Went to Pintail Point & I suck

[JeepDriver]

At sporting clays. We had a really good time, I rented a Beretta semi auto and we did a 50 rd course. I went 23/50. That's embarrassing.

So now I want to get better, the only way to do that is pulling the trigger. So now I'm trying to read and research different sporting guns and decide it's something I want to buy or continue to rent.

Who is shooting what ? I'm leaning to an over under, while the Beretta I rented ran perfectly, I'm not a big fan of semi auto guns. And for a sport where you are only shooting 2 rds at a time, what's the benefit of getting a semi auto ?

Where is the money difference in over under guns ?

 

[BigCity]

Hi Jeep.

I shoot clays a couple times a year and have an 12 ga. over/under that I use religiously.

I have a friend who does it with a 20 ga. auto

 

[MikeTF]

At sporting clays. We had a really good time, I rented a Beretta semi auto and we did a 50 rd course. I went 23/50. That's embarrassing.

So now I want to get better, the only way to do that is pulling the trigger. So now I'm trying to read and research different sporting guns and decide it's something I want to buy or continue to rent.

Who is shooting what ? I'm leaning to an over under, while the Beretta I rented ran perfectly, I'm not a big fan of semi auto guns. And for a sport where you are only shooting 2 rds at a time, what's the benefit of getting a semi auto ?

Where is the money difference in over under guns ?

The same thing happened to me on the first time out! The second time is much better. I shoot clays with a Benelli Montefeltro, which is the same gun that I will use to hunt with.

 

[possumman]

How much do you want to spend,you can probably get a decent semi-auto Beretta or Benelli for under $1000 but a really decent O\U will probably be a bit more spendy. They rent those Berettas because they are stone reliable and just run and run.By the way if you are in Whitemarsh area clays can be shot reasonably on Saturdays at Hopewell Fish and game in Shrewsbury or Littlestown F&G just north of Westminster, or Oxford Gun Club on Sundays- shorter drive than Pintail and nice folks at all those clubs, and it is a money raiser for them all-and all just over the border in PA. 23 out of 50 is not bad for first time out. I post the Littlestown schedule on this forum from time to time but have a tough time getting any responses-you can't beat the price $12 /round for non members

 

[JCB003]

Jeep - if you take the bayonet off you'll probably do better.

 

[STeveZ]

The Beretta 390/391 or Remington 1100/1187 are great choices for sporting clays and 5-stand. They can be found used in the $500-1000 range w/ the Remingtons nearer the bottom of the range and the Berettas nearer the top.

A semi-auto is typically less expensive and arguably a little more versatile than an O/U of similar quality. You have the advantage of a third shot and recoil will be mitigated somewhat.

Many shooters feel an O/U handles better than an auto. It will be more reliable and you won't feel the gun cycling a couple inches from your nose. An O/U allows you to remove and hang onto your empties, a big plus for shooters who reload.

Hopewell, just over the border in PA does a brisk 5-stand business on Thursday evenings. Loch Raven also has 5-stand most days that they are open. PG County has 5-stand and sporting clays. All are closer than Pintail.

You can find them all here: http://www.claytargetsonline.com/index.php

 

[blackthorne]

I've shot sporting since the beginning and currently shoot about 10,000 tagets a year. I've been through many guns, so here's my take.

Auto - They are inexpensive, lower recoil and most are somewhat adjustable with the LOP and shims for the DAC and cast. The downside is chasing hulls, more frequent cleaning and one choke. The one choke is thought by some to be a disadvantage when you have two targets at different distances. Even so, some of the best shooters in the country shoot autos. The hands-down most popular auto is the Beretta 391 sporting with a 30" bbl. Very reliable - very good gun. If you go with an autoloader, I would not consider anything else.

O/U - These have the advantage of two chokes, better triggers and better balance. Less frequent cleaning is involved. There are many more choices in O/Us for sporting than there are in autos. It would be difficult not to be able to find a decent O/U to fit you out of the box. Recoil is a bit more, but that's a minor thing, as most guys shoot one ounce loads in guns that fit them and that minimizes recoil. Another advantage for O/Us is that you can buy tube sets ot inserts so you can shoot small gauges in the same gun. There are a lot of O/Us on the market and a lot of them are not designed to hold up to the rigors of taget shooting. Forget the Turkish guns, the cheaper Italian guns or any of the typical sub $1K guns sold at big box stores. Beretta 680 series sporters and Browning Citori sporters are considered to be the best of the lower cost O/Us. Don't even consider anything of lesser quality. If this is what you budget allows, then get the Beretta 391. Most shoot 30" or 32" bbls. I mostly shoot a 32" K80, but also have a dozen others to play with.

