Seriously considering finding or ordering a SxS for specifically set up for occasional, recreational skeet. Am curious to hear what this hive-mind would spec out for that purpose.

My only technical and aesthetic restrictions are:

• 12 gauge, 2-3/4”
• Single trigger
• Pistol or Prince of Wales buttstock, semi-or full beavertail forend
• Proven, brick-like reliability

Soliciting opinions on choke constrictions, fixed vs screw-in chokes, barrel lengths, selective vs non-selective triggers, weight, sidelock vs boxlock, etc.... or feel free to tell me I should just have screw-in chokes fitted to the 28” Mod & Full Browning B-SS I presently (and happily) use for casual American trap.

Given your criteria, I would get a used SKB or a JC Higgins 100 (made by AYA) and have the chokes opened to skeet/skeet or IC/IC. If this is a dedicated skeet gun, you don't need choke tubes.

Figure about $600 for the Higgins (including choke work) or maybe $900 for the SKB. The AYA might not meet your reliability requirement but for occasional use you'd probably be fine.

I have a little Nitro Special that was built as a skeet gun for a lady or small person(fits me great), I bought it for my wife. It is choked SK-I & SK-II the open choke is on the rear trigger(left barrel)as 21 of 25 birds on the skeet field are single birds you only have to pull the second trigger 4 times so the rear trigger is much more comfortable with small hands. Ivory front and middle beads, 20ga with 28" barrels, standard rib, stock and forend. the front trigger is semi articulated and kind of flips out of the way when you straighten your trigger finger and pops back under it when your finger clears it, pretty much straighten your finger and close it again for the second barrel.

Great little gun, my 12ga international loads didn't show up in time for the state shoot so they let me use the 20 with 7/8 oz loads, and I did very well with it.

Nitro Special A Grade Skeet - neat!

Find yourself a Parker Reproduction DHE "Sporting Clays Classic". They come with six factory screw-in Winchokes (2-SK, IC, M, IM & F) - more are available, 3" chambers and chrome lined bores, fully capable for shooting steel shot. The SCC is my nominee for The World's Most Versatile S x S Double . . . it's so versatile that it'll make all your other doubles superfluous.

A Winchester Model 21 Skeet Gun with 28-inch vent rib barrels, with WS-1 in both. That WS-2 that is normally in the left barrel is way too tight for skeet.

Likewise the two late 1930s Ithaca-made double skeet guns I have are too tightly choked for skeet. The 12-gauge No. 4E is .009" right and .016" left and the 20-gauge Lefever A-Grade is .008" right and .014" left. Savage's skeet cylinder & quarter choke used in their Fox-Sterlingworth and SP-/SPE-Grade Skeet & Upland Game Guns is better for skeet

My NID skeet gun (both barrels marked S) have left-0.004 and right 0.0036. Great for skeet and upland game. These NID skeet guns are few and far between so even if you wanted and, it could be a long look. 12 ga.
A nitro Special model 6 with skeet chokes is a great low cost skeet gun as Dr. Drew suggests.
I have long enjoyed single triggers BUT reliability can be an issue. If I were to buy a new gun, it would have double triggers. JMHO.

Hummm
AYA 56 sidelock
CSMC model 21 skeet box lock

With your criteria, a Merkel model 8, a similar Sauer, or Husqvarna 310, all can be had under $1k.

Not sure what's available where you live, but we have Huglu-CZ Sharp-tail Target SxS shotgun. Huglu has been around for good while and CZ-USA has good reputation for service if anything goes wrong.

M21, 26", WS-1 and 2.

They are way easier to find than 28", and they work just fine.

The WS-2 is easy to live with. 4 spread loads per line does it.

The gun otherwise is choked perfectly for doubles from 4.

Chilled 9's are your friend in that left barrel.

I have this exact gun and it does get some use.

It's way fun.

Merkel isn't a bad choice. Matter of fact the outfit GSI in AL that imported them listed Sporting Clays model equipped with choke tubes. That would be a great candidate though it's probably as common on second-hand market as proverbial hens teeth. I suspect very, very few were actually sold as at that time almost nobody used SxS for sporting clays.

I think I found mine: Parker Reproduction 12ga, 28", SST. Factory choked IC/M, but actually measures 007/011. Good for skeet, and also for typical Sporting Clays courses for side by side events.

