So a few months ago I was bitten by the clay pidgeon bug, mostly trap shooting.  I currently been using my only, and possible worst shotgun for the job, a mossberg 590 with no choke , though when I can I use my dads versamax with a IC, which really does seem to improve my hits.  I'd really like to pick up a dedicated trap/skeet gun, and am enamored by the class of an o/u shotgun.  Between my new job, and paying bills, my "fun" budget isn't quite that big, especially since I just dropped money on a few guns already this year.  And besides, I dont want to spend too much money, if I decide to put this new hobby on the backburner in the future. 

I was looking at a stoeger condor o/u at sports authoraty for around $400.  The fit and finish was obviously not as nice as some of the pricier guns I've handled, but from the reviews I've read, it loosens up after awhile.   I'm by no means a competitive shooter, and rarely go thru more than 50-100 shells a day.  I wanted to know of any downfalls a cheaper o/u like this may give me down the road.  Are these cheaper shotguns "lemons"?  The length of pull and cheek weld seem to be OK, but can probably be improved with a longer butt pad since I have long arms.  What else should I be looking at when choosing and economy trap gun?

I was in the same boat as you. I bought a $500 Mossburg o/u from SA and it worked for me. I have tried $1000+ Brownings and the only thing I noticed is the old guys talk to ou more when you have a "good" gun on the rack.

I was in the same boat as you. I bought a $500 Mossburg o/u from SA and it worked for me. I have tried $1000+ Brownings and the only thing I noticed is the old guys talk to ou more when you have a "good" gun on the rack.

When I come with my Benelli  nova pump action shotgun I feel like the outsider but every time I am ready to purchase a new gun our elected officials are always are trying to ban something..... So I end up buying a modern sporting rifle instead

When I come with my Benelli  nova pump action shotgun I feel like the outsider but every time I am ready to purchase a new gun our elected officials are always are trying to ban something..... So I end up buying a modern sporting rifle instead

Like so many other gun owners I would not have spent so much time and money on black rifles and other so called evil firearms were it not for the enlightened politicians. Years ago  I was tempted to buying a really nice pidgeon grade browning o/u. I passed it up to buy several Chinese aks that appeared to be on the soon to be banned list. Now look at me. I am now an ak junkie. 

Like so many other gun owners I would not have spent so much time and money on black rifles and other so called evil firearms were it not for the enlightened politicians. Years ago  I was tempted to buying a really nice pidgeon grade browning o/u. I passed it up to buy several Chinese aks that appeared to be on the soon to be banned list. Now look at me. I am now an ak junkie.

Hi, my name is Astroboy and I'm an AKoholic.

Well, I'm gonna wait for my next paycheck and see where I'm at.  I'm entertaining alot of friends the next few weeks, and have a feeling I'll be paying for more than one nice dinners out.  All I'll see everytime I pay for a check will be my o/u being carried away...

At least I still have my evil black rifle and evil black shotgun to play with.

What other advice can you give a newbie to the wonderful world of trap/skeet?

What other advice can you give a newbie to the wonderful world of trap/skeet?

I use any shotgun I want to shoot trap and skeet.

While some would say its less than ideal, I disagree.

I prefer to use the shotguns I would use if the SHTF.

This way I'm proficient with the firearm in engaging moving targets at varying speeds, angles and distances.

Granted I get some strange looks when I get there with my 870 tactical, complete with side saddle and Burris Speed Bead.

I still usually go 22 for 25 or better most times.

My favorite is my Coach Gun. It makes me feel like I'm in the old west, every time I bust it out at the range.

I picked up a nice trap gun at a pawn shop on the mainland, a Beretta O/U.  It is SO sweet!  I've shot a lot of trap with a lot of shotguns, and I gotta tell ya, it made a helluva difference.  Since then, I've been wanting to pick up an O/U in 20 gauge for when I take out neophytes.  Sports Authority has a line they carry, maybe the name is Stoeger, that feels pretty good in the store.  Have yet to find one that I can try first, though.

