Getting into Sporting Clays

[Deleted member 67409]

I've shot clays a few times at Peacedale in RI and I want to get more serious about it. More fun than trap and skeet, less gear-oriented than multigun. I'm also getting into upland hunting, so I want to be a better shotgun shot.

I need a new gun and I'm thinking about the Benelli 828U in 12-gauge. Specifically the model 10702, black finish with 28" barrels. I figure this would be a good versatile gun for clays and birds. I want to get a 28-gauge for birds later.

For places, I live in western NH, so I'm looking at Green Mountain in NH and NEK Skeet and Sporting Clays in VT. NEK is only open year round to members, but membership is $100 per year, not bad. Are there other places in Vermont worth checking out?

For 12-gauge, do most people handload or buy shells in bulk? My go-to for 3-gun was Winchester AAL128.

 

[SJan]

I was considering buying the Benelli o/u a few years back. I had been shooting a Montefeltro for clays and an M2 for 3 gun. All the paid magazine and website reviews you will find about the 828U are positive, but if you dig deeper and get into some honest reviews you will find people are happier with a Berretta or Browning. Personally after continuing my research I got a Browning Cynergy.
I shoot whatever shells I can get my hands on. I do like the Fiocchi 7.5 1 1/8 1250fps

 

[magoo]

Lot of people are shooting the Beretta A400 with the kick off stock on it the gun is good at picking up second shot.

 

[PatMcD]

Don't get hung up on one certain shotgun before you have tried one to see if it fits you. Fit is more important than maker in the shotgun world.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Shots clays at Addieville this past Sunday and had fun. I think I'd be better off getting a dedicated gun for sporting clays, rather than something versatile. So, I'm going to try and rent some different O/Us at Peacedale, Addieville, and Green Mountain to get a sense of what I like.

My dad did let me try his Kolar on Sunday but its set up for him, so sort of like driving someone's tuned, idiosyncratic race car. Very sweet gun but I'm not trying to spend $20,000 now lol

 

[magoo]

If you go to Green Mountain you can try out my upland A400 , beretta 692 or a Beretta 391 I shoot there a lot. On weekends my camp is near there.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Shot at Addieville again with a rental 686 Silver Pigeon that looked more fouled than most AKs and I shot better with it than any other shotgun I've owned.

 

[MisterHappy]

If it fits you physically and mentally, you will do well, as you KNOW you will do well.

 

[magoo]

Shot at Addieville again with a rental 686 Silver Pigeon that looked more fouled than most AKs and I shot better with it than any other shotgun I've owned.

My 1st over and under was a Beretta 686 W/O with 32 inch Barrels

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Been doing some shooting, working on gun mount, reading, watching, and thinking.

I have an instinctual shooting style and my default is sustained lead. I shoot best with an O/U, to the point where I know that anything else is going to put me at a handicap. I've also been handling quite a lot of guns, and, again, I go right for the O/Us.

What I'd like to do is go to Cole's with $4000 and see what O/U I come out with. Probably Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon III Sporting or Rizzini BR110 Sporting.

The one oddball is Merkel. I've handled a couple Merkels and they handled and looked amazing. The problem is new Merkels aren't easy to find and Merkel can't service old guns no longer in production. Merkel O/Us can only take Briley Thin-Wall chokes, including the new ones. I would really like a Merkel but its hard to justify one for clays versus a Beretta or Rizzini.

My dad's going to give me my grandfather's 12-gauge MEC handloading press. I'm also going to join Groveton Fish and Game, which has registered shoots every year and weekly clays.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Took my Manufrance side-by-side out today at Peacedale's longer course with some new Peters paper shells because paper shells with a side-by-side just seems right. I also for the first time focused on starting each stage gun down. The combination just felt right today lol

I shot reasonably well considering the gun's choked Full/Extra-Full with a 0.724" bore. Let's just say the fifty yard and straight away targets weren't a worry.

The gun needs a lot of work - hard to open, action a little loose, chokes too tight, maybe a new color case hardening, maybe remove some pitting - but I really like shooting it.

 

[grizquad]

Glad things are working out with the SxS. Just curious, where did you find the Peter's papers locally, and were they $20./box?

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Glad things are working out with the SxS. Just curious, where did you find the Peter's papers locally, and were they $20./box?

I'm a NH resident, so I bought the ammo direct from Remington's/Federal's website. Yes, $20 per box. Definitely not something I want to shoot regularly, but fun on occasion. The nice thing about having a non-ejector SxS is that all the hulls go right back into my bag