When I bought mine (off the for sale board here), there was a long discussion about those choke constrictions. Turns out they were standard on 12ga IC/M Repros. You won't have any trouble finding a Repro 12ga with 26" barrels and those chokes, but most with 28" will be choked M/F. I would have preferred DT on mine, but that's a personal deal. So far, no issues with the SST. Likewise, you might find one with a PG or a BT, or both.

You'll likely pay a lot more for a Sporting Clays Special.

My understanding was that Winchester's WS-2 choke was more open than the WS-1. The two WS-1s I have (12 ga. M12s) mike at 7 and 9 points, tighter than optimum in my opinion for skeet. I can't imagine WS-2 being tighter.

A serious SxS for skeet? Probably a M21 because they are easy to come by in a pistol grip/beavertail configuration.

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/50-shotguns-wing-shooting/166203-imp-cyl-vs-skeet-chokes.html

Why not put choke tubes in the gun you've already got, the BSS, and keep shooting what is familiar to you?

Or, if your heart is set on buying another gun, buy another BSS and choke it for skeet.

Hard to overstate the benefits of shooting the same gun all the time. "Beware the man ......"

SRH

Light chippy breaks get boring after a while. Learn how to shoot well with a tight choked gun. Put on a smoke show while still going 25 straight. Not my favorite gun for skeet but i did go 125 straigbt witb my mod/full Mdl. 21.

If I just want to smack skeet targets I would get an Remington 1100 with a skeet barrel or a full choke barrel and cut off all the choke.

Back in my twenties I shot enough 100 straights in NSSA competition with whacked barrel Model 12s (12- and 20-gauge) with Simmons Ribs to know "you don't need no stink'n choke" for skeet.

Thank you all for the numerous options. Just what I’d hoped for. Think the first thing I’m gonna do is try the B-SS at skeet, as-choked.

an while you are at it, try spreader loads...

Jagermeister, what do you mean when yous say "but we have Huglu-CZ Sharp-tail Target SxS shotgun."???

You don't have ANY SxS shotgun... none... zip... zero. Yet you keep returning with advice about guns that you have no actual experience with. And considering the amount of poor advice you give, why would anyone even consider anything you have to say?

Was that "we" in your statement "but we have Huglu-CZ Sharp-tail Target SxS shotgun." just another of your attempts at deception? Another pathetic attempt to be something you are not?

It means people in USA are lucky to be able to buy nice new Huglu from Bud's Gun Shop for $1169 ships free.

That's $1169 more than you'll ever spend to buy one!

I shot one of the SKB 200HR the other day and was very impressed. That one was a .410 with 30" barrels. Same shooter had a 20 version of the same and reported no problems with them after a couple years shooting Sporting Clay's. I shot 42 out of 50 on a average degree of difficulty course at Elk Creek KY. Some course are set up for the beginners and you could almost use a slingshot to break half of them. This was a little bit harder but not one the hardest course I've shot. Gun had decent triggers, wood and metal fit was good, screw in choke tubes, vent rib and it had a nice feel to it. If given a chance do take a look at the SKB line. They make the same gun in 28" barrels if you want.

SKBs are thin on the ground in this country, and sell quickly when they’re advertised. “Spreader loads” sent me straight to google. Might be equally difficult to find in bricks and mortar, but they do sound interesting.

Stan and 12brd have combined to convince me that I need to try the gun I have, with the load I know, at skeet before I do anything else. Being a total newbie at clay targets, I simply presumed I’d be wasting ammunition, putting it through those tight pipes at skeet targets. No one at the club I’ve visited has told me more than, “Well, you’ll hit some.” But now. Knowing 125/125 is theoretically do-able with similar constrictions, and having a gun I truly enjoy shooting trap with, have made me keen to try it as soon as our filthy autumn weather permits.

Very glad I asked.

1938 Winchester Custom Shop "Flatside".
WS1/WS2, Bestest Skeet gun I got!

Mr. Cash, that looks like too much fun.

Both the BSS Boxlocks (28" 20 gauge and 30" 12 gauge) are fitted with Briley Thin Wall choke tubes.
You could do worse things to a BSS

Bob,
Nice looking BSS-SL!
Karl

That Winchester is fantastic Bob. I like that as much as your 28 gauge Model 21.

