Sorry. Couldn't help myself with that title.
Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn't ask me which shotgun to purchase. Nice to be asked.
Shotgun quality costs and better quality costs more. So a moment or two pondering what you like and what you will use your shotgun for makes good sense. There are already a zillion words in print on the pros and cons of the over/under versus semi-auto's, so let's review two other considerations often overlooked, and one I feel crucial to we sporting clays shooters.
First is recoil, an abundance of which causes untold problems.
Lighter guns are a joy to carry and more agile, but are much harder to control. And light guns + heavier loads = more recoil. While the heavier gun is a bit slower, it is more stable. For target guns, I urge you go with stability over agility. The heavier gun also reduces felt recoil. Recoil does not bother you? Sorry, I've seen too many Paul Bunyan types walking around with serious neck, shoulder and retina problems, many of which were the cumulative result of excessive recoil. It's not a matter of whether recoil will get to you, it's when.
The other consideration speaks to gun dynamics, i.e., swing feel and precision. Here I'm referring to gun weight. The simple fact is, the clay target disciplines require shotgun precision. Here, more weight is king. The more weight, the more stable, especially when the hands are being pushed around by very demanding sporting clays targets. I would put a nicely balanced 8 1/4 lbs as the minimum for a true sporting clays gun. 8 1/2 is better. More? That depends on your shooting style and tempo, but for many of us, the answer is yes. My Perazzi is 9 1/4 lbs and I wouldn't have it any less. It may take a little time to find the weight that suits you best. But, IMHO, a little more is definitely worth the weight.
