New Shotgun Shooter

[Shotshell 0]

After some advice please.

 

I have just applied for my first shotgun certificate and am thinking of a first gun. I dont have loads of money (unfortunately) so my first gun will be my only gun for a while.

 

I have permission to shoot over a friends land and I am thinking a pump action is the most versatile gun for this, but also want to practice on clays at a local club. Will I be a) allowed to use a pump action on clays laughed at if I do?

 

Is my presumption right that a pump is the most versatile?

 

Any advice welcome

[air gun ant 1,666]

just get a basic o/u mate, i find pumps a pain in the arse! lol i sold mine after a week. you will pick up a o/u or s/s for the same price as a pump or get a semi auto. i could never get used to having to pump the gun when a needed a quik second shot lol

[Guest Navek]

I'd go with a semi auto or a cheap o/u .... Pumps are ok but do become a pain in the arse... Mine lasted two days and got rid lol a semi auto you can do rabbit shooting pigeon shooting duck shooting fox shooting goose shooting rough shooting clay shooting .... Just not be able go to a pheasant drive but to be honest pheasant drives arnt cheap So if your saying you havnt got much money j Dout you'll be paying for pheasant shooting ... A o/u will do all the above and be aloud on a pheasant shoot ... However shooting geese and duck and doc with heavy loads through a o/u can give you a good kick as they don't soak up the recoil like a semi auto will .....you can gt a o/u for 150 200 ... You can also get a good semi auto for 200 . Me personally I have a semi auto 12 and a single 410 ... They cover everything I need from a shotgun

[walshie 2,804]

An O/U is the best choice IMO, especially for a new shooter. You can't get confused with how many shots are left.

[dixyhmr 62]

Agree with above .

Get a secondhand Baikel o/u for 100-300 quid.

....... Then you can get a pump and a semi and a s/s and a silenced 410 and maybe a new shiny o/u.

 

Start basic and work up.

A o/u is also a safer option for new shooters as you can break the gun which makes everyone round you less nervous !

[The one 8,473]

A cheap o/u would be the way i would go i reckon it would handle the recoil better

[philpot 4,974]

It might help if you state what your budget is. I use o/u shotguns for all my clay shooting and a semi auto for pigeon shooting in a hide and that is when they really come into their own.

An o/u is safer both for you to learn on but also many clay grounds frown on semi autos as it is not so easy to see if the gun is still loaded. The o/u will be heavier than a semi auto but that is a good thing because as already said, it helps to absorb recoil which allows you more flexibility with cartridge choice but more than that, the heavier gun will help to keep your movement of the gun on a target more steady than a semi auto due to it being much lighter up front.

 

Contact your local gun shop and ask for details of a clay shoot near you where you can go along to see what it is all about. Once you start chatting, you will be offered the chance to have a few shots with someones gun more often than not. The dealer will also show you what guns he has and explain which will suit you best.

 

Phil

[Snarepeg 28]

Love my pump 410, great fun on clays (more so skeet.) and rabbits/rats etc

Have had a few people make snide remarks on (pea shooters) and have proved them wrong a few times.

They are functional, usualy cheap and a starting point into shooting.

If it's what you fancy, go for it.

You can always upgrade later. John

[Matthew Roots 9]

Also depends on what clay grounds you ar thinking of attending. Your not far away from me so might be able to offer som advice on this, as I us d to hav a semi auto and was frowned apon in a few places too.