Probably no better gun for the money than a Remington, either the 1100 autoloader (above) or the all-time popular 870 pump.
The very best time to shop for an upland game gun is months before you need it. And if you’re vague on the best guns for the money I’m happy to help.
By Ray Reilly for Press Pros
It’ll be August in a couple of days, and while many of you are marking off the days until fall high school football…at the Reilly house I’m marking the days until fall pheasants and those beautiful days on the prairie where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the birds are flying all day.
Of all the outdoor endeavors I have, I count pheasant hunting the best of them all…unbeatable for the combination of exercise, scenery, bonding with your pointer or retriever, and of course the thrill of a flushing rooster under foot. Hyperbole? I just hunted in Wyoming last fall and killed a 340 inch bull elk and it didn’t come near to the joy and satisfaction of pheasant hunting. And let’s be honest. I had nearly $10,000 invested in that elk. I can collect a day’s limit of birds for less than a two hundred dollars, including out-of-state license.
But unfortunately, if you live in Ohio you have to go out of state if you want to see pheasants. They’ve come that close to extinction in the Buckeye state due to farming practices, encroachment, and sheer ambivalence on the part of those who have the least to gain by cultivating birds in addition to crops. I’ve heard farmers say for years, “I don’t make a dime off a pheasant. I get $3.95 for an extra bushel of corn.”
So when August gets here I cannot help but start roaming the Cabelas and internet sites to look for that one bird gun I don’t have – that I don’t need – but want it anyway just to enhance the excitement of another season to come.
Why now?
Well for one, less competition from others who wait ’til October and get the same itch about a quality gun for a deal. And they’re out there, but why wait? There are two advantages staring you in the face, even as you read. One, selection and price, and two…you have a couple of months to get acquainted with that gun at the local range.
If you’re a double shooter it’s hard to withstand the temptation of the timeless Browning Citoris (above).
Now I’ve spent a lifetime trying to ascertain the best upland gun for the money. I’ve wasted thousands of dollars on one that I thought I really wanted, only to find that I didn’t. I’ve fallen for fancy, and settled for plain. I’ve insisted on 100% American-made, and compromised for imports that I could better afford. Old? New? It’s all the same once you get one in your hands and get it in your head that they all do the same thing. But like finding a wife, you need to spend some time together.
So, if you have that itch, here’s five quality gun values that I’ve actually had in my hands, used effectively, and if I had to advise you based on my experience…I’d do these every time.
One, there’s hardly a sexier name in an upland bird gun than one of the Browning over-and-unders, either an original made in Belgium, or one of their later imports of Japanese manufacture. And believe me, there’s no difference in quality. If anything, the Citoris (made in Japan) probably have better steel and metal-to-wood fit. They’re available in just about every gauge, choke, and budget. New, you’ll probably put down $2,500 for that gun-of-lifetime. Used, there’s probably a deal at Olde English, in Tipp City, for a thousand less. My favorite is either the 20 gauge or the 16, depending on shooting conditions, and they both shoot like a dream. If pride of ownership matters, this is where you start.
Two, if you’re more of a traditionalist on a budget, look for a used Remington 870, the classic of all American pump guns of which nearly 10 million have been made. They just simply work. They’re trouble-free. And they’re a delight to carry at seven pounds for a 26 inch 12 gauge. No other gun offers as many options, and I’ve seen Wingmasters for as little $500 that looked new out of the box. And get the Wingmaster, because they have nicer wood and better resale value.
Three, if you’re still addicted to double-barrels, or over-and-unders, I guarantee you that the new CZ Wingshooter Elite will steal your heart for less than $1,200…and I mean, new! They’re gorgeous, they shoot great, and again..pride of ownership matters when it comes to bird guns. If you live in the Miami Valley, again I’d get mine at Olde English.
Four, if you’re an automatic kind of guy there are a couple that I’ll mention because there’s millions of them out there…and it’s a buyers’ market. The Remington 1100 comes in every configuration under the sun, they shoot good, they’re light on recoil, and every gun shop worth its Hoppe’s #9 has one in stock, used. The second choice would be one of the original Browning A-5s. They’re solid, there’s a lot of choices, and there’s a certain mystique to them that other autoloaders don’t have. Most of the originals were made in Belgium, and there’s a lot of them that have never seen the light of day. Between the Browning and the Remington, the Browning can leave you with a bruised shoulder if you shoot a box of shells. The 1100s are gas operated and a lighter shooting gun.
Finally, there are a lot of good Franchi shotguns available, either in the store, or online, and a lot of people use them and swear by them. Franchi automatics have been around for years, but more recently they’ve begun to make a very nice – A REAL NICE – over-and-under double that depending on wood and decoration, fits just about every budget. People used to look down their nose at a Franchi (made in Italy), but no more. Many people swear that they’re as good a gun for the money as other Italians like Beretta and Benelli. They just don’t have the sticker shock.
There they are, my five suggestions for a great upland gun for the money, with time to spare between now and opening day. Happy hunting.
‘Til later, I’ve enjoyed it.
Olde English Outfitters, in Tipp City, Ohio, proudly sponsors tales of the outdoors on Press Pros Magazine.com.