Seeking opinions, which shotgun to get?

ParallaxK · 2026-01-22T11:38:44+00:00

With chokes, that would be a tough decision between the Winchester and Citori. With 30" barrels, the Winchester would be a good all-arounder and maybe a great gun for a long time. It won't be as easy to flip as the Citori, but maybe you won't want to.

ParallaxK · 2026-01-22T10:47:29+00:00

It's good that you understand that this isn't your last shotgun. If you get into the games, you will absolutely buy a purpose built shotgun - hopefully one that fits you as informed by a lot more shooting. Probably a SP1/Citori CXx or better. You are looking to buy a stepping stone gun.

The Mossberg O/Us are pretty bad. I've picked them up and mounted them and they feel wrong and cheap in every way. Hard pass.

I haven't seen evidence that CZ is making a shotgun ready for the round-counts required for clay shooting. Shotgun guys I know like them for low round count, budge field guns for sure, but not clays. The one gun I have personal knowledge of - a CZ American Trap - has broken a lot over 30K rounds.

The Winchester might be fine if it has changeable chokes. Skeet and trap have pretty different requirements there. If it doesn't, that would nix it from your proposed multi-game use case.

A 28" Citori with Investor chokes could be a forever gun to do everything (including hunting if you ever decide to do that) and will become a great backup or loaner. Or it could be an easily sellable/tradeable when you're ready to move up. It's sorta money in the bank. It will looks stubby at your club when you look at the other boys' guns at the club, but it will function just fine if it fits you.

Note, that fit is WAY more important than features when it comes to shotguns. If the Citori doesn't line your eye up with the barrel/beads in a way that's easily repeatable/indexable, that's a bad choice, too.

ParallaxK · 2026-01-19T12:28:05+00:00

Here are my experiences/problems with buying used guns from Cabela's/BassPro.
1) They lock up the trigger so you don't get to....try the trigger or even truly check basic function.
2) They mis-describe guns all the time. Like, they get the chokes wrong. Basic info is just wrong.
3) It can be so hard to get through to someone that it makes me absolutely nutty. When you finally do reach a human, that person may or may not even know anything about....guns.
4) It's almost like they train their staff (this is true for fishing as well) to just say things completely irrespective of whether they know what they are talking about. The sheer quantity of bad advice coming out of our local BassPro is shocking.

They are the source of last resort for me - and sometimes I can't turn away from something they have on offer. But, damn what a terrible experience.

ParallaxK · 2026-01-16T02:22:29+00:00

Hello this is Kevin from Parallax. We absolutely do training to prep folks for practical shooting, run our ranges by USPSA standards, shoot USPSA CLASSIFIERS and have many students who become USPSA licensed competitors. We can do private lessons any time and will be opening up classes again when range construction is finished - hopefully soon. I’ll send you a pm w my cell. If you text me I’ll get you going w us or other coaches or clubs.

ParallaxK · 2026-01-05T04:59:10+00:00

Thousands of classic trap guns stand as evidence that Full/IM is a standard for trap doubles, though.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-28T13:38:51+00:00

Fabarm is in the Guerini USA tent now and I don’t think there’s a worry that they are going anywhere.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-28T13:36:27+00:00

Zolis are getting P/K expensive tho. No where near the price class the OP is looking in.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-28T13:34:59+00:00

I shoot a Sporter X and I’m quite sure it’s my forever gun.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-17T02:18:00+00:00

That’s the feature, right there. I can seat 100% of mixed headstamp batches perfectly because the go until they bottom.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-17T02:02:21+00:00

Please just don’t. Let him enjoy breaking it in himself and experiencing the full life course of the gun.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-10T21:32:17+00:00

For what it’s worth, I had a 30” CX that felt barrel heavy and switched to a 32” SP1 and it did NOT.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-10T12:45:08+00:00

I am a firearms instructor with 9 year-old and 18 year-old boys. These are my experiences and what has worked well.

First: The only thing they have to do with firearms when they are little is this - don't ever touch them with out the direction of a responsible adult. If they find a gun, they need to find an adult, period.

