twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Before Payco jumps in, no, it's not for shooting either Ethel or my neighbour I'm having regular clay shooting lessons but am having huge problems with consistency. When I am good I am very, very good (well ok, I'm distinctly average ) but when I am bad (like today) my shooting is horrid. Every time I go to the range I am given a different gun and today's just didn't fit me. All I could see was the rib because I didn't have a comb raiser on. I should have said something but I blamed myself, as you do and it was only at the very end where I asked for a comb raiser and blasted the last two clays out of the air that I realised I had wasted my £90 Must be more assertive next time So my question is, how soon should I think about getting myself a gun and would an adjustable stock be a good idea? I am thinking about getting a 20 bore Beretta Silver Pigeon because that has been my favourite gun so far for fit and I definitely shot best with that one. Today's 12 bore was just too heavy for me and the stock was uncomfortable too because I'm female but I think that can be easily remedied by a gunsmith? My shooting instructor will be coming to the gun shop with me but he's away for a couple of weeks and I am trying to work out how much I need to spend on a gun to see if I can afford the adjustable stock one if that is, indeed, the best choice for me. I'm also wondering if my instructor looks after the gun for me (my license hasn't been granted yet) if he could bring it to the range every week for me to use? I'm sure he'd be happy to do that as he is very helpful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) Have a read of this . http://www.thefield....-shotguns-22890 http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/buy-gun-guide/cheap-shotguns-500-39565 Edited March 18, 2015 by WhackyWill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks Whacky. I jumped straight to the Beretta bit and it gets a great review for a budget gun. I'm not in the market for a Purdey but I think an 'entry level' Beretta would be a good starting point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) I agree , lovely well balanced gun These are also worth a look http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/buy-gun-guide/turkish-shotguns-600-35631 Edited March 18, 2015 by WhackyWill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Turkish delight eh? I'd never have thought about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Turkish delight eh? I'd never have thought about that They make some good guns, very reasonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Have a look through the Marketplace here. http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/buy-and-sell/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks Whacky I will bookmark that page. I'm determined to get a new gun but my daughter, who has been shooting for longer than me, wants a gun too and I have agreed to a second hand one if we can find something suitable. Currently she is using a Lanber sporter and I think these are no longer manufactured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) Thanks Whacky I will bookmark that page. I'm determined to get a new gun but my daughter, who has been shooting for longer than me, wants a gun too and I have agreed to a second hand one if we can find something suitable. Currently she is using a Lanber sporter and I think these are no longer manufactured. The Lanber is also a bit heavy, plenty of guns on there. I'll have an ask at the Club and see if anybody is selling anything as there is always somebody changing guns. Edited March 18, 2015 by WhackyWill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I know a bloke who can get you a cheap sawn-off, no questions like. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Er, your friends sound delightful Dan but I'd rather you didn't introduce me to them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payco Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Are you a secret arms dealer Will ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Are you a secret arms dealer Will ? If only mate.. The biggest boat in Puerto Banus is owned by an arms dealer.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Have a read through this twobears, may help http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/page/13 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payco Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 But does he own a z ?. Means nothing if he doesn't.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 But does he own a z ?. Means nothing if he doesn't.. Not seen one, couple of armoured Merc Maybach's floating about though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Id forget about an adjustable stock, you just dont need it. If the gun fits properly then thats all what matters. As you have found out, when you had the ill fitting gun and tried to shoot clays but missed etc. The fit makes all the difference. If it doesnt fit correctly then you just wont get on with the gun and hate it. Even if its a perfectly good gun. Guns do vary in weight a lot, and the "fashion" at one point, and certainly for professional clay shooters was that the heavier the gun the less recoil you feel. so guns like krieghoff`s tend to weigh as much as a small tank and are similarly indestructable. Personally i find if the gun fits correctly and the balance point is correct then you dont "feel" a lot of the weight of a heavier gun. My lanber sporter 12 bore is fairly heavy & solid, but I dont really notice it too much. The only time I do is when ive been using my mega light 26" sabel side by side, then switch to the lanber and try to hit some quick left/right birds. The heavier weight and the 30" barrels really are noticeable. I mentioned before on one of the other threads that there are loads of guns to choose from, so dont feel you have to get a beretta, but if you do, it will be a sound investment. My beretta today will still sell for nearly as much as I paid for it 2nd hand back in 2003(ish). The 20 bore Silver Pigeon certainly is a nice gun. Very popular and the resell on that will be quite strong. If you do get one, make sure you find out how old it is and check that the chokes (if it isnt multi choke) are right for what you want. Where I would start is just seeing which guns seem to fit you down the local gun shop. Most decent gun shop owners will happily help you out and advise accordingly - seeing how you mount the gun, where your cheek is and where your line of sight goes. You can probably narrow the list