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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 61
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 61 |
After seeing an email from a local gun shop advertising a sale on Beretta 690 Field I in 20 gauge over and under; I've now got a hankering for one... and I'm going in totally blind. My purpose would be for a nice gun to take bird hunting and fun on the shotgun range. Basically, I'm drawn to the beauty/simplicity and currently don't have an over and under in my collection.
As a lefty, would the Beretta be an option or do I need to look elsewhere? Are controls any different on lefties or is it primarily stock fitment and grip palm swells?
Let's say a budget of $2k-ish. The Beretta was $2,399 but ticked my boxes as a beautiful field gun.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,285
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,285 |
One thing to look out for on shotguns is cast. Many of them have cast-off for right handers which moves the gun away from the eye for left handers. Can't say for others but that generally leaves me looking down or alongside the right hand side of the barrel. Don't have a clue how the Beretta is stocked but the only way to be sure is mount one and see.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 15,795
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 15,795 |
+1 on cast. It's a must if you're going to shoot it and not want to get slapped every time you pull the trigger.
I tried to shoot a Beretta 682 Trap gun one time and felt the barrels were too light. I tended to wave it around at the targets. May just have been me but the balance was all wrong. There are some really good guns available in that price range. Beretta guns are very well made but just don't fit me well.
There are 2 rules to success:
1. Never tell everything that you know.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 447
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 447 |
The barrel opening lever turns to the opposite side, for specifically built LH shotguns. Mount the gun to see for fit and then open and close the barrel to see if you are ambidextrous. You might find you are equally adept or comfortable at both or not. The shotgun might have a cheek piece on the wrong side. No big deal, you can have it removed. Lastly, if you get fitted by a competent fitter. You will know what you need for a cast on for a LH, to engage targets to your full potential. Also no big deal, because you can find a competent stock bender and they will bend the stock to your dimensions. LOP will have to be adjusted to you and the recoil pad turned slightly for a leftie orientation.
Beretta is a quality gun and others have made them for lefties. Go to Gunsinternational.com and look up left hand shotguns. There is usually a couple of o/u's.
Best of luck to you.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,340
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,340 |
Are you interested in purchasing one on here?
Ryan
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 61
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 61 |
Are you interested in purchasing one on here?
Ryan Not particularly... just looking for suggestions on brands that would work. Reading up some more I’m fine with the right hand controls, but would like either a proper cast-ON stock or neautral. Definitely not a righty pistol grip.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,340
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,340 |
Ok, I have a Ruger Red Label that would fit your criteria. Feel free to PM me if you would like.
Ryan
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,811
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,811 |
I have four Beretta O/Us; a Whitewing Sporting 12 gauge, two Blackwings, 12 and 20, and a silver Pigeon 1 in 28 gauge. I just checked all four and they are all neutral cast. I have checked all four on a pattern board for POI and they all shoot a pattern centered left to right. They all shoot a 60/40 (60% above the POI and 40 below) pattern at 25 yards. That will vary slightly depending on the choke tube selected but they all run pretty close to 60/40.
Within the budget constraints you mentioned you should be able to find a Beretta 686 on the used market and have enough left over for lots of ammo or loading components. And I dare you to wear to a Beretta. They are tough. Extremely tough.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,557
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,557 |
There is a used Beretta 685 20 ga. in what appears to be good condition for sale at a local gun shop for $450. Down side is that it has fixed F & M chokes.
Stupidity has its way, while its cousin, evil, runs rampant.
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,761
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,761 |
There is more science to a shotgun then most believe...on the higher end stuff like the beretta and Brownings.they usually have lengthened forcing cones and true dimension chokes...they don't deform shot as much and and give much better patterns... I hadnt used a pump in many years till recently...got a barn full of starlings so didn't want to take any of my Brownings to be farm guns so I took my old 870. Man I couldn't hit worth a crap ...starlings are fast and small...so I tryed an Ithaca 37....even worse...so I I measured the bore it's a tight full choke...so I lengthened the forcing cone and bored the choke to imp/mod...huge diffrance...I went form a 10 percent hit ratio to 50 percent...
