Some Concepts (and Physics) of Trapshooting. Most shooters break trap targets at about 35 yards, so why write an article about concepts that affect shooters before the targets are 10 … Read more
Uncategorized
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 … Read more
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.
Designed as a fast-handling gunning system when in close quarters, this 20″ barreled 37″ total length 12-gauge 3.5″ chambered turkey-hunting smoothbore is turning more than a few heads. I first spotted the shotgun at the 2024 SHOT Show, and I knew at once that getting a sample of the new over/under into the field was a must-do event.
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.
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 I asked the good folks at Briley, the famous Houston-based aftermarket shotgun equipment manufacturer, about a new direction in hunting choke design the company just might be taking, they were quick to respond. In short order, I had three of the new Helix design-based hunting choke tubes at my door ready for some testing. Some folks are too young to remember, but Briley was a company instrumental in getting safe and effective steel shot compatible chokes off the design table and to waterfowl hunters’ guns in the early years of the federally mandated non-toxic shot requirement.
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 I was selected to field test this gun and write my opinions on the special SBE III by the famous Italian gunmaker.
Because the SBE III uses the time-proven Inertia Drive System®, the shotgun requires less attention given to it when cleaning. This is because there are less components in the system. The major components are simply the bolt body, the inertia spring and the rotating bolt head. Less parts also means less lubrication needed as well. The Inertia Drive System® is touted as producing less recoil also. But when I began firing 3.5″ shells through this fairly lightweight 12-gauge semi-auto, I was more than just a little skeptical about that claim of less recoil.
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?
Getting a new shotgun can be the spark which a shooter needs to improve his performance and increase his enjoyment of the sport. But, becoming effective with a new shotgun is not easy and often times requires a lot of work. However, if the “right” new shotgun is chosen, the process of switching becomes easier and the end result will be very positive. So, under what circumstances does it make sense to do this?
The wrong shotgun was purchased initially. Once a month from April to October, I put on an Introductory Shotgun Clinic which is targeted to individuals who have little or no experience with shooting clay targets. Some individuals rent shotguns from the range where the clinics are held, and others come with their own shotguns to use for the clinic. At least three or four times each year someone will show up to attend the clinic with a pump or semi-automatic shotgun with an 18” barrel equipped with a seven-round magazine and either rifle sights or a ghost-ring rear sight.
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. But like everything else, when something is designed to fit everyone, it ends up fitting hardly anyone.
Are you one of those shooters who is shooting a gun that does not fit you?