Jon, I think you mean "triggers" to be singular. If SKB has started offering DT's, I haven't heard of it. I've only handled several of those guns, not shot them. I've been tempted by one of their 28's (field model, not target), but I don't really need another 28ga.

I tried one of the earlier generation (still made in Japan, but post-Ithaca era) SKB's with a high rib. I was shooting in a skeet league at the time, and I thought it might be just the gun. But when I discovered that I'd flat miss low 7 every time unless I blotted out the target, that gun went away. It might well have been a barrel regulation issue (simply shooting too low), but I always thought a high rib was supposed to allow you to float the target--which I do even with my low rib guns. Good to hear about a positive experience with one of their current high rib smallbores. They do seem to be offering interesting options for those looking for a smallbore target sxs.

You are right Larry. Trigger not triggers. But (s) aside the trigger pull was very good. Not too light or one of those 8 pound trigger pulls I can't stand. Give me 4-6 pounds and I'm very happy.

The vent rib on a double is not for everybody and the HR which I took to stand for high rib does have a vent rib. But I don't know if the field guns come in 30" barrels in small bores. As the original poster was looking for 12 ga it does not matter. As to the POI on the HR none of my misses with the .410 due to that. I just missed. A 28 ga of .410 30" SKB would be a lot of fun for released birds or clay targets.

Considering your requirement of brick-like reliability there are only a handful of sxs that will work. I know because I’ve broken many different sxs guns shooting the snot out of them at targets. Your BSS meets the reliability criterion and at an excellent price point. I’ve run a few 25 straights at skeet and wobble skeet with both my 12 and 20 gauge BSS shotguns with the original chokes. Both of them are LM in the right barrel and Holy Cow extra full in the left. Makes for nice soot balls. I shoot for fun and not score and have learned to enjoy tight chokes. Shoot what you have and see how it goes. Your other options are an original Winchester 21 (not a CSMC gun) or a nice, new Perazzi. 12 gauge 21s are relatively reasonably priced right now. The Perazzi is, well, not so reasonably priced, but an outstanding gun. If you can find a heavy framed Webley & Scott 700 in good shape that would work as well.
Have fun,
Jeff

If you're new to the clay pigeon games you may want to try skeet with something other than a gun choked mod/full. You'll probably be disappointed with your scores. A skeet score of 125/125 with full chokes is quite hard to do. The " big boys " shooting skeet use SK/SK for chokes - must be a good reason for doing it. A couple of hundred for choke tubes is cheaper than another gun and makes it more versatile for any game you may want to try. Plus you'll be shooting something you're use to shooting.

Any gun you shoot well will be perfect for occasional skeet. Remember: Beware of the man who shoots one gun.

I love how the last two replies are 180° contradictory, yet both make perfect sense to me. I’m sensing there are few absolutes in wingshooting.

This is very interesting.

JNW-

Thank you, sir.



I’d had no idea Perazzi made side-by-sides. My bankers certainly had no idea.

Yes. Yes they do.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-fo...un_id=100948674

http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-fo...un_id=100944207

Got you thinking about a Perazzi side by side?

In the same way I’m thinking about buying Liechtenstein.

If the "ready for holiday shipping" in the first ad doesn't move this gun, nothing will. Gil

Beware of the man with one gun who has the proper gun [ or shall we say chokes ] for the game he's shooting. With choke tubes you'd have that. All my guns have fixed chokes and they're LM in both barrels. At my ability I don't feel too handicapped shooting skeet, and they're fine for anything out to 35 to 40 yards, like most SC's targets I shoot. If the cost is not too prohibited, a new shooter should be given every advantage to shoot good scores and at skeet that would be SK/SK or even CYL Bore. Same with trap - Mod choke. If you're a newbe, you're not out to impress others with smoke balls, but shoot a decent score and learn something. You can always screw in the full chokes latter and show off. JMHO

Fudd, I'm impressed with your ability to sift through very diverse commentary without getting frustrated. "There are no absolutes" - oh, so true.

