16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 127 Location: Alabama

I have now collected a number of 16ga guns for my hunting purposes and now want to turn my attention to clay games. I was wondering what all the 16ga aficionados think are the best Over and Under units for this purpose. I seem to remember a Browning version of the Citori specifically setup for this purpose but i can't find a hint of that lately. Rizzini has the Comp 16 and the new upland company has a unit that seems to fit the purpose. If i wanted to spend around 4k on a 16ga sporting clays gun what are my options...in your humble opinion. As always...thx in advance.

P.s. I tried to do some searches but "sporting clays" returns a lot of posts!

Be well...Orwell

Member Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 680 Location: MAINE

Browning 525 Sporting Clays made in a very short run . Maybe a couple hundred out there with 30" or 32" tubes . I shoot one . They command pretty good money now .

Seems like the Rizzini fits the bill quite nicely for you.

My only reservation would be the eight pound listed weight. I’m use to field weight guns, and going from around 6.25 lbs SxS’s to an eight pound o/u would be a substantial difference.

The Browning 525 16ga with 28” barrels should be easier to find than the 525 sporting 16. If you can live with the shorter tubes, it will be right around seven pounds. Have briley or such fabricate up a set of extended custom choke tubes, add a nice sporting clay pad and spend the rest of the money on targets and shells. If you need to, have the stock bent to your cast, or add an adjustable comb.

Not many choices out there. A few years ago you could pick up a perazzi field 16ga for around 5k used... now that the latest run from the factory listed at three times that amount, good luck on finding a deal on one!

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Harry_Orwell,

It depends on what you want to accomplish. Do you want to be competitive or do you just want to have fun?

A 7 lb. or less shotgun for sporting is going to beat you up by the end of the day, unless you use very light loads. It will not have the weight and balance for a smooth swing and a proper follow through for most folks.

Not saying you can't shoot well with a 28" barreled shotgun in sporting, but over the long haul a light 28" barreled over/under isn't going to get the job done.

The BEST option is to find a Browning 525 Sporting with 32" barrels. The Rizzini looks like a winner but I have never tried one.

Now if you just want to have fun, there are any number of 16 ga. O/U shotguns to shoot sporting with, but probably not competitively.

I have tried to use my Browning Citori Lightning with 28" barrels for sporting clays, nah, not a good idea. Too light and too short, unless you have perfect, fine motor skills, something I do not possess......... I have also tried my 28" barreled 16 gauge 1100. Much closer to what you might want to use but still a bit on the short side. Too much weight between the hands for me, I need a bit more weight forward, to shoot my best.

Joined: 22 May 2020 Posts: 268 Location: Ky

I just recently sold a Rizzini 16 omnium/br110 early one with 29” barrels it was great for clays 7.75lbs and weight forward. Was built for South American dove pigeon shoot
It would work well.
Have seen many for 2k the heavy early ones have Anson push button type forend not a latch.

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Cold Iron

I have always been interested in the B.Rizzini guns. But always a bit skeptical as the posted weights are too light for me. I do not like shotguns for any use under 7 lbs.

The B. Rizzini website says that the field model BR110 in 12 ga. is 6.75 lbs. You have stated that the 16 ga. BR110 is 7.5 lbs.

Am I looking at the wrong model?

Also they offer a special order 32" barrel, which I would also be interested in.

Comments?

Harry,

I hate to say this cause I am a guy who believes the glass is always 3/4 full. However if the shell manufacturers don't start making good shells at reasonable prices again, it is going to be real tough shooting Clays or anything else. Even RST and Poly who provide me with most of my bird hunting shells, for my Classic American & German Best double guns have almost no shells available at this time. Having invested in 3 nice double guns this year, I am now questioning my decision to spend money on guns that I can not get shells to shoot.

Fortunately I stocked up just before things got crazy with the China Virus, I am using my shells sparingly at this point. Making sure I have enough shells for Grouse & Woodcock hunting this coming fall. If I am going to purchase another L.C. Smith double gun for over 4K, I sure would like to know I can purchase shells for that nice 16 gauge double gun. Very little around right now.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.

Mark,

Weights on manufacture websites are usually off, by a good bit. Sometimes they have fine print that say weight varies based on wood, etc. But you have been around long enough pretty sure you have a good idea of that already Very Happy

Nasty-G (George) on here bought one of the first BR110 16 ga. guns and his was way heavier than listed it was 7.5 pounds he returned it to Cabelas. George is my neighbor in SD a couple of weeks out of the year or was until the Admiral bought a house a few blocks away from his. My Toller that has long since passed over the rainbow bridge in front of Georges house in SD.

Rizzini has since come out with an alloy version which is of course lighter. But would not want to use one for clays.

The Comp 16 is offered in 32". Rizzini makes a fair number of dedicated clay guns and in some models you can go to 34" if you want to.

