think the porting is all that critical. I have not shot it yet, but am looking forward to doing so.

Not only is porting not critical, it has almost no value to a shotgun. The pressures are too low for the porting to make any difference. The Crossover is the only target gun Browning sells in the US that doesn't have porting. Consider yourself lucky because porting can be added but not taken away. AND, don't add it. Porting is a complete waste of money.

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Freedom isn't free.

I agree that porting is silly and it's only purpose seems to be to make the gun louder for those standing next to you.