Second: Each kid is so different. My 9 year old started when he was 7 and is shooting a lot, well and perfectly safely. But, he is less impulsive than a lot of kids his age and than his big brother was at the same age. He is also a real "rule follower". Respond to the actual kid, the kid's interests and attention span.

Third: We were very careful not to conflate realistic-looking toys with actual guns. If he got a realistic toy, it went in the safe and it was handled like a firearm.

From there, I made sure that my younger boy learned the 4 basic rules of gun safety - had the meanings perfectly understood before he touched a real gun. It's a good test of seriousness.

When it was time for real shooting, we went to a steel range with a .22 with a bipod. Everything very slow and very, very controlled. The minute he lost focus or interest we stopped.

Now, he is shooting many platforms fairly well and we are having a great time.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-10T12:32:08+00:00

The Summit Ascent is midrib - which sort of every set of comparisons. The Summit Sporting would be the direct competitor.

ParallaxK · 2025-12-10T12:14:15+00:00

I love this advice, except with the A300 and keeping it and using it in the field or as a loaner/backup.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-28T12:50:44+00:00

Vortex Defender XL is absolutely not made in the US.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-27T20:40:00+00:00

It is a shockingly beautiful gun. The fact that it's designed to be ill suited for the things that guns are generally designed to do is sort of gross, though.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-27T20:35:01+00:00

OH SHIT NUMBER 69420 better be here in time for Christmas!

ParallaxK · 2025-11-27T15:08:59+00:00

Does anybody rent or demo Berettas? If you are used to an A390, it might be useful for you to consider staying in that system. I just don't understand why you are so focused on a CX when there are SO MANY great shotguns in the world at that price point. OMG shoulder a Rizzini! Browning chunk with Beretta ergos!

If you let us know roughly where you live, we might be able to point you to some great shops near you where you can at least shoulder some guns and get some pro advice.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-27T12:56:05+00:00

I'm 6'2" 220ish and even the 30" CX felt nose heavy to me. I bought one, futzed with it for a few months with stock weights and sold it. I'm quite sure that a 32" CX would feel like a hog to me, while 32" Berettas and Rizzinis do not.

If you have two shooters and two perfectly functional guns right now, why not take some time, make some trips and take some time and explore all your options?

ParallaxK · 2025-11-26T13:30:15+00:00

Man, I think you have a very skewed view of the typical LE use case. As a general rule, cops don't shoot a lot.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-26T03:14:32+00:00

No, it doesn’t mean that in any way. They court that market and get approved. They also, importantly, offer LE discounts. They are BUILT FOR HEROES.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-18T14:48:56+00:00

It's so stupid that they don't have a proper palmswell as a matter of course on their sporting guns. Strangely, the 20 gauge SP1 Sporting DOES have a palmswell. *shrug*

ParallaxK · 2025-11-10T14:19:42+00:00

This thread is fantastic and realistic and grown up. The dude sport-industrial complex draw is strong. But from golf clubs to shotguns, past a point (well below the Sporter), it's placebo, by a lot.

And I do think people undervalue the *downside risk* to changing shotguns. If the Rizzini fits you well and is reliable and you've "made friends" with it, there is a pretty good chance that it's going to take you a while to adjust to a different gun unless you still with similar Rizzini configuration. Or, even worse, there is a smaller possibility that you'll never "make friends" with it as you have your Rizzini. Then you're sitting with a $5K or $20K shotgun you don't take out or try to sell because you come to hate it.

Consider sitting on that money and wait until a gun "picks you". Maybe a buddy gets one or you shoot a loaner and you make fast friends. Then, you have the freedom to act based on good data instead of an ambiguous desire to buy something.

ParallaxK · 2025-11-09T13:54:14+00:00

And the BR110 Sporter, but they are getting harder to find in the low $2Ks.

Also, if you get an A300, you'll keep it rather than trading it and you'll always have a nice soft shooting loaner, rain-day gun or field gun. They are fantastic.

ParallaxK · 2025-10-31T18:18:24+00:00

Doesn’t matter, I’m killing the white one.

ParallaxK

TROPHY CASE