[gsusnake]

I want a shotgun for skeet shooting and home defense. I've never shot skeet before but I'm interested in starting after going to a match not too long ago. Looks like a lot of fun.

I'm on a budget, let's say under $600.

I want something reliable, affordable, and halfway decent.

The guy at Bass Pro tried to sell me on some ugly-ass "wood" stock thing manufactured by somebody I'd never heard of. I'm not having any of that nonsense.

I've been looking at the Mossberg 500, preferably with the 5-shot mag, in 12 gauge, pistol grip, and bead sights (to be replaced later).

Anybody have any experience with this gun?

Can anyone recommend something any better?

 

[legacy38]

I want a shotgun for skeet shooting and home defense. I've never shot skeet before but I'm interested in starting after going to a match not too long ago. Looks like a lot of fun.

I'm on a budget, let's say under $600.

I want something reliable, affordable, and halfway decent.

The guy at Bass Pro tried to sell me on some ugly-ass "wood" stock thing manufactured by somebody I'd never heard of. I'm not having any of that nonsense.

I've been looking at the Mossberg 500, preferably with the 5-shot mag, in 12 gauge, pistol grip, and bead sights (to be replaced later).

Anybody have any experience with this gun?

Can anyone recommend something any better?

The Mossy 500 is a pretty good shotgun. I prefer a Remmy 870, but the Mossbergs really are a better buy if buying new unless you splurge for a Wingmaster. The 870 Express isn't a bad gun, but you can get the standard Mossy for about the same price with a few more bells and whistles.

I would not suggest a pistol grip for skeet shooting (not really wild about pistol grips on a shotty anyway, but that's personal preference). In fact, unless just shooting with some buddies and fooling around, you might not be well received showing up to shoot skeet somewhere with a "evil" looking shotgun. The clay shooters that I have been around are much more into Elmer Fud than they are into a defensive mindset. I started out shooting clays with an 1100 synthetic and even it drew odd looks as it was black and therefore must be evil.

For $600 you should be able to get into a nice 1100 with wood furniture. You can shoot skeet with a pump and be good at it, but you have to be quick on the doubles.

I ended up sticking with an 870P for social work and picking up a DeHaan U1 ( www.dhshotguns.com ) for the clay games.

If you are determined to stick with one shotty for the games and for social work check out the 870 Express combo packages that come with a long barrel and a short barrel and just swap the barrel accordingly.

 

[ber950]

You can shoot skeet or sporting clays with a pump, but a semi would be a better choice. It really depends on your mind set. If you really want a self defense gun you can shoot clays with a pump is fine. If you really want a clay gun you can use for SD get a semi.
Shooting clays with a pump will teach you to cycle the action during recoil.

 

[Sharky]

gsusnake
I will have my Remmy 1100 (handed down from my dad) with me at the shoot coming up. One of the other board members said they would help me give it a good cleaning that day. Of course all who want to shoot it are invited. You could get a feel for that kind of shotgun. Maybe some other memebers will bring theirs as well so you can compare. Most of the boards I have checked out for shotguns and clay shooting use auto's. And of course Legacy pointed out the Elmer Fud types there.

It is one of the older remmys with all the wood as Legacy mentioned. Its a sweet shotgun and can do some damage on a clay range as my dad told me.

 

[USMC - Retired]

IF your going to be serious about Skeet shooting then you won't be happy with a pump or a semi-auto. There is a reason that serious competitive skeet shooter use double guns. The reason is that there is no disruption of the gun by an action cycling making for a faster and more accurate follow up shot on doubles. I started shooting skeet as a young Marine in Yuma AZ as a way to warm up for dove season. I was shooting a pump gun and doing pretty good and got hooked on the game. After about a year of shooting skeet every weekend I realised that I had reached a wall and that my score were not getting better any more. I asked a long time shooter that was always at the range what I should do to get better and he handed me his O/U and said to shoot a round with it. I broke my first 25 straight that day. Two months later I had an O/U of my own and started shootin skeet competitivly. I guess what I'm trying to say is like everyone else is saying. If your main goal is to have a defense gun you can go break some birds with from time to time then a pump is fine. But just be ready to go by a double gun for when you get hooked by the sport.

 

[pro2am]

I agree with the O/U comments. You can find O/U for less than $600 so don't be fooled by the overwhelming number of $1,000+ guns out there. I think quite a few come from Turkey. I've seen a few in the upper $400 to lower $800 that were very nice. I would suggest checking out various forums that have a shotgun discussion room.

 

[Bulldawg182]

I agree with the above advice as well. But, I also think there's a world of difference between a skeet shotgun & a home defense shotgun. To get one weapon to do a good job of both is almost impossible...IMHO.

For clay, I agree the double barrel over/under is the best choice. Considering you'll want at least a 26" or 28" barrel for this option, it's difficult to apply this weapon to a "good" home defense gun.

For home defense, you want a short, maneuverable gun which can be shot from the hip and maneuvered easily in close quarters. I prefer a pump for home defense personally.

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

Double barrel or semi-auto only. Cross everything else off your list. Otherwise skeet is going to be a very frustrating experience.