Don't rush right out to buy a gun. Shoot a few first in order to get a feel for what you want. PG Trap & Skeet rents both Beretta autos and O/Us. It's a great facility.

Cost-wise, 391s run from about $700 in the used market to just under $2K for a new top of the line model. Browning Citori and Beretta 682 O/Us run from $1500 in the used market to just under $3K in a new gun. Upper end O/Us, such as K80s and Perazzis start at 4X as much and up. In between there are Guerinis, Rizzinis and a few other guns. Lots to choose from.

 

[Bart_man]

Jeep,

I was taught 20 years ago on a Remington 1100 Semi-auto. I suppose the real benefit would be that you are practicing on the Gun that you would take into the field to bird hunt. Where a semi-auto with more than two shots could be an advantage.

 

[RetNavyHD]

Shoot what feels and fits you best!!! Two chokes is not an advantage focus on the target.I shoot a 391 and have been for years....choose wisely and have fun.

 

[davsco]

semi auto reduces the felt recoil. i shot sporting clays last friday, used my benelli sbe2, and buddies had an over/under and a pump. their shoulders were tender when we were done and i didn't feel a thing.

 

[JeepDriver]

I've shot sporting since the beginning and currently shoot about 10,000 tagets a year. I've been through many guns, so here's my take.

Auto - They are inexpensive, lower recoil and most are somewhat adjustable with the LOP and shims for the DAC and cast. The downside is chasing hulls, more frequent cleaning and one choke. The one choke is thought by some to be a disadvantage when you have two targets at different distances. Even so, some of the best shooters in the country shoot autos. The hands-down most popular auto is the Beretta 391 sporting with a 30" bbl. Very reliable - very good gun. If you go with an autoloader, I would not consider anything else.

O/U - These have the advantage of two chokes, better triggers and better balance. Less frequent cleaning is involved. There are many more choices in O/Us for sporting than there are in autos. It would be difficult not to be able to find a decent O/U to fit you out of the box. Recoil is a bit more, but that's a minor thing, as most guys shoot one ounce loads in guns that fit them and that minimizes recoil. Another advantage for O/Us is that you can buy tube sets ot inserts so you can shoot small gauges in the same gun. There are a lot of O/Us on the market and a lot of them are not designed to hold up to the rigors of taget shooting. Forget the Turkish guns, the cheaper Italian guns or any of the typical sub $1K guns sold at big box stores. Beretta 680 series sporters and Browning Citori sporters are considered to be the best of the lower cost O/Us. Don't even consider anything of lesser quality. If this is what you budget allows, then get the Beretta 391. Most shoot 30" or 32" bbls. I mostly shoot a 32" K80, but also have a dozen others to play with.

Don't rush right out to buy a gun. Shoot a few first in order to get a feel for what you want. PG Trap & Skeet rents both Beretta autos and O/Us. It's a great facility.

Cost-wise, 391s run from about $700 in the used market to just under $2K for a new top of the line model. Browning Citori and Beretta 682 O/Us run from $1500 in the used market to just under $3K in a new gun. Upper end O/Us, such as K80s and Perazzis start at 4X as much and up. In between there are Guerinis, Rizzinis and a few other guns. Lots to choose from.

I was interested in O/U guns for the look and lower required maintenance. I'm a buy once cry once guy, if I get an O/U it will be a quality gun, I just don't know where the line is for quality vs over kill. Beretta vs Browning vs Ruger Red Label ?

I was shooting the 391 Beretta, it was filthy when I got it and it never missed a beat while I was shooting it. The grip felt odd at first, but I settled into it. All in all a really nice gun. I want to look at and shoot a few Benelli guns,as well as a Remington Versa Max.

I'm in research mode, and want to shoot more guns and see if there is something that fits me better. I'm in no rush to buy, I've got enough other projects in the works that a $1500+ purchase isn't going to happen for another 6 months.

