A little vent

[BigG]

1. The fit of the shotgun to YOU is more important than the action, price, fanciness, etc. You need to be able to shoulder it and have the sighting plane lined up naturally.

2. A guy once told me (I was in sales) "Never write with a cheap pen. It's the closest communication you ever get a direct link between your mind and your hand. A cheap pen will make you feel cheap psychologically." I bought a good pen and I believe he was right. Remember the old saying "clothes make the man."

3. There are snobs and reverse snobs as others have mentioned.

4. Based on my own experiences, I think there may be something to having a good quality shotgun. That said, I shoot with an nondescript ancient SXS by Springfield (one of the myriad companies that were absorbed by Savage Arms during the depression, I think).

[CMichael]

At this point I don't care about passing along a heirloom. What I care about is being able to hit the targes.

Does an expensive shotgun with the same specs as a cheaper shotgun create a higher probability of hitting the target? If so, why?

Thank you,
Michael

[Al Thompson]

Michael, taking your question at face value, the only way a cheaper SG would have the same specs as a more expensive one is if one was over (or under) priced.

Forgive me for attempting to interprete your question, but it appears that what your asking is - "can I get better results with a more expensive gun?".

The answer is yes - but there is a bell curve in shooting results. The person who is breaking high 90's in trap has the basics down - but something is holding them back. It may be the equipment or a couple of training tips/suggestions. Frankly, us Americans tend to address training problems by buying equipment, about 90% of the time.

I learned skeet basics from a guy named Fred Misseldine at Sea Island Georgia. The first time I met him, he smoked 24 clays and apologized for the 25th - it broke, but was not smoked. He was shooting a .410 pump (Win 42?). Lil Stephenson is a friend who also habitually cleans house - her favorite SG is a 20 Ga. SxS - AyA I think. Lil is over 70 years young and takes no prisoners.

One of the IPSC champs compared a non-tricked out 1911 with a fully tricked out 1911. It saved him some small number of seconds on a given course of fire - enough to matter to him, but way beyond what us mortals can expect. (Rob Latham)

On one hand, it ain't the arrow, it's the indian - but once a certain level is reached, you need better equipment. I will never have the desire nor the genes to match these folks (or money) but until I start outshooting my hardware, I'll stick with what I have.

HTH!

Giz

[PJR]

Michael:

The answer to your question is it depends on which specs you are talking about. A Remington Wingmaster is more expensive than the Express because it is better finished and has nicer wood. It's the same basic gun and won't shoot any better than the Express with similar specs.

But if you take a Ruger Red Label over/under with 30" barrels and match it against a similarly equipped Krieghoff at 5 times the price, the more expensive gun will break more targets.

What you are paying for in this instance are better barrels that are properly regulated and will throw more consistent patterns, possibly an adjustable or custom stock to make the gun fit better, much better triggers and more dynamic balance. All of these qualities improve scores.

What really improves scores though is practice. There's no free lunch.

[mikey357]

Damn, Sam...Why'dja hafta tell 'em 'bout the BIB OVERALLS??? Now, I'm screwed...those "yuppie puppies" will see me comin'...ya' DIDN'T tell 'em bout the ol', blue-worn Sportsman 58, did'ja??? Please, don't tell ALL the SECRETS!!!....mikey357

[CMichael]

Thank you for responding to my question.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I meant would a 12 gauge 28" barrell with a modified choke fire the same way as another 12 gauge 28" barrell with a modified chock that is more expensive.

As I understand it the anwer is no.

How big of a difference does it make?

Michael

[Al Thompson]

The strict answer is "Maybe". I saved the money for a nice over and under when I was in Europe. Having most Saturdays off, I shot a lot of skeet and tried a lot of guns. I decided on an SKB - I simply shot it better than anything else regardless of price. Forget the list of guns I tried, but Merkels, Winchesters, Kreighoffs, Brownings - the SKB fit better.

Could I have equaled that with my 1100? Maybe..... Does my bro-in-law shoot better than I with his 870? Yep!

Does a more expensive gun automaticly give better results? No.

Too many variables in individuals and guns for any exact answers. But having a gun that gives good results is the name of the game regardless of the cost.

Giz

[K80Geoff]

Another plus of the higher end guns is reliability. Nothing is more frustrating than having an expensive O/U malfunction or break a part during a shoot.

Cheaper O/U's breaking parts means a trip to the factory. Or to a competent gunsmith, and possibly a long wait for parts.

The more expensive guns are built with the ability to easily replace parts that could break or wear out. Many have replaceable trigger groups that can be changed out in seconds. Springs are more durable and triggers are better designed.

Try getting a second set of barrels made for a Ruger or Remington, or any other cheap import double.

Extra barrel sets for K and P guns are easily obtained and usually fit without problems.

The high end guns have a variety of different stock configurations available and stocks can be changed out quickly.

The K and P guns are designed to shoot many thousands of rounds under heavy use and keep functioning with minimal maintenance.

Check the types of guns used at the Grand American or the National Skeet Champions. They use certain guns for a reason!

Did my K80 give me more birds or make me a better shooter. NO! But I have more confidence in it and it has never let me down.