Semi auto ???

[Qbgrey 4,077]

I know thiers lots of posts on which semi is good,I'm looking to get to the clay ground more often,have nt been for yrs.my question is a semi auto the done thing now adays on the clay ground,yrs ago I saw them and pumps  but times and attitudes change, should I just get a over n under.??? Cheers boys

[BenBhoy 4,706]

They wouldn't be 1st choice for most on clays but if you'll be using it elsewhere (on something proper like pigeons, crows or geese) then ideal & still dust clays. If anyone is too snobby feck 'em it's only clays! 

[Dervburner 2,549]

I use side by side for game and semi auto’s and pumps for just about everything else.

[cragman 2,763]

I’d use one on the clays, good guns. I’ve just bought an Armsan semi. Great knockabout gun. 100% with it ysdsy, a tree rat and a crow

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Semi autos are not ideal because they spit the spent cartridges out , which then have to be found and gathered up and put in the bin , also they tend to take longer to reload and faff about stuffing your cartridges in instead of keeping focused on the target . 
          But for people who suffer from recoil because of injury or age they are a great choice. And it allows them to participate in the sport for longer . 

[Qbgrey 4,077]

Cheers fellas picking up the carts seems a pain.i love a semi auto tbh,and shoot better with one.may just use my o/u

[philpot 4,967]

I am with shovel leaner on this subject. I do quite a bit of clay shooting and in the main semi auto guns are accepted on most sporting layouts but NOT on trap layouts as the fired case flies across into the guy stood next to you and he will be pretty hacked off very quickly.  In the US where the semi auto is king, it is expected but even there , the over and under is becoming the gun to use for all clay shooting other than skeet.

Buy a decent new or s/h o/u which is very unlikely to give you much in the way of issues.

Phil

[Dervburner 2,549]

4 hours ago, philpot said:

I am with shovel leaner on this subject. I do quite a bit of clay shooting and in the main semi auto guns are accepted on most sporting layouts but NOT on trap layouts as the fired case flies across into the guy stood next to you and he will be pretty hacked off very quickly.  In the US where the semi auto is king, it is expected but even there , the over and under is becoming the gun to use for all clay shooting other than skeet.

Buy a decent new or s/h o/u which is very unlikely to give you much in the way of issues.

Phil

The problem with those o/u’s is....they’ve got their barrels on the wrong way round

sorry.....

[Longshanx 833]

3 hours ago, Dervburner said:

The problem with those o/u’s is....they’ve got their barrels on the wrong way round

sorry.....

That's the hornets nest kicked

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Another issue that I forgot to mention in my previous answer is that anyone thinking of getting a semi auto for clays needs to get one that can cycle 28 gram cartridges, because not all of them will , particularly the inertia ones . 

[philpot 4,967]

1 hour ago, shovel leaner said:

Another issue that I forgot to mention in my previous answer is that anyone thinking of getting a semi auto for clays needs to get one that can cycle 28 gram cartridges, because not all of them will , particularly the inertia ones . 

That makes two of us SL as you rightly say, semi autos often will not cycle 28gr carts and a great many clay grounds will NOT allow loads heavier than 28gr unless they are running a FITASC sporting event which are few and far between.  That puts you into higher priced guns such as Beretta or Benneli which I believe will handle lighter shells but it is ALWAYS a case that you have to try the guns to ensure they will in fact cycle the cartridges.

Another reason to buy an o/u gun AND if you go for one of the big three, Beretta, Browning and Miroku, you will be buying a gun that will always find customers when you want to sell it, semi auto guns tend to lose their value in the main.

Phil

[shovel leaner 7,650]

46 minutes ago, philpot said:

That makes two of us SL as you rightly say, semi autos often will not cycle 28gr carts and a great many clay grounds will NOT allow loads heavier than 28gr unless they are running a FITASC sporting event which are few and far between.  That puts you into higher priced guns such as Beretta or Benneli which I believe will handle lighter shells but it is ALWAYS a case that you have to try the guns to ensure they will in fact cycle the cartridges.

Another reason to buy an o/u gun AND if you go for one of the big three, Beretta, Browning and Miroku, you will be buying a gun that will always find customers when you want to sell it, semi auto guns tend to lose their value in the main.

Phil

Spot on about the big three Phil . And I’m not getting drawn into another O/U vs SBS  again .