Thank you for the advise.

 

[joppaj]

I don't know a thing about this, but I'm tracking the thread out of interest. I'll be interested in the Beretta vs Browning vs Ruger Red Label question.

 

[Mason-Dixon Baseball]

How much do you want to spend,you can probably get a decent semi-auto Beretta or Benelli for under $1000 but a really decent O\U will probably be a bit more spendy. They rent those Berettas because they are stone reliable and just run and run.By the way if you are in Whitemarsh area clays can be shot reasonably on Saturdays at Hopewell Fish and game in Shrewsbury or Littlestown F&G just north of Westminster, or Oxford Gun Club on Sundays- shorter drive than Pintail and nice folks at all those clubs, and it is a money raiser for them all-and all just over the border in PA. 23 out of 50 is not bad for first time out. I post the Littlestown schedule on this forum from time to time but have a tough time getting any responses-you can't beat the price $12 /round for non members

I shot a round at Hopewell a couple weeks ago-- first time ever for sporting clays. 21/50 with a 30" full choke pump ( yeah- I know it's not the best gun for it). How does their course compare to others? Nice people and decent prices-- nice club...

 

[blackthorne]

Forget the Ruger, they have lots of issues IMO. The Beretta and Browning have different feels. Both are good guns. I prefer the Brownings, as they come in many more versions and the triggers are better for me. Some prefer the Beretta due to the lower profile receiver. You need to shoot both and then decide. Both have the same longevity.

If you go to a few sporting clays shoots, you will see that 95% of the autoloader shooters shoot Beretta 391s. O/Us are a different story depending on what people can afford. If money was not an object, I would think that 95% of the O/U guys would be shooting K80s. That is not to say that other guns won't do well, but the K80 is as good as it gets.

 

[SCARCQB]

You will do much better with an M16 with a Beta-C drum.... For some reason, Guys like you and me have no sporting purpose.

 

[rj1974]

Ive only been trap/skeet (no i dont know the difference) shooting once. I used a 1897 Winchester trench gun . I didnt do too bad

 

[lx1x]

You will do much better with an M16 with a Beta-C drum.... For some reason, Guys like you and me have no sporting purpose.

come on.. its fun.. give it a try..

its more fun than shooting clays w/ 22lr at 100 yards..

 

[PapiBarcelona]

I shot a round at Hopewell a couple weeks ago-- first time ever for sporting clays. 21/50 with a 30" full choke pump ( yeah- I know it's not the best gun for it). How does their course compare to others? Nice people and decent prices-- nice club...

Sporting Clays on the Eastern Shore, at a place like Pintail Point is similar to golf. You actually stand in real gazebos, there are ponds with well maintained scenery, land. The downside is it costs a lot more than $15 or whatever. Most of the clubs that offer sporting clays on this side of the Chesapeake in this general "area" is not much more than lame cheap practice. I did Hopewell Sporting Clays before, and you don't even walk far enough. LOL

Don't mean to sound too ignorant and nasty, or some sort of shotgun snob but that's just what it is.

 

[possumman]

Walk? half the guys drive their little UTVs with seats for four and gun racks,although last time I was at Hopewell we walked plenty--Hopewell,Littlestown, Mayberry are all small private clubs that have Sporting Clays as a fund raiser--Oxford is a little grander but still a small club, they could all use use your support-Sporting Clays for the working guy,and you can still get a $3 cheeseburger at any of them.

 

[Mason-Dixon Baseball]

Sporting Clays on the Eastern Shore, at a place like Pintail Point is similar to golf. You actually stand in real gazebos, there are ponds with well maintained scenery, land. The downside is it costs a lot more than $15 or whatever. Most of the clubs that offer sporting clays on this side of the Chesapeake in this general "area" is not much more than lame cheap practice. I did Hopewell Sporting Clays before, and you don't even walk far enough. LOL

Don't mean to sound too ignorant and nasty, or some sort of shotgun snob but that's just what it is.

That's what I was guessing-- I did not have any reference since it was my first time shooting sporting clays--- Hopewell's sporting clay track, nice as the club seems, seemed a little sparse to me... But $12 and a $3 tip (is that about right for a puller's tip???) is still a good deal.... I guess it's like playing a cheap golf course--- conditions might not be as nice but you're still playing golf....