RE: *12* gauge for skeet
The first thing you need to consider is how much are you REALLY going to shoot. The best skeet shooters in the U.S. shoot tens of thousands of rounds, and they use Remington gas guns. They shoot the snot out of them and trade them off every year for a new one. The softer recoil helps when you're shooting as much as they do. Most serious shooters who compete at our level will shift to an over/under because you can tube it to shoot all 4 guages and it will take the punishment of years of shooting. If you're going to have only one gun to hunt with as well as shoot one guage of skeet, that's a tough call. If you have to have an O/U and money is really tight, you might look at the new line Remington just previewed at the ShotShow. It's not a work of art, but it should hold up for a few years. Good luck.