New Shotgun

[alaska100]

looking for a new over and under 20 gauge. No competition shooting, strictly a bird shotgun ( upland and waterfowl ) Any suggestions ? Brooke

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Anything made by or for Browning/FN.

Citori, Cynergy, Winchester 101 Field, etc.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I have two Citoris, a 12 and a lightweight 20, and love them.
Highly recommended if you can find one.

FYI if you watch for sales this time of year you might find one new at a good price. They do hold their value when used.

 

[Europe]

Lynn and Dr Vette, thanks for responding to Brooks'e thread. I notice you both mentioned Citori and I can not disagree. I think they would serve you well Brooke.

Those that know me know I love the shotguns made by Connecticut and I also have friends who use the Blaser products and from my brief experience with them, I can also recommend them. The negative is the price tag on these two products and I know you are working to finish college.

Don't be discouraged with the lack of responses Brooke, this forum is rifle and rifle hunting driven, and rifle reloading. I will pm you a couple of forums that are good shotgun, bird hunting forums that you might try out as I know you and your grandmother love to bird hunt, as do I.

Also ask your father for his log on name and password at LEL and send a pm to MMM in Idaho, he is bird hunter and knows shotguns very well. I will ask Jamila to contact you as her and her family have hunted birds in places like Argentina where you can shoot all day if your shoulder can withstand doing so. When I dove hunted Argentine I used an automatic, not an over and under, however I like over and under as I am to lazy to pick up my hulls, but in Argentina they have young men that do that for you.

I might also mention, don't discount the 28 gauge, and as I am sure you know you improve your odds when goose and crane hunting if you use a 12 gauge. A little more reach for those two never hurts. All the best

 

[Thebear_78]

As much as I like the classic look and compact size of an over under I'm a big proponent for autos when it comes hunting.

I picked up a franchi affinity 20 with 26" barrels. Light, trim, and easy on the pocket book.


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[alaska100]

ridge runner, De Vette, April, Thebear

thank you all so much for taking the time to respond

The bear, you are not the first one to tell me the automatic would be a better choice, and you may be right. I intend to try one this weekend and may decide to go that way, thank you--------April, I would love to have a Connecticut, but alas the money isn't there at this point i n my life. Dr Vette, are your shotguns over and under and do you hunt waterfowl with them ? thanks everyone

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Since 12 gauge was mentioned...

I also wanted to recommend the 12 over the 20, especially for waterfowl.

I've never hunted waterfowl, have a great place to do it there where I deer hunt, but the bug never bit me I guess.

That said, I have a few friends that are hard after the ducks and geese... And I've been in enough conversations with them to pick up on how much is lost with smaller gauges when hunting waterfowl, even 2 3/4" 12 gauges for that matter (to hear them tell it anyway).

For upland game...a light 12 will carry just a easily as the average 20, and with 7/8 or 1 ounce loads...Will recoil just as easily also... And most likely pattern better.

I really like my Winchester 101, it is 7.25 lbs. loaded and ready to hunt... Mine has 28" barrels, you can get them with 26".

I have shot 200 rounds per day a few times (trap, skeet) and the 7/8 oz. loads are a pure joy to shoot...Not even the least little bit of shoulder soreness after.

Many folks who are really into shotguns say that the 101 is the very best deal going right now for a good over/under.... They were on sale recently for $1,049 from either Cabelas or Bass Pro.

That is several hundred dollars less than the next over/under that I would consider, the Cynergy.... And far less expensive than any flavor of Citori.


The 101 isn't offered in 20 gauge...

Some things of note.... The barrels on mine are regulated just like all the other Browning guns, 60/40.

I imagine working through college doesn't leave much spending money... If you really want a good over/under, and can carry 7.25 lbs okay..... Give the 101 a look.

I truly do enjoy mine.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Still on sale...

http://m.basspro.com/Winchester-Model-1 ... 008022352/

 

[alaska100]

Ridegerunner665, thank you so much, that is great information.

My grandmother bought me a Citori when I was 12 and I have enjoyed it a lot, which is probably why I was thinking about another over and under-----however my grandmother and april as well as you and TheBear have suggested a 12 gauge auto---especially since I already have a 20 gauge over and under-- which is exactly what I think I will do.

BTW, the Citori is still in good working order but I have a friend that is unable to buy a shotgun ( financially unable ) and I was hoping to get a new one so she could use my old one so she could hunt with my grandmother and I Brooke

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I'll have me a Citori one of these days...

I'm trying to trade a custom 1911 pistol for one as we speak... Have had a few interested but so far no takers.

Someone will come along...

Heck, I'd probably trade the 1911 for one of the camo Cynergy's...

 

[Thankful Otter]

I love April but only her and Donald Trump can afford a Connecticut shotgun, however if she wants to give me one I will take it !

Brooke I am another who will suggest a 12, and an auto, especially since you have a perfectly good 20 gauge over and under already--expand your horizon girl---both literally and figurative since you will hunt geese with it. Shoulder a few, if possible hunt with a few and then decide, several good ones on the market. Shotguns, if cared for will last forever. From memory either April or Aleena have a Parker that they still use--actually maybe it is Jerry's, but the point is they last forever. I bet Dr Mike and April bought one when they first came onto the market

 

[Dr. Vette]

Dr Vette, are your shotguns over and under and do you hunt waterfowl with them ? thanks everyone

I have 4 over/unders, 3 semi-autos, no side-by-sides at present.

