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Shotgunners

Well, this is going to take a little more thought than I thought!. Because of my wife's careful planning, (not mine that's for sure!) I could spend much more than I posted. However, my last shotgun, a few moons ago was a 20 gauge Browning and I'm thinking I'll be going with a 20 again.

If you like Browning, stick with them. Their ergonomics are very subjective: love or hate for the most part. If Brownings fit you, you’re golden.
 
Traded my Westernfield 12 ga pump (Mossberg m550) for a 12 ga Citori back in 1979. It's a 28 inch full/modified I originally bought for duck hunting. Best trade I ever made. Still just as tight and accurate as it was back then when I used it to shoot trap last week. It was absolutely deadly on ducks.
When I traced the serial number I found out it was part of an order of 250 shipped to Lucky Stores, a grocery chain in Calif. Lucky also owned the Gemco department stores where this one was apparently first sold in 1977.
 
Well, this is going to take a little more thought than I thought!. Because of my wife's careful planning, (not mine that's for sure!) I could spend much more than I posted. However, my last shotgun, a few moons ago was a 20 gauge Browning and I'm thinking I'll be going with a 20 again.
If I am going to be shooting all day such as white wing hunting , you can bet it will be with a 20 gauge...
 
If you like Browning, stick with them. Their ergonomics are very subjective: love or hate for the most part. If Brownings fit you, you’re golden.

+1
I picked up a 325 Sporting Clay over 20 years ago, beautiful O/U, for me it never pointed like Beretta's I've shouldered. I'll get it fitted one of these days:rolleyes:.

On a good note it's quality built, solid hinge pin, etc. I'll never wear it out.

I would suggest you take your time and shoulder each to see which points best.

Did I mention my Browning is one beautiful football bat?
 
If I am going to be shooting all day such as white wing hunting , you can bet it will be with a 20 gauge...
Agreed. A 12 gauge might buy you a few hits at extreme distance (or on poorly executed shots). The recoil price versus a 20 is certainly a consideration.
 
As I said, look at the Beretta's in 20ga, both 3901 and 391. The recoil is so light you sometimes have to wonder if you fired the gun. Two problems with 20ga: ammo is more expensive than 12ga (go figure) and the guns are so light that they don't swing as smoothly. Other than that I love 'em. Would be best to visit a shotgun oriented club and talk to some shooters first hand including the club manager (he sees 'em all). You could probably try some different shotguns while there. Most shooters are more than willing to help a fellow shooter find what is best for them.
 
Agreed. A 12 gauge might buy you a few hits at extreme distance (or on poorly executed shots). The recoil price versus a 20 is certainly a consideration.
You may be surprised if you plug the variables into a recoil calculator. A six lb 20 gauge is not a light kicker. Though a 20 sure is easier to carry all day.
 
In a trap league I participate in there was 3 stoegers O/U shooters. All 3 had buttstock and forearm failures. The wood cracked with the grain. Stoeger fixed all 3 at different times. And all 3 broke again. 2 of the guys sent them back, and failed again. It was really hard to understand given the parent company. And the wood was really good lookin stuff. The failures were over the coarse of one and a half years.

Same league a guy brought in a stoeger semi auto plastic stock and it has been rock solid.

Not trying to throw stones. Just sharing what I experienced. And I know I should not bring problems to the question. Solutions are what you asked for. I can only tell you bought a used bt-99 an
 
Agreed. A 12 gauge might buy you a few hits at extreme distance (or on poorly executed shots). The recoil price versus a 20 is certainly a consideration.

If you could only go with one shotgun I’d go with a 12ga. I like the 20ga but when it comes down to it I can handload 12ga with 7/8oz loads for dove and run it up to 1-1/2oz of 5’s for late season roosters.
 
If you have Academy available, try out a Yildiz.

Personally, I don’t like the budget O/Us. But, that’s why there are different flavors of ice cream.
 
anyone knows where I can find a Benelli M2 with walnut stock and fore end?

All i can find is the M2 with synthetic stock. Hoping someone here can help or if someone has one for sale.

Alternatively, I’m happy to buy wood fore end and stock if someone has them and i’ll buy the synthetic m2 and swap the furniture.

if anyone has any suggestions, much appreciated
 
anyone knows where I can find a Benelli M2 with walnut stock and fore end?

All i can find is the M2 with synthetic stock. Hoping someone here can help or if someone has one for sale.

Alternatively, I’m happy to buy wood fore end and stock if someone has them and i’ll buy the synthetic m2 and swap the furniture.

if anyone has any suggestions, much appreciated
Check at 3rd Generation shooting supply, they can help you find what you're after
 
It depends on the intended use. For Skeet or upland shooting with a simi auto a 26" barrel is my choice. Beretta 390 is solid. Also the Benelli MF 90 works well also. O/U's are a different animal all together. Hard to find a good one that fits for under $1K but probably doable. The Citori is ok if you can find one stocked and configured the way you want. I have a 28" Citori 20 ga. super lite that is nice but they've gone up considerably. The early Ruger over under did have some problems early on but they've been fixed. They are a solid gun. In O/U's I like 28" barrels. Finding one that balances well and the stock fits for your intended purpose is the trick. For trap I use a 28" modified or full B grade 870. Trap guns are stocked different.

I'd suggest you go to a good shooting facility and watch, ask and try as many different guns as you can. See what fits you. I admit I haven't kept up with what's on the market lately. The imports from Turkey seem to be pretty prolific. Since they're make overseas I have no idea how hard it would be to get parts. Years ago some fine Italian guns were on the market and they were nice but parts were hard to get. Spanish made Lanber was acquired by my BIL and it kicked him into submission pretty quick. Sissy...If you ever run across some shells marked Salvo, run like hell they'll punish you.
 
Check at 3rd Generation shooting supply, they can help you find what you're after
Link here in case someone wants to see what I’m talking about

 
Check at 3rd Generation shooting supply, they can help you find what you're after
Called, no dice! Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

For those who are interested, I reached out to Benelli, they said there is the Montefeltro (which is more expensive) for those who prefer wood. Montefeltro and M2 are not quite the same. I just want a basic thing that is not plastic. Something we grew up seeing our parents and grand parents using, not something out of low grade fiction movie ha!
 
I shoot shotguns a lot! Shoot trap, sporting clays and hunt. Trapshooting I burn up 20 to 30 thousand shells a year shooting competitively. I don't know how much you plan to shoot the gun but I've seen a lot of cheap Turkish shotguns parents bought their kids bite the dust under pretty light use. Someone above mentioned a Browning and that might be your best bet. New or used either is far better than any cheap o/u. One kid at our club had a mossberg silver reserve that spent more time at the gunsmiths than with him. A used Browning or beretta is your best bet.
 

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