As a new clays shooter, you'll probably ask those with experience what's the best shotgun to get.
If you're a woman, they'll likely advise you purchase a 20-gauge semiautomatic because of its low recoil. Guys get a different story: "Buy yourself a big, bad 12 gauge that's either an over/under or semiautomatic and have at those flying clay targets."
One problem, though, is cost. Inexperienced shooters can be reluctant to invest in a new shotgun — still uncertain if it's a sport they want to stick with. A decent over/under will cost you at least $1,700, and a reliable semiautomatic shotgun is pretty easy to find for around $1,000.
But a new pump-action shotgun can generally cost $300 to $500. For the budget-minded student of the sport, is this something you should seriously consider?
Pump shotguns get a bad rap for entry-level shooters typically because they are more complicated to operate. The manual action of ejecting shells is a potential distraction during the teaching process.
If you're not familiar with a pump shotgun, just check your favorite action movie. It's the black, stubby shotgun that broadcasts the mechanical shucking sound as a prelude to some Hollywood-style carnage.
Just for the record, though, those pump shotguns are a slightly different design than the types for wing and clays shooting. They are called tactical shotguns, used by law enforcement and military because of the pump's inherent reliability over semiauto shotguns when it comes to loading up a small arsenal of shells in the magazine.
Here is a look at some inexpensive options for pump shotguns. This CZ 612 pump action shotgun (top left) is imported from Turkey by CZ-USA and is available at their local dealers for $389. The Winchester SXP Field pump shotgun (top right) sells in stores for $399.99. The Mossberg 500 pump gun (bottom left) has a suggested retail price of $406. Legacy Sports International distributes the Turkish Legacy M87 pump shotgun (bottom right) to dealers for a recommended retail price of $350.
For new shooters, the pump shotgun does in fact add another level of complexity — at least in the beginning. Manually shucking the forend to eject and load shells can cause some temporary short circuits as you attempt to absorb other information about posture, swing and focus.
It's probably best to start with single shots (one at a time) just to keep things simple. (You should never load more than two shells at a clays course anyway for safety reasons.)
As you progress to two shots, the secret to operating a pump shotgun is resolve: Shuck it like you mean it. Don't baby the shotgun. Grab the forend, draw it back with authority and then reverse the process to load it.
As you learn about loading the pump shotgun, you may have to turn it upside down. It's extremely important that you always know whether the gun is loaded and always point it in a safe direction. Just manhandle the gun with the caveat that you maintain 100 percent control of the firearm. You'll discover the necessity for quick shucks when, for example, you're shooting doubles (two simultaneous clays targets).
Be sure to purchase a pump shotgun with at least a 26-inch barrel. There are a few reasons you want a minimum of 26 inches — or preferably 28 to 30 inches. First, a longer barrel delivers a pellet pattern of high integrity. Second, some clays gun clubs have minimum barrel-length restrictions to keep out gangsta-style, sawed-off pumps that are less controllable.
To simplify operation of the pump-action shotgun, make sure the magazine tube, on which the forearm slides, is nicely oiled. Also, oil the action bars alongside the barrel that serves as rail guides for the forearm. Apply gun oil instead of household oil, since it's formulated to withstand the heat of shooting.
Pump shotguns are typically sold for hunting. The choke that screws into the muzzle is going be a higher constriction that you'd want to use for clays. It may make sense for you purchase an after-market choke that delivers a more generous pellet pattern to increase clays breaks.
Most pump shotguns are available in both 12-gauge and the smaller 20-gauge versions. Make your determination on gun fit and gun weight.
Ultimately, don't be surprised when you become proficient in shooting the pump shotgun. The learning curve will be a bit steep, but you'll see that pump-action shotguns are great fun to shoot.