I use any shotgun I want to shoot trap and skeet.

While some would say its less than ideal, I disagree.

I prefer to use the shotguns I would use if the SHTF.

This way I'm proficient with the firearm in engaging moving targets at varying speeds, angles and distances.

Granted I get some strange looks when I get there with my 870 tactical, complete with side saddle and Burris Speed Bead.

I still usually go 22 for 25 or better most times.

My favorite is my Coach Gun. It makes me feel like I'm in the old west, every time I bust it out at the range.

Did your lady start shooting with you with the 20 ga O/U? 

Did your lady start shooting with you with the 20 ga O/U? 

She keeps promising to go then conveniently having an excuse whenever it's time to go.

She loves the shotgun though.

She keeps promising to go then conveniently having an excuse whenever it's time to go.

She loves the shotgun though.

Haha. Mine would come with me to the range......then sleep in the car the whole time -_-

Haha. Mine would come with me to the range......then sleep in the car the whole time -_-

Lol. Must be related to mine. She does the same. 

Lol. Must be related to mine. She does the same.

Hehe I showed your post and she said, "Hey, hey...at least we GO with you!"

I got a new aviation headset with noise canceling capability (NO comparison with the range ones) and I feel she might take them with us whenever my car is fixed.

Story time:  Be 18.  Be Cougar.  Buy a Mossberg 835 with 20" ported barrel and black synthetic stock at K-Mart because it looks tacti-cool.  Turn 20, go to the annual turkey shoot in Circle, Montana.  Wear T-shirt, Oakleys, and Wal-Mart shell bag.  Some guy is there in the first heat with me, decked out with a Ruger Red Label shotgun, vest, eyepatch shooting glasses, the whole nine yards.  We finish the round tied, so it goes to a shoot-off.  First pick is me, so I go to the center, closest line.  We both hit.  Old guy goes literally back into the parking lot for his shot.  Misses.  Cougar pulls something out of his ass and gets a pellet to break the pigeon for the win.  Old guy packs up his isht and goes home, at 9:00 in the morning.  Best feeling ever. 

Moral of the story:  Shoot enough trap/skeet, and it really won't matter what gun you pick, unless the competition is super high class.  Most guys shoot a little skeet, like it, and go drop $2000 on a shotgun they can't shoot for isht.  You're better off with a $300 shotgun and $1700 worth of clay pigeons for practice. 

Disclaimer: Shot a little trap last time I was home for the first time in 8 years, and didn't hit a single effing pigeon.  Which reinforces my point about practice, now that I think about it.

Any suggestions for a budget friendly (avoiding use of the word cheap  ) O/U shotgun that can be used for both skeet and trap.  I'd like to be able to shoot both.  I am assuming I would need one that can swap out chokes. 

I've had a chance to shoot some pretty sweet Browning O/Us.  They are super nice and shoot great, but at $2500+, that's not happening.  At least any time soon.

Story time:  Be 18.  Be Cougar.  Buy a Mossberg 835 with 20" ported barrel and black synthetic stock at K-Mart because it looks tacti-cool.  Turn 20, go to the annual turkey shoot in Circle, Montana.  Wear T-shirt, Oakleys, and Wal-Mart shell bag.  Some guy is there in the first heat with me, decked out with a Ruger Red Label shotgun, vest, eyepatch shooting glasses, the whole nine yards.  We finish the round tied, so it goes to a shoot-off.  First pick is me, so I go to the center, closest line.  We both hit.  Old guy goes literally back into the parking lot for his shot.  Misses.  Cougar pulls something out of his ass and gets a pellet to break the pigeon for the win.  Old guy packs up his isht and goes home, at 9:00 in the morning.  Best feeling ever. 

Moral of the story:  Shoot enough trap/skeet, and it really won't matter what gun you pick, unless the competition is super high class.  Most guys shoot a little skeet, like it, and go drop $2000 on a shotgun they can't shoot for isht.  You're better off with a $300 shotgun and $1700 worth of clay pigeons for practice.

stories like this make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside for some reason