I recently got in to sporting clays and became a member at a great facility 20 minutes from me. In just a couple months I have come to shoot pretty dog gone well. About as well as one of the instructors.
My Beretta A400 Xtreme has gone to the wayside. I have been renting the facitity’s Silver Pigeon Sporting 30”. It feels good, but not spectacular. It swings well. Balance is not so great for me. I held a Blaser F3. Incredible. To me it felt better than a DT11 or Caesar Guerini Summit. I wish I could shoot a bunch of different over unders but the range only has Silver Pigeons and I do not know anyone well enough to ask to shoot their fine...shotty. And that’s exactly how I would ask to shoot their gun.
I am looking for recommendations of quality shotguns to consider. I prefer to purchase used in the $1,800 to $2,500 price range. I am a brand whore. Not interested in Browning, Winchester, or the like. What are the opinions of our sporting clay shooters? Is there an online market for higher end, used shotguns, aside from gunbroker?
I'd just stay networked in with the club and the other members would be your best bet. People are always switching and swapping. If there are any youth / high school / 4H etc teams that shoot there get in touch with the coaches that you are on the look out as well.
Even used the market you seek to get into will cost a tad more than what you are wanting to spend. Double your amount and then plan on adding more when you find what you are looking for. As to trying out different shotguns go to any trap or skeet range and tell the members what you are looking for and most will let you try their guns for a few rounds.
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$1800 to $2500 price range and a quality O/U shotgun means a used Browning or Beretta. Be a brand whore all you want, it won't change a thing.
You won't even get a good set of Blaser barrels for that price, let alone complete gun. Maybe you could fine a really beat up Guerini, but it will likely be at the end of its life.
For your price range a Beretta semi auto 391 is an option. IMO it's the best clays semi auto out there.
Unless you're willing to invest $5,000 you need to get off your brand whore high horse.
Clays shooting is all about shotgun fit and pointing the gun in the right direction when you pull the trigger. A $300 Mossberg that fits the shooter, using decent chokes, with quality ammo, will break clays as well as a custom Krieghoff or Beretta SO. Jon Kruger -- one of the best clays shooters out there, and a guy I've shot with a number of times -- showed me how true this is. Should you rise to the level of Master Class in sporting competition, you will likely figure this out.
Posts: 7867 | Location: Colorado | Registered: January 26, 2008
I guess I should say I don’t expect to buy a used F3 or DT11 for $2,500. I’m wondering if a used 690 or similar can be had for $2,500 and if there is an online venue for used shotgun sales aside from gunbroker. Also, I am not interested in a semi auto.
I shot competitively with a Beretta 682 gold E that I bought used for $2500. Outstanding gun for sporting clays. Of course a beretta 391 auto won me a few prizes too.
I recently got in to sporting clays and became a member at a great facility 20 minutes from me. In just a couple months I have come to shoot pretty dog gone well. About as well as one of the instructors.
My Beretta A400 Xtreme has gone to the wayside. I have been renting the facitity’s Silver Pigeon Sporting 30”. It feels good, but not spectacular. It swings well. Balance is not so great for me. I held a Blaser F3. Incredible. To me it felt better than a DT11 or Caesar Guerini Summit. I wish I could shoot a bunch of different over unders but the range only has Silver Pigeons and I do not know anyone well enough to ask to shoot their fine...shotty. And that’s exactly how I would ask to shoot their gun.
I am looking for recommendations of quality shotguns to consider. I prefer to purchase used in the $1,800 to $2,500 price range. I am a brand whore. Not interested in Browning, Winchester, or the like. What are the opinions of our sporting clay shooters? Is there an online market for higher end, used shotguns, aside from gunbroker?
Thanks for your help.
If we’re talking bout O/U’s, Browning and Beretta pretty much own the market in that price range. That being said, I’ve owned a Citori Lightning Sporting Clays since ‘95 and vastly prefer it to any Beretta I’ve ever shot. If I was in the market today, the Citori 725 Sporting would be at the top of my list, given the price range you mentioned.
I owned and shot several Browning Citori target guns over the years, and have moved on from the brand. I now shoot a Beretta Siver Pigeon 12 ga 32” and love it. If I was going to move up, I would be looking at another Beretta O/U or a Caesar Guerini.
Blaser, Krieghoff, Perazzi and the like are all a little pricey. Nice guns, but expensive.
I also shoot a Benelli Sport clays gun that I will never part with. It’s a nice backup gun to the Beretta.
Good luck with your search, and let us know where it leads you. As was mentioned, fit is everything!
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Posts: 10489 | Location: FL | Registered: December 29, 2003
Just curious, why did the A400 fall by the wayside? I am presently looking at an a400 xcel I think it is called. (anodized blue looking receiver) Have been shooting sporting clays for several years and was looking to upgrade out of the al391...
I went through this search last fall. Really thought I wanted a Caesar Guerini. Tried one and it was beautiful, but ultimately I bought a new Browning 725. 725 Sporting. It and the CG fit me well, but the Browning just felt better.
Having been totally bitten by the bug, I then picked up a used Beretta 391 in 20 ga. Love shooting both of them.
Posts: 606 | Location: Between here and the end of the line | Registered: November 29, 2013
