What is wrong with me?

Ksmirk

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Ok after the sporting clays shoot last weekend I think this is something I might enjoy to do more of here and there as I had a good time and what good country boy doesn't like shooting a shotgun? my problem comes when I start looking at O/U shotguns and dang they really don't fit this country boys budget! and the thing that makes things worse is I want an O/U in 410 or 28ga! why do I do these things to myself I wonder. I grew up with a 410 and still have it and use it for quail and doves, yeah I've got a couple of 12ga but besides pheasant and 3 gun stuff I really don't like the 12ga.

While in Academy this evening I saw a Yildiz O/U is 410, choke tubes and LIGHT! came to the shoulder like it was supposed to be there and $500 price tag which is more so in the country boys budget but I don't know much about them so any information would be great if you have any to offer and can someone who knows the sporting clays game let me know if a 410 or 28ga is something that will work, I know it will not be as easy as say a 20 or 12ga but I've never been the guy that like to do things the easy way :)

Thanks fella's! Later,

Kirk
 

Ksmirk

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Oh Dennis I'd have to shoot on the regular range :72: I'd not feel right if I didn't shoot the big boy range with my little gun LOL Later,

Kirk
 

dennishoddy

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Oh Dennis I'd have to shoot on the regular range :72: I'd not feel right if I didn't shoot the big boy range with my little gun LOL Later,

Kirk

That is why I'm wanting to take the Sweet 16, to the big boy range. I've killed more dove with my H&R single shot .410 than I'll ever take with the high end 12's. :D

Its the challenge that is sweet. :D
 

sefentress

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If you like it shoot it! The 28 is much more effective than the .410, almost as effective as the 20. Sub guage courses are set up with easier/closer targets than their regular courses. IF and thats a big IF, you could find a Brand name used gun for say $650 it would be a better buy!
 

Ksmirk

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I've wanted a 28ga since I shot my grandfathers brothers SXS don't recall the brand but it was older then I am now and that was 31 years ago :) it was probably the slickest little quail gun I have ever put my hands on. I really enjoy my 410, it's an old Iver Johnson single shot but dang those shells are expensive! I would have taken it to shoot the sporting clays but the true doubles would have killed me.

Most of the 28ga shotguns I have seen or at least the O/U start in the $800 and go UP! I messed with a little CZ but something just didn't feel right probably my monkey arms and the LOP was too short. I think my best bet would be to just find a 20ga. so that it would be reasonable to feed and you can pick up shells anywhere. I guess I just need to see if I can find some folks I could meet that might have a 410 and 28ga and just see if it would work for me, I know I WANT either a 410 or 28ga but wants and needs are two different things. Later,

Kirk
 

shootist

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Expect the 28 ga ammo to be at least as expensive as the .410 and possibly difficult to find much of a selection of shot sizes and payload weights.
 

Ksmirk

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I was looking at shells the other day and I saw some 2 1/2" 410 shells, I didn't even know they made these still! I don't think I have ever shot these before can anyone give any feedback on these how they would compair to the 3" shells?

Academy had a pretty good selection of the 28ga AA shells and even had several 410 AA shells BUT they were $9-$14 a box. I don't load for shotgun so realistically I might be better off just going with an ol' boring 20ga.

Guys that actually shoot sporting clays, skeet, trap care to offer any suggestions please. Later,

Kirk
 

shootist

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2 1/2" is pretty much the standard for .410 clays shooting as well as quail, dove, rabbits and squirrels. These are most of the practical uses for the .410 due to the small amount of shot they can handle. The 3" hulls allow for a slightly heavier payload of shot, but not a lot, and most people seem to find that they don't pattern well, and although more pellets go out the end of the barrel, not many of those extra few pellets end up in the effective downrange pattern. Hope this helps some. Rick
 

Jefpainthorse

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Learn to reload. Factory .410 and 28 is a little spendy. IMHO, for upland bird hunting and clay shooting (skeet especially) the 28 may be perfect.

It never caught on with hunters... as a 12 Gauge will do it all with the right loads.

I guess those 3 inch shells have a place... but over the years millions of grouse, pheasants, ducks, turkeys etc fell to the shorter versions. Steel shot really makes the longer hulls shine as steel shot need more volume to be effective compared to the heavier lead- that's banned over many water- ways now days.

$500 for a mid range double gun? Not so bad... go price out a 870 Wingmaster (not the Express) or any nice Pump or Semi auto (other than the "big box price leader version)... you will spend a lot more....
 

Ksmirk

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I load Jeff just not shotgun, I really don't shoot enough to justify purchasing a loader BUT seeing the prices of the 410 and 28ga and if I shot twice a month I could see it would have to happen as I can't load for the price of 12ga stuff I'll be shooting in 3 gun. I don't think I have ever shot the 2 1/2" 410 shells maybe I should give them a try.

I went up to H&H today just to take a look at the O/U shotguns and DAMN! I just don't understand the pricing I guess as I could get a very nice semi in the $900 - $1100 but an O/U is just getting started at $1100, SxS are high but not like the O/U's. I did see a Stoger that felt pretty good but I don't know a thing about them. I did read some good reviews on the Yildiz shotguns and with the amount of rounds I'll guess me to shoot a year that might be the way I go.

Do you fella's know if there is a sporting clays place that has the sub gauge shotguns one could either rent or borrow for a round or two? I'm thinking this might be my best bet before I just jump out there and get what I want. Guys thanks for the help! Later,

Kirk
 

Jefpainthorse

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Now that your looking... start shopping hard. Lot's of good doubles show up on the used market. I have stumbled across Ruger Red Lables in the past for very good prices. If your looking for a nice Italian high end or other European gun...bring your kid's college fund.