down to a few, regardless of make. Maybe a few 20bores and a few 12 bores. Then go away and checkout the reviews, the typical prices they sell for etc, then that will help you narrow it down further. Depending on your gun shop, they might be linked to a range and let you try the gun out a bit to see how it feels. When I bought my beretta, the gun shop let me take it away for the weekend, try it out and let them know what I thought. The turkish gun makers mentioned above are a rapidly growing sector, and their quality does vary. People like Yildiz have been around for ages and their guns are amazing, the quality & detail etc. Id really love one of their .410 side by sides at some point. Their prices are quite strong as a result. Other makers such as Hatsan seem to have mixed opinions regarding their quality. But then the hatsan prices reflect this and you can pick up something like a brand new pump action 12 bore for silly cheap money. Anyone who has a shotgun license can look after your gun. You can just add it to their certificate. Some gun clubs let you leave guns there, so thats another option as long as its on their records, or if you trust your instructor and he`s prepared to bring it along each time then he can have it on his license and keep in his cabinet. Final tip when buying a gun is haggle a bit on the price. If they wont knock much off the price see what else they can throw in... maybe some cartridges or shooting vest or a free gun bag or something. I happened to wander in a gun shop last year to check out a .20 air rifle they had, did a bit of haggling and they knocked about 10% off the price, then they even thru in some pellets. Whilst I was where I happened to see they sold shotguns and before you know it I was dropping over a grand on a lovely AYA shotgun they had. They were reluctant to drop on the price too much but after some haggling they threw in a slab of decent 32g pigeon cartridges which were worth a few quid. Fair enough I had just given them the best part of £1750 when I had just popped in for a browse so they didnt do too badly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) Many thanks Rabbitstew for all the good advice again I worry that I am rushing into buying a gun but I am keen to get something that feels like it fits me like I said. Today's gun was just too uncomfortable and I started to wonder why I was bothering even being there Because I'm a woman I can't get the stock to lie flat against my chest so it will be interesting to see if getting the stock altered slightly at the toe helps with that. I am cranking the gun round to try to get it to lie flat but, obviously, that isn't helping my shooting at all. I also have very high cheekbones, even for a woman so none of the guns I've tried have ever been right without comb raisers and that's why I wondered about the adjustable stock. If I could take a gun "home" (with instructor's help in the gun shop) that would help a lot to determine if it was the right gun I'm sure. Gun shop will only order in the Silver Pig with adjustable stock if I agree to buy it though because they don't want it as a stock item, not surprisingly. Wish I could get one second hand but it seems unlikely. Will remember to haggle so thanks for that tip too Edited March 18, 2015 by twobears 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 The reason why your inconsistent on the range is like you say because every time you go you use a different gun. But you say you are good sometimes, so id be looking at which guns you are already good with at the range, then see what makes them different from the ones you are not good with. It does sound like the key may be in the stock like you say. Theres loads of different types of stocks. My cheapie £60 sabel side by side 12 bore which im so good with has a very thin pistol grip type stock, but my lanber has a more stocky stock! It might be that a certain type fits you a treat, in which case you dont need to worry about an adjustable stock. Another option is, if you find a gun which fits nearly, then you can get it adjusted by a professional gunsmith/stock fitter. Loads of women shoot so must be an easy answer out there. It surprised me a bit when you said your chest gets in the way, as normally the stock fits in the nook of the shoulder bone which is just above the chest, and when you spin around it should avoid your chest. (in theory!) Getting a beretta with an adjustable stock wont be cheap! In fact you may well have to buy the stock gun, then buy the stock separately (which at least means if you come to sell you wont have any problems). Hopefully one of the other options will come up trumps. Either way, once you get a gun you are happy with, stick with it and you`ll find you will do well. I find a lot of shooting is psychological and if your not worrying about the gun then you can concentrate on the shooting. Once you start worrying about the gun or fit then it all goes to pot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 re the chest thing - it was the instructor who said that boobs (his word) were getting in the way. He made me hold the gun upside down and it went much further back onto my chest than when it was the right way round so I think he has a point Anyway, I am going to try and put today's poor performance out of my mind and concentrate on my next outing. When I was at Bisley the instructor said that he had taught me as much in one lesson as he normally taught people in 3 or 4 so I keep clinging on to that to give me hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 All sounds good, Bisley is a good ground and so id expect their instructors to know their stuff. Had to chuckle for a moment, as maybe when you get a lot older and things head south it will help - possibly one of the only advantages of getting old eh. I wouldnt worry about bad performance though, i used to have some cracking days and some bad days. Sometimes it was down to what i was wearing. Maybe a jumper in the colder months would mess up my mount and no matter what i did nothing would work. Sometimes id be missing all sorts of shots with my normal gun then id switch to using one of my other guns and all would be okay. No logic really as the week before i was fine with the first gun. I also used to have a ritual that id have to have a black coffee before hand in the club house as that would always make me more alert. All this shooting talk makes me want to get down the clay range. Will have to check out my local one later in the month when the weather picks up I think! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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