Topic: The Best Shotguns for Sporting Clays of 2023, Tested and Reviewed (Read 47 times)
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Topic: The Best Shotguns for Sporting Clays of 2023, Tested and Reviewed (Read 47 times)
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RemArms, the co*pany that now owns Remington shotguns, rifles, and handguns, discontinued the 870 Express last year in favor of the 870 Fieldmaster. The Fieldmaster is an upgrade over the Express and has proved to be an incredibly reliable firearm too. I torture tested the Fieldmaster in 2022, and the only way I was able to get the 3-inch gun to fail was by caking the inside of the action with a dirt clod and then co*pletely submerging the gun in my family’s fishing pond. But with a quick field strip and wipe down, I was back to shooting.
The Fieldmaster co*es with three chokes (IC, M, and F), so you have more options when shooting clays—the Express only came with a modified choke. Since the torture test, I have shot the Fieldmaster on skeet with no choke with fantastic results. Most shotgun manufacturers will warn against shooting chokeless, because it could damage the threads but I have never had an issue doing this with any of my shotguns. The action bars have a smooth metal finish to make pumping the 870 plenty slick, critical when you are shooting doubles. There is also a soft recoil pad affixed to the buttstock to dampen recoil. The stock and fore-end are American walnut and the steel receiver and barrel (26- or 28-inch options) are finished with a rust-resistant coating. —Joe Genzel
In the last decade many gun manufacturers have been making clays guns lighter, specifically auto-loaders. The Browning BPS Field, however, weighs nearly 8 pounds. Though this may sound counterintuitive, heavier, well-balanced guns are easier to keep swinging through the target than light ones. It’s harder to stop a gun that weighs 8 pounds versus one that weighs less than 7. The BPS Field is available in every gauge but 10 and 16 (there is a 10-gauge Field co*posite variant) with blued 26- or 28-inch barrels. It has a tang-mounted safety, which is more convenient and accessible for lefties than a trigger group-mounted safety.
Reloaders (and your trap shooting partners) will love the bottom-eject feature of the BPS. Instead of sending a spent hull off the course, it falls at your feet. You don’t have to go around searching for hulls to reload. Browning paired the Invector-Plus choke system (IC, M, and F) with the BPS. That reliable set of tubes that has been a mainstay of the Citiori. There is a thick recoil pad at the end of the buttstock, and the fore-end has grooves on either side of it to place your hand to make pumping the shotgun smooth. —J.G.
The Franchi Affinity 3 Sporting is probably the best shotgun for sporting clays you’ll find at this price point. The Affinity 3 series is well-regarded as reliable, affordable, and sweet shooting, and their sporting version is no exception. The gun operates on an inertia driven action that’s similar to those found in Benelli shotguns—Franchi’s sister co*pany. The minimum reco*mended load for the 12 gauge version of this gun is 3 dram, 1 ⅛ ounce loads, so you’ll have to keep an eye on that when selecting target ammo. Otherwise, this gun has some nice adjustability options with shims for cast and drop so you can get the gun hitting where you want it. It also co*es with a cushy TSA recoil pad. —Alex Robinson
I’m a long-time Beretta loyalist. Their shotguns are reliable, and most shooters shoot them well. Some of the best sporting clays shooters in the world rely on them, like Scott Robertson or Joseph Fanizzi.
Beretta has a long lineage of auto-loaders, the most recent of which is the A400. The A400 replaced the ever-popular 391 platform, which in turn replaced the 390.
Ask any reputable sporting clays instructor and he or she will tell you an auto is a good way to go when starting to get serious about the clays game. They’re not too expensive, and customized parts are readily available, allowing you to balance and adjust the gun to your liking and shooting style.
The Beretta A400 co*es in close to 20 model variations, but for the sake of this article we’ll stick with the A400 Xcel Sporting. This latest model replaces the “Xcel” which you’ll still see on many clays courses. You can’t miss it with its blue receiver.
The gas-operated A400 is available with either a 28-, 30-, or 32-inch barrel. The MSRP is $2,219 and the gun co*es with all sorts of cool features like enlarged controls, Blink gas operating system, and Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil reduction system. Altogether, these features make for a soft-shooting, fast-cycling semi-auto. If you’re a hunter, the A400 Xtreme Plus is the best option for you. That gun won our review of the best duck hunting shotguns, and it’s plenty capable on a clays course. —D.F.
Weatherby’s shotguns are often an afterthought because the co*pany is most well-known for making bolt-action rifles. But the Orion has been a mainstay in the Wyoming gunmaker’s lineup since the early 1980s. The Orion was first built to Weatherby’s specifications by SKB in Japan, then Fausti, and now ATA, a Turkish manufacturer. It’s not an ornate over/under—the metal finishes are blued and there is no scroll work on the receiver—but the wood-to-steel transitions are seamless. A boxlock break-action, the Orion has automatic ejectors and a selectable safety. The checkered Prince of Wales stock is more rounded than a pistol grip or straight English-style stock. A stepped rib 26- or 28-inch barrel leads to a single brass bead at the muzzle. The sidewalls of the barrel are vented to take weight out of the gun (the 12-gauge is 7 pounds and the 20 weighs 6.2 pounds).
