Beretta O/U's?

[mibighntr]

I am looking to get into Sporting Clays and some skeet shooting.  I have owned many semi-auto shotguns in the past and would like to invest in a qulaity O/U.  A buddy has a Beretta and really likes it.  I went to a local club here that carries Beretta, Brownings, and a few others.  I spent about an hour talking with the salesman and found a couple of Beretta's that I am partial to.  Please offer and suggestions or feedback on the Beretta O/U's you may have, good or bad.

I was partial to the 686 White Onyx Sporting and the Silver Pigeon S models.

Thanks!

Mark

[Graybeard]

I have the White Onyx with 32" barrels. The longer barrels seem quite popular for use in sporting clays. Prior to this one I'd tried both 28" and 30" and so decided to go with the 32" this time.

Around here the Beretta is a pretty popular gun but Browning is never a bad choice either. The folks with plenty of money and who are good enough to be winning often use Kregoffs and Kolars and such. The rest of us use Beretta or Browning mostly.

[victorcharlie]

I have a 20 gauge Berretta 686 white wing 26" barrel that's very light.....I bought it mostly for the weight, as about 3 in the afternoon, a shotgun that I've carried all day starts to get heavy......I looked at several other brands and for fit and finish, it's hard to beat the Beretta......

I think accessories for a Browning are a little more common and a little easier to find if that matters....

I've shot thousands of rounds through it, Skeet, five stand, and sporting clays as well as hunting........never failed me yet........

If your not going to hunt, something with a little more weight and longer barrels would be just the ticket......a friend has a 687....it's a beautiful gun.....

[Fullchoke]

I have a 686 SP and two 687's. I also have a Browning Citori. While I can't say anything bad about the Browning, I very much prefer the Beretta's. For me the Beretta comes up quicker and points better.

As Graybeard pointed out, neither would be a bad choice.

[Greybeard]

If at all possible try to shoot a similar gun before buying. Shotgunning is all about feel. You point not aim them like a rifle and how well it fits you has every thing to do with how well you shoot it.

I once bought a Browning Golden Clays Sporting Clays gun with 30" barrels. In the store it felt really good and I was sure I'd shoot it well. WRONG! Me and it never did get together. Shot it very poorly and in short order it was gone for yet another. Moral of the story is with shotguns it's always best to find someone at the range who has one like the one you're thinking of buying. Ask them to let you fire a round of skeet, trap, sporting clays with it as you're thinking of getting one like it. Most shooters will gladly let you do so. That way you'll know rather than hope it fits you.

[mibighntr]

Thanks for the advice!

I am now the proud new owner of a Beretta 686 White Onyx Sporting!

 :-D  :-D  :-D

Thanks!

Mark

[Fullchoke]

Congratulations. You'll like it

[victorcharlie]

Take it to the range, put a couple of hundred rounds through it and let us know how it works for you..........hope you enjoy it for a long......long...time........enjoy!

[Graybeard]

Which barrel length did you buy?

[Don Fischer]

Hey Greybeard, you said that the folk's around you, shooting sporting clays, that are winning are shooting "Kregkoff's and Kolars and such". Well no offence but, they'd be winning if they were shooting Mossburg's!

[mibighntr]

I ended up going with the 30" barrels.  In the four days since I bought it, I have shot three days!  I shot two rounds of skeet the first night (Sporting Clays was closed because it was too dark), one 50 bird SC round the next day, and one 50 bird SC round the next day.  I am getting used to it and getting to know it.  The first two rounds of skeet were 15 & 17.  I was happy considering I hadn't shot any clay targets in about five years.  It took me a minute to think just where the birds were even coming from....

I have taken it apart each night after shooting and cleaned it.  I am not sure if that is necessary, but it can't hurt.

Mark

[Jason]

Heh.. I guess it won't hurt, but if I only shot 50 shots in a day of shotgunning and was shooting an O/U, I'd probably pull the boresnake through a couple times per barrel and call it good. A few hundred rounds per day, on the other hand, and I clean well after a week or two.