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,811 |
There are some great buys on the Beretta BL series guns from time to time. They will be a fixed choke gun but with all the same quality of today's Berettas. You'll find them numbered from BL1 to BL5. That is from early to late rather than grades. They also had the S55, S56 and S57 which were kind of the European counterparts to the the BL series. You'll often find either for well under $1000. Any of them with barrels choked IC/M would cover most shotgunning needs. The BL 1 was a double trigger gun with a slick barrel. The front trigger was hinged. the later BLs, 2-5 all had single selective triggers, though some of the 2s had a rocker trigger. A single trigger with two finger grooves. The upper groove allowed the user to select the top barrel and the bottom groove the bottom barrel. I don't recall if the 2s were offered with a vent rib or not. The 3-5 models all had vent ribs.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,572
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,572 |
After seeing an email from a local gun shop advertising a sale on Beretta 690 Field I in 20 gauge over and under; I've now got a hankering for one... and I'm going in totally blind. My purpose would be for a nice gun to take bird hunting and fun on the shotgun range. Basically, I'm drawn to the beauty/simplicity and currently don't have an over and under in my collection.
As a lefty, would the Beretta be an option or do I need to look elsewhere? Are controls any different on lefties or is it primarily stock fitment and grip palm swells? Let's say a budget of $2k-ish. The Beretta was $2,399 but ticked my boxes as a beautiful field gun. Where did you find them in stock? Looking for 1 next week after consulting my doc, going to have hernia surgery. Oh boy.
Never take life to seriously, after all ,no one gets out of it alive.
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 61
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 61 |
I'm on the other side of the country from you sir; found them in North metro Atlanta, Georgia.
The 690 Field 1 in 20 gauge was a very nice piece. Definitely could tell it was focused on the hunter, being lightweight and slender. There appeared to be a slight amount of cast-off for a righty, which gave me pause. So I didn't buy.
Afterwards I stopped by my favorite shop and a Wilson 1911 caught me eye... spent all my fun money, but now have my first Wilson. It's a Professional model, 9mm 4" barrel gun. Sucker shoots great.
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 423
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 423 |
In the better shotgun brands trying to decide between Browning and Beretta is a Ford / Chevy type of decision. Both Beretta and Browning make LH versions and with shotguns, it's best to try them both for fit and see what feels best to you.
Beretta make LH stocks and it would be worth trying to buy one with LH stock rather than one that is neutrally stocked. Some versions have a palm swell and if it's set up for a RH shooter it may not feel right to a leftie. You can buy LH stocks for Berettas from places like Cole Gunsmitihng or you could order a new shotgun from them with a LH stock.
As mentioned, Beretta have two choke versions, with the better one being the longer Optima choke. Browning offer similar choke systems. I'm not sure whether the Optima choke system is available in 20ga.
Last edited by JFE; 05/07/18.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 489
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 489 |
I Own bpth a Beretta Field Grade and s Browning 725 Hunter in 12ga. for a combo range and hunting gun I would choose the Browning hands down. The Beretta is a hair to light for playing a couple rounds at the skeet club. Now my 20a. Beretta Black Wing is a joy to cary and shoot..... Food for thought
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 818
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 818 |
Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company has a new offering and is I n your price range. The stock has no cast so is ok for lefties and it is American made. I have one on order and think it could work out well. Brownings will also work well and I really shoot mine well.
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 4,813
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2013
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I have a Beretta 682 Gold E Sporting 30". I got left handed stock set from Cole's with a cast-on and left handed palm swell. I added a lefty trigger as well and sent the stock to Graco to get a raised comb. Super happy with it and my scores in all clay sports went up fairly dramatically. My second choice was a Browning 725. That gun felt good too, but I felt the Beretta would hold up better over the long run.
"A Republic, if you can keep it." ~ B. Franklin
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,557
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2002
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I have a Beretta 686 Onyx (black) 12 ga. 26" barrels that I would sell. I was my go-to bird gun, but I don't hunt any more. I am a lefty, and it served me well. It is either straight cast or slightly cast on. Has four choke tubes or maybe another. No major wear or cosmetic issues. A bit of blue wear around the edges, no wood dings. Comes with a good canvas take-down case.
I haven't put it up for sale, so I don't have a price. Whatever the going rate would be for a gun like this. I'd have to research it.
Paul
Stupidity has its way, while its cousin, evil, runs rampant.
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