Ruger Forum

208Packinheat · November 2nd, 2011, 06:45 AM

I think TMD hit the nail square. You generally have one butt stock of decent wood and two barrels, and the time to align them properly. However, there are O/Us out there in the 6-700 dollar range, out of europe and asia. You can pick up a ruger used for under a $1000.00. Last time I looked the Ithaca 37 pump was $750 MSRP. Of course you can go sonic with engraving, gold, AAA walnut, etc, but as in everything bling cost $$

MetalMan2004 · November 2nd, 2011, 07:16 AM

I own a Bennelli Nova pump that works just fine. I also have a side by side that has been in the family for 100 years. I enjoy the side by side just because I know it put food on my great grandfather's table.

This dove season I borrowed my uncle in law's Browning Citori o/u 20 ga and was absolutely sold. You can have 2 different chokes in the same gun and select which barrel you shoot first. Extremely light and easy to swing, and since it was a 20, barely any kick. In short, its a gotta feel it to believe it kind of thing. Also, the safety aspect of seeing the broken action is pretty nice.

fastlane604 · November 2nd, 2011, 07:45 AM

I've been told that more trap targets have been broken with Remington 870s and 1100s than all other guns combined. I don't know whether that is true, but I do know that they are very good guns to learn the game. Dedicated O/U and single barrel trap guns can be very expensive. Are they worth the money? Only the owner can decide that. Race teams spend enornous amounts of money to get that last tenth or two. Trap shooters can spend tons getting that last target.

texas jack · November 2nd, 2011, 08:30 AM

I traded into an Ithaca SKB a few years ago. Never owned an O/U before, best shooting shotgun I have ever owned. Would never part with it.

Shadyw · November 2nd, 2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderstick

I had the same questions when I sit trap. For me, my 870 Wingmaster hunting gun worked just fine

Gotta lotta love here for my 43 yr. old 870.

67390FE · November 2nd, 2011, 01:45 PM

Because pretentiousness is priceless!

Motorhead · November 2nd, 2011, 07:41 PM

After many years wing hunting and sporting clays a few shotguns have passed my ownership. My fist ever in the late 70's a Remington 870 Wingmaster followed by an 1100 auto loader. Mossbergs and a few other cheepsters ....
Then again back to pump in the mid 80's to a 12ga Weatherby 92 in 3" chamber & 26" tube with screw in chokes ... Still have it, AWESOME shotgun !

Then found an added to the collection a Over/Under Beretta BL-4 in 12ga @ 15 years ago.
Love the way it shoots, gets on point etc ... but DAMMIT that hard butt plate is brutal !!

So two 12 ga's .... Pumpin or 2 shot, what more ya need ... Really ?

Amigo Will · November 2nd, 2011, 09:07 PM

The barrels should converge or be close at 40yards for up and down and always right on for left/right

wwjoed · November 14th, 2011, 02:32 PM

I wanted to mess around with skeet and trap so I went out and bought a Remington 870 Express. It does the trick every time. What cracks me up is shooting along side with some of the guys that take it way too serious with their super expensive guns and I still out shoot them.

tanks · November 20th, 2011, 04:42 PM

I have stood beside man men with multi-thousand dollar o/u guns at my local trap field. And blew away twice as many birds. With my 150 dollar mossberg 500... now it's not that I don't like those o/u but I can't yet just justify the money....

Lead Slanger · November 20th, 2011, 05:08 PM

I have no idea why they are so much. I'm a side by side guy myself, but they ain't any better on the price. I don't know what kind of quality they are, but those Yildez O/U & SxS scatterguns look pretty good and have a decent price on 'em. They may be junk though???

leroy · November 21st, 2011, 05:09 AM

The big thing is that an over under (...even the modestly priced citoris and rugers...) will stay together under sustained and continuinal shooting and can be handed down to your grandkids (...if you are into that short of thing...). I well remember seeing the old browning broadway traps in our neck of the woods (...east tennessee...) that had been handled and shot so much that the blueing had been worn off the barrels; most likely tens of thousands of rounds shot. They were still tight and would shoot as good as they did the day they were built. The old time shooters who owned and shot them loved them and would not part with them --- they were practically family members. The only way you could get one was to buy it from the guys widow or his no count kids that didnt know (...or care...) what they were.

I dont want to stir up a hornets nest on this shotgun thing, but there simply aint a pump or semiauto shotgun (...i own several good pumps and semiautos, including the legendary model 12's and model 97's...) that will take that sort of pounding. If you can find an o/u that fits you, there aint nothing greater to shoot and ya simply cant wear them out. You can wear the blue off them, but you cant shoot them apart.

Dont get dragged off in the woods about the "gun snobbery" thing. A good o/u will outlast most anything out there. That alone makes them a good investment if you do a bunch of shooting. They dont necessarily make you shoot any better than anything else, they just last a lot longer.

leroy

actionexpress · April 24th, 2012, 04:57 PM

I got a brand new Stoeger Condor O/U for a birthday present when I was young. My dad shoots a Citori and a Remington 1100 trap model which I got to use from time to time.

I learned the basics of trap shooting and sporting clays with the Stoeger and at least mine was always reliable and certainly proved itself as I got better.

I nearly sold it later on when I was ready for my own Citori, but after seeing them on used gun racks at various shops for $200 I decided to keep it.

Glad I did. My Citori is certainly more beautiful, and in my opinion built very well. It feels like a million bucks in my hands (which when my wife found out the price it may as well have been a million to her

.

My original goal was to sell the Stoeger once I felt like I wanted something else, but now I bring both guns with me to our league and open shoots.

I try to rotate guns every week, but I do use the Condor quite a bit.

No one at my club is a "snob" A lot of people have asked to try my Stoeger as they too want an affordable O/U. I've even had a couple guys with seriously expensive guns ask to try it, and as long as they let me try theirs....no issue on my end.

i'm always happy to see someone new to the sport show up on our league nights. Whether they have a used beaten to death 870, BPS, or brand new Perazzi...doesn't matter. All about fun.

gunaddict826 · April 24th, 2012, 05:21 PM

I own several O/U's and side-bys. Often, the craftsmanship and artwork that goes into these guns isn't often brought to form in pumps and autos. Some of the doubles I've seen over the last 30 years just make you stand there and drool. Also, there are more "working" guns made than doubles these days. Economy of scale.

I showed up to my clays club over 20 years ago with my new Benelli Super Black Eagle. "What he hell is that thing?" was heard more than once. Even the Beretta A303 snobs scoffed. Break more birds, they'll shut up.

I once visited a "good 'ol Southern Boys" Clays course in South Carolina when I lived down there a decade+ ago. Dad was in town and wanted to shoot. I gave him the Benelli and I grabbed my old Marlin Model 90 O/U. Fixed full and mod chokes.

The members all had Kreighoffs and other such fancy schmancy guns. Barrel sleeves, Briley chokes, gold plated bits, gorgeous engraving, velvet lined cases....

At the end of the 100 bird line, my crappy $75 pawn shop gun was 16 birds ahead of the closest competitor. His gun cost probably 30-40 times what I paid for that old Marlin.

That 6 pound gun kicked my ass over 100 birds, but I smiled all the way home.

Shoot what you like and like what you shoot.