Buying My First Over Under

Why do you find it necessary to buy a $2500 Benelli for a first O/U?
Are you already big into trap shooting?
Just getting into it?
If the latter, I’d suggest a much cheaper Yildiz for ~$350.
It’ll go bang and comes highly recommended on this board.
If you are using the cheaper O/U frequently, in 6 months get ya a Benelli.
When I say cheaper, it is much cheaper in price and I’m sure quality is very much subpar to a Benelli or other $2k+ gun, but it shoots pretty dang good.
I put a slip on recoil pad on (light gun, kicks like a mule), but they also have attatchable ones that look more factory. Just haven’t gotten around to that. But the 1” recoil pad also made it fit a ton better.
I’ve actially been duck hunting with it so far this year because I shoot woodies much better with it than my 870 or Stoeger M3500.
As fast as woodies are and considering I get a lot of left to right or right to left shots, I do much better with the lighter O/U.
For the price, you can’t beat it man.
I’ve shot it side by side my passed down from my father Browning and although the Citori is absolutely amazing in every aspect, as far as hitting clays/birds goes, the Yildiz stacks up just fine.

Edit: if you insist of OT balling on this purchase, get the Browning Citori 725. Promise you won’t regret it.

There are better O/U’s out there than the 828u for sub $3k.

Browning, Beretta, Fabarm, etc. All have very good offerings at your price range.

The lockup on the 828u is just not performing well. Lots of issues.

For several years now I’ve done sporting clays twice a month outside of hunting season. Typically use one of my Ethos (12 or 28) but just want to get an over under.

Thanks for your well thought out response, I’m going to look at the 725’s

I believe you can get a citori for that much.

I have shot at a lot of registered sporting clay shoots over the past few years and have noticed only one person shooting an 828U. Some of those guys spend a lot of money trying out new shotguns. If they were up to par with Beretta or Browning O/U's at the same price there would be a lot more out at the tournaments.

Also consider the Citori CX and CXS which can be had a little cheaper than a 725 and have a different feel that some prefer.

Go to a shop and swing a Citori and a Silver Pigeon. Buy whichever feels best.

Both are great iconic O/U shotguns...

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some of the field models of the above guns have an automatic safety

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That is a good point. The field models usually have the auto-safety and are lighter. The sporting models tend to lack the auto-safety and be a bit heavier.


The auto safety (gun goes on safety every time you reload) can be an annoyance for sporting clays, skeet or trap where you never carry the gun out of the station loaded but fire it scores of times. You will say pull and find yourself pulling on a trigger that won't work. Doh. Safety.

A lighter OU is fine for a field/hunting model that you carry a lot and shoot a little, but you want weight to reduce recoil for a clays gun that you carry little but shoot a lot.

I bought a winchester 101 field last year

was around $1200. single trigger, has barrel selector, ejector. I would recommend

Look at a Mossberg Silver Reserve.