One of my semi-autos is for sporting clays. Another is used for turkey hunting or deer hunting, and I swap barrels with it. Occasionally my son will use it for pheasants if it's a "put-and-take" hunt. Both of these are Rem 11-87s. I also have a Browning Auto5 from 1953 that I occasionally use with pheasants.

If you hunt anything that takes a lot of shooting, like waterfowl, then I'd choose a semi-auto. For grouse, pheasant, woodcock then an over-under is my choice as I rarely need more than 2 shots, and someone else often is along and shooting as well.

 

[DrMike]

I bet Dr Mike and April bought one when they first came onto the market

When Annie (that is Ms. Oakley, to be both precise and PC) was looking for a shotgun, I directed her to consider a Parker Bros. twelve bore (said DrMike modestly). Clark (that is, Mr. Gable) was yet another aficionado guided by my unerring recommendations. However, the answer to your supposition is that, No, I never bought one of the Parker Bros. firearms. I did, however, carry an A. H. Fox BE Grade 12 gauge double in my youth. Thank you for asking, Cheyenne. :mrgreen:

 

[Darkhorse]

I had a Citori in 12 gauge for a few years. Never could hit with it like I could with my old 1100, the Citori did not fit me and the 1100 did. Same for the 1187 I had. Just good fitting guns.
Gun fit is real important to shotgunning. One reason I bought the Browning Maxus was the gun came with shims that allowed you to fit the gun to you, not the massess. The SX3 also comes with these shims if I'm not mistaken. I think more manufacturers besides Browning and Winchester has come on board with these shim adjustable shotguns.
So if your serious about a semi auto I would look into these adjustable guns.
The adjustment range is not great but it was enough to fit mine to me.

 

[Europe]

I bet Dr Mike and April bought one when they first came onto the market

When Annie (that is Ms. Oakley, to be both precise and PC) was looking for a shotgun, I directed her to consider a Parker Bros. twelve bore (said DrMike modestly). Clark (that is, Mr. Gable) was yet another aficionado guided by my unerring recommendations. However, the answer to your supposition is that, No, I never bought one of the Parker Bros. firearms. I did, however, carry an A. H. Fox BE Grade 12 gauge double in my youth. Thank you for asking, Cheyenne. :mrgreen:

well played Dr Mike !! I hope you still have that Fox as it might be worth a buck or two

Darkhorse is spot on about "fit" Brooke.

 

[truck driver]

when I was younger then you I started out with and old single barrel 12ga that was my Grandfather's and had to buy it at his auction after he had passed but that old gun would kill on one end and cripple on the other, fit is everything when it comes to shooting any gun but with a shot gun it is critical if you want to consistently hit birds on the wing. I changed the but plate on that old camel back shot gun stock and got it to fit me good enough to shoot two pheasants or get off two shots at Quail before they got out of range and would generally have two birds on the ground. My did used to say I was quicker with that old single shot then he was with his pump gun but then I was only about 14 at the time and he was close to 50.
Sorry to be long winded with this but what ever you get make sure it fits you like a glove.

 

[salmonchaser]

Rule 1. Bring a shotgun to your face; not your face to the gun. If when you mount the gun you have to wiggle around to have your dominant eye looking down the barrel, it's a poor fit. Look at a different gun.
There is a world of difference between a Benelli and a Remington 1100.
The stock shims mentioned are great, if you only wiggle a little, but otherwise like the gun, you can improve the fit.


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[Africa Huntress]

Brooke, sorry I am late. Got the message the other day but I have been really busy. My dad is the dye in the wool bird hunter in our family and he said if you can handle the weight he prefers the Browning Gold 10 for Geese hunting. He said surprisingly because of the weight of the shotgun the recoil is manageable, but only you can make that decision. He got mum a Bennell Super Black Eagle II for dove hunting, but as I have mentioned before she is a lousy bird hunter. He also said to tell you that the conventional wisdom is that pumps are more reliable, but he personally prefers the semi-auto for waterfowl and a double ( preferably over and under ) for upland. He also said to tell you that how the shotgun fits you and feels to you, is more important than who manufactured the shotgun. All the big names make good shotguns, but it MUST fit you and feel good to you.

April, Dr Mike, my father does have an old Parker, but does not us it. Dr Mike, do you still have your double barrel Fox. Both of these shotguns were a tad before my time, but from what I have read that Fox was one nice shotgun, Dr Mike.

Best Regards

Jamila

 

[DrMike]

Ah, confession is good for the soul, Jamila. I was shooting the breeze about the Fox, trying to imagine what I would like to have from the latter days of the nineteenth century to the early part of the twentieth century. Alas, t'was all a fairy tale. I did stay in the Holiday Inn Express on one occasion, however.

 

[Thankful Otter]

o.k. if confession is good for the soul, I will use Brooke's shotgun thread to admit that I love April and Dr Mike, but they are such easy targets for me to joke with, because unlike Caribou they move at the speed of a turtle, a slow turtle. But if you notice their minds, wit , humor, and forgiveness are as quick and fast as a Golden Eagle. --lucky for me lol

" I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once" now that is good, I rest my case