Hey guys,

So I have a female friend who’s rich (eye surgeon)  She’s interested in getting into competitive skeet shooting at a fancy membership club.

She’s interested in buying a shotgun… her coach has mentioned selling her Beretta or Rizzini (which I’ve never even heard of).  Money isn’t an object, but she’s not trying to pay some outrageous prices either.  I know Berreta’s alone can go for up to $15k… not to mention whatever fancy shit people have.

What’s a great starting shotgun she could look at?  The only thing I could think of was a Benelli 828.

On the spectrum of competitive skeet shotguns… what’s bottom, middle, top tier?  Does any of it even matter outside of brand?

Thanks!

Caesar Guerini and Fabarm probably have the nicest “production” purpose built women’s shotgun on the market.  That being said a Beretta 686 or Browning Citori will be more than enough.  I’d tell her to take some lessons and just rent a gun for awhile and then shop around for something she really likes after she’s got done experience under her belt.

The least expensive over/under shotguns she should consider are the Browning CX/CXS and the Beretta SP1. Either will cost about $2,000 and will serve her well. Honestly, there isn’t any reason for most shooters to buy anything “better” when first starting out. The only exception might be a gun specifically designed for women. Yes, there are more expensive (and arguably better) guns available but the differences are so subtle that a new shooter won’t appreciate them. The basic Browning or Beretta will be fine. (She should also look at the Browning 725)


BTW, one does not start out to be a competitive skeet shooter. One starts by simply learning the game. It takes a fair amount if experience before hitting birds becomes consistent. Until that happens there is no hope of being competitive. Suffice it to say she wants to take up skeet shooting.

I’m sure the OP means well, but he’s clearly not the person she should be asking for advice. His friend should be talking to the regular shooters at the “fancy club” she wants to join.

The OP mentioned a coach. She should listen to the coach.

She just wanted to make sure she wasn’t being taken to buy an overly expensive shotgun she didn’t need.

If she's planning on competing, I'm assuming we're talking American skeet, not international.  Competitive American skeet adds another layer in if she plans on shooting all events (12, 20, 28, and 410, plus doubles).  Almost every competitive shooter gets subgauge tubes for their gun, which tacks a fair bit of money on.

It never hurts to start off with something simple like a used Beretta 68x to get your feet wet.  When (if) she gets comfortable and is looking for a high end gun the best thing she can do is get out and shoot a lot of them.  It would suck to buy a high end tubed gun because someone recommended it, and it never really feels right.

I started with a pretty basic 686.  About 6 months later, I got a set of tubes.  6 months after that I got new wood that fit me better and was more to my style.

A few years after that I started looking at moving up from a 686.  I tried a ton of variants from all the big manufacturers.  I ended up on a Kolar because even ones that weren't really set up and adjusted for me felt like an extension of my body.  Now a few years later I have my gun (and my form/technique) really dialed in, and it's working out pretty well.

Fair warning: Competitive skeet (outside of local club matches) is not cheap.  Shoots are expensive.  Guns are expensive.  Travel for shoots is expensive.  Ammo is expensive.  Did I mention shoots are expensive

Sounds like that is the case.  

You can run a set of lessor cost autos and be competitive.   Oh, not a competitive shooter but I love skeet but don’t keep up on it.

The best thing to do is after a season of coaching and getting comfortable get a gun fitting.  A gun that comes with an adjustable comb and lop will let one experiment with that.   Then don’t change it once set without a good reason!  It’s like buying a new gun and getting yourself fit to it.  The guys that keep trading guns always seem to have slumps.   Same thing with the chronic stock adjustments.


My gun progression from teenager to adult....

mossberg 500 28” vented
Rem 1100 20 ga 26”
Ruger Red Label  28” (too heavy but a solid shooter)
Beretta 686 26” (too light and whippy)
Browning Citori Sporting Lightning 30” ( swung too slow but the longer guns were trending)
Browning  425 28” that I picked up used from the gunshop owner’s personal guns.  That gun had the stock trimmed a 1/4” and the angle squared a bit.  It was a fit.  

A 725 or 686 would be a great gun with an adjustable stock.  Should get through learning the game and the techniques.

Get the Kreighoff later.

Krieghoff K80 Skeet and Perazzi High Tech Skeet should be on her checking into list. I like Krieghoffs. As far as where those are in the top/middle/bottom... they're probably up at the top and if she ever goes full bore into the game she'll end up with one of those anyway eventually. They're expensive but not insane and what all the serious competitors I used to shoot with used.

Caesar Guerini is making Syren shotguns now, supposedly better fit for women.

As said, American competitive skeet is 4 gauges and doubles.  Get a gun that's worth putting another 2 grand into for subgauge tubes, and possibly a gun with a light carrier Bbl for the tubes and a 12 gauge Bbl for 12 ga and doubles events.  Those of us who are cheap just shoot 20 gauge for 12 and doubles, but a carrier Bbl and a 12 ga Bbl is a 'better' set up.

