shotgun beginner

[countrycommando89 7]

done a bit of shooting when i was younger and alot of air rifle shooting. very expirienced with gun safety and what not. was just wondering what sort of money i would have to spend before getting a decent gun to go out rough shooting. any ideas ie make/model etc would be greatly appreciated. probably looking at a second hand gun to begin with. also some good acc/s eg. lamp kit etc. have done alot of my own research but there is nothing like expirienced advice. cheers ben.

 

 

i apologise if this question has been asked a million times before. had a quick skim through the FAQ section and couldnt really see anything relevent.

[Super Furry Animal 2]

Hi mate

 

Always a good idea to go second hand on your first shotgun, it usually means that if the gun doesn't fit you well the mistake is cheaper.

 

Here's a link on gun fit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLLnGM3DXE0

 

Personally I would go for a decent Over and Under or Side by Side. You can get a decent shotgun for £100 if you keep your eyes peeled and be patient. I spent £500 on my first, it was a Winchester Parker hale O/U and I don't think I will ever get rid of it.

 

Good luck to you pal

 

SFA

Edited December 13, 2012 by Super Furry Animal

[tillylamp 1,828]

hi ben,

when i first started shooting many years ago with shotguns i got myself a 20g,it was nice and light to carry around and didnt have as much recoil as a 12g,just to experience what they were like and get a feel for them,after a while i felt quite comfortable using my 20g which lead me to get a 12g and thats were i have stayed,i now have 2 side by sides 12g ,and 2 semi autos,12g,

do you know anyone that shoots shotguns that you could tag along with to try there gun and get some experience?

also go the the gun shop an get a feel for the ones that fit and suit you, ie: under/over, side by side, semi auto, see what gauge you would be comfortable with,and then price them up.

if you go on the guntrader web site there are loads of shotguns on there for you to look at and see what you like the look of,then work from there,

 

i would say £150-£350 would buy you a good gun to start with, as for good makes of shotguns there are: beretta, browning, biakel, etc

 

i hope this helps,and let us know how you get on.

 

tillylamp

[Syncro 7]

As the saying goes you get what you pay for, and as the previous post states a good second hand gun is the best idea for a new starter. You can pick up a good over under with multi chokes and ejectors for under £500 look at lanber's, Bettinsoli and miroku's all good value.

My AYA was in great nick when i bought it for <£400 and it came with all the chokes. Good solid gun, great for rough shooting and breaking clay.

[countrycommando89 7]

cheers guys. yes i understand about going for a 20g first to get the feel but i have quite alot of expirience with firearms just not in the civilian sense, on the other hand i understand that it is very different to the technique used to game shooting. i have done quite a bit about 4-5 years ago but i was just out and about with my uncles in ireland and scotland rough shooting, and will be looking to get out with them again soon. i was looking at getting something around the £500 mark. im selling my air rifle set up to go towards it so that should take most of the sting out of it.

 

the advice so far has been great. thanks alot. any more ideas on makes models just sing them out. that way when i get down the gunshop i will be able to spot guns that has been mentioned on here.

[Super Furry Animal 2]

You should get a really nice shotgun for £500 mate and if you're happy with it you'l end up keeping it for a long time.

 

ATB

 

SFA

[bullx100% 681]

hi there im a fairly new beginer myself mate but the advice ive been given has worked for me.first off id say if your going to spend 500 on a gun then make sure it fits youas like already said 500 is alot of money to spend on a mistake.if you buy second hand from a gun shop ask the owner to help you to see if it fits. I started off with a 12g and had trouble the first couple of days when rought shooting because of taking snap shots so i wasnt mounting properly.as for choice of guns get what suits your need best eg. Driven shoots o/u or s/s as semi auto are frowned upon or if wild fowling and rought shooting and fox shooting a semi auto will do.i have a semi auto one singel barrel and two side by sides.most pigeon shooting is done with the semi as taking lots of shots with a semi is painless because the gun take most of the recoil.when i go rought shooting i use one of my ssm pointer s/s as there a lighter gun to carry and shoot nice and flat and are easy to prove safe wile climbing over fences.the single i use is a cheapo biakel wich i use when its hammering down with rain. As for makes then if you go for semi auto try get a second hand sx3 as they are ment to be a good gun but thats from what i have been told not personal experiance.i shoot a hatsan but finding a good one what cycles is hard lol as for o/u or s/s then a ssm pointer for a o/u then a miroku (spelling probly rong) atb

[countrycommando89 7]

hadnt really considered a semi to be honest. had been looking simply at o/u. now you have mentioned it i may consider one unless anyone has any reason against them. i have fired a benelli m4 with 8 solid shots. thats good fun. i understand that you are only allowed a semi that is fitted to take three shells only. yes i can understand the importance of having a gun that is fitted correctly. one of my uncles has a gun that he rekons is too short. which is one of his excuses for being a sh*t shot. cheers for the posts gents. any more info will be greatly appreciated

[alastair 0]

I too am new to pigeon shooting. Bought my first gun at a local dealer and took a couple of experienced friends with me. Ended up with benelli sl80. it is a great wee gun and only cost me 150

[The one 8,456]

You could get a nice Baikal o/u for no a lot of cash and there suitable for most things