Best Shotgun For Around £500

[JDE 0]

Hi guys

 

i'm 17 and in the process of filling my shotgun certificate out so I can be gifted a shotgun by a close friend who is over 18, so i'm starting to look at what kind of shotgun I want, I have settled on a 12g and I really want a semi auto as the kind of shooting I will be doing will require me to fire and reload fast, my budget for my first gun will be around £500 and i'm starting to look at the weatherby brand,(the SA-08 in particular)

or maybe even a second hand Beretta or browning, but are the likes of Beretta and Browning way out of my price range?

 

any info will be great as I i'm very new to the world of shoguns

 

ATB Jack

[Worzel40 9]

I'm new to shotguns too and had a limited budget so I purchased a Hatsan escort semi.
I only do rough shooting and decoying so it suits me fine.

If I had the money I would go for a Beretta or similar and you may pick up a second hander for that money if your lucky.

 

Good luck.

[alan81 110]

you will find a second hand Beretta or Browning for that money but the gun will most likely have a lot of marks and scrapes it will shoot fine just not look the best. I don't know Weatherby to well but Lamber and Baikle do semi autos new for around 500 I think the Baikle could be a bit less, they are both good guns. the Baikle went through a torture test where it is said to have fired 50,000 rounds without 1 failure maybe there worth looking into. my advice is stay away from the Hatson Escort you here lads saying they are happy with there's but then you more saying they are shit and always letting them down. there are loads of good guns out there you should find one no problem. don't buy a gun without holding it and shouldering it and make sure the gun suits your line of sight atb.

[lurcherlad92 24]

If you look after it well an escort is a great beginners gun and you can shoot pretty much any thing out of them!

[The Seeker 3,048]

DO NOT BY A HATSAN....

 

Save your money and buy a second hand gun of reputable make.

 

Just my opinion but have you a need for a semi auto? You could get yourself a nice Lanber or Laurona as a starting gun and get some lead in the air, that would be my route for what it's worth.

[charlie caller 3,654]

Whatever you do do not buy a Hatstand escort, they are absolute garbage, I would start with a nice over and under or a side by side mate, if you buy a semi and it is unreliable, it will spoil your shooting experience, and you will lose money on it trading it for something else, as the Seeker says, get a nice Lamber or similar, whatever, trust me on the Hatstand.

[Luto 0]

I have a sabor side by side that realy is a farmers shotgun but my dad loves it it's like a extension of his arm.

[redcharge 378]

Lanber

[Danny Fireblade 66]

I managed to pick up a 20 year old beretta A303 for £270.

 

The stock was a bit marked but it's a rough shooting gun so more than likely I will end up marking it more.

 

Put over 500 carts through it so far and it has not missed a beat, unlike my shooting, which I've missed loads:-)

 

Get quality and don't worry about looks, could be a good project if your that worried?

[GEOFF.223 83]

I've had 3 second hand semi berettas and all have been a pleasure to shoot.

 

The only two used semi's u want buy are browning and beretta.

 

Forget everything else.

 

Some guys have luck with the hatszn escorts but alot don't. Won't cycle light loads and jam.

 

Winchester sx3 is a good semi also

[GEOFF.223 83]

If u want a semi get a semi.

 

I always had a semi then after everyone telling me no no no u want a over and under etc I got a o/u beretta then a miruko then went back to a semi auto because I could always shoot them better. and as you mention there faster to reload.

 

I take my semi clay shooting and every time I go someone tells me you need a good o/u to which my reply is: at the end of the the day its a smooth pipe that lead go's up and where ever you point it it will project lead.oSo why do I need o/u?

[Keeper96 2]

The browning gold hunter would be worth a look at that money, versatile, reliable, well made, good handling and also has a speed load feature seeing as you say you need to reload fast.

£500 shod buy you a good condition example aswell.

[The Seeker 3,048]

If u want a semi get a semi.

I always had a semi then after everyone telling me no no no u want a over and under etc I got a o/u beretta then a miruko then went back to a semi auto because I could always shoot them better. and as you mention there faster to reload.

I take my semi clay shooting and every time I go someone tells me you need a good o/u to which my reply is: at the end of the the day its a smooth pipe that lead go's up and where ever you point it it will project lead.oSo why do I need o/u?

Agree if he OP wants a semi its his choice however for his first gun he would have a much wider choice with a O/U, Not many people stick with their first gun and usually choose to upgrade to something that greater suits their style of shooting so at 17 and his first shotgun I don't believe the make or type is key, I would just want the lad not to waste his hard earned cash by buying a Hatstand.

There is one point to address and this does not affect everyone but rightly or wrongly most game shoots would not permit the use of a semi auto.

I use my Benelli SBE for wildfowling and pigeon shooting and my Berretta O/U for everything else but that's just my choice.

[GEOFF.223 83]

Get to a clay ground with afew or your friends whohave both semis and o/u or even s/s

And give them a go

[andyf 144]

Hi:

If your set on a Semi-auto, then a 'used' Berretta A303 is hard to beat, in the 1980's when they were 'new' they were the best by a country mile.

I have one, amongst 4 other shotguns, it's my only 'Semi' and I have owned it for over 15 years, it has never misfired or 'mis-behaved' at all get

one!

Mine has a 26" barrel, most are 28" all with multi choke, you should not need to pay more than £450.

AndyF