I shoot a M-21 26" Skeet model when the objective is a high score; I shoot the occasional 25 with it. And, I shot a respectable 42/50 at this years Fall Southern sportin' clays with it. However, my current fun gun (liking it better with every outting) is a 1946 Woodward boxlock pigeon (a W&S Proprietary finished by JW). It is choked Full left and mod right with 32" sleeved barrels. With 3/4 oz loads, I broke about 65/75 "skeets" this afternoon. One round was with spreaders and had no noticeable improvement in score.
Interestingly, I have been shooting about the same level at 16 yd trap. Historically, I have not shot trap well with a skeet model gun.

Above said, I'd be more worried about stock dimensions than choke. Some transition easily from skeet to trap with the same stock. Others not transition so easily. It would be good to know were you are with stock configuration.

BTW, I am a real fan of the 3/4 oz 12 ga loads and tighter chokes for fun/practice.

DDA

The commentary is diverse, but it’s not perverse. Nobody’s told me that they won Olympic bronze shooting a SPAS-12 off a Harris bipod with 00 buck, and that I should try it.

Regarding stock configuration, all I can tell you is that the coach at the club I visit took a good look at how I hold my Browning, and pronounced it a “pretty good fit.” And... I seem to be able to shoulder it consistently, since I’m never fiddling around making coarse adjustments before calling the pull. I feel very comfortable with it. It’s as-shipped, pistol/beavertail, factory buttplate.

The only other SxS I’ve ever fired was a friend's Baikal, 20-odd years ago. Shot it at hand-thrown Maria Muldaur LPs in a sand pit. Not much of a baseline for comparison.

Shot four rounds of trap today, rather poorly. Was about to roll up and leave when I inexplicably decided to not go home until I’d tried my hand at skeet with the Browning.

There were two skeet fields in operation today. One was being heavily used by a party of four, all old buddies, and I didn’t want to be the newb who messed up their afternoon by having to be told how to shoot every station, so I wandered over to the next pair of towers. There was one guy loitering there, waiting for the trap kid. He asked me if I was going to shoot.

“Yes, skeet?”

He nodded.

I got my ticket out and handed it to the trap kid as she arrived. She looked surprised.

“You’re shooting this?” She knows I'm green as grass, and had only ever pulled American trap for me.

“Yes...?”

“This is Olympic skeet.” At which point, the other shooter came over with his ticket, and I saw he was wearing a Team Canada vest and had what looked like a try-gun over his shoulder. Adjustable in every respect save bore diameter.

I’d already accepted the invitation to shoot alongside. I shrugged. “That’s okay.”

I shot two rounds. It was hilarious.

The speed of the things! I felt like a flak gunner on his first day at work at Ploesti during the Low Raid. My stance and shouldering were all screwed-up, and I admit to having made a few shots without my face glued to the buttstock. Because reaction time. (Broke one very cleanly, that way. Total fluke.)

I didn’t hit very many, and my second round was worse than my first, but the ones I did break broke well. My last shot of my last round, from station 8, has to be the best-centered shot I’ve made with the gun since I started using it in August. It was like a giant puffball had exploded in my face. Nothing but dust.

There is no doubt in my mind that I can hit many more with this arcane farm implement, if I just get some basic coaching on how to hold the gun unshouldered, how to stand, and where to be looking at the pull. So glad I tried it. I had fun. Thank you to everyone who told me it was do-able. I’ll be trying it again.

Olympic skeet is a hoot, you miss a LOT in the beginning and once you're dialed in and start hitting more than a dozen the rush is very satisfying. Seasoned shooters on your squad shouldn't mind if you start from a high or modified low mount till you get the speed down. Using reduced 1 oz. or 7/8 loads should not come till you get the low mount and bird speed mastered.

Gun fit is most important. If an Olympic skeet field is not available practicing American skeet from a low mount with Olympic bird sequence (if your trappers will do that many will not or do not know the sequence) will get you going.

Once you can break in the low 20's or even the high teens in Olympic you're doing a lot of things right.

I really enjoyed my time shooting international

It's too bad you live north of the border. We would be glad to give you instruction in ISU Skeet down here. The International Shooting Center in Pennsylvania would be a good place to investigate.

IMO, I bought the perfect skeet gun from eightborh--a pre war M-37 with a cutts fitted with a spreader tube.