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Over Under Shotgun

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helo18 View Drop Down
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    Posted: February/09/2020 at 17:57
I am looking for a good over under shotgun.  What do you recommend?  

Price - Don't want to spend $5000 on one unless it is really going to be worth it.  I don't do as much hunting with shotguns and don't have experience so don't need something overly costly I dont think, but want something good.  Would rather buy once, cry once than be unhappy and have to keep looking for another shotgun. I will be debt free of all cars, student loans, etc by the end of the month and have some other guns I am selling to fund this but if you are going to recommend one that is super expensive, I need to know why I should spend that.

Uses - Upland game bird, duck, etc and skeet or trap for fun.  Would like one that will cross over if possible.

One thing I hate about most shotguns is length of pull.  Most are in the 14-1/2 range and just does not feel right to me.  Too long and cant shoulder it or shoot it well.Browning Citori CXS Micro is one I have been looking at due to this.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/09/2020 at 18:10
Beretta Silver Pigeon 12 gauge... I prefer the 30 inch for some extra distance.  I never missed a dove with it.  Wish I had mine back... one of my regrets...  Best over/under I ever put my hands on.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/09/2020 at 18:51
Always get a 14 inch LOP or better......  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/09/2020 at 18:54
Originally posted by Son of Ed Son of Ed wrote:

Always get a 14 inch LOP or better......  

What's the reasoning?
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/09/2020 at 23:00
Ed...

Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Longhunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 02:38
My first advice would be to find a skeet range, and do some regular shooting there.  Most shooters are friendly and helpful.  This will let you try different shotguns, develop your shooting skills, and find out what works for you.

Shotgunning is an instinctive sport.  If your shotgun doesn’t fit you right, you will do a whole lot of missing.  If your stock is too long, when you go hunting you will find it catching on your coat or under your arm when you try to bring it up.  If it is too short, the recoil will be painful and it will pull away from your shoulder on crossing shots.  No one can tell you what your shotgun stock or barrel length should be unless they know you and work with you. One advantage O/U’s and some semi-autos do have is that you can alter length of pull somewhat by moving your hand further out or further back on the fore-end.  However, this does shift the point of balance. 

We’ve fitted an O/U to a smaller-framed family member.  He chose 26" barrels, and added a recoil pad.  Overall stock length (with the pad) was also reduced by ½".  He shoots it very, very well and very quickly because it fits him.
 
The flip side of this is that any alteration of your shotgun stock (even to fit a recoil pad) can reduce the resale value of your gun.  And any shotgun that differs from the norm will be far more difficult to resell and will fetch a lower price.
  
Over/unders are pretty and classy, but they come with their own set of problems (selectors, triggers, only two shots, and twice as many barrels to clean).  An O/U will not break any more targets or kill any more birds than a pump or semi-auto. 

I would not lay out serious coin for an over/under shotgun until you know pretty specifically what works or doesn’t work for you.  You can buy a cheap Remington pump, experiment all you like, and then sell it for much less than the cost of making a mistake on an O/U.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 07:10
I have a rem 870 tactical and a benelli m4. Mostly they have been just been in the safe or by the bed.  I also have a single shot youth 20 ga that feels comfortable to me. It isn't that I don't have some, just that I don't shoot them much because they dont feel right to me. 

I am 5' 8" but grew up having short stocks on rifles and such since I was about 4' when I started hunting and shooting. I also have broad shoulders but shorter arms so long length of pull is uncomfortable.
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scrumbag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 11:15
Fit is the most important thing, whatever you buy.

Scrummy
Was sure I had a point when I started this post...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 11:25
Try several at stores to find your fit. Close your eyes before throwing the shotgun to your shoulder. Then open your eyes. When you find one where you are looking flat down the rib. Get it, or get the measurements. I have a passion for my Ruger Red Label. Perfect fit for me. Not quite as expensive but a reliable shooter. A field shotgun need not be fancy to shoot. A fancy shotgun is good to look at, but you spend too much worrying that it will get marred or scratched taking it into the field.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 11:50
I bet Doug (tahqua) and Kevin (Coyote95) have some good advice. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyote95 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 15:24
Andrew, this is a tough one !  I really like my Beretta's because of the gauge specific frame sizes and they make some of the slimmer actions but you would have to cut some wood off of the butt stock because it looks like they don't have youth stocks. No big deal in my opinion.  I would also mention the SKB 690 series. I picked one up a few years back in 28 gauge and thought it was a very nice gun for the money with similar lines to the Beretta 686 28 ga that I have. It does come in a youth model also.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Longhunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 17:18
Berettas and SKBs are good O/U shotguns.  So are Rugers, but they aren't currently making them.
Browning has disappointed me on several occasions when repair services or supplies were needed.

