what shotgun??

Initiate Joined: Dec 16, 2010 Posts: 37

looking to buy a shotgun for trap and clay shooting. i want to stay under $500... in the 400 range would be nice, i want 12ga. what do you recommend?

Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 8:53 pm

Remington 870 express with a wood stock. I picked mine up about a year and half ago for 383 out the door with a very nice shotgun case. Only issue i have had with it is it doesn't like aluminum hulled shells. they expand too much when shot and get jammed in the chamber. The only thing i added to it was a R3 recoil pad. I have no issues shooting it all day long and then move the next morning lol

Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 9:30 pm

I use my 870 for everything...trap, sporting clays, ducks, deer.....pretty versatile, and there are tons of accessories for it. mine was under $400 new, and I got the combo, that came with a 26" bird barrel, and a 20" rifled barrel.

Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 9:45 pm

Personally I would NOT use a Rem 870 for Sporting Clays. Its not too bad for a Trap gun, but far from ideal.

I'm not saying the 870 is a bad gun, it is, in fact, a great gun. But the games of Trap and Sporting Clays require lots of fast follow up shots and the pump action is really not conducive to those sports. Mossberg makes some modest price over-unders, as does CZ. I'd suggest those over the 870 if Trap and Sporting Clays will be frequent tasks for this gun.

Private Joined: Jan 08, 2008 Posts: 135

melensdad wrote:

Personally I would NOT use a Rem 870 for Sporting Clays. Its not too bad for a Trap gun, but far from ideal.

I'm not saying the 870 is a bad gun, it is, in fact, a great gun. But the games of Trap and Sporting Clays require lots of fast follow up shots and the pump action is really not conducive to those sports. Mossberg makes some modest price over-unders, as does CZ. I'd suggest those over the 870 if Trap and Sporting Clays will be frequent tasks for this gun.

I'd also suggest an 870 as a first shotgun. I actually own 2 of them. I also have a Mossberg Silver Reserve. It is a very nice o/u in the $500 range. It's also a great piece but the 870 is so versatile and parts can be aquired at many local shops.

Private Joined: Feb 15, 2010 Posts: 110

If you like the 870 you should check out the 887. It is a very similar gun but I like the red and green beads on it. It helps line up the shot quickly. Also, it is light and the metal is covered in a rust/scratch proof material which makes cleaning a lot easier.

Corporal Joined: May 24, 2010 Posts: 320

+1 on a double barrel. The added barrel weight also makes painting the birds much smoother.

Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 11:14 am

I have to agree that an O/U and Autoloader are on my wish list...(as is at least one of everything). My 870 is my first, and currently only, shotgun, so it will get you started at an inexpensive price. Once I do get another shotgun, I'm planning on putting a Timney trigger group in the 870 and making it exclusively a deer/turkey gun.

Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:39 pm

That is my 870 no frills I learned how to shoot clays with a pump, I can send the shots off as fast as an autoloader. If you want to have a cheap gun get a 870 if you want an autoloader get an 1187 but you will pay 500+ for that 1187... O/U you can get some cheap ~400 on up to ~10k. I like cheap no frills if I drop it its not the end of the world. Hell when it jammed up on me I was beating the butt on the ground as hard as I could to get it to eject the spent shell.

Member **Founders Club** Joined: Dec 12, 2007 Posts: 4436

How much ammo is that?

Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 10:50 pm

I'd guess 1000 shells.

Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 11:02 pm

500 shells 810 clays, i shoot with 3 guys and one guy has a 20ga which he buys his own ammo, everyone else rotates the purchase through out the year. that there might last 2 hours maybe 3 tops

Initiate Joined: Apr 28, 2010 Posts: 46

I hear that...My dad and I went and shot some clays a few weeks ago. First time I ever fired a shotgun, let alone shot at clays, my dad's first time shooting a gun in 20+yrs. We burned through the 50rnds we had in about 15 minutes.

We went to the free range down at the DesPlaines conservation area and used a hand held tosser, we hit 7 clays with those 50rnds. But I dont either one of us stopped laughing the entire time we were shooting.

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:46 pm

Thats where i go Ryan, meeting up with 3 friends next weekend. Get there around 8am and shoot till we run out. Anyone is more than welcome to come hang out. If you do pm me and ill give you a description of my car and my number

Member **Founders Club** Joined: Dec 12, 2007 Posts: 4436

RyanAnderson wrote:

I hear that...My dad and I went and shot some clays a few weeks ago. First time I ever fired a shotgun, let alone shot at clays, my dad's first time shooting a gun in 20+yrs. We burned through the 50rnds we had in about 15 minutes.

We went to the free range down at the DesPlaines conservation area and used a hand held tosser, we hit 7 clays with those 50rnds. But I dont either one of us stopped laughing the entire time we were shooting.

Where is that?