Shotguns: semi-auto vs over under

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

After doing sporting clays I am daydreaming about getting me a new shotgun, either a semi or a over under.........Been looking at Benellis Super Black Eagle on their website.....also have wanted a Ruger Red Label o/u for a long time. This next gun will be used for Dove and Clays.....I'm not set on anything, just those two are the ones I'm looking at. Will be a while before I can even get one, so I've got plenty of time to do some research and browse the gun shops....I want to hear from anybody that's got any experience with either a semi or a o/u. What would be the pros and cons of each? Besides the obvious of more shells in the semi...I've never shot either, but I know both of them are supposed to be excellent guns.

[918v]

I prefer SxS. I started with a Browning BSS 12ga, went to a Remington 11-87, then a Beretta O/U, then a Browning O/U, and back to a Browning SxS. I like the tight fit and Swiss Watch precision of the two-barrel system. I recommend against the Red Label. It is a joke. put it side by side next to any of the above guns and you will immediately see.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

Who else besides Browning makes a good SxS, and how much does a Browning usually go for?

[sparky241]

I own both semi auto and o/u. Both are great guns but the o/u fits me better and i can swing it better. If i were you take a look at the o/u. Didnt stroger make a pretty gun o/u that was cheap and good? Maybe someone could correct me on this.

[freakshow10mm]

I have a Stoeger Condor 20ga 20" O/U. Only shot it a few times; handloads only of course. Neat little gun. Was $350. For a utility 'don't care if it gets beat to hell' O/U shotgun, you can't go wrong. If you are trying to impress someone, get a Beretta, Kreigoff, Merkell, etc. IMO, Browning ain't got nothin on Beretta.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/Guns/P3300001.jpg

[918v]

Everyone makes or has made a SxS. I like Browning cuz you get the most bang for your buck. Beretta is very expensive, even if you find a used 626 Onyx, it will go for $1800+. You can get a mint Browning BSS with better fit/finish for under $1500. CZ is importing Turkish SxS, but they are not up to Browning's quality.

[WalterGA]

If you're serious about doves, then you ought to check out what serious dove hunters shoot. You won't see too many doubles on a dove field. Get the Benelli.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

Here we are allowed only 3 shells in the shotgun at a time....Anybody got a Benelli? Chime in.

[creophus]

Why not pump action? Super reliable. Anyone can make a good one.

I have a semi and you have to run some hot loads through it to get it to cycle correctly. #8 and #9s won't do it.

[918v]

If you're serious about doves, then you ought to check out what serious dove hunters shoot. You won't see too many doubles on a dove field. Get the Benelli.

You gotta give them doves a chance!

SxS

[freakshow10mm]

Them suckers are quick enough. The have all the chances in the world. Wish we could still use punt guns.

[MakeMineaP99]

If you buy a semi auto, get a Benelli, the only semi worth getting.

[CZ93X62]

It's easy to tell a semi-auto shooter on opening day of dove season--BOOMBOOMBOOM--which motivates the involved dove into aerobatics that place any subsequent hunter at a grave disadvantage.

I grew up on slide actions--Win Model 12, Ithaca M-37, and Rem 870. They are what I hit best with. I can't hit squat with a SxS, and do only slightly better with an O/U. My autoloader experience is pretty limited, too.

Shotgunning is a very different pursuit than riflery or pistolcraft--far more subjective, and much more about fit of gun and system to the operator. This includes balance points of the gun to the shooter, and all the different systems balance very differently in one's hands.

I agree with 918v's take on the Brownings as being the best shotgun per dollar spent of any of the S x S or O/U models available. I wish I could hit something with them--they are beautiful machines.

[freakshow10mm]

I drool over a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon Sporting 20ga O/U 26" barrels matte finish. The shop I worked in several years ago had one for $1300. Beautiful gun.

