I am 14 and I am getting into skeet shooting.  I want a shotgun that will be reliable, while not costing too much.  I am setting my budget at ~$800.  I have been shooting with an O/U and like it, but would consider a semi auto shotgun.  The shotgun would have to have to have changeable chokes and I would like for it to have dual beads.

I have looked at the shotguns from www.eaacorp.com and the Remington 1100.

Any info or suggestions would be appreciated.

TIA,
Junior_Gunnut

I have an all synthetic rem 1100 I use for trap and every thing else.  I'm a small guy and I apreciate the recoil buffering of the automatic.  You are going to want the 12 gauge for all the spread you can get.  

Junior, Welcome to my world. Skeet and Remington shotguns! The Remington 1100 has won more competitions than any other shotgun ever made. My son is also fourteen and shoots skeet. He was using the 1100 20 gauge youth gun but I ordered the adult size stock this morning. How big are you? Have you shot both a 12 and 20 gauge? Which one was more comfortable to shoot? The Russian guns are ok but you are better off with the oldest gun manufacturer in the United States, Remington. If anything goes wrong Remington will take care of it.

Go to www.remington.com. If you are thinking of spending that much you have several choices.

Remington 1100 Tournament Skeet 12 gauge 26" barrel $868

Remington 1100 Sporting Clays 12 gauge 28" barrel $868

Remington 1100 Synthetic 12 or 20 gauge 28" or 26" barrel $549  

These are list prices you will not spend that much. Skeet is a great game but remember it is just a game. After you get your leads down it becomes a head game. MIKE. Edited to add: All have screw in chokes.

After a full day of shooting, the 1100 will beat you up a lot less than an O/U.  Especially if you ever use more than a 1oz load.  A 1 1/8oz high velocity load, like you might use in sporting clays is harder on you in an O/U after 100 to 300 shots. (assuming 12 gauge here)

Also, if you buy a used a 1100, you can get a lot of gun for less.  If you buy a new gun, just like you described, you will probably have it for life.  I bought my first 870 when I was 14, and 25 years later, I still have it.  Back then you had to add the middle bead.

The Russian guns are nothing like Remington.  The rusky O/U's I have handled seem tight in their action.  You may end up having to polish the action to make it smooth so it won't wear you out.  I have polished Beretta's just to save time on breaking them in.  Of course I am old and have many injuries so my shoulder and elbows are not as tough as yours.  Also, over many years of absorbing recoil, there is nothing wrong with cutting back wherever you can while you are young.  Same principle as wear hearing protection today, hear tomorrow.

When I was 14 I wanted an O/U!  30" used Beretta.  My boss at the gun club used it to shoot cows in the corn.  He would not sell it to me.

How big are you? Have you shot both a 12 and 20 gauge? Which one was more comfortable to shoot?

I'm about 5'10" and around 155lbs.  I have shot both 12 and 20 guages and prefer the 12 because it is more common and is what I have shot the most.

It sounds like the Remington 1100 is the way to go.  I just have to save up the rest of the money(and get a job).

Does the Remington Synthetic come with dual beads?

Gunnut, You will have no trouble shooting a 12 gauge with your size. No, the 1100 synthetic has only a single bead. But if you are shooting right you do not need any bead. Some guys take the bead completly off. If you mount the gun right, have proper cheek weld and keep head on the stock you will hit the bird. Your eye is the sight. You will pay about $450 dollars for the 1100 synthetic. You can order it from your local Walmart if they do not have it in stock. It comes with a modified choke tube only, you will have to buy a skeet tube, about $15.00. For the price you can't beat it. Good shooting, MIKE.

My 13 year old son is 5'1" and 90 lbs.  I got him a new Beretta 390 Super Skeet 12 gauge for Christmas 2002.  He shot a 22 on the skeet field with it last Saturday using his own reloads.

I grew up on Remington 1100s, but switched over to Beretta gas guns about 7 years ago and haven't looked back.  I shoot registered Sporting, 5 Stand and FITASC.

Just a differeing opinion.  Walmart has Beretta 390 synthetic stocks for around $525.

Bud, I did not know that you could get a Beretta that cheap. That is a good price! What is FITASC? MIKE.

I forgot to mention that this shotgun will also be used for trap, five stand, and possibly sporting clays.

JGN, The Remington or the Beretta would be fine for skeet, five stand or sporting clays. Trap as you know is a rising target. Trap guns have high ribs so that you can hold you point of aim under the target and still hit the bird. With a skeet or field gun you have to cover the bird with the barrel to hit it. Not a big deal to get you started. You have many years to buy lots of guns for all of your shooting needs! MIKE.

I have one Beretta semi-auto I got it for around $550.  20 gauge, great gun.  One thing the Beretta semis have is a stock shim kit that comes with the gun, at least for the wood stocks.  It allows you to get a some what custom fit out of a factory stock. To my knowledge no one else does that from the factory.

One more thing.  Bag the middle bead idea.  That is classic trap stuff, aim the gun crap.  You are young, you don't need to start that BS.  Yes all my guns have them. You should be focused on trying to shoot with both eyes open and maybe a large optic bead on the end but your eyes should be on the bird, not the bead.  I will dig up a  good web link for you on this topic over the weekend.  I need to reread it myself.

The target appears to move much slower when both eyes are open.  I use a modified approach.  I chase the bird down with both eyes open, and depending on the shot I may have to close one eye just before I shoot. I have other eye issues.

About 10 years ago I had the front and rear sights off my Glock 21.  The 21 is a .45 so the gun is large.  Even back then I had a lot of rounds through that particular gun so I was comfortable shooting it.  So you can imagine the top of this gun as a mini-shotgun with no beads.  Just flat top and flat black color. One weekend, I shot circles around my friends with their Glocks, Sigs, Berettas, Colts etc....it drove home to them there is no substitue for practice.  It made me think I could shoot without beads on my shotugns and maybe with both eyes open!

Quoted: Bud, I did not know that you could get a Beretta that cheap. That is a good price! What is FITASC? MIKE.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, Mike.  I've been out of pocket.

The Walmart Beretta 390 is a synthetic stock, matte finish "bare bones" shotgun, but it has the same guts and functionality as high end competition 390s.

FITASC is arguably the most challenging form of sporting clays.  While somewhat similar to English sporting clays, it is always started "gun down", and one never gets the same presentation twice.  Half of the presentations are single targets with two shots permitted.
FITASC stands for the parent French organization, Federation Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse.  

The targets are hard, fast, far and extremely challenging.  It can be more addictive than cocaine, and about as expensive.  

Bud, I have a friend who shoots that game but he uses a french sounding name for it that starts with am f also. He travels from NY to Connecticut to shoot the game. MIKE