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looking for advice

Husker89-93

Junior Varsity
15 Year Member
My son is wanting to get into trap shooting with his classmates. I am inexperienced with shotguns. I do not repeat do not want to buy a firearm for just trap. I do understand the difference between hunting and trap shooting. he is 12 almost 13 and isn't small, but skinny(not for a lack of meat and tators), just want a gun that can be used for field and on the range. any and all advice is appreciated.
 

My son is wanting to get into trap shooting with his classmates. I am inexperienced with shotguns. I do not repeat do not want to buy a firearm for just trap. I do understand the difference between hunting and trap shooting. he is 12 almost 13 and isn't small, but skinny(not for a lack of meat and tators), just want a gun that can be used for field and on the range. any and all advice is appreciated.
I used to shoot skeet daily but didn't shoot much trap. Here's what I would tell you... Over and Under shotguns, IMO, are the gold standard in clay sports. They're also very expensive for a good one and you're generally not going to take your expensive O/U target gun duck hunting.

Does your local range rent shotguns? That would actually be a good place to start. The first shotgun I bought for skeet was the same model that the range was renting. Relatively cheap, fit well, and I shot well with it.

If your son is just getting started I'd probably go with a decent semi-auto that fits him well. Not super expensive, usable in the field and on the range. Less recoil. Look on some trap shooting forums and see what people recommend. Beretta A300 seems to get mentioned a lot. It comes in a sporting model for a couple hundred more. You want something reliable as target guns send a lot of rounds downrange and have to withstand that abuse.

Curious...do his classmates already have their own shotguns? If so what are they shooting?
 
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No matter what you get (assuming you decide to buy one), I hope you can find shells for it. Here in NC you'd be hard pressed to buy ammo for a BB gun about now.
 
Everyone has their own ideas as to what is best. My personal opinion however for your situation, the cheapest, most reliable shotgun out there is the good ole, tried and true, Remington 870. Very cheap at under $400, and very very reliable, and can be bought at a walmart even (or you used to be able to anyway). The shotgun I use the most is a Benelli Super Black Eagle 2. Can shoot 3 and half inch shells, and always works as well, mine was the "american" model. Basically meaning that it does not have the "recoil package", which I didnt care about since its a semi-auto with the inertia system, you dont feel much recoil at all, and that made it much cheaper, around $800 vs. 1200-1400 for nicer packages. Some of my upland buddies have friends that almost look down on me for using a semi-auto, they look down on me with their $2200 over and under guns, and I give no craps whatsoever. I have never cared about status or branding, im all about functionality and practicality, just my two cents.
 

As mentioned the O/U is the way to go for Clay's, but costly. The 870 is cheaper and a fine hunting gun and will be fine at the range as well as bird hunting.

But what has not been brought up is the gauge size, 28, 20, 16 or 12. All are good at the range or the field in the right hands. Just another thing to ponder for a young shooter.
 
Everyone has their own ideas as to what is best. My personal opinion however for your situation, the cheapest, most reliable shotgun out there is the good ole, tried and true, Remington 870. Very cheap at under $400, and very very reliable, and can be bought at a walmart even (or you used to be able to anyway). The shotgun I use the most is a Benelli Super Black Eagle 2. Can shoot 3 and half inch shells, and always works as well, mine was the "american" model. Basically meaning that it does not have the "recoil package", which I didnt care about since its a semi-auto with the inertia system, you dont feel much recoil at all, and that made it much cheaper, around $800 vs. 1200-1400 for nicer packages. Some of my upland buddies have friends that almost look down on me for using a semi-auto, they look down on me with their $2200 over and under guns, and I give no craps whatsoever. I have never cared about status or branding, im all about functionality and practicality, just my two cents.
I would agree with everything said here. I would ask, what kind of investment are you interested in purchasing?
Understanding that without a crystal ball to know how much your kid will or won’t take to shooting through the years, it’s all about how much you are comfortable spending.
I would be happy to answer any questions for you if you need. I have been in the gun business for a long time and have plenty of unbiased insight.
 
My son is wanting to get into trap shooting with his classmates. I am inexperienced with shotguns. I do not repeat do not want to buy a firearm for just trap. I do understand the difference between hunting and trap shooting. he is 12 almost 13 and isn't small, but skinny(not for a lack of meat and tators), just want a gun that can be used for field and on the range. any and all advice is appreciated.
The Remington 870 mentioned above is a heavy gun for a young man. I'd look into a Stoeger model and look at the weights of the guns. Over/Under will be lightweight for a price, Benelli semi auto is what would recommend. I got a Benelli super 90 from my dad when I was 15 and still shoot it exclusively today at the age of 43.
 
I think Stoeger and Franchi make serviceable semi autos. Should be affordable compared to the Benelli or Beretta. The 870 or even Mossberg 500 are good pump shotguns that are cheap and can take a beating. A nice thing about the pumps is that they are easy to take apart and clean. I know first hand. As a teenager I beat the crap out of my 870 and had to clean it more often than I wanted to. I'm glad it was simple to get apart and back together.

Anyway, if you think that your son is going to stick with shooting and/or hunting, don't be afraid to get him something good. He takes care of it, it will last a long time.
 


The Beretta 300 mentioned previously is an exceptional choice. Its automatic, handles 3" mag rounds, smooth gun in the field, simply built, easy to clean, awesome quality, very durable. Affordable. I cant think of a better choice. You can spend more, but your really not gonna get anything better. Youll just get fancier, thats all.
Im not a gun dealer, but ive been shooting and reloading for 40+ years and own 17-18 shotguns, and still shoot skeet and sporting clays monthly. I have a beretta 300, and would buy another in a second. I see what other guys are shootin and hunting with,
 
Go with an O/U, you won't regret it. It is better for trap/skeet and is versatile enough to go afield, especially upland hunting.

CZ USA and Stoeger both offer O/Us that can be had for under $700. I have a CZ-USA O/U and really like it for quail hunting- points well and a dream to carry.

I have a Stoeger semi auto for duck hunting that, while not fancy or as high end as some others (Benelli, Beretta), it goes "bang" every time I pull the trigger no matter the temperature or conditions.



 
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Thanks for all the advice, I finally pulled the "trigger", pun intended, and bought him a Beretta A300 semi auto. Composite Stock, (which I prefer a wood, but more expensive, and figured $ count), but it was high on list of my cousin in law who has taught gun safety/hunter safety for a long time gave me. I just hope he sticks with it, and at some point pheasants and quail come back to our neck of the woods, so that he can enjoy the gun, because that is more of what I bought it for than trap. I am a rifle/hand gun man. less recoil, less mess, more tasty food options, more money making options, (well when pelts were worth something), and you can keep "preditors" at a longer distance when necessary. lol
 

I got one of these about 8 months ago. VR-80. Semi auto 12 gauge.

$800--$900 range.

Don't know the skeet and/or trap rules though?


armscor-vr80-lead.jpg
 

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