Not many Americans are familiar with cast. Cast on/cast off. An eighth to quarter inch of cast can make a big difference in gun fit.

Wow just browsed CDNN I guess the MSR & Tactical Joes have taken the place over
They had some Dickenson O&U for 2900 but that was IT.
They used to have dozens of sporting shotguns from Citories to 101 and Winchester field grade made in the Browning plant in Belgium. Oh well the times they are a changing.

nvwrangler---All the entry level B guns that have been suggested in this thread are rock solid reliable guns. You can't go wrong with either berretta or browning plus plenty of others and that also means that buying used can be a good option. Most of these target style guns are made to fit the "average" shooter to begin with. There are some engineered differences between the american style fit and european fit but its no longer that hard to make most guns fit everyone. In this era, a good number of guns are adjustable right out of the box and after market combs are easy to pick up (may or may not be good investment depending on situation). You can adjust point of impact left/right, up/down just like a rifle.

However, my advice would be to spend as much time looking and trying out guns as possible before you spend ANY money given that O/U's arent exactly inexpensive. My gun safe is a good reminder of the shotguns that thought i wanted or needed but that didn't really work for me. See what your friends have that you can handle and test. Maybe try a large club and see what others have; if you ask, most of us will let you try ours out. Given what can be done with fit, for me picking a shotgun is really about feel; what feels right makes them much more enjoyable to shoot but it also makes them work better for you. The gun has to fit you so that the eyes and barrel mesh BUT how the gun handles should also be of primary concern as wingshooting is all about getting the barrel where it needs to be and gun handling drives that. There are some quantitative features regarding handling such as total weight, length of barrels, or where exactly the gun balances but all of that becomes a bit subjective to the shooter given their shooting style and what targets they might be engaging. For field use i have an old browning 325 20 gauge and newer beretta 686 12gauge. Both are fitted with aftermarket combs and i can use both decently. however if i'm shooting competitively neither one of those guns handle all that great for me.

Did you happen to shoot the registered event this past weekend at Rochester Brooks?

I have had 2 berretta 682 gold E o/u. They were both very nice guns. The trap combo I bought at Jaquae's I had sent straight back to the factory for a left hand stock swap

I owned several O/U shotguns in my life, but my two favorite were the Browning Citori Featherlight and the Franchi Falconet Buckskin. Both were 12 gauge. The Franchi weighed 5-lbs 7-ozs and the Browning weighed just over 6-lbs.
Both were used for grouse hunting. I'm too old to hunt grouse now and passed my shotguns to my sons.

BigBlackBirds, no I didn't. I haven't shot it for a few years. I started reffing several years ago. I am an NSCA certified Sporting ref, so instead of paying $1.00 plus a target and getting to watch 4 or 5 other shooters in my squad that I may or may not learn anything from, I get paid $80.00 a day to watch about 200 shooters better than half of which I can learn something from. I take my pay in targets. It's a 3 day shoot and I haven't payed for any targets in a few years. Plus my competition days are behind me. My eyes and reflexes aren't what they used to be. I'm 70 years old and lugging an 8 to 9 pound gun, 6 boxes of shells, and my shooting bag just doesn't have the thrill that it used to. That course is a mile and a half give or take and I refuse to rent one of their golf carts. IMHO a golf cart is an unfair advantage and it's an obnoxious distraction to a shooter in the box that's trying to concentrate on his task at hand. If a shooter is disabled that's another story and the cart is justified. I'm not there quite yet. Besides, I'll be able to go on Wednesday and shoot the same targets off my card which at last check still held about 1300 or so targets. That shoot, the Spring Deuce, usually pulls in 200 or so shooters from several states and Canada, though because of the lock down the Canadian contingent hasn't been able to attend for the last two. Those guys are not only great guys but they are some really fine shooters. There are also a bunch of side events. They are fifty target venues for 410, 28, 20, 12, pump, s x s, a 100 target prelim, and a Make A Break. Make a Break is a very very interesting game. Two shooters on a platform. Eleven traps on the field, two number ones and then 2 thru 10. Traps are shot in order. At the shooters call he will get a number one target from either of the two number ones. On report he will get the number 2 target. If both are hit and broken the shooter gets 3 points. The number one target must be broken. If it isn't, better get it on your second shot for 1 point. If number 1 is missed and number 2 is broken score zero. You MUST break number 1 or you miss out. So as you advance to say trap 5 and you get both targets you score 6 points.Shooters alternate. As the trap number escalates so does the difficulty of the shot. Number 10 is always a real good poke. Half way thru shooters switch sides on the platform. They also run a 50 target FITASC event (Sporting Clays for big boys). Historically it has always been a 12 ga game but this year it has been expanded to 20 and 28 ga. Some very strict rules here. The butt of the gun must be started below a line 10 cm from the top of the shoulder. Once you take your set point and call for the bird the gun can not move until the target is visible. There are usually 5 or 6 traps per parcours (field) with 3 pegs or shooting positions which are 1 meter in diameter. The shooter is allowed to attempt targets in any direction and can ask his squad mates and the ref to move. You will shoot singles then reports and finally pairs. Everyone will shoot their singles, then shooters will rotate order and shoot reports, rotate and attempt pairs. You are allowed full use of the gun, never more than 2 shells. The shooter calls for the target at which time the ref blows a whistle to release the target. Factory ammo only, no hand loads. 12 ga 1 ounce (28 gram) only, 20 ga 7/8 ounce, and 28 is 3/4 ounce. All targets will be demonstrated. Chokes may only be changed outside of the hoop before shooting commences. You may change them at the next hoop. Before shooting you may track a flight path with your hand never ever the gun. Once shooting on that hoop has started no tracking is allowed. Coaching from squad mates is not allowed and you must be 3 feet or more away from the shooter. A shooter will typically get a warning for a movement of the gun, second offence, lost target.