The 686 Berettas are really entry level guns.  The tube set, which is typically fitted to that specific gun, will cost as much or more than the gun.  In Berettas, if she is serious, I'd look at a 694 or dt-11.  Those are competition grade guns.

I wouldn't buy anything though until she's had some lessons and some experience. Then maybe a used tube gun until she figures out what she wants.  The 2 lady shooters I know one shoots a Kolar, the other shoots a Krieghoff.

Joel Etchen guns is a good place to look for skeet guns with tubes.


ETA:  Carrier bbls -  Higher grade guns can be ordered with a 12 ga bbl and a carrier bbl.  A carrier bbl is a 12 ga. bbl - but it can not be fired with 12 ga ammo.  It is designed to hold subgauge tubes and the weight of the carrier bbl plus the weight of a set of subgauge tubes is equal to the weight of the 12 gauge bbl.  So you have your 4 gauges and an identical gun weight for all 4.

She makes so much money she bought and shipped a horse from Europe and pays $30k every year to ship the horse to CA for a 1 week horse show… money is zero issue.

For skeet/clay/trap…

Does one use semi instead of over/under?

Double post

Some skeet shooters I know (on the competitive side) shoot autos for doubles and 12ga.  Most of them would be better served by shooting 20ga for those events.  Casual club side?  Shoot whatever.

You may find this useful:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Clays-Skeet-trap-and-other-things-to-do-with-a-shotgun/1-426141/

Is she single and attractive?


If she has FU money then she should shoot a bit then go to a gun fitting pro.  Figure out the weight and swing that suits her.  Hell, go to Italy for a fitting.  I’ll go with her.

Skeet - because of the 4 gauges (ok, 3 gauges, one bore) most competitive shooters shoot an over/under.  Used to be you'd see folks with 4 1100's, but those days are long gone (the poors had 4 870's).  Most skeet shooters (again - competitive) shoot what we call a tube gun.  A tube gun is a 12 gauge over/under gun with fitted, full length, subgauge tubes.  Briley and Kolar are the only makers of subgauge tubes I know of.  Again old days - the rich folks had 4 bbl sets.  You don't see 4 bbl sets much anymore - darn heavy lugging a 4 bbl set through the airport, and bbls are expensive - new bbls for my DT-10 are about 5k/set IIRC.  I'll stick with a matched weight tube set.  As mentioned above - some people use an autoloader for the 12 ga and doubles event and their tube gun for the 20, 28, .410 bore.   This has to do with weight - My DT-10 weighs exactly the same with 20, 28, or .410 bore tubes in it - but is very bbl light/ butt heavy with no tubes. Plus the bbls have to be clean to put the tubes in - you don't want to shoot the 12 gauge event and then have to clean the bbls to put in your 20 ga tubes, so most use either a different gun or just use the 20 gauge for 12 ga events.

Briley tube sets


Trap - The big dogs generally shoot a single bbl, break action gun at singles and an over/under at doubles.  In competition the big dogs don't like the guy next to them shooting an autoloader.  The hulls landing at your feet or bouncing off the stock of your Perazzi is distracting.  Legal yes - in American ATA trap.  International trap, bunker trap, olympic trap whatever you want to call it - no, autoloaders are not allowed.


Clays - Dunno.  I don't shoot much clays and have never been involved with any competition.  Just remember someone has to clean up the hulls.

Browning or Winchester,  if shes a girl get her a beretta

Krieghoff, Kolar, Perazzi, or Blaser.  But with FU money she'll end up with the Krieghoff anyway so why take 5 steps to get there.

I really want to get my hands on a Caesar Guerini to look at. As mentioned, they have dedicated women’s models and are still ‘reasonably’ priced. I only have one local dealer within 150miles of me.

I’ve been looking for a gun for my son but he shoots my Citori fine so he’s likely going to inherit that one. LOP isn’t a big deal and can be addressed pretty easily.

Krieghoff K-80 in whatever trim flips her skirt. $30K for one of the nicer trims will get it done.

I personally started off with a Silver Pigeon Beretta 20 gauge over under. Very nice shotgun for around $2K. Of course one of my clients spent about a quarter million on two custom over under shotguns. Took two years to have them custom made by some great gunsmith. I forget the name because no way in hell I'll ever buy one, haha. But he says you need two shotguns. One to shoot and the other reloaded by another guy who is like your caddy. This guy just likes to flaunt his wealth. There's no need to spend that much money. I bet I can outshoot him with my inexpensive Beretta, haha. Have to develop your skill before you can tell a difference between an expensive custom shotgun and a regular off the shelf shotgun. Spend the money on the shooting first. Buy a nice shotgun later on.

One minute the OP tells us he’s watching out for his friend’s budget (“She just wanted to make sure she wasn’t being taken to buy an overly expensive shotgun she didn’t need”). The next minute we learn she has more money than she knows what to do with and we’re getting her fitted for a K-gun . . .

Thanks for all the replies…

She’s going with a female model beretta to start.  After a year, if she loves it enough she’ll do a custom fitting.  Maybe Krieghoff, maybe the Italy trip… who knows.