The Pointer Side by Side in the Fields of Georgia Quail Country

Shooting a bird gun at clay targets only hints at qualities that will spring to life in the field. On a five-stand, the squad’s rhythm, the advantage of lookers, and those soaring teals and long crossers, don’t truly demonstrate snappy field-gun performance – unless of course you’re thrown lots of rabbit targets. But in the field, when a zig-zagging bird dog bumps a covey, and an explosion of birds unexpectedly stuns your eyeballs, handling and precision, driven by adrenalin and instinct, instantly reveal the shotgun’s true DNA.

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Six Semi-Automatic Sporters for $600 or Less

Turkish-made semi-automatic shotguns have gained in popularity through their rock-bottom prices and wide-spread availability. Just about any gun store in America will have a model or two (or more) that appeals to budget-minded wing and clays enthusiasts, while the online selection seems almost boundless. In addition to routinely getting the job done for diehard shooters, these semi-automatics are often a cost-effective go-to choice for first-time shooters dipping their toe in the water, or as a knock-about when the weather turns foul in the field.

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The Small-Bore Revolution – Because Bigger isn’t Always Better

A wave of new shotgunners entered the market in the 1990s. Some were lapsed skeet and trap shooters intrigued by a number of emerging clay target games. Remember when Sporting Clays, Hunter’s Clays, Wobble Trap, 5-Stand, Crazy Quail, and others were new to shooters? They all needed shotguns and the standard 12 bore was in such high demand that they were difficult to find on both the new and, especially the used, markets.

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The Retay Gordion Compact Semi-Auto for Kids in a Growth Spurt

Most off-the-shelf shotguns are designed for a male right-handed shooter who is 5 feet/9 inches, weighs 165 pounds, with a 33-inch arm length and wears a size 40-regular suit. Put a gun for someone like that into the hands of seventh grader, your wife or girlfriend and you may turn them off forever to the shotgun sports after they got kicked in the face and shoulder (not to mention the cussinʹ coming your way).

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Fortify Your Image in the Field With Mossberg’s Black Label Over/Under

When it comes to wingshooting, some hunters prefer inexpensive shotguns they can bang around in the field without any worry about the impact on their wallet. Mossberg gives those folks something new to consider: a premium-finished over/under with an MSRP of $1,135.00.

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The F.A.I.R. Fossari is a Mid-Priced Clays Gun with Luxury Ambitions

In 2017, Shotgun Life traveled to Gardone Val Trompia, home of the best Italian gunmakers, where Luca Rizzini, who manages Fabbrica Armi Isidoro Rizzini (F.A.I.R.), gave us a tour of the company’s manufacturing facility and modern showroom upstairs. Luca is unpretentious, hard-working and dedicated to his craft – a direct reflection of the F.A.I.R. shotguns, including its latest Fossari.

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The Affordable Fausti Caledon Shoots Above Its Class

At a suggested retail price of around $2,000, the Fausti Caledon is the tip of the spear of affordable shotguns in the company’s Core Line – important for expanding the Italian gunmaker’s share in the American wing and clays market. With some new aesthetic tweaks to the established Caledon, it appears that Fausti’s design team nailed the original Caledon value proposition of an entry-level over/under that continues to be rugged, attractive and accomplished. After shooting the latest Fausti Caledon, it’s easy to walk away with the impression of handling a price-class leader that delivers on functionality and durability, but now with a splash more glitz.

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Longthorne Gunmakers Developing All-Titanium 28-Gauge Expected to Weigh a Scant Three Pounds

Longthorne Gunmakers of Northampton, England has cemented its reputation for innovation since launching the business in 2008 by offering 100-percent, English-made shotguns with first-of-its-kind barrels machined from a single billet of steel – bucking the gunmaking establishment’s tradition of individual tubes joined through high-temperature soldering or brazing – or in rare exception laser-welded.

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