Shotgun Advice needed

[Gunner11 0]

Hi all,

 

Could do with some advice on shotguns, I am all new on them as I use air rifles and might consider getting one ( I am aware that u need a certificate )

 

Maybe some recommendations and prices.

Could do with some info on the good makes and the bad makes... u know what I mean

 

Many thanks

 

Calvin

Edited March 19, 2011 by Gunner11

[dazzz 421]

a lot is down to personal choice,, i like berreta's myself but browning,miroku, along with beretta are probably the best you will get without going into very big money, you could pick a second hand gun up of the above makes for £650 ish upwards somthing like a berreta 686, if thats to expensive then look at lanber, winchester, webely, etc then you are looking around £300 upwards for a decent 2nd hand model, you need to decice on barrel length and fixed or muliti choke, decide your budget then get down to your shop (as many shops as posible) and get hold of as many guns as you can, all gun's handle different so with a bit of sound advice you should find some suit beter than others,, good luck with your choice

[leepieman123 8]

carnt go wrong with a baikal mate,cheap,strong very relible good guns well built

[lee8375dogs 9]

her her mate baikal all day good cheap guns

 

 

[halamrose 24]

Shotguns don't have proper sights like rifles so it's important that they line up naturally - this is called gun fit. Take a lesson to understand fit and eye dominance and get you hitting a few things then think about what you want th gun for.

 

My way was to buy a cheep (£50) over and under without too much choke to see if I like shottys or not. Turns out I like shooting clays but prefer a rifle for bunnies.

 

12 bore is cheapest to feed, smaller cartridges don't sell in such numbers.

 

Halam

[mjr88 50]

Shotguns don't have proper sights like rifles so it's important that they line up naturally

 

Gunner11

 

As i've only been shooting shotguns for a couple of years, i think that halamrose's above comment is spot on. As a rifle shooter for many years i had nothing but trouble trying to hit where i aimed when i bought my first shotgun , a Lanber Sporting Delux 12g o/u. This gun was solely bought for Game shooting. I had a few clay pigeon lessons and i also invested in a couple of hours professional tuition. But the gun just didn't seem to fit me.

 

Basically, over the next couple of years i had very limited success with the Lanber, especially when i was trying to hit our feathered friend the wood pigeon.The final nail in the Lanbers coffin came when a pigeon landed in a nearby tree about 10 yards or so from where i was standing. This shot i couldn't miss could i ? Yes , you've guessed it i missed the damm thing. I really couldn't understand how such a close shot could be missed with a 12g shotgun.

 

Anyway, the turning point came when i went out with a mate on one of his permissions and we spent a few hours shooting pigeons. This time i was using his Bennelli semi auto ( first time i had ever used a semi auto ) To say i was shocked is a complete understatement. I literally hit everything that i aimed at and ended up with about 15 pigeons and a couple of crows. I think that the reason i was so more comfortable with the Semi Auto was because it had a raised Barrel rib that when lined up with the front sight gave me the feeling that i was shooting a rifle once again & gives a aim point at the quarry, and obviously it must have fitted me better too.

 

I then decided to trade in my Lanber and treated myself to a brand new Winchester SX3 Composite 12g. This Gun also has the raised barrel rib and like the Bennelli is extremely accurate ( for me anyway ) and the recoil is totally non existent.

 

The point i'm really trying to make is , Gun fit and the general feel of any weapon is paramount. Get down to your local gun shop and handle as many as you can.

 

Here is a photo of the SX3 Composite 12g ,

 

John.

 

Edited March 23, 2011 by mjr88

[markha 99]

Decide what you want it for, clays, rough shooting, crows, bunnies, pigeons etc.

 

In its simplest:

clay guns tend to have slightly heaver, slightly longer barrels,32", not always good for a day walking round fields.

 

'sporters' tend to be a bit lighter with shorter barrels 26" - 28" good for a day walking round fields

semi autos - great for pigeons, rabbits, crows etc, good field gun

 

 

I dont want to get in to anything about whether over and under or side by side is the best, ita all a bit of a muchness really.

 

semi-autos on a clay or game shoot gets frowned on as its deemed not sporting, but hey, I have .

 

Main thing is that it fits you well and as other have said with regard to pointing/aiming, you 'point' a shotgun and not aim it like a rifle, so fit is extremely important and can never be stressed enough, better to have a well fitting gun than trying to learn to shoot one that doesnt fit.

[halamrose 24]

I cant buy a gun by how it feels in the shop. I get so exited which totally suspends brain function so I buy rubbish guns and have fun sorting them out.

[Gunner11 0]

Cheers everyone for your helpful comments

 

 

Much appreciated