You get three chokes (IC, M, and F) with the Orion, though it would be nice to have a cylinder and light modified choke included. Because they have two barrels, over/unders present the unique opportunity to shoot two different patterns from the same gun without the annoyance of removing and inserting different chokes. This is useful on a sporting clays range because you’ll be dealing with different target presentations at a variety of ranges. However, you can’t take full advantage of the Orion’s patterning capabilities without a full range of choke tubes. But still, this is a gorgeous over/under for less than $1,000 and there are plenty of aftermarket chokes at your disposal. —J.G.
The Browning Citori line celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023 to the delight of gold trigger fans everywhere. There are a ton of different Citori models, and the CXS version is what Browning describes as a crossover clays-hunting gun (hence the “X” in the name). Here’s the bad news first: The CXS is a little heavy for a dedicated upland bird hunting gun and it doesn’t have all the features of a true co*petition gun. But as with any crossover, you have to give up a little specialization in order to gain versatility.
A few years ago, I wanted a gun that I could practice with seriously on the sporting clays course and then hunt with in the fall. For this purpose, the CXS is perfect. Sometimes I don’t mind carrying a heavier shotgun when pheasant hunting, but I do mind missing roosters. The weight and balance of the CXS is perfect for my tastes; it’s balanced right in the middle and weighs under eight pounds (I’d stick with the 28-inch barrels if you intend to hunt with yours). The fact that I shoot it on clays during the summer helps me avoid making an awkward mount and bad shot on that first rooster of opening day.
The gun has some nice features, including: Invector-Plus Midas grade extended choke tubes, triple trigger system (which allows you to adjust length of pull by sliding the trigger forward or back), a mid bead, moderate palm swell, hammer ejectors, and Inflex recoil pad. The stock is a handsome Grade II American walnut (so not too fancy that you feel bad about abusing it in the field).
There’s not much in terms of adjustability, but the gun fit me well out of the box and co*es to my shoulder quickly. That’s helped me kill plenty of roosters, and crush clay targets, too. —A.R.
You can spend what it costs to buy a new car on a pricey over/under shotgun. But for most of us, there’s honestly no reason to throw down more than $10,000 even if you are a dedicated shooter. That’s why I love the Zoli Z-Sport, which starts at $7,500. Available in 12-gauge with barrel lengths of 28, 30, 32, and 34 inches, this Italian-made shotgun is an ideal choice for shooters looking for an affordable high-end sporting clays shotgun.
The Z-Sport is available in a flat, mid-height and adjustable height rib models. All Zoli over/unders feature actions, trigger plates, and monoblocs built on forged steel, plus removable trigger groups. An optional BHB system allows you to fine tune the balance of the gun using incremental weights placed under the fore-end and in the grip. This is a gun that truly stands with the best of the best in terms of mechanical integrity and aesthetic appeal. —D.F.
Gun fit is the most critical co*ponent of picking the right sporting clays shotgun. You’re shooting at small targets that are typically moving faster than live birds during a hunt, so there’s less margin for error. That said, it’s difficult to be sure a gun off the rack properly fits. You should start by going to a trusted gun dealer with a knowledgeable shooter behind the counter. Also, many shooting ranges will have days set aside for manufacturers to allow any shooter to test their guns on skeet, trap, or sporting clays. Call your local range and find out if there are any such events scheduled and if the shotgun maker is sending someone to represent their co*pany. That person should be able to fit their firearm to you and give you an idea of the ideal length of pull, cast, and drop for your shooting style and body type.
If you’re buying a shotgun off the rack, one trick I use is to mount the unloaded gun—pointed in a safe direction—with my eyes closed. Once I am co*fortable with the position of the gun, I open my eyes. If my dominant eye is looking straight down the rib, that’s a good sign. You can also mount the gun and look into a mirror to see where your eye is aligned. If it’s not straight down the rib, then there is likely an issue with the cast of the stock. It’s also a good idea to bring along a gun that you shoot well and one that you don’t. This will help a co*petent sales person or gunsmith understand what gun fits you best.
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The best sporting clays gun for you is the one that fits you and your budget well. You don’t need to spend a fortune in order to shoot high scores. You just need practice. Most of the sporting clays shooters I know shoot in order to sharpen their skills for hunting season (and because it’s fun). So, it makes sense that most field guns will perform just fine on the clays course. However, if you are pursuing sporting clays as your primary passion, it’s wise to go with a high-end gun that can be easily adjusted to fit you precisely.
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