O/U with a Student Budget

Those safeties on those Browning types can be modified and so they can't stick in the middle of the H. (If you can interpret my explanation)
 
Thank you all. I'm thinking I'll get a decent pump or auto and then save up for a nice O/U in that case. I'd also like to get into some waterfowl hunting at some point and will need something for that. I like the look and feel of an O/U a bit more but not for a $500 difference, if that makes sense. Appreciate all the help guys
 
sellersrobe said:
Thank you all. I'm thinking I'll get a decent pump or auto and then save up for a nice O/U in that case. I'd also like to get into some waterfowl hunting at some point and will need something for that. I like the look and feel of an O/U a bit more but not for a $500 difference, if that makes sense. Appreciate all the help guys
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Need a expensive gun to put in back of that Escalade and prevent a car jacking.:) Lots of good info here.
 
sellersrobe said:
Thank you all. I'm thinking I'll get a decent pump or auto and then save up for a nice O/U in that case. I'd also like to get into some waterfowl hunting at some point and will need something for that. I like the look and feel of an O/U a bit more but not for a $500 difference, if that makes sense. Appreciate all the help guys
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$500 is much better spent on a used than new gun, and much better spent on a semi-auto or pump than an over under. You can start getting a good, but unfashionable, O/U at about the $900 range.
 
Baikal 310. Id toy with selling you mine but I fesr id regret it. I think I paid 450 about 14 years ago brand new. Unsure what they are now but online reviews all say it’s a very tough gun, whatever that means. Fairly light and it doesnt have that big blocky forearm the Stoegers do. Handles great imo.
 
If your looking for a cheaper option semi auto I have had good luck with my Stoeger M3020 new they are right at $500. Its worked great the entire time I have owned it.
 
The upland version of that 3020 may find a home with me sometime. Sub 6 lbs and can accept a sling? Im in. My one complaint about them is the recoil pad is extremely slick.
 
Jake300win said:

https://palmettostatearmory.com/cz-...hotgun-3-side-by-side-black-chrome-06391.html
These are $450.00 after rebate from CZ shipped from Palmetto State Armory. I just bought one to try out.
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Good luck. I liked mine except for the barrels weren't regulated properly. If they had been ok, I would have bought the intermediate and put a thicker pad on it. Let us know how it goes..
 
MNMEAD said:
I might get some flak for this, but I purchased a 12ga Stoeger Condor in 2018 and love the thing. It fits me well, and I've never had a misfire or any other issue. Points well, shoots when it should, and kills birds just as dead as any other gun for triple the price. It isn't the prettiest by anyone's standards, but that also makes it a great field gun. I've seen a lot of reviews online saying the things are junk, but I haven't experienced any of that in 5 years and hundreds of hours of field use. I will also say, it kind of feels like most guns under the $1000 price point are either 50% rave reviews, or 50% folks saying to toss your money in the dumpster instead of buying said gun.
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I love my condor 20ga. Ive shot a few thousand rounds so far without an issue
 
sellersrobe said:
Thank you all. I'm thinking I'll get a decent pump or auto and then save up for a nice O/U in that case. I'd also like to get into some waterfowl hunting at some point and will need something for that. I like the look and feel of an O/U a bit more but not for a $500 difference, if that makes sense. Appreciate all the help guys
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Dont let anyone tell you that you need a semi or pump for waterfowl. Rarely ever is the 3rd shot worth taking, and you wont have to deal with freezing or muddy conditions locking up your gun. I shoot my condor 20ga now for waterfowl.

I added a sling kit which is a blued clamp on the bottom barrel and a screw in the butt stock. This really helps with long hikes back to the truck when phez hunting and with chasing birds out in the marsh duck hunting. I keep the sling in my vest and toss it on for the walk back when upland hunting. It took about 5 minutes to install the kit and I can promise you that you wouldn't notice it until you got the gun in hand- it looks sharp. I wouldn't do it to a $2,000 browning stock, but it made the $400 gun more user friendly.
 
birddude said:
Good luck. I liked mine except for the barrels weren't regulated properly. If they had been ok, I would have bought the intermediate and put a thicker pad on it. Let us know how it goes..I ja
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birddude said:
Good luck. I liked mine except for the barrels weren't regulated properly. If they had been ok, I would have bought the intermediate and put a thicker pad on it. Let us know how it goes..
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I haven't had the chance to pattern it yet. I did kill the first two woodcock I shot at. Then missed the next 10... Then I switched back to my old gun. I think I need to pattern it and shoot a round of clays with it. Seems like I was shooting under all the birds I missed.
 
