Choices...choices...help!

[Powderman]

So, I have now officially been bitten by the clay pigeon bug.

I have been looking at over and under shotguns. I immediately fell in love with the Browning XT Trap. Man...that is one purty piece of boomstick!

I like pretty.

My dream shotgun stock, for instance, and my favorite shotgun would be a Perazzi....



As I mentioned before....I like pretty.

Recently, however, I had the chance to shoot a BT-99 for two rounds of trap. I found that the Monte Carlo stock does NOT work well for me. The gun I used had the same LOP as the XT Trap I really like. I struggled with it. I left somewhat discouraged--I had my heart set on a Browning.

Here's the rub...I stopped into Sportco in Fife, WA a few days back. While picking up some primers, I noticed the over and unders in the rack. I handled a Winchester 101 (I like!) and then, for the heck of it, picked up a Mossberg.

Holy cow!

That Mossberg seemed to fit me like a second skin. It was medium weight but handled very well in my hands. Taking a good stance, the shotgun snapped right up to my shoulder, and I could track with it instantly. It felt perfect!!!

However, I know that these shotguns (Mossberg) are made in Turkey. So...the questions:

a. Are the Turkish shotguns of good quality?
b. How do they stack up against the Winchesters, Brownings, etc?
c. Will their choke tubes interchange with any commonly available tubes?

All help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Dreaming100Straight]

Which Mossberg?

[Powderman]

The Silver Reserve and the Maverick, as well.

[Dreaming100Straight]

Ask others about fit, which may be what you call tracking. It may feel nice in a store, but what is important is where the gun shoots; does it point where you look.

I don't know that the Maverick and the Silver Reserve take the same chokes, but they simply are not in the same class as a Browning nor, as far as I know, a Winchester 101.

You might want to find out the dimensions of the gun that fits you, which may or may not be what you shouldered in the gun shop

[Virginian]

Perazzi, Mossberg, and Maverick all in the same thread. I think that's illegal.

[BigJimP]

Browning and Beretta O/U's are on one - relatively comparable level...for durability, value, etc....

It's a significant step down, in my opinion, to Winchester, Mossberg, Stoeger, etc../ and most any gun made in Turkey. Durability ...not very good .../ fit and finish etc not very good / quality of components not good / are the barrels regulated properly ?? etc.....

Its a pretty big step up to Perazzi, Blazer...and then Krieghoff & Kolar from the B guns.
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BT-99 and Browning XT both have almost identical parallel combs...so if the BT-99 didn't work / its hard to imagine the XT would..??? So there must be another issue that was affecting what you felt between the 2 guns...like weight maybe...??
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I suggest you talk to a lot more shooters in your area/ try and shoot a lot more guns.. before you invest in an O/U --- there are a lot of good used guns around, lots of options - depending on the games you prefer ( Skeet, Sporting Clays and 5 Stand are typically one type of gun / Trap is a little different (longer and heavier usually)...but shoot what you have until you get a better feel for the differences in some of these guns.

If you're mostly a Trap shooter....Browning XT especially in 32" barrels ..is a very solid gun ...and hard to beat at any price. But there are probably more used XT's around than most any other trap guns...so look around at some other stores, check the gun club bulletin boards, etc...

[Dreaming100Straight]

BJP, I hadn't thought of it, but was the BT-99, which he shot, modified from stock. Perhaps it had and adjustable comb that wasn't set for the OP or merely a recoil pad spacer?

[DaveTrig]

I'd recommend getting the best quality gun you can afford, and have it fitted to you.

Gun fit can be adjusted; gun quality cannot.

[BigD_in_FL]

If you can seriously afford a Perazzi, get it. You can order one EXACTLY how you want it at no extra charge, including having the stock made to fit. (If it is just a dream for when you hit the Lotto, I understand because that's my dream too!)
Otherwise, the Browning/Beretta level is considered by most as the entry level price point for serious clay target shooting. My main Browning Gti target gun is now approaching 20 years of service and has right at 300,000 rounds through it in that time. The only mechanical repairs were done at 90,000 and consisted of new firing pins and springs and top lever spring,

I have serious reservations about the Mossberg, Stoeger, 101 level of guns making it that far.