On stock length, you could try fitting a 1/4" recoil pad with a 1/4" overall length reduction.
This would let you restore it to normal length by changing to a 1/2" pad if you sell it.  

I wouldn't do more than 3/8" overall reduction with a 1/4" pad.  This could be brought back to normal with a spacer and 1" recoil pad.  The 1/2" reduction I mentioned was for a family member not much over 5'2".  Once you are happy with  your stock length and shotgun, you can do whatever you want with it. 

Please understand that changing your stock length or adding a recoil pad can change the shotgun's balance and possibly its point of impact.  Not all shotguns shoot where they should in the first  place, even with one barrel, much less two.

You wanted an all-around shotgun.  A 20 gauge with one ounce of shot will do everything that needs to be done on upland birds, skeet, and possibly trap unless you are a competition shooter (international trap loads cannot exceed 7/8 ounce).  A 20 is lighter, handier, and easier to swing.  You will need a 12 for ducks and geese, however, because of the steel shot requirement.  We shot lots of geese with one shot kills using 20 gauges and one ounce loads of buffered #4 hard lead shot before steel shot was required.   Note that Coyote95 seems to be happy with his 28 gauge.  (This tells me he's probably a good shot with a good bit of experience.)
 
  

  


Edited by Longhunter - February/10/2020 at 18:16
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/10/2020 at 20:17
Originally posted by helo18 helo18 wrote:

Originally posted by Son of Ed Son of Ed wrote:

Always get a 14 inch LOP or better......  

What's the reasoning?

It fits. Otherwise you hit your lip with your thumb when it goes off. That's why most shotguns come with a long LOP unless it's a Remington....



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 05:00
Longhunter,

What issues did you run into with Browning? More so thinking what happened to the firearm that needed repair. 

Altering the stock could be an option although if it has a 14-1/2 lop I would be looking at almost an inch coming off to get the feel comfortable. 
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 07:37
A lot of good advice here. I'm no shotgun expert, but what I have learned from the experts has helped a lot. Longhunter has good advice about going to a skeet/trap range a getting help from the guys that break lots of birds. This will help you look for a shotgun that fits you. getting the right stance, and finding a shotgun that fit me were the biggest things that helped me break more birds.
Now that I have a shotgun that fits me; a Ruger Red Label 2nd issue, my problems are correct lead, and the jerk behind the trigger.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 08:00
I have a max-5 browning cynergy I use for duck hunting...... but 3.5" shells punish on both ends with it!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 18:41
How are the CZ shotguns?

Will a 3" 20 ga be enough for geese or duck if I ever decide to try that ?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 19:54
Originally posted by helo18 helo18 wrote:

How are the CZ shotguns?

Will a 3" 20 ga be enough for geese or duck if I ever decide to try that ?

I have a CZ Mallard, accuracy is great.  Really not bad for a cheaper shotgun.  No real complaints other than the action requires a "bump" to open after firing.  Probably doesn't happen on all of them, just my curse with CZ products.  Not a show stopper... I would buy the same shotgun again... it's that good in accuracy. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 19:59
Originally posted by Kickboxer Kickboxer wrote:

Originally posted by helo18 helo18 wrote:

How are the CZ shotguns?

Will a 3" 20 ga be enough for geese or duck if I ever decide to try that ?

I have a CZ Mallard, accuracy is great.  Really not bad for a cheaper shotgun.  No real complaints other than the action requires a "bump" to open after firing.  Probably doesn't happen on all of them, just my curse with CZ products.  Not a show stopper... I would buy the same shotgun again... it's that good in accuracy. 


Range is much different with a 12, but 20 gauge WILL kill geese and ducks.  Back in the day, 10 gauge was considered a "goose gun".  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Longhunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/11/2020 at 20:24
Originally posted by helo18 helo18 wrote:

Longhunter,

What issues did you run into with Browning? More so thinking what happened to the firearm that needed repair. 

Altering the stock could be an option although if it has a 14-1/2 lop I would be looking at almost an inch coming off to get the feel comfortable. 

I had a nice Remington 870 20 gauge pump, but also wanted and bought my "dream shotgun"...a factory new original Browning Liege Lightning 20 gauge O/U with 3" chambers.  It swung and pointed like a dream...but on cold mornings the inertia trigger malfunctioned and it became a frustrating single-shot gun.  (Imagine that on a quail shoot when the second bird takes off!)  

I sent it back to Browning for repair (several times as I recall).  They sent it back "repaired", but the inertia trigger continued to malfunction.   It was a "one-shot wonder" on cold mornings.  I finally gave up, and sold it.  

I also tried to get extra keys for an expensive Browning gun case.  They didn't have them!

Effective stock length depends on a number of things, including the shape of the pistol grip.  You don't want to base your judgement just on the nominal length.




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