Looking to get my first shotgun...

Look for a used remington 870 wingmaster in 20g. My sister uses one and its a sweet gun for dove hunting. That was also my first shotgun as well. Much much lighter than my remington 1100 auto 12g.

You can find them around here for sub $300

 

This is just my opinion, but I think you should wait and save a little more because you'll want something better (a better selection) if you shoot clay as much as you say you will. I have at one time owned almost every gun mentioned, but have always enjoyed a o/u for clay 20g. The benelli montifeltro 20g was probably the easiest shooting for me as far as comfort goes. I would also take beauty and craftsmanship of a gun into account too.
Also want to confirm that "Benelli.....intertia system doesn't process light loads very well." very true.

 

A lighter pump vs heavier gas autoloader?
Isn't that the opposite of recoil reduction?

 

I didn't say I'm shooting weekly. It may be a once a month thing most likely. There will be some bird hunting as well

 

I say something along this is a good place to start http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-G75410

 

No O/U.

 

the 870 was a 20g

 

Ya, sorry my bad that wasn't clear.

 

Picked this up years ago. Absolutely mint Hunter & Sons, Belfast, Ireland 12 bore double. (Birmingham manufacture; 1920-30) Super light, straight English stock. Comes up fast. Buy my shells online because of the age but it serves me well for skeet and upland birds.
Nothing wrong with the newer guns, I also shoot a 1966 Ithaca M.37 in 20ga. and a 1965 Browning Auto 5 also in 20 ga.
Can't hardly miss with the Hunter & Sons... with obviously more shot going out.

 

Very nice!

 

Honestly, I was in a similar position about 8 years ago when I was your age and just getting into shooting. My budget was the same. Originally, I had plans for a $2000 Beretta O/U. I found some Beretta 3901 20 gauge with ugly grey synthetic stock on clearance at a local gun shop for $550 and decided to get that instead. I am really glad I did as it has been an awesome gun. This version of the 3901 was made in Italy (most of the less expensive ones were made in the US with Turkish barrels). Since getting it, I have shot tons of skeet, taken it small game hunting, deer hunting, turkey hunting and more recently quail and upland bird hunting. It is very versatile.

For you, I would look at a used 1100 in a left hand model. A quick search on GunBroker finds a couple well within your price range. That leaves money for another barrel, or to have it refinished (since one in your price range may have some use on it). I'd also start with a 12 gauge and shoot light target loads. The light target loads will be about the same as a normal 20 gauge, but they will feel lighter in the larger, heavier gun.

If you are serious about skeet, then I would not recommend a pump action. You'll have enough things to think about without trying to work that into your game.

Also, a target/field shotgun isn't exactly like our Tacomas. I would not suggest making any serious 'mods' to it. I would recommend getting it fit and spending any left over money on lessons or more shells. Definitely don't go get an 870 and put a tacticool stock on it and then bring it to the skeet fields.

 

I shot competitively for years so I guess I'll weigh in, even though it wasn't in skeet but sporting clays. The 870 is a great gun but is not suited real well for skeet, maybe trap. I would probably try to afford an 1100. And I've never been a fan of 20 gauge so I would stick with 12, i shot probably over 20,000 rounds one year at only about 110-125 lbs as a 15 year old. I also shoot lefty but I've always shot o/u's, Perazzi mx2000's.

 

This is my 887 nitro mag. I love shooting clays with a pistol grip. this gun is only 499@ cabelas and i think i paid 129.99 for the folding stock

 

Im sure its been mentioned here multiple times, but if you really get into skeet shooting, pick up some light loads. They dont beat you up if you are shooting a few hundred rounds a day.

As far as semi's, there is no reason to think they arent reliable. I have a 11-87 that ive run thousands of rounds through and shot everything from clays, pheasants, turkeys, ducks and deer with it.

I dont think you can go wrong with a semi.

 

sorry i cant afford fuckin leaf packs, the body lift was on the fuckin truck when i got it.

 

After doing some more research, I've added the Rem 887 to my possibilities list. I'm gonna check out the local store after work and see what I like the feel of the most.

 

As for the 20ga vs. 12ga thing, what you're really talking about is the amount of shot it throws. A typical 20 gauge target load throws 7/8 ounce of shot - if your using #8 sized shot, that gives you 425 pellets.
A typical 12ga load has 1 1/8ounce [1.125 oz.] (some go heavier or lighter but lets keep the math simple) and that gives you 545 #8 pellets. So the advantage of a 12ga over a 20ga is that it throws more shot but the disadvantage is that heavier shot charge results in more recoil if all else is equal. (velocity and gun weight)
There's not a huge disadvantage to a 20ga but there is some. The 12ga is FAR more common when we start talking about things other than target shooting. For the record, the barrel diameter of a 20ga. is .615" and a 12ga is .729"- that's a difference of .114" or a little less than 1/8".
As for action types, that depends on what you want to do. If I could only have one shotgun for life I would pick the Remington 870 in 12ga. The 870 has been in production since 1950, they can do it all, they don't break and they WORK.
I've owned and shot a pile of shotguns. Some have been expensive and some have been cheap. When you get right down to it; a shotgun is a tube that launches shot. It needs to fit you and not break or wear out.
For Trap shooting - a single shot will work just fine and there's no disadvantage to a pump gun. For Skeet, an over & under with a single trigger or a semi-auto works better but a pump gun will work if you're determined.
For hunting or self-defense I prefer a pump action. Cheaper, simpler, always works.
As for makes & models, you're going to get a lot of opinion based on what other people have. We all develop some prejudice based on our own decisions but I've found that even cheap shotguns can work well if cared for.
The Remington 870 has a proven track record. I've never seen a Beretta 300 series semi-auto that wouldn't work, even when dirty. The U.S. Marines made the Mossberg 500 series work for them. I've shot just about every make out there and some I liked better than others but what difference does it make what I like?
Pick what works for you.

 

I'm leaning towards the pump. Simply because (in my thoughts) there's less to go wrong. And just to clear it up for everyone, I say "skeet shooting", but I'm referring to the clay pigeons. I found out there is a difference. At any rate, even when a double is thrown it's just about timing it to get the first one fast, pump, and throw a shot at the second one. Really the action is the last of my worries! I am still between the Supernova, 870, and 887.

 

NC10TRDSPORT

Skeet & Trap are both shooting sports that involve shooting clay targets. The difference is how the games are shot. Unless your talking about international Trap or doubles, you only need one round in the gun for trap.
Skeet requires a gun that can fire two shots in quick succession. Skeet can be played with a pump gun (I've seen people that can do it well) but it takes a lot of skill.
A lot of people (incorrectly) refer to any game involving flying clay targets as "Skeet".

As for the 870 / 887 / Supernova choices, those are all good guns with different strengths. Unless you're going to do nothing but stand in the rain and shoot waterfowl; I'd recommend the Remington 870.
The 870 is far more an "all around gun" than the 887 or Supernova.
The 887 and Supernova are designed for low maintenance in wet conditions and have 3 1/2" chambers that are favored for users of steel shot.
Steel shot is mandatory for waterfowl hunting but steel pellets weigh less than the SAME size lead pellets. So to compensate for the reduced mass of steel shot, one uses larger pellets and that requires MORE pellets in the shell to get the same pattern density. That, in turn, requires a longer shell to hold the bigger pellets. 3 1/2" chambers are good when using steel shot but are not needed outside of waterfowl hunting. The 3" chamber on an 870 magnum is a good compromise and of course it can shoot 2 3/4" shells as well.
The 870 has been in continuous production since 1950 and millions have been made. The 870 has been used by the military, law enforcement, hunters and sport shooters for decades. IT WORKS!