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Thread: O/U Shotguns.

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  1. #1
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    O/U Shotguns.

    I have decided to retake up clay pigeon shooting again and now that I am back in Blighty I intend to start looking for a reasonably good O/U shotgun.

    I have a Miroku 7000sp tucked away in the cabinet and it has actually fired less than a thousand cartridges but I fancy something a bit better. In my old shooting days, the Browning B25 was one of the holy grails and were hand made to order in Belgium. The quality and finish of the B25 is right up at the top. Everything is hand finished and silky smooth, a bit like the old Leica M series cameras.

    However most of them are 28" barrels with fixed chokes and are thus considered a bit dated compared to modern shotguns that have longer barrels with multi chokes and stocks with adjustable Combes etc.

    So the choice is do I go for what could be akin to a vintage Rolex or for a more modern version of lesser build quality but more in line with modern trends.

    My gut reaction is to go for the B25 but am willing to hear experienced shooters pass any comments on what they think of them.

  2. #2
    Grand Master Sinnlover's Avatar
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    I am a firm believer in finding one that fits, has the right length of pull, is the right weight and barrel length for you. Regardless of name / maker / cost.

    It’s like a suit. A cheaper better fitting suit is more suitable and will look better then spending a fortune on a badly fitting but more expensive equivalent with a fancy name on it. Get one that feels right and fits over the name and prestige. The adjustable bits help but they are tweaking the fundamentals, if you don’t have the basics the fancy bits won’t help. Spending a fortune on the latest most modern gun is pointless if you can’t hit with it.

    If I were looking for a replacement gun a Miroku would be top of my list. (It’s a Japanese Browning) they are the perfect blend of quality and cost. So try that for a bit and see how you get on.

    I have been fortunate to use some very expensive guns in my time but I shoot no better than when I use my trusty old gun that I have had for years.

    Adjustable chokes are handy for swapping between types of shooting and loads but realistically I have never changed mine.

    Get out and about and try some would be my suggestion.

  3. #3
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    Belgium Browning, roach belly stock is a thing of beauty, Beretta equivalent would be the SO5 but most are 30in max.You dont say what you want to spend but the most important thing of course is get the gun you can shoot the best.I am in the German camp.

  4. #4
    Master Harry Smith's Avatar
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    I'm a Benelli fan as I've got a M2 Section 1 semi auto.
    My friend has asked me to go do a bit of clay shooting but as the M2 is unsuitable for clays due to it's long mag tube I have removed the tube and fitted a short spring and end cap to make it 3 shot when required.
    Anyway, If I was to go back to regular clay shooting I would be looking at the Benelli 828U O/U as it just looks amazing, especially the Silver and Sport models.

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the replies but what I really would like to know is your opinion (if any) on buying a B25 for shooting sporting clays.

  6. #6
    Grand Master oldoakknives's Avatar
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    B25s are obviously a well tried and tested design. They have their fans as well as those who aren’t so keen on them. If you want one then get one, or you’ll always regret it.
    Any shotgun will shoot clays, and a B25 will perform well in the right hands.
    Remember George Digweeed could probably shoot better with a Baikal than most people could with a Perazzi.
    Best thing is to go look at one and see how it feels when you pick it up.
    Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.

  7. #7
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    I've had loads of O/U shotguns over they years from pretty high end German guns to the more common Italian and American stuff. I had a bit of an epiphany a few years ago where I bought a Miroku Mk38 Sporter as a base gun and had a stock made by Manuel Ricardo in Portugal. I did it remotely as it was during Covid with lots of videos and measurements and some of Manuel's witchcraft and a few weeks later a custom stock arrived in the post. I now have the perfect clay tool that looks really nice, fits me perfectly, is reliable and serviceable and is personal to me for the cost of a mid-range Beretta sporter. I wouldn't never go back to an off the shelf gun again.

  8. #8
    Back in the 80s when I was claying I had an old English side by side with which I won a few comps, light and lovely.

  9. #9
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    Depending on what your preferences are I would look for a b25 trap gun and have the stock modified.


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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by aa388 View Post
    Depending on what your preferences are I would look for a b25 trap gun and have the stock modified.


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    The B25s are made perfectly for balance etc so would a local stock repairer damage the overall quality?

  11. #11
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    Not if you get a good one that knows what they are doing. Being a B25 you will probably be able to get a sporting stock from browning at the same quality of wood as the original and just swap them over, it’s just a bolt through the centre of the stock.


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  12. #12
    Craftsman Doug86's Avatar
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    It all depends on what your aspirations are, combined with your budget.

    Are you shooting sporting clays? Skeet? Trap? Game? FITASC?