[creekwalker]

Oddly enough my favorite Dove shotgun is an 1100 Special Field I bought years ago, swings and points perfectly for me. Have also used it a lot on sporting clays both with the 21" barrel and a longer 1100 barrel, does a fine job for me. Love the Benelli and have shot a few, used to own a tactical Benelli. I've used other shot guns, but just like the 1100 Special Field .

cw

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/cordoba.tpl

How about this? Been looking at it a little bit.......nice.
Basically the same as a Supersport just not as fancy finish. Available either in matte black or camo, matte black would probaly get pretty hot out in the sun. Could be a serious clay buster and a good field gun,though.

[gokyo]

If you buy a semi auto, get a Benelli, the only semi worth getting.

That is pure horse ****. I have a FN mark I SLP. Which was previously sold as a Winchester (but even then it was made by FN).

It is gas operated and it will shoot Cheapo Wally world shells all day long. It holds 8 in the tube one in the pipe and will ghost one too.

That gives me 10 shot shells.

It has just about the fast cycle rate of any shotgun.

It also comes with two gas setting so you can shoot those 3 inch mags slugs and it feels like a 7 1/2 bird shot.

Do not talk smack about my scatter gun.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j42/gokyo/sight2.jpg

[xtimberman]

Any gas-operated shotgun (and a few recoil-operated models) will have much less felt recoil than any fixed-breech shotgun (O/U, SxS, Pump, SS, Bolt) of the same weight when firing an identical load. This may or may not be important to you. Most of the high-scoring clay shooters ignore this and shoot O/Us because of the superior handling characteristics some of them have.

You are getting a big dose of typical internet advice in this thread - Brand X is $%&* ! No, Brand Y is $%&* ! No, Brand X is fabulous! etc., etc., etc.:rofl::icon_bs::icon_bs:

My most excellent advice to you is to go to a clay shooting facility before you buy anything and talk to some of those folks there about what you plan to do with a shotgun. Some of them will most likely let you handle some of their shotguns - maybe even let you shoot some of them. That way you can avoid some of the bad advice you'll get from the gun experts behind the counter at Sportsman's Warehouse.

Also, try not to get into the habit of referring to the power/recoil of shotgun shells by shot size. Shot size is just shot size and determines effectiveness of downrange ballistics at various distances. Just like a metallic cartridge, the power/recoil of a particular shot cartridge is primarily determined by the weight of the (shot) payload and the powder charge (usually designated by a dram equivalency). There are plenty of a**kicking #7 1/2, #8, and #9 loads available if you look hard enough.

xtm

[ISUSteve]

A shotgun is just an overpriced piece of pipe.

[gokyo]

try not to get into the habit of referring to the power/recoil of shotgun shells by shot size. Shot size is just shot size and determines effectiveness of downrange ballistics at various distances. Just like a metallic cartridge, the power/recoil of a particular shot cartridge is primarily determined by the weight of the (shot) payload and the powder charge (usually designated by a dram equivalency). There are plenty of a**kicking #7 1/2, #8, and #9 loads available if you look hard enough.

xtm


that is true. I was specifically talking about the Wally World baragian target load that is pretty mild.

Sure you can have a kicking birdshot. But It is much easier to find a kicking slug.

Also A lot of professional shotgunners use semi Autos. Could that be because their sponsor sells semi autos sure. But they probably also make a O/U or S/S.

[WalterGA]

Oddly enough my favorite Dove shotgun is an 1100 Special Field I bought years ago, swings and points perfectly for me. Have also used it a lot on sporting clays both with the 21" barrel and a longer 1100 barrel, does a fine job for me. Love the Benelli and have shot a few, used to own a tactical Benelli. I've used other shot guns, but just like the 1100 Special Field .

cw

I have a lnib 20 ga. 1100 Special Field. Really nice shotgun. I just keep going back to that old Browning A-5. All this talk about pumps being more reliable? Pshaw! The Browning never fails. Also got a couple of SKS autoloaders that are ultra-reliable.

My friends who hunt (that's really a misnomer) doves in Argentina mostly use Benellis.

I shot a Mod 12 a lot when I was a teenager; have also owned a few 870s. Just picked up a 16 ga Ithaca 37 when a cousin's ex-husband recently died. Don't know that I'll ever fire it.

