This is a follow up to an e-mail I posted almost a month ago for a Beretta GR3 that was being sold for around $1200. I bought it and I couldn't be more happier. 28" barrels, cross bolt, single selective trigger, pistol grip, beavertail, extractors, ventilated rib, and Pachmayr solid pad. It has some nice engraving on the action. The wood is strong where it needs to be and the checkering pattern has no run overs. I plan on taking it to Bull Run Regional Shooting Center and try it on sporting clays. I keep thinking about getting an SKB 385 sporting clays. They're out there, but they are usually priced around $2200. Depending on how the Beretta feels and shoot, I may hold off.

I'd say holding off is a wise decision. I bought a 485 20ga with a high rib, thinking it would make me a skeet legend. Instead, I discovered that I could not hit low 7. Couldn't figure out what was up until I started covering the target with the rib. And here I thought high ribs were supposed to let you float the target. I'm an SKB fan, but I think I'll stick with the field guns. Don't know how the current Turkish made SKB sxs target guns are working out.

Congratulations. Solid gun with some weight to it making it good choice for round of sporting clays. They also made some 'Empire Grade' for Charles Daly and some 626s for Orvis of Manchester Vt. (model Waterfower or Wildfowler). They made 626 Onyx 3.5", but I have not come across sample in many, many years.

The Charles Daly things were not cross bolted from what I've seen.

The height of a rib in itself has nothing to do with where a gun shoots

Thanks, Wonko. I get that. But with all the sxs I shoot reasonably well, I float the target (or bird) above the rib. I thought that in particular, on guns designed for target shooting--which would be those with high ribs--that would also be true. Seems odd you'd want a gun for skeet where you have to blot out the target to hit it. Maybe the one I had didn't shoot where it was supposed to. But in any case, it didn't shoot where I needed it to.

Congrats on a very nice gun. I searched for a GR2 for several years and never found one I wanted. I did find a 626 Onyx, which has a pretty high rib, and have greatly enjoyed using it. I can float the target with it and shoot it better than most guns I have. I later bought a 425, and I have to blot out the target with it and really struggle to shoot it.

I suspect the gun shot exactly where it was supposed to but the stock was not suited so that it would shoot where YOU wanted it to. Pretty simple adjusto the comb and raise the POI. Gun Fitting 101 - - TabA/SlotB I had to raise the comb on my GR3 1/2" to get it to where I could see the rib past the action and shoot where I wanted it to

In my case, I saw plenty of rib. I won't buy a gun if I can't see the rib when I mount it. Not sure I would've known what to do if I'd seen any more rib.

The view is immaterial. Churchill suggests that target focus is prime and seeing the gun is not required. Ribs are not of consequence.

The eye wants the bead area of the rib to be on, or slightly under the target/bird, and it will put it there unless you make a conscious effort to "float" the bird above it. When you see too much rib, the comb is too high (if you are mounting the gun properly with cheek firmly on wood), and the gun WILL shoot high. You will miss over the bird.

The view may be immaterial but I've never found a gun that didn't shoot high when I saw too much rib. I've never found one that didn't shoot low if I didn't see enough rib. Immaterial or not, on a gun with a mid-bead, when the beads sit on top of each other with a proper mount, the gun almost always shoots flat, or not over 60/40 high.

SRH

If the eye does seek the bead as a reference then the configuration of the rib, from none to anything, between the eye and the bead is inconsequential so long as it does not block the view.
You may prefer a certain view but the configuration of the rib does not dictate POI for anyone. I refer you to the Spacegun with the trapezoidal sight and the Perazzi HPX (backwards but it's a Limey gimmick so ....)for paths taken by different kinds of people.
Ribs are meaningless - get one you like the looks of it makes no difference

All that matters is the height of the bead (or whatever reference your particular brain selects) relative to bore centerline and the height of the eye relative to bore centerline; then simple geometry - - - TabA/SlotB