My favorite gun tests/reviews to do are on shotguns considered all-clay, all-around or all-sport shotguns. That is, shotguns which are believed to be suitable for breaking clay targets in all three shotgun disciplines: trap, skeet and sporting clays. When I found out I would be doing a review on the Fabbrica Armi Isidoro Rizzini (FAIR) Carrera One High Rib, I was looking forward to it because I think this shotgun falls into this category.
Vista Outdoor, the holding company for Federal Cartridge, CCI, Bushnell, and many other brands, acquired Hevi-Shot about four years ago and melded the engineering knowledge and some protected designs into the old Hevi-Metal load design offered by the previous owner Environ-Metal Inc., the (Hevi-Shot) ammunition company in years back. My review is of a new brand offering by the new Hevi-Shot company in a longer-range goose and duck load series of waterfowl ammunition.
Taken from the now standard brand and designed Silver Reserve, the flagship over/under built and marketed by Mossberg Firearms, this new dedicated turkey shotgun carries some nice features sure to find its place among turkey hunters’ firearms options across the country.
In 2023, the Browning Citori celebrated its 50th birthday. The Browning Citori was introduced in 1973 as a more affordable version of the highly successful Browning Superposed. Since 1973 the Browning Citori has been extremely successful for Browning — far surpassing the company’s initial expectations of this model.
Savage Arms introduced its first semi-automatic shotgun, and it’s a dandy.
At a time when I thought Savage Arms was as rock solid as can be, to my surprise I learn the company was sold to a couple of independent buyers who are now revamping the entire rifle and shotgun line. The new owners acquired a manufacturing company that had just completely retooled the firearm production floor. Now with brand new equipment, tighter tolerances, fit and finish, capabilities are better than ever. Savage Arms has tasked me to review an example of the new Savage Arms Renegauge semi-auto loading shotgun.
Tough Field Testing in the Louisiana Bayou
A week of pattern work at Backridge Ammunition Tennessee, another week in western South Dakota of the same and additional pattern work got the new Briley high-performance Helix hunting chokes up and running for the big swamp test series that would last almost 10 days.
When the Super Black Eagle III by Benelli came out in a special turkey configuration, I thought, “Just another high-priced scattergun that would do about as well as several dozen others.”
However, my mind changed when
At some point every shooter starts asking himself if he should consider getting a new shotgun. The question is when is the right time to consider getting a new shotgun?
Every month from April to October, I hold an introductory shotgun clinic for individuals new to the clay target disciplines. A large majority of the individuals taking this clinic are people who do not own, and have never shot, a shotgun. Therefore, in order to take the clinic they rent a shotgun from the range. The shotguns the range rents are standard off-the-shelf field over/under shotguns. These shotguns come with industry standard stock dimensions which are meant to fit all shooters.
Most all clay target shooters contemplate getting some type of assistance with the objective of increasing their shooting performance. This assistance can come in the form of instruction, coaching or attending a clinic. Which of these a shooter decides to engage in is dependent on many factors, including the learning style of the shooter and the resources a shooter is willing to dedicate to this. However, the most important factor a shooter should consider when looking for instruction, coaching or attending a clinic is what that shooter desires to get out of it.
