Is There Anyone Here Into Over and Under Shotguns for Sporting Clays?

Gulfecho

Gulfecho

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I am thinking of a Browning Citori 725 Skeet Adj Comb Shotgun 0136173011, 12 Gauge, 28". They come at a price. Any other suggestions for me at this price or lower?

I appreciate your advise.

Thank you in advance,

Sid
 
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I shot Competition Skeet with a Belgium Browning Superlight. It was a fantastic O/U. I left that sport burnt out on continuous competition. I still wanted to keep my hand in so started looking for a 20ga. O/U to casually shoot Sporting Clays. I found the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I Sporting Clays with a 30" length barrel and of course Multi-chokes. It was love at first shot. I shot that O/U for 10 years for Sporting Clays, Crazy Clays, Skeet, Trap and then horrors.....hunting Mt. Quail and Chucker. It did it all. I paid right at $2k for it and when I knew my hunting days were over I sold it for a little more than I paid. Such a deal! The only game bird I shoot today is the Dove. I can stand there and on occasion take a shot at an incoming bird. I have a little Fox SxS in 20 ga. with fixed chokes that is ideal for that particular job. I bought that shotgun from an old friend who was "done done" with hunting game birds. The first time I loaded it and stood there waiting for incoming Dove, I saw three birds coming in. I doubled right then and there. That was when I decided to sell the Beretta. While I really liked the Belgian Brownings I had owned, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase any Beretta product for serious competition use.....or any other use one wanted to put it to. ............Those Italians can build a pretty nice shotgun. ....
 
Buy once, cry once, the Browning Citori is a great shotgun. You won't second guess yourself if you buy it. And you won't have to buy it after you already bought another shotgun for $1,000 and eventually realize that you really want to buy the Citori...!

I bought the Citori 625 over 10 years ago when I got into sporting clays. Love the gun...
 
Bought a used citori 30" back in the 80s for trap and had it fitted for choke tubes so I could shoot skeet too.Did an awful lot of that over several years and then it sat.Pulled it out for sporting clays a few years ago and it was as good as I remembered.I don't know how many thousands of rounds I've put through it and it's still tight.Its a tank.
 
I use a Beretta 682 Gold E with the adjustable comb, and for extra fun I have a set of 28 ga. barrels that I occasionally use for skeet or 5 stand. The 12 ga. barrels are 32" and the 28 ga. are 30". I like long barrels. The setup is a bit more expensive than the Browning you're looking at but it's very versatile and built to handle many tens of thousands of shells. I'll never wear it out in my lifetime! The Browning is a great gun too. Buy the best you can, even if the price hurts. You will never regret it.
 
The difference between a Browning and a Beretta is just an individual thing. Unless a person is rich they can't afford to buy enough shells to wear out either one.
If you are only going to use the gun for sporting clays I think you should try 32 in. barrels before you buy but I find the 28 in. work better for hunting and skeet.
Just my thoughts but my wife says I'm dumb as a clam. :D Larry
 
I have a number of Beretta semi autos and a 686 Onyx O/U 30". That gun just felt right in the store so I took a chance. I shot 22 on the auto trap the first time I shot it. I had it fit later and have shot well at sporting clays, five stand and trap.
See if you can meet up with someone that will let you try one or the other. The guys I see at the trap field are pretty much willing to let their gun go for a quick tryout if asked.
Most people in the sport are really helpful, and once you get the feel of one, you'll know. Either of the top brands are going to treat you right, and they hold value better than some of the lesser names.
 
tops said:
The difference between a Browning and a Beretta is just an individual thing. Unless a person is rich they can't afford to buy enough shells to wear out either one.
If you are only going to use the gun for sporting clays I think you should try 32 in. barrels before you buy but I find the 28 in. work better for hunting and skeet.
Just my thoughts but my wife says I'm dumb as a clam. :D Larry
Click to expand...

