I am currently trying to decide on a new O/U that I would shoot sporting clays & hunt with. I am down to Ruger Red Label or Franchi Alcione Titanium. I like them both, but of course can only get one. I have heard that the Rugers tend to kick like a mule, however, I like the vented rib better on it. They are both " BAD" guns as far as I am concerned. Could some folks give me some feedback on these two to help me decide? Thanks!

I' ve never shot a Franchi, but let me say this for casual clays and some hunting both should serve you well. Now with that being said if you are planning on more clays than hunting I would recommend other guns. These two just don' t come out anywhere near the top for serious clay shooters. Pick the gun that fits you better, I guarantee you will notice less recoil with it. I think they are both light guns which can result in more noticable recoil, if recoil is an issue you might want to look for a heavier gun. Have you looked at both of the B-guns (Browning & Beretta)? If you haven' t looked at them I' d suggest you take a long look at them, if you were starting from scratch I' d recommend a B-gun as an entry level O/U. Just my 2 cents.

Gordon

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Browning Citori ,or a Beretta 686 . I had a Red Label and didn' t care for it .

I would have to agree with what has already been said. If a person doesn' t shoot that much your probably won' t notice what has been discussed. On the other hand if you are going to really " get into" sporting clays you better make a different choice. If you do choose a Beretta (and they are well made) make sure you choose a heavier model because if you shoot a lot of targets with a light hunting gun recoil could become an unpleasant factor. I have enjoyed my Browning Sporting Clays 325 for many years with no problems.

I have a Franchi veloci in 28 Ga.....and I like it.....other than that I believe the over/under class is made up of Citori and SKB. In my opinion, the SKB 505 is the best gun for the money in the world...

Did you say Ruger?.....sorry pal.....that' s an alien gun company in my eyes.

One more vote for a base level Beretta or Browning.

If you' re looking to get out without spending a whole lot of money a beretta whitewing is a much better value than a red label at about the same price.

I have to disagree with the bunch. I have shot sporting clays, trap & skeet for many years and many a shotgun as well. I still come back to my Red Label for every sporting clays tournament and have no problem keeping up with the " BIG GUN' S" . I feel the Beretta' s are nice to look at but they don' t fit me well, everyone I' ve ever shot I look down the rib at an angle and never could fix it. The comb just doesn' t suit myself or some others as well. Of the 2 Franchi' s I' ve shot one completely came apart in my hands one hunting season and the other cracked in the stock. I find Browning Citori' s to fell like a 2X4 in my hands, granted there are ton' s of different models out there, but of the ones I' ve ever used or even shouldered, they just seem unbalanced and bulky, I do like the older superposed however. I have never encountered any problems with my Red Label after years of shooting and thousands of rounds. The fit & finish is flawless! I do agree the majority of Clay users are using Berettas and Citori' s but thats no reason to follow suit. Try before you buy in my opinion...sometimes the gun you think you like just doesn' t suit yourself. I find a lot of guy' s at the clubs don' t mind you trying their guns for a couple of shots and it gives you a whole new perspective on it than shouldering it in a store. As for recoil, it' s a o/u shotgun not a semi or pump...your loads will be a bigger factor than the gun in most cases and a good recoil pad can fix any big problems. Not starting any fights just my thoughts...JDinAB Good luck!