Stoeger.... for what they are. Very nice guns. I owned a O/U set for awile, that was sent out with a 12 and 20 gauge barrel. The trigger was awful ,it... even after I sent it back. So I traded it off. Mine was the exception - most I've handled seemed ok.

Remington and Mossberg sell a line of doubles they import from Turkey... and several other companies import the Turkish products under other retail names...most are pretty good for fit and finish...
 

Ksmirk

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KLG I checked out the link and it was helpful, thanks!

Jeff, yea I've got it figured out this boy is going to need to stash away some more pennies! I found a Stoeger with adjustable comb, 30" barrels, ported, with choke tubes in 20ga for a touch over $500. I would just hand it off to my buddy and tell him what I was going to shoot with it and then a fitting I should be shooting a little clay birdies.

I would be curious if any of the places rented small caliber shotguns to try out? I guess I need to make some phone calls as it would be really nice to try out a 410 and 28ga on clays before I dump the hard earned change on a shotgun.

Guys thanks a bunch you have been most helpful. Later,

Kirk
 

Dux-R-Us

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This is my opinion on buying a shotgun.

Ask yourself, how much will I shoot it? The difference between a $500 shotgun and a $3000 shotgun is the number of times you fire it until something breaks or goes wrong. There is a reason serioius shooters buy Kreighoffs for $12 k. They don't wear out or break, even in a lifetime.

Ultra Light weight shotguns are great for hunting, but on the target range they will beat the crap out of you and wear you down. Even a 28 or 20 guage with target loads will do it. If you are shooting a 100 or 200 target event, you will curse that 5 1/2 pound upland beauty.

If you hang around the shotgun range and get to know people (and you are not a jerk), most will allow you to shoot their guns. Mind you the guns probably won't fit you. It is a rare thing for an out of the box shotgun to properly fit, and one that is custom fitted to another person will be difficult to shoot.

tally ho!
 

dennishoddy

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This is my opinion on buying a shotgun.

Ask yourself, how much will I shoot it? The difference between a $500 shotgun and a $3000 shotgun is the number of times you fire it until something breaks or goes wrong. There is a reason serioius shooters buy Kreighoffs for $12 k. They don't wear out or break, even in a lifetime.

Ultra Light weight shotguns are great for hunting, but on the target range they will beat the crap out of you and wear you down. Even a 28 or 20 guage with target loads will do it. If you are shooting a 100 or 200 target event, you will curse that 5 1/2 pound upland beauty.

If you hang around the shotgun range and get to know people (and you are not a jerk), most will allow you to shoot their guns. Mind you the guns probably won't fit you. It is a rare thing for an out of the box shotgun to properly fit, and one that is custom fitted to another person will be difficult to shoot.

tally ho!

Very good post!
My citori upland12 ga, with 24" barrels at 5 3/4 lbs will work all day in the field after upland game, but will punish me at the trap range. I could put a recoil pad on it, but the wood is so beautiful, that I can't make myself cut the stock off.

I may have the only one, but my 1100 Rem has survived 10k round or so with only an o ring change. Bought it used in the early 80's, and did some serious trap shooting with it back in the day. Still in use to this day. I've noticed a hair line crack in the forearm a couple of years ago, but its not spreading.

Kurt Miller and I had a discussion about the Rems in general on another forum a long time ago.
 

Jefpainthorse

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I shoot a Remington 1187 Special Purpose (matte finish... wood furniture, sling swivels ...yea- sling swivels) as a skeet gun. Dennis is right... the extra weight makes that gun "swing" and follow through for me.

This gun followed me home with the intention of being a duck blind gun... but for me... it's "just right" as a skeet gun and shoots those low brass #8's all day long.

Still waiting for the O ring to wear out ....
 

boomerboy78

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im just a good old country boy and i really dont see anything wrong with you... all i see is a guy on a budget... a $12k gun or even a $3k gun is not gonna make you shoot any better specially if it doesnt fit right or feel right...a guy with a $500 gun can shoot just as good as guy with a $12k gun... it all comes down practice...
thats just my opinion...
 

Jeff T.

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...a guy with a $500 gun can shoot just as good as guy with a $12k gun... it all comes down practice...
thats just my opinion...

This is why I still have my Original $50 set of golf clubs,.. and my Original(gift) 12ga SxS shotgun..., why would I spend more money on better clubs or Shotgun, if I can't make the ones I have work right?
 

poopgiggle

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Guys that actually shoot sporting clays, skeet, trap care to offer any suggestions please.

My NSCA membership expired a while ago but here goes.

If you want to shoot sporting clays seriously, get a 12 gauge. It doesn't need to be a double gun. Some O/U snobs say that they have better balance and that you gain some advantage by being able to rig up different choke tubes for each shot; if you start saving your pennies now, you'll be able to afford a nice double gun by the time you're good enough for either of those to make a difference. You should be able to get into a perfectly good autoloader for the price of a junker Turkish or Russian O/U.

The abolutely most important thing is to get a gun that fits you, or have someone fit your gun to you. Unfortunately I have no idea who in OK does this. All the sporting clays instructors and clay-shooting-specialist gunsmiths that I know are in the Chicago area.

E: I have always wanted a 16 gauge, but the heydey of the 16 was about 20 years before I was born. I always thought the 12 gauge was too much gun for everything other than waterfowl or handicap trap, but never thought the 20 gauge was enough, and thought that a 16 would make a great sporting clays gun. Unfortunately it's so hard to find ammo for 16 gauge that I would stay away from one for a sporting clays gun unless you're going to reload 16 gauge shells.
 
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