Try to borrow and seriously shoot as many different brands and models as you can. Browning has several models with different stock configurations, as does Beretta. If one of them does not work out, look to Cesar Guerini, Zoli, Blaser, B. Rizzini (not the others). I would also not rule out a good Beretta gas gun. Shouldering the gun in the store is a nice but unless you KNOW it fits because you shot it and broke a lot of targets, it is only a guess.....and most folks tend to guess wrong because they want to will it to work out.

IF you determine a certain brand is the one for you, start looking at the club bulletin boards for one for sale. That way you can save big $$$ buying a used gun (if in good condition), and you should be able to try it out to make sure it works for you

If you find one you just have to have but it doesn't fit quite right, there are many different after-market devices and procedures to make it come out OK

The chase for a new to you gun is always part of the fun. Just be sure so you don 't get buyer's remorse over spending a few grand on a gun

[BigJimP]

Dreaming....you make a good point...

but some of the BT-99's out there - are set up to shoot really high...almost too high for some shooters...like an 80%/20% pattern over point of impact...and its hard telling what the configuration was on the gun he was shooting....there are so many different versions of the BT-99 out there now...

I've never been that big a fan of the BT-99 ( I like the older BT-100 a lot more )....but my primary trap gun is the Citori XT Trap with a 32" barrel...and for fun, I was shooting it at Skeet yesterday....( and it is just not a good Skeet gun ...too long, too heavy, and I have it set for a 60%/40% pattern...and I couldn't make myselft float the targets enough....

In general, its smart to invest in a Trap gun that has the adj comb in it ...so you can fine tune it to Fit just right.

[BigD_in_FL]

The other advantage, to add to BigJim's comment, is that if you shoot year round where weather can change dramatically, having the ability to tweak your stock to account for wearing minimum clothing in summer and more in winter is a great thing to have

[Powderman]

I apologize for not posting sooner. Here are a few answers to the questions that were asked:

1. I wish I could afford a Perazzi!!!
2. The BT-99 I shot had a fixed Monte Carlo stock. I think I did have a problem with shooting high. I know that the few birds I really smoked (as in, they simply disappeared) were WAY above the front bead.
3. I appreciate the suggestion to talk to experienced shooters, and to hit the clubs on the public shoot days.

And...the search continues....

[buckhorn_cortez]

Monte Carlo is a style of stock. You should not put all Monte Carlo style stocks into a single "type" category. You might find that a Beretta fits you better because the length of pull and drop on a Beretta are a slightly different design than the Browning. I have a Beretta because the Browning stock design does not fit me as well.

Stocks can be adjusted in several ways, the easiest being shims between the recoil pad and stock. You need to find a gun that feels good, and then have someone who knows stock fitting help adjust it - that should be about as good as you can get short of a custom stock.

[jaguarxk120]

As one guy at shotgunworld signs off -- "Life is too short to hunt with a ugly gun."

[dgludwig]

Perazzi, Mossberg, and Maverick all in the same thread. I think that's illegal.

If not illegal, certainly immoral.

[BigD_in_FL]

Like putting Ferrari, Prius and Fiat 500 in the same sentence??????

[Death from Afar]

I dont know if this is possible in the US, but here, if you are spending big dollars on a shotgun, the store or dealer may let you try a demo gun to see what you like. That may solve it for you. Years ago, when i shot clays, I always did better with a really entry level beretta than with a high end one.

[Dreaming100Straight]

It depends. I have heard of some high end gun dealers allowing vetted customers to take a K gun home for a couple of weeks and Caesar Guerini will ship a gun to a local club for you to try.

I guess they don't too excited when they see the old Honda Accord in the parking lot.

[Fishbed77]

If you can seriously afford a Perazzi, get it. You can order one EXACTLY how you want it at no extra charge, including having the stock made to fit.

Of you could get a used Perazzi. They last forever.

My uncle was able to nab a 1980-production Perazzi with adjustable stock a few years back for ~$4000 (he's since spent much more on various barrels and sleeves). It's his primary skeet gun for competition. I don't want to guess how many shells have been through it, and the thing still looks and works fantastic.

[BigD_in_FL]

t depends. I have heard of some high end gun dealers allowing vetted customers to take a K gun home for a couple of weeks

DuPont in Vero Beach will for the price of (IIRC)a $100 bill to cover shipping the gun - tell them what you want and for 30 days go shoot the snot out of it