Considering a O/U 12 bore game gun...but which one?

[BeeMaa]

That's why you pay for the loaders and take a pair of guns.

As you wish...you can pay them to open and load your O/U. Normally, you have to open the action for them to load...even if you have two shotguns. Paying extra is always an option.

I'd rather take a pair of semi-auto shotguns and have 5 shells (or more with extended tubes) and lighten the recoil a bit for this kind of volume shooting experience. Horses for courses ya know.

 

[Tanks]

As you wish...you can pay them to open and load your O/U. Normally, you have to open the action for them to load...even if you have two shotguns. Paying extra is always an option.
...

Driven hunts in Scotland you fire, turn and hand the gun with one hand and pick the other with the other hand turn and start shooting again. The loader handles opening the action and loading.

 

[BeeMaa]

Driven hunts in Scotland you fire, turn and hand the gun with one hand and pick the other with the other hand turn and start shooting again. The loader handles opening the action and loading.

I get it and you are completely welcome to it, but it still does nothing to mitigate the recoil like a semi-auto. Average of 500-750 shots per day (Argentinian Dove) is going to have a cumulative effect on what a body can handle. Everyone has a limit, even big strong men such as yourself. Every little bit helps with a round count that high.

What's the typical round count for a day of driven hunting in Scotland?

 

[leslie hetrick]

two of my favorite browning o/u,s for the clay games and the group of men i shoot with most of the time. where i shoot 80-85% of the shotguns are browning.

 

[Red Leg]

That's why you pay for the loaders and take a pair of guns.

I did Cordoba once. 900 - 1100 rounds a day for three days. One of the bird boy's functions is loading the gun - just tilt it toward him. I do wear shooting gloves whenever using a shotgun, which saves thumb wear and a blistered hand if shooting a double. Used a 686 20 on day one and switched to a semi on day two because the OU was beating me to death. Felt like work by the end of day three. We now do BA province and shoot ducks in the morning and doves or perdiz in the afternoon. Far more enjoyable.

I have never counted but would think the most I have shot during a formal drive hunt was around a hundred fifty rounds? Haven't done the British version, but have shot driven birds in Spain with a "secretario."

And I would never subject a matched pair of my personal guns to three days of Cordoba.

 

[TroyF]

My favorite shotguns are sxs, I've had over 10 in my life and I'm always broke lol. Hammered sxs are really fun as well in love to get a nice muzzleloading sx s some day. I've not owned any better sxs but all have been good and I can fix most broken parts. I haven't found a new sxs that I like that I can afford yet,

those Argentina hunts look fun

 

[chashardy]

Not sure where you live, but getting a Beretta 686 fitted properly is your best bet. Beretta Gallery in Dallas or the one in New York or Cole's Fine Guns in either the San Antonio or Florida locations can fit you correctly. Most off the shelf Beretta field shotguns have a LOP of about 14 1/2 inches, made as a standard that will fit a lot of buyers, but if that doesn't fit you, get them to fit your shotgun to you.

 

[Tbitty]

What citori would be best for a hunter, I'm not much into skeet or trap.
A lgs had a nice used 20ga with the 24" barrels for $ 800 last year think if I had the money I may have gotten it, 26" seems better for some reason to me.

Any of their 26"or 28" offerings would fit the "all purpose" category for hunting and targets alike. I personally prefer 28" in most cases, but that's just what fits me. One of my wish list items is a White Lightning model.

 

[BeeMaa]

Not exactly for use with an O/U, but my SBE will have a steady diet for Turkey, Duck and Goose. I was in Cabela's today to pick up my internet order of Hevi-Shot and found that Cabela's had gotten a shipment from them. Picked up 10 boxes of Hevi-Shot Magnum Blend Turkey 5/6/7 shot, 4 boxes of 3" Hevi-Shot BB Duck loads (all they had of this) along with the internet order of a flat of Hevi-Shot 3.5" BBB I ordered for Goose hunting. Check your local stores if you are looking for something because you may not find it on the internet.

 

[WAB]

As you wish...you can pay them to open and load your O/U. Normally, you have to open the action for them to load...even if you have two shotguns. Paying extra is always an option.