Jake300win said:
I haven't had the chance to pattern it yet. I did kill the first two woodcock I shot at. Then missed the next 10... Then I switched back to my old gun. I think I need to pattern it and shoot a round of clays with it. Seems like I was shooting under all the birds I missed.
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I was missing with the 1st shot then nipping them with the next. I had actually bought it for a turkey gun, so when the weather warmed up I bought a couple turkey chokes and started patterning it. Top barrel shot pretty flat, 50/50. Bottom barrel shot about 4 inches low. Although I've killed a couple turkeys with it, I prefer a 6:00 hold and that was not really feasible with the bottom barrel.. I also had to take about a 1/2" off the stock. If you do it, you better be pretty good with wood. That finish is some kind of spray on that is not Inpregnated into the wood. I taped it and cut it coping saw. That worked fine but I chipped the crap out of it when I had to do some filing. Cz has had it about 6 weeks now, so we'll see...
 
birddude said:
I was missing with the 1st shot then nipping them with the next. I had actually bought it for a turkey gun, so when the weather warmed up I bought a couple turkey chokes and started patterning it. Top barrel shot pretty flat, 50/50. Bottom barrel shot about 4 inches low. Although I've killed a couple turkeys with it, I prefer a 6:00 hold and that was not really feasible with the bottom barrel.. I also had to take about a 1/2" off the stock. If you do it, you better be pretty good with wood. That finish is some kind of spray on that is not Inpregnated into the wood. I taped it and cut it coping saw. That worked fine but I chipped the crap out of it when I had to do some filing. Cz has had it about 6 weeks now, so we'll see...
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I started using the bobwhite more the last two weeks have actually shot really well with it. I still haven't patterned it. Now I'm afraid too ..haha. did you ever get your gun back from cz. IMG_20240122_180046074~2.jpg
 
No, they received it nov.17th. They send me an email every week. I really wanted to love the G2. I think it would have been fine if I hadn't patterned it, but I also wanted to turkey hunt with it so away it went. I know some guys who own the G2 and the ultralight with no problems whatsoever. So maybe just bad luck, I seem to have a lot of that. I know your joking about not patterning but you got a point. I've owned shotguns and rifles both that I loved until I put them on paper.. so I wouldn't unless you're having problems. It can get in your head. Good looking pointer!! I ran into an elderly couple at the put and take this year. They were running Elhew crosses that were the naturally closest pointers I've ever seen. If I could have found one like that when I was a kid, I never would have jumped ship!!
 
birddude said:
No, they received it nov.17th. They send me an email every week. I really wanted to love the G2. I think it would have been fine if I hadn't patterned it, but I also wanted to turkey hunt with it so away it went. I know some guys who own the G2 and the ultralight with no problems whatsoever. So maybe just bad luck, I seem to have a lot of that. I know your joking about not patterning but you got a point. I've owned shotguns and rifles both that I loved until I put them on paper.. so I wouldn't unless you're having problems. It can get in your head. Good looking pointer!! I ran into an elderly couple at the put and take this year. They were running Elhew crosses that were the naturally closest pointers I've ever seen. If I could have found one like that when I was a kid, I never would have jumped ship!!
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Thanks I like him so far he's 2.5 now and turning into a good dog shot quail woodcock and pheasant with him this year. I'm going to try my best to get him on grouse before the season ends. Not an easy task in GA. He's wide open most of the time glad we have gps now. He is starting to stay within 100 yards in the woods, opens up a bit more when we are quail pheasant hunting. That's my wife and him on a covey of bobs doesn't get better than that. IMG_20231206_171758393~2.jpg
 
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One of the best investments I ever made was purchasing 2 used Citoris.
I bought a 12 gauge Citori in the 1980s at a pawn shop that was used but in excellent condition.
And a friend found me a used 20 gauge Citori in good condition.
Back then I paid $500 for each used Citori.

They are still my go-to shotguns 40 years later...
Screenshot 2023-04-08 190544.png
 
I'm kinda in the same situation as the OP, except I built one gun last year and bought my daughter a pristine H&R Jakes 22/410. So wife says no more guns for a year. The only shotgun I don't own is a double, well or a triple, my hunting buddy has one. I'm a Browning guy, but I've heard great things about Lanber, can be had for @500.
It'll be a field/boat gun, till I find the 3 1/2 Citori I've always wanted. But we'll see, I have the itch but I could be killed for scratching.
 
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