For Xmas, my lovely wife has organised me and a couple of mates an afternoon of sweet shotgun action.
I’ve been wanting to get into this for a while now but covid has buggered the idea more than a few times. Fingers crossed, we’re booked in for next week to have a private introductory course. I can’t fuking wait.
My mates are just looking to have a crack but I am looking to take up the discipline seriously. I’ve had a few goes at it on a mates farm over the years and found it is sooo addictive!
I’ve spent the last week studying shottys until my eyes went square to find a gun that will cover all disciplines for a starter and have tentatively concluded that anything that’s obviously U/O and 30" or longer, low to medium rib, in a sporting setup with a set of interchangeable screw in chokes should do the job.
Please correct me if I’m wrong.
So far my new gun of choice would be the very sexy Beretta 690 Black edition. It seems to tick all, or most boxes and it in my under 5k price bracket. I might be able to squeeze the purse a bit more for the adjustable stock version if I do all my chores around the house this week. Lol.
I like the idea of their forever servicing and free fitting service as well. The resale seems pretty good too, not that I’ll ever sell it.
I don’t really get into the fancy engraving of field scenes or bunches of grapes. I Love the black look and the orange inlays honestly give me a chub being my fave colour!
I’m happy to go with a second hand gun with better specs if I can find one but I think new is always better.
So any of you guys really into clays? Any pointers would be great.
Any suggestions on other guns?
Pros/cons of Berettas?
Its a lot of money for a first gun, but they are nice to shoot. Dollar for dollar against the equivalent Miroku/Browning I don’t feel and see the difference at that rate, but certainly there is some positive difference, like balance/handling/point. Materials they seem the same, very durable compared to the turks.
Do you have land? Do your mates? A 12v thrower with at least a 50 clay stack is the best investment I made. In fact I made it twice, one with a wobbler to spice it up.
I reckon you’ve got your heart set on that particular Beretta and you won’t go for anything else, but in case you do have a look try a Miroku/Browning. The money you save could buy you a pair of throwers two 12v batteries and years worth of clays.
Fun Fact: Beretta is the oldest company in the world 1526. I might buy one in 2026 as a 500 year anniversary model. Just because its the only thing to have a 500 year anniversary!
I got Into clays a bit a few years ago, you’ve really got to get the rifle shooter out of you and start from a fresh I found especially if you want to compete seriously. I’m personally a huge fan of the older berettas like the s56e’s and the s55’s but I couldn’t find one I liked so bought a silver pigeon 1 which is a great ’ entry ’ level shotgun and has served me well. You just need to go into a shop and handle a bunch of guns and see which fits you, you may go into the shop and handle the gun you like and find its not quite right.
It depends on your build as to generally what brand suits you, beretta tend to be thinner guns, and browning a little heavier and chunkier I’m a beretta man and wouldn’t have it any other way
I haven’t set anything in stone yet. Another problem is that I’m a lefty and that slims the pickings some what.
I’ve had a feel of a L/H Browning B725 pro and it was a lovely gun. Around the same price and does have an adj. stock too.
I can’t find a 690 L/H in any shops around Melbourne either though to shoulder up to. Another point for the Beretta is the fitting service as it’s in dandenong which is my side of town.
I’ve had a few guys warn me away from Turkish guns. Not as good over the long term for competition use… so they said anyway.
I don’t have enough land to shoot on and the land I could use is just too far away to make it a day trip so that buggers that idea.
Im not a clay shooter at all but been around the traps a bit as a clay club shares our range. From my limited experience and those of other people trying it out the sporter shotguns are not really the best gun for the job. The clay target guys say that there shottys have a higher rib. The people using the sporters tend to shoot under the clays pretty consistently.
FWIW, I started to go down the rabbit hole a couple of years ago. If your going to spend that sort of coin, decide what discipline you want to shoot first, whilst a sporter is a great all around gun, if you specifially want to shoot DTL or skeet, you might want a different gun.
being my fave colour!