I'd rather take a pair of semi-auto shotguns and have 5 shells (or more with extended tubes) and lighten the recoil a bit for this kind of volume shooting experience. Horses for courses ya know.

Dude, if you show up at a driven shoot with a pair of semi autos I can assure you that one thing you will not be doing is shooting!

A skilled loader/shooter pair can keep up a pace of fire that cannot be matched by any other system I have seen. And you will never see that shooter open his own action when shooting a matched pair with a loader. Where you will see it is on a single gun shoot with the loader acting as a stuffer.

 

[RockSlinger404]

+1 for the Browning Citori - I've hunted many many birds with mine. There are specialised tools for certain types of shoots, however when I don't know which gun to use, the Citori always comes out of the safe.

Regarding barrel length, anything shorter than 28" will be awkward, unless its on a small framed SxS.

 

[BeeMaa]

Dude, if you show up at a driven shoot with a pair of semi autos I can assure you that one thing you will not be doing is shooting!

A skilled loader/shooter pair can keep up a pace of fire that cannot be matched by any other system I have seen. And you will never see that shooter open his own action when shooting a matched pair with a loader. Where you will see it is on a single gun shoot with the loader acting as a stuffer.

I know, but if you followed the conversation between myself and @Tanks …it got twisted from an Argentinian Dove (which is what I was talking about in that post) hunt into a Scottish driven hunt (what @Tanks was talking about). I fully understand the difference and this is one of the reasons I’m looking for an O/U. Not necessarily a matched set of 2, but you never know. Let me get one in the vault first.

 

[leslie hetrick]

browning o/u,s are hell for tough, i have several that are close to the 50,000 round mark(factory&reloads) and have needed no repairs, only cleaning.

 

[WAB]

I know, but if you followed the conversation between myself and @Tanks …it got twisted from an Argentinian Dove (which is what I was talking about in that post) hunt into a Scottish driven hunt (what @Tanks was talking about). I fully understand the difference and this is one of the reasons I’m looking for an O/U. Not necessarily a matched set of 2, but you never know. Let me get one in the vault first.

LOL, you had me concerned!

 

[Tanks]

... I fully understand the difference and this is one of the reasons I’m looking for an O/U. Not necessarily a matched set of 2, but you never know. Let me get one in the vault first.

Just go all out and get a (pair) of Grulla SxS. Mine almost point by themselves and have accounted for quite a bit of pheasants.

 

[Red Leg]

Just go all out and get a (pair) of Grulla SxS. Mine almost point by themselves and have accounted for quite a bit of pheasants.

Exquisite! However, I am begging you not to take them to Cordoba. On the other hand, in the UK or Spain you will be properly armed.

 

[Tanks]

Exquisite! However, I am begging you not to take them to Cordoba. On the other hand, in the UK or Spain you will be properly armed.

I wouldn't take 12 gauge anything to Cordoba. The outfitter I have reached out to has a LEFT handed 20 gauge Beneli semi-auto I can use.

 

[TroyF]

I know this is impossible but are there any good sxs under $1000, only thing I can think of is the cz guns. I wish cz made them, they seem to be ok for Turkish guns.

 

[BeeMaa]

Maybe I need something made from unobtainium...

 

[Bullthrower338]

@Red Leg - Because we already own Blaser rifles, I've been looking at the F3 and their entry model the F16. Some call the lines of these shotguns non-traditional, which is what I'd expect from Blaser as well as the people making the comments. Personally, I like the way they look. But then again I like the way the R8 looks too, so I guess take it for what it's worth. They also appear to be equal to the task of hunting, not just sitting around the clays range.

I was wondering if anyone else would mention Blaser without me bringing it up. As always, I appreciate your council. BTW - I fly fish as well.

The Blaser F3 is an amazing gun, I got a lot of time behind my buddies shooting Sporting clays including all the sub gauge barrels. I was trying to decide between several guns and was about to pull the trigger on a F3 when my shooting partner up and died on me! I haven’t shot much clays since and regrettably never purchased a blaser of my own.
if you can get to Huntsville, TX there is an excellent place called Able’s with a great clay course. They will let any serious buyer try a gun on and they will even tell you it doesn’t make your butt look fat! Good guys to deal with!