Dang that's a long barrel, you sure Larry? I'm thinking quickness and time on target. Am I mistaken?
 
I shoot Skeet and Sporting Clays most every weekend and have made all the usual shotgun mistakes. Years ago, everyone shot 26" barrel skeet gun. Now days 32 & 34" barrels are in fashion. Don't buy what's trendy, buy what fits you.

Today's Skeet guns and Sporting clay guns are the same for the most part. Trap guns are different. If you plan on shooting a lot, don't pick anything of lesser quality than a Citori. Cheap shotguns might be fine for the occasional shooter, but they won't stand up to long term shooting and good luck finding replacement parts down the road.

Have the gun fitted to you and you don't need an adjustable comb or butplate. Too many times people with adj stocks will suffer a poor score and immediately start changing the settings on the stock. If you absolutely have to have an adj stock, set it to fit, and then throw the adjusting key away.

Some other things you don't need; ported barrels (just makes it loader doesn't decrease recoil), lengthened forcing cones (unless they come that way), glow sights (don't look at the sight look at the target), and extended choke tubes (usually factory tubes work just fine, but might not look as cool).

I'd buy a 28-30" (unless you're well over 6' tall) barrel Citioi entry level target gun or field gun. Spend the money you saved on a gun fitting and some lesson from a qualified coach. Check out Joel Etchen (sp?) website for used shotguns. Shooters are fickled and often trade off a very serviceable gun for the latest greatest new thing.

I don't wish to sound like a know it all, I'm just trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes I have. Good luck.
 
Most of us old guys are shooting semi-autos for all clay sports, but at the Sporting Clays course, I'd say 90% of the OUs are Browning or Beretta :)
 
I have a Citori 2 barrel set of 12/20. They have imp/mod chokes on each barrel with the barrels 28" and 26" respectively. It works great for skeet and wobble trap at my club.
Love the quality of the "bank vault" receiver that I know will outlast my life.
 
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Remember, whatever you buy, NEEDS TO FIT or it will be an expensive mistake.I have a Citori light, a couple of CZ's and a Lanber that get used for sporting Clays. The Lanber tends to get used the most because it fits me best.

Personally, I've learned not buy a o/u shotgun that I couldn't hold first. I've has some high end guns that I had to sell off (at a loss) because I couldn't shoot well with them. I also (still) have some inexpensive O/u's that I shoot exceptionally well because they fit.
 
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RdrBill said:
Buy a Browning "Sporting Clays" model for Sporting Clays. Skeet model gun is not the right gun. Go for a 30 or 32 inch barrel. Lots of longer than skeet range shots.
Bill@Yuma
Click to expand...

I agree with Bill. I think Browning's skeet gun is a great gun for its intended use but I would try to find a 725 Sporter with 30 or 32 inch barrels. And don't overlook a 20 gauge. 20 gauge sporters handle wonderfully - and 20 gauge is really no great handicap on most sporting clays courses. :)
 
The Browning O/U will serve you well. I have been shooting clays every week for several years. I shoot a Fabarms O/U and a Browning O/U for my serious clay shooting. I also shoot other guns and gauges over he course of a year's time, simply because I own hem and want to shoot them. A lot of people get hung up on equipment ( have seen this in a lot of shooting disciplines), at some level hardware will play a factor, but fundamentals and skill sets are more important.
I hosted a shoot years ago, and the fellow who Placed in the top five in a 100 bird shoot was shooting the only shotgun he owned, a old battered Remington 870 pump gun. It was his duck,bird and everything else gun, and he had never shot clays before. Kinda of brought things back into perspective.
 
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Big Cholla said:
For true Sporting Clays, the longer barrels come into their own. If you are going to be a true competitor, go for the 32" barrels. .............
Click to expand...

And also go with a 12 ga. I don't ever remember seeing a 20 ga. in first place at a sporting clay tournament. 20, 28 and 410 are small gauges that have their own class.
 
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