Lowest price point is the BR110 and they make the BR110 Sporter in 12 and 20 ga. a 32" is going to run ~8 pounds some go up to 8.5 pounds.

The sporter X has adjustable comb and mid height rib and run about 8.5 pounds. Coles has some in stock or did they go fast. Selling price is ~$2,500 which is a lot of gun for the money IMO.

I like a higher rib and prefer to shoot in a more heads up position. If they offered the Sporter X in 16 ga. I'd be all over it! And may get one in 12 at some point anyhow. But for the last 3 years or so been shooting my high rib SxS guns for clays more and more. Grab the Cordoba sometimes but the hulls fly into the weeds where I can't always recover them so waiting for "disposable" shells to become available again.

Have plenty of hulls STS and Nitros, CF and HS AA's in 12 and 20. But more than 5K 16 Cheddite hulls plus at least 12 flats of Herters left yet. Have a CZ Sharptail 16 ga. that is 7.5 pounds but the 28" bbls. are a handicap, at least at most places I shoot at. And even though I shoot it well having a hard time warming up to the gun. All my other 16 ga. guns are light for heavy duty clay shooting at least with 1 oz. loads. And I'm down to 2,500 DR16 wads. Which is why I ordered a Dickinson Sporter SxS if it runs true with the 12 and 20 I own should come in at just over 7.5 pounds which is border line light. But they fit me well so perceived recoil is low.

First time in my life I've started looking at new guns based on my shells on hand and supplies in the reloading room. I'm actually sitting pretty good for 16 ga. But will need some more SG16 wads down the road.

I would not hesitate to jump on a BR110 Sporter if I was in the market.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

The idea of using a 16 for clays just doesn't make sense to me. The 16 excels at being a spectacular upland game cartridge because while it's almost as fully-lethal as a 12, it's slightly reduced size and capacity allows for a smaller frame and tubes, making the resulting shotgun far-easier to carry and mount with alacrity. Clay games involve high-volume shooting, which besides increased cost (a very-real challenge at the moment!) also means an increased level of felt recoil in a lighter gun. Cumulative recoil is a very real thing and becomes readily apparent (to even me) at somewhere near 100 shells fired.

I'm a fairly largish person (6'3 and 240lbs) and even after 50 rounds on clays range with a field gun I'm starting to feel abused. The economics of 12 gauge target shooting have always been an a challenge (even in the best of times), and I can't imagine approaching that prospect now in a 16, with even cheap 12-gauge shells at $18 a box when you can find them.

My latest acquisition is a clays target gun that weighs 9lbs15ozs. I wanted all of that weight to insulate me from all the shells I plan on burning in it (assuming that I can eventually find either the components or some actual shells to use in it). I'm guardedly optimistic that production will eventually catch up with all the hording that has gone-on of late. and... that's for 12 gauge shells. 16s are way down on the production food-chain at the moment. God only knows when they will reappear again. Hording there actually makes a certain kind of sense.

Joined: 26 Jun 2020 Posts: 143 Location: Spokane, WA

10 lbs fully loaded! In the hilly terrain where I shoot sporting clays (at my age) I would need a caisson to move that around for a hundred target shoot.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

The gun carts I see everybody using at the local clays ranges are effectively caissons. Target guns usually are bridge timbers when compared to game guns and that's deliberate. Different horses for different courses...

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Lloyd3,

While the 16 gauge may not make sense for an all out competitive sporting clays shotgun, it does make sense if you want to have fun.

I am 64, made it to AA class in the NSCA. Now that I am living in ND, there aren't enough people or events for me to ever make it to master class, unless I start traveling, which I am not interested in doing.

So for me I want to shoot a 16 gauge and just have a good time, shooting the gun and gauge that I want to shoot. Ballistically you aren't giving up much of anything to a 12 gauge using either 1 or 1 1/8 oz. loads. I have already shot my 16 ga. 1100 well enough at sporting to know that it won't be the gun or gauge that stops me from shooting well.

I know that the Rizzini BR110 in 16 ga. or Comp16 with 32" barrels may not be the ideal sporting shotgun, but plenty good enough to have some fun and claim bragging rights now and then......and that's good enough for me.

As far as ammo goes, I reload for both 12 and 16, so there is no issue with having top quality shells.

Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 127 Location: Alabama

Can't thank you guys enough. Lots of great info for sure. This is exactly why I love this site. My brother and I have started shooting more and more lately and I got hooked on the 16ga way back around the turn of this century. Bought my first 16 (Browning 525 Field) from a guy named Bill Hanus who some of you may remember. He used to be common on this site if my memory serves me right. Unfortunately he's gone now but what a champion of the 16. Anyway, I just like the gauge and I doubt I'll ever compete but you never know. I just like being little different. Gun weight doesn't bother me and the advantages for clay games are apparent. I have recently started reloading also which has made it a bit easier to obtain ammo. I appreciate all the info...definitely going to look for something with weight and longer barrels. Thx again for all the great feedback.

Harry O