 

[kkennett]

USMC and larryg2 are both correct. I shoot a good many clays and the O/U is certainly the top choice. A good semi will do the trick and probably be better than the O/U for home defense. Only the folks at the top of the game will be hindered by the cycling of the semi action. Pumping is just no good. Waaay to much motion to keep good alignment for quick second shots. That being said, barrel length is your primary struggle. Of course, a 28" over/under pointed in the right direction, while it may not clear up all problems at home, will solve a few for sure.

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

I watched a very good friend of mine shoot 24 and 25 back to back with a very short barreled side by side "stagecoach gun."

 

[jp233]

Yeah, o/u's are best for competitice skeet, but I bust birds all day long with pumps too. But then again that is not at a course, it is just us out in a field throwing clays for each other. Semi's are even better though (think Benelli with nearly ZERO recol). But you wont find a Benelli for under 6 hundo. Maybe a Stoeger or used Franchi. YMMV

I like the remington 870's ok but my belief is that Mossbergs are superior. The ambi safety is in a better spot, as is the action release which is BEHIND the trigger guard, not in front of it.

I'm a big fan of my Mossberg 835 (shoots 3.5 inchers), but the 500 has more parts and configs available.

Mossberg makes many combo's where you can get pistol grip kits, different barrels and sights, etc.

I think what you might like is the Mossberg 500 Field/Security combo - p/n # 54169

includes an 18.5" plan bbl with pistol grip kit, plus regular wood stock and a 28" VR bbl with bead sights. All for the low price of like $300 ?

 

[USMC - Retired]

A good shooter can run the field with just about anything. I used to shoot with an old retired Marine (before I became an old retired Marine) that would run the field time and time again with an old Winchester Model 12 pump gun. On the same note I shoot against guys shooting Krieghoff and Perazzi guns that can't break 25 straight to save thier lives. Bottom line is a great shooter can make up for a marginal gun but the best gun in the world wont save a bad shooter. That being said, a good shooter gets better with the right gun. Not just the right type of gun but a gun that has the right fit for the shooter as well.

 

[jp233]

yup.

skill and savoir faire can trump equipment 8 days a week.

IMHO can't beat a Mossberg 500 as an all-around scattergun. bolt up parts, stocks, barrels as required for the mission.

 

[legacy38]

One more plus of the O/U is no chasing of shell hulls at the end of each round.

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

If you are actually going to shoot skeet, it reuires doubles. This means two clay pigeons (clay bird hunting, my six year old calls it) are fired off from two places simultaneously. They cross in the middle.

There is two much going on to pump a shotgun and hit the second bird.

Can it be done? Sure.

Can it be done while you are trying to learn? No!

Get a double barrel or semi.

If you meant trap, then a pump will be fine. If you mean skeet, do not get a pump gun to learn it. You will be disappointed and wonder what people here were thinking in recommending it.

 

[gsusnake]

Whoa. Lots and lots of advice here to soak in. Thanks, everybody.

Maybe I need to think more about this before I buy a gun, or just forget the shotgun and buy an XD instead...

 

[Doc Holliday]

Are you going to shoot skeet at a formal range or are you and some buddies going to shoot some clay targets with a hand thrower in a field somewhere?

If it is the former and you want to become a World Class skeet/trap/sporting clays shooter, than the O/U is the way to go. Beretta and Browning make the best O/U shotguns in my opinion.

If it is the latter then the Remington 870 is the best pump shotgun you can buy. I would buy the Express model with a 28 inch barrel from Wally World. This will suit your skeet/hunting needs. Then take the rest of the money and buy a 18 inch or 20 inch barrel and a 7 or 8 shot mag extension depending on what size barrel you decide on and then you have a good set up for HD. This is what I did. One shotgun to handle it all.

 

[kkennett]

One more plus of the O/U is no chasing of shell hulls at the end of each round.

Tricky one here. Skeet and clays only folks should go with extractors. If your o/u is going to double as your dove and quail gun, I suggest ejectors, which still has you chasing shells. Now if you know your gun really well, you can have them eject into the can. In the field though, there is no time to be pulling shells when the doves are swarming.

 

[tony218]

SKEET????? HA! try a real game, like trap just pickin atcha
gunny. i'll bring my $350.00 o/u china built trap gun.
this thing is QUALITY built.
i'm sure you can find a good skeet gun pretty cheap.
if you are going on the 16th you are more than welcome to shoot it
i'll pick up a couple boxes off trap loads.

 

[gsusnake]

Are you going to shoot skeet at a formal range or are you and some buddies going to shoot some clay targets with a hand thrower in a field somewhere?

If it is the former and you want to become a World Class skeet/trap/sporting clays shooter, than the O/U is the way to go. Beretta and Browning make the best O/U shotguns in my opinion.

If it is the latter then the Remington 870 is the best pump shotgun you can buy. I would buy the Express model with a 28 inch barrel from Wally World. This will suit your skeet/hunting needs. Then take the rest of the money and buy a 18 inch or 20 inch barrel and a 7 or 8 shot mag extension depending on what size barrel you decide on and then you have a good set up for HD. This is what I did. One shotgun to handle it all.

It'll be me and some buddies in a field.

And I did not realize that skeet and trap were two different things. I guess I should have researched this before posting...

and I won't buy it at Wal-Mart. I refuse to buy guns there. I'll go to my local dealer and help keep him in business rather than supporting a huge chain that underinsures and underpays its employees.