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Opinions wanted....

Rsadams

Although we are a rifle group , I am thinking of getting back into skeet shooting..... So far the best fitting shotgun I have picked up was the Beretta 686 silver in 20ga.... I am waiting before I buy to put my hands on a Rizzini vertex...

Please tell me your real world opinions on the Beretta 686 shotgun... Good and bad...


Thanks in advance as always....
Shawn
 
The 686 is a great over- under shotgun. Assuming competition type instead of field, straight out of the box they tend to fit a taller person with the 14 5/8 inch length of pull. I ended up getting a Browning CX as a all-around clay gun because it fit me better with a 14 1/4 inch LOP stock.
The Beretta 686 are beautiful with the engraving and I would love to have one.
 
I'm sure other will have way more thoughts/experience and knowledge of quality on here but....here is my experience.

A few years ago I was buying a new shotgun, mostly for sporting clays. I live very close to Jaquas in Ohio who have one of the largest collections of high-end trap, skeet and sporting clays shotguns I've ever seen. I was able to pick up and get a feel for everything you can imagine, and after allowing my price range to dictate what I should be buying for occasional use (who really needs a $12,000 Krieghoff or Perazzi anyways?), I ended up torn between a Browning Citori 725 Sporting and a Beretta 686. Unable to decide, I bought both. Got the 725 in 12 ga and the 686 in 20. Why buy one when you can have two for twice the price?

I'm sure experienced clay shooters will have better advice, but I went with what naturally felt the best quickly shouldering it like I was hunting. I think the Rizzini will have better wood (on average) than the Berettas on a similar price point, but if you get to look at a few and pick one with the wood you like best then it isn't an issue. Ford/Chevy...go with what makes you happy walking out the door with your purchase and don't look back.
 
When I went shopping the one that fit me best was the Winchester 101 sporting. Ported 30" barrels. Have done real well with it.
 
Dusty Stevens said:
The 686 fits me best but if for occasional use the franchi would be good. Ive seen quite a few of those and people love them for half the money
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they are good shotguns Dusty.
I shoot once a week (100 round course) April through November and I am not sure they would hold up over the long run. Heck, not even sure how long my Winchester will take it.
 
Dub said:
they are good shotguns Dusty.
I shoot once a week (100 round course) April through November and I am not sure they would hold up over the long run. Heck, not even sure how long my Winchester will take it.
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I have a japan 101 and its a tank. No idea how the new ones are since it didnt come close to fitting me like the old one
 
Two things key to fitting a shotgun to you, an adjustable buttplate (up/down and cant) and an adjustable cheekpiece. Both are essential, then a session on a patterning board.
 
PatMiles said:
Two things key to fitting a shotgun to you, an adjustable buttplate (up/down and cant) and an adjustable cheekpiece. Both are essential, then a session on a patterning board.
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or being able to simply look only at the target and break it. if the mounted gun fits you properly you only look at the target, not the beads
 
Made the switch from Browning to Beretta (682 Gold E trap and a 692 skeet). Enjoy them both. Long time Browning guy, but cannot see any difference in scores between the two. Shoot with fellows shooting both Krieghoff's and Kohlar's, nice guns, but at this cost I can't justify one. As you already shoot sub gauge, tubes my be in your future. I believe my Beretta will need some trigger modification, if I ever get to 410. Great advice above; buy what you like and enjoy.
 
I bought my 686s in the ear;y to mid '80s. Shortly after I bought it, and well before the 682 changed to the 682 Gold, Beretta came out with the 686 Black Onyx. I do not think it was anything different from the 686S - other than it had a black finish and no roll engraving. Much Later they came out with the Onyx with the jeweled receiver.

This gun appears to be the older version of the Onyx - and the gun I was thinking of when I said there is no advantage to waiting for a SP1 to come along.

I was told by a Briley rep some time ago that Beretta generally had somewhat better qc in the earlier 680 series. When I was trying to build a skeet gun out of either a 28" SC gun or a 32" trap gun that was a couple years older - I was advised to use the trap receiver as a 'foundation'. I ended up getting a DT10 but thats another story.

If it's marked sporting - you might want to check if it's chambered for 2-3/4" or 3". My 686S is chambered for 3", but the other guns are not. That might matter to you or it might not. I shoot a lot of 3" steel through my 686.

Does it have choke tubes or is it fixed chokes?

This gun is superior to any of the CZ's, Huglus, or Red Labels. If it fits, I'd buy it before any of the others.
 
500yards said:
I bought my 686s in the ear;y to mid '80s. Shortly after I bought it, and well before the 682 changed to the 682 Gold, Beretta came out with the 686 Black Onyx. I do not think it was anything different from the 686S - other than it had a black finish and no roll engraving. Much Later they came out with the Onyx with the jeweled receiver.

This gun appears to be the older version of the Onyx - and the gun I was thinking of when I said there is no advantage to waiting for a SP1 to come along.

I was told by a Briley rep some time ago that Beretta generally had somewhat better qc in the earlier 680 series. When I was trying to build a skeet gun out of either a 28" SC gun or a 32" trap gun that was a couple years older - I was advised to use the trap receiver as a 'foundation'. I ended up getting a DT10 but thats another story.

If it's marked sporting - you might want to check if it's chambered for 2-3/4" or 3". My 686S is chambered for 3", but the other guns are not. That might matter to you or it might not. I shoot a lot of 3" steel through my 686.

Does it have choke tubes or is it fixed chokes?

This gun is superior to any of the CZ's, Huglus, or Red Labels. If it fits, I'd buy it before any of the others.
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Comes with an assortment of chokes the kind that fit flush with the barrel , not the ones that stick out... Don't know alot about chokes yet...When I shot skeet I was just a kid and when I was bird hunting I just used an old 870 pump.... I will check on what lengths shells it will shoot , thanks...
 
The three I am interested in so far are the Berettas , Brownings and maybe a nice Rizzini....Some of the guys shoot the super expensive stuff.... None of the shotguns I am looking at even come close to that price but are not cheap either....I work as an RO at my local club so I throw alot of skeet for them on the few days I work... Like alot of you guys I am already into pistol and rifle pretty good and am still talking myself into another hobby.... I know with skeet guns you have to buy a good one , I see what happens to guns that are not up to it every time I pull skeet on open to the public days... I am willing to spend some extra NOT to have problems....
 
Rsadams said:
Although we are a rifle group , I am thinking of getting back into skeet shooting..... So far the best fitting shotgun I have picked up was the Beretta 686 silver in 20ga.... I am waiting before I buy to put my hands on a Rizzini vertex...

Please tell me your real world opinions on the Beretta 686 shotgun... Good and bad...


Thanks in advance as always....
Shawn
Click to expand...
Look at a Breda
 
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