Trap & skeet shooting for the wife.

[bonkers1919]

My buddies and shot 400 to 500 clay pigeons last Sunday. The wife was watching and tried a 20 ga and a 410 shotgun. Now she wants to get her own shotgun.
We were goofing around while shooting but my wife was and is serious about getting into sporting clays. She currently carries daily and is a good shooter.
So, INGO, has anyone introduced their wife to shotguns? What gun would be a quality and gauge to get her started? We live close by Atterbury so training would not be difficult.
As for recommendations for a gun the price tops out at around $1000.00
Of course a lower price is better in case she drops the plan to shot clays.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

Beretta A300 Outlander, 12 gauge. Enough said.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I thought this thread was going to be about a very interesting prize for a local trap shoot.

Sponsored by FedEx!

 

[gloxrok]

I'll second the a300. Smooth shooter, and much less felt recoil than an o/u. Mine required about 300 rounds of win AA to break in. It is pretty nice for sporting clays, and if she decides that she doesn't like clays, well a semi-auto is pretty handy for other things too. I will say that it's tough to beat an o/u 12ga for sporting clays, but they can put a thumpin on your shoulder. A good vest with a gel pad is worth its weight in gold, imo. Indiana gun club, so i'm told, has a decent selection of o/u's. Happy shooting.

 

[Mgderf]

Do not go .410.
That is very difficult to shoot clays with. Smaller shot payload and less powder.

I'd say go 16ga or 20ga.

I've wanted to try shooting skeet with my Judge but haven't tried it yet.
I also have a .410 AR15 I thought might be fun, but haven't tried that yet either.

 

[awames76]

all i had was my dads 410 took my wife out and shot it and she said its not that bad, now i have a mossberg maverick 12 ga and it works good and a few other guns. shes shot all of the guns. and enjoys it

 

[bgcatty]

No question, Beretta A300 Outlander in 12ga. Very little recoil and a great shooter.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Another vote for 20. I love my Stoeger Condor, but its cheap and not pretty, and supposedly not durable enough. I want a Ruger Red Label, but I dont have the $$ and I dont shoot enough clays to justify moving from a beater to a nicer gun.

EDIT: A Remington 1100 is also a nice choice, and will do more than clays if she chooses.

 

[Vamptepes]

I use a remington 1100 lt-20. Also use it for squirrel hunting. I have used a .410 single shot before shooting walnuts and that is hard.

 

[Contender]

Benelli Montefeltro 20 gauge. My wife shoots a 12 but I like the 20 better.

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

Remington Versa Max. Softest shooting 12GA I've ever shot. I can shoot mine all day.

 

[Mgderf]

I've got what I consider to be a soft shooting 12ga in an SA-08 Weatherby, but then that's the only 12ga semi-auto I've ever shot.
Great shotgun, and only cost me $20 brand new in the box!

 

[Fordtough25]

My wife hates shotguns, but deals with my 1100. I had a Beretta AL391 12 gauge once and let her try it thinking she will love this! Nope, she hated it and honestly I didn't like it either. I stuck with Remingtons and have been super happy. She didn't hate shooting the old remington 870 in 20 gauge, not bad at all.

 

[17 squirrel]

I'm in the 20 GA crowd also.. It's much more comfortable and easier on the shoulder. And you really don't give up much shooting clays with a 20.
The big question I would ask her, does she want to pickup empty hulls or just open the action and drop them in her shell pouch ??
And 1187 in 20 with two barrels should be under you price cap,
And a used Browning or other O/U might be a few bucks more.

I would take her to a few clubs and rent or borrow as many different shotguns that you all can and let her deside what shotgun she wants to shoot.

 

[sportsman223]

The 20 all the way shoot 3/4oz for skeet and 7/8 or 1oz for trap/sporting clays. Daughters shoot benelli 12g for trap and 625 brownings 20 for skeet. Take her to Indiana Gun club and try several have her fitted and make sure she is getting a good mount every time and make sure you pattern gun to a 60/40 split ,a well fitting gun/and a good mount will help a ton with recoil and break more birds. I would look for a wood stock gun that has some adjustment cast and comb height, LOP will need adjusted don't try to save money get a good pad after stock is cut. Just make sure the guy doing the fitting/adjustments knows what he is doing not everyone does ,stocks are not cheap and there are not many good fitters out there. Good luck

 

[55fairlane]

my wife shoots an 870 Remington in 20 gauge and cleans up!!!

 

[jamesb]

My wife started on a Browning citori 525 sporting in 20 ga that was my buddies. We got a great deal on a citori 525 sporting in 12 ga so that is what she shoots now.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Find a Remington 1100. It's a great choice for a new shooter and will function fine with lower power loads. Upgrade to the $1000.00 Shotgun when she's ready.

 

[Leo]

It has been a while since I used a semi auto for any high volume use. I was fairly happy with 1100 Wing Masters and 1100/11-87 premier trap models. The Beretta 391 parallel target model was far more versatile and tolerant of a wide variety of shells. Extremely durable. Good Trigger, The gas system is self adjusting. Very easy on the shoulder. I went through the 20 gauge phase with the wife. Very soft shooting 7/8oz and 1oz shells are available for the 12 gauge, making it as soft or softer than the 20 gauge. If you reload, the sky is the limit. It is pretty hard to get 1-1/8th oz 1200 fps performance out of a 20 gauge, so I like the 12 gauge better. I am not familiar with the new Beretta models, but if they are similar in design and operation to the 391, they will be a good choice.

 

[tallend]

shooting skeet and trap

If you are going to shoot skeet and sporting clays, you will need a shotgun that will fire two rounds"quickly" = semi auto,or O/U===

Semi auto equals less felt recoil I,my 90lb(ex)wife,and my 16 yo daughter all shot trap----ALL used Remington 1100 12 ga

Remington 1100 s have several barrel options (slug,riot,26"skeet,to 34"full trap,34"Duck and Geese"----my opinion 28"VR with screw in chokes------Skeet,through "Turkey Choke" available

There is a guy from Speedway(Dom) that sells Remington barrels---sets up at most Central Indiana Gun Shows

Used 1100s are easy to find,(Gun Shows)and "usually" reasonably priced.

If you cannot find one---check the "North Room" at the next Tipton Gun Show

Just for information---I've shot trap for 45 years----managed a trap club/range for 15 years-----------not so long ago,you had to ID your 1100,to find it in the gun rack---almost everyone was shooting 1100s