FWIW, the A-5 was shipped to my dad's gun dealer directly from Belgium, packed in cosmoline. I believe I was 16-17 when I got it. Wasn't another one like it in the U.S., from what we were told at the time...skeet barrel w/o ventilated rib. Currently use 22" Invector barrel for most shooting.

[gokyo]

Here is my other Shotgun. It is a Baikal. I paid 400.00. I have busted a lot of clays with this thing. It is built like a tank.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j42/gokyo/breakopen.jpg

[Shooterwolf]

Go with an o/u for sporting clays. Faster second shot, no action noise between shots, and you have to look for your hulls.
Always shoot your bottom barrel first, helps keep your muzzle down for a quicker second shot.
SxS have too broad of a sight plane for clays.


Shooterwolf.

[Tree Rat]

Had two Browning Sporting O/U's.....nice guns.

Gotta Benelli Sport now.


TR

[Steel Talon]

Remington 1100 LT 20 great bird gun won my first in 1978 bought a 5dolla raffle ticket, Bought my second in the late eighty's with screw in choke system..

Then my old faithful JC Higens Pump vent barrel poly choke bought from Sears in 59

peace
ST~

[rico567]

As was mentioned in an earlier post, there are no "-this is the best" shotguns, only examples. My example (I shoot clays ONLY) is a 12 ga. Beretta 682SS. It's ideal for clays in my case, because it's a heavy target gun, and the O/U or S/S is most desired for the reloader, as the empties aren't thrown 20 feet. This gun was a couple thousand when I bought it, probably worth more now. It's got 30" barrels, and I know people who shoot 32" and even 34". The merits and drawbacks of O/U versus the other shotgun configurations have been well covered in this thread. I dearly love my Remington 870, but not for clays. Maybe some people can, But I can't pump fast enough to hit doubles.

If I were shooting dove, it would be a completely different shotgun. Something in 20 ga., probably the lightest semiauto that fit me or an inexpensive O/U like the Baikal. Hiking around dove fields, the last thing you want is a long, heavy clays gun.

[xtimberman]

What Rico said!

A shooter needs at least 4 shotguns in various gauges to cover the bases from clays - dove & quail - waterfowl - defense. Maybe more! ;)

I shoot shotguns a whole lot more than I do anything else, so I feel justified in devoting a lot of $$ for a really nice one that gets used frequently.

xtm

[copdills]

Love them both , thats a hard question

[freakshow10mm]

The only gauge I roll with is the 20ga. Takes care of everything you need it to do.

[Murphy's Law]

I started up skeet shooting about six months ago with a guy who shoots a lot of competition and is pretty darn good and knowledgeable. For me he recommended a semi so I got myself a nice Beretta AL 391 12ga. Comes with 5 different chokes and has a special feature that helps in self cleaning (gas operation system with exhaust valve and is basically a self cleaning piston). The only complaint I have is after each round of 8 stations, I must pick up all my ejected shells whereas all the others with the O/U or S/S just pick them out of the tubes and into the pouch. Outdoor Life did a nice article on this model and rated is "excellent" all-a-round . A litle expensive +/- $1300 or so but well worth it in enjoyment IMHO
:coolgleamA:

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

Was at Academy yesterday and got to play with a Benelli Super Black Eagle......Made me want a Bennelli that much worse...The one I'm thinking about is the Cordoba in camo.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

I have an 11-87 and love it because the recoil is almost non existant. A Benelli is nice but will kick the **** out of you ever pull just because of how they load. If I wanted to have the **** kicked out of me I would just get a Stoeger for a lot less coin since it has the Benelli action in it already. Next on my list is definately an O/U cuz I have no use for a pump really.

[xtimberman]

....A Benelli is nice but will kick the #$&* out of you ever pull just because of how they load.....

:icon_bs:

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/comfortech.tpl

How it works:

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/inertia.tpl

xtm

[gokyo]

:icon_bs:

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/comfortech.tpl

How it works:

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/inertia.tpl

xtm

I do not know about newer benelli shotguns but I shot one of my friends super 90 and it did in fact kick harder than my FN Mark I SLP. I would say it was pretty on par with my bros remington 870.