    Personally (and I am associated with the brand) I would consider some of the Rizzini range of shotguns. I personally use a Rizzini S2000, with a custom stock from Italy. Predominantly shoot sporting clays and game, with some FITASC and an odd dabble in skeet/trap.





    Whatever you get, don't settle for the off the shelf measurements. Get a proper gunfit done, and possibly a custom stock. I've seen MR remote fitting stocks and they're really very good.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug86 View Post
    It all depends on what your aspirations are, combined with your budget.

    Are you shooting sporting clays? Skeet? Trap? Game? FITASC?

    Personally (and I am associated with the brand) I would consider some of the Rizzini range of shotguns. I personally use a Rizzini S2000, with a custom stock from Italy. Predominantly shoot sporting clays and game, with some FITASC and an odd dabble in skeet/trap.





    Whatever you get, don't settle for the off the shelf measurements. Get a proper gunfit done, and possibly a custom stock. I've seen MR remote fitting stocks and they're really very good.

    The average price for a new bespoke B25 B2G sporting is around £21k with a 21 month wait. I am 73, well almost 74, so waiting for two years does not appeal. Changing the stock could well be the answer.

    My fantasy is for the other guns to see this old man hobble up and blast away and hit 100% with a gun from the 1970s and then walk away and say nothing. So the gun has got to fit spot on.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mick P View Post
    The average price for a new bespoke B25 B2G sporting is around £21k with a 21 month wait. I am 73, well almost 74, so waiting for two years does not appeal. Changing the stock could well be the answer.

    My fantasy is for the other guns to see this old man hobble up and blast away and hit 100% with a gun from the 1970s and then walk away and say nothing. So the gun has got to fit spot on.
    The fit is the key, whatever the brand or config.

    As a teenager, all I could afford was a Baikal, but purely by accident it fitted me well, and I used to ‘win’ our clay shoot most weekends.

    Perhaps it was youth involved as well, but I had more expensive guns in later life and they (or I) sucked as they didn’t fit me.

    I did use to admire the Browning’s and Beretta’s others had at the shoot though, lovely things!

  15. #15
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    I had the good fortune to try many guns over the years including Holland and Holland and Purdey, and the best I found (well the one that suited me best was a old Winchester 101.

    Not as fancy as others, didn’t have the gold bits a pieces, etc, but was by far the best.

    Buy the one that suits you best and forget about the bling.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by aa388 View Post
    Not if you get a good one that knows what they are doing. Being a B25 you will probably be able to get a sporting stock from browning at the same quality of wood as the original and just swap them over, it’s just a bolt through the centre of the stock.


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    Thanks, I did not know that.

  17. #17
    Journeyman Longwool's Avatar
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    Have a look at the Browning B15 collection. Hand finished in Belgium. I just picked up a nice Grade C B15, a thing of real beauty and it shoots well too

    https://johnmbrowningcollection.com/...om-hf-b15.html


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  18. #18
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    Personally, I am not keen on Browning. They always feel a bit too wide.

    I am a game shooter that also enjoys clays and struggle with gun decisions a lot.
    Currently, I shoot everything with my game gun, which is a side by side. It's a Beretta Parallelo (486). It's short by modern clay standards, just 28", but is light and swings quickly. I won my class in a comp on Sunday, so I do not think the gun really holds me back for most sporting setups. My point being, you dont perhaps need to go longer, just because it's trendy.

    I do have other guns, including a Silver Pigeon, but just always grab this as it feels great.
    For Christmas, I am treating myself to a Beretta 694. Which is a full on Sporter. I am going to get the 31", but its offered in 30,31 & 32 and hope it works ok for me. I was going to go for the 30, so that I wasn't jumping too long. But at 6ft tall and quite large, the advice seems to be to go bigger. Guessing it will take a bit of getting used to after a small light gun.

    My plan is to keep the side by side for game days and use the 694 for clays. https://www.beretta.com/en-gb/product/694-P0040



  19. #19
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    I went into a gun shop yesterday and after a bit of sales patter I was told that my Miroku was a very good gun, it was made in the 1980s which meant the barrels are chopper lump, it is multi choked and the fit is also good.

    Therefore after all that, I shall now hold on to the Miroku.

  20. #20
    Grand Master Sinnlover's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mick P View Post
    I went into a gun shop yesterday and after a bit of sales patter I was told that my Miroku was a very good gun, it was made in the 1980s which meant the barrels are chopper lump, it is multi choked and the fit is also good.

    Therefore after all that, I shall now hold on to the Miroku.
    This is the sensible decision, I would do the same.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sinnlover View Post
    This is the sensible decision, I would do the same.
    Yes I am very boring and even more sensible and I usually do the right thing.

    Therefore I continue to be a Miroku man.

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