More left handers on here than right!!

My 682X was cast on for lefthander!!!

Paul-
Out east, M&M is the only place I've shot and that's been awhile back. I've heard Rochester Brooks is a nice course. I havent been going much in the last few years. Just not enough time and as get older my eyes have been changing about every 6 months which has been completely annoying. Normally I'd shoot Northbrook in Illinois or Bald Mountain/Island Lake closer to home. Those two Michigan courses (both state owned/public courses but privately managed) were holding alot of registered sporting events in the past but more recently they've been concentrating on registered FITASC and Super Sporting. Prior to covid border restrictions there had been a sizable group from Canada regularly attending. Bald Mountain frequently holds the state shoot as its a decent sized area with some varied terrain on a mile plus main course with seperate sub gauge course. Normally the main course holds 4 machines per station with two set fairly soft for the public and two not so soft. There's always a high percentage of those that are strictly hard core tournament targets as both courses get alot of practice from those attending regionals, etc. You can always tell when its been set up for serious practice as the distances grow while the lines become more technical and subtle.

BBB or Paul, I was give some steel shotshells in 20ga. I am hesitant to run them through my 686. What are your thoughts on that ?

I've put a fair amount of steel thru my 686 12gauge duck hunting. Mainly #4 and #3 with some #2's. I havent noticed any particular negative issues. I do swap out choke tubes from extended target type and opt for something that maybe can take more abuse. I know a couple of folks that have been forced to run a steady diet of target steel thru their guns due to range requirements and I've not heard of any problems. But those shells typically are something like #6 or #7's.

Overall I wouldnt be afraid of steel BUT I'd be worried about large sized shot and super fast loads pounding the thread area of the choke tubes on a nicer gun. Personally I wouldnt want to run those 1700 fps hypersonics or something like BB's thru it but just typical steel doesnt worry me that much. Modern loads are pretty well wrapped up in high quality wads these days that protect barrels nicely.

I have an older Weatherby Orion that I often carry early season in flooded timber. I think its about 1992-93 vintage and I'd guess maybe not produced with quite as tough barrels as I think steel shot was mandated around that time on a broader scale. Guess would be that it's had 10x steel put thru it as 686 and plenty of that was older steel shells in the late 90's that I don't think were manufactured to same standards as today. The tube area still seems fine. If you look closely there are a couple scratches inside the barrel that I imagine were made by steel at some time but nothing to get too excited about.

White17, the Beretta choke tubes are marked as to whether they are steel shot safe or not. My son and I shoot #3 shot for all waterfowl and the tightest choke we us is an improved mod though I personally use a Light mod more often than the kid for general use. I also like skeet or improved cylinder over decoys at first light. We see no damage in either his Nova or my 686 guns. I use both 12 and 20.

Thanks guys !! These shells are #2 steel. My Beretta chokes are all marked LEAD. I think I'll gift these shells to someone shooting wolves from a Super Cub !!

I bought a Franchi Instinct a couple years ago. I've only hunted it, but it works well when I go with a 12 over my SxS 20.

Thanks everyone this has been interesting to read, but now I'm looking for both 12 and 20 gauges lol. Still looking at the citori and the Berretta

So got my hands on an Orion, citori, silver pigeon and a benelli. Orion was light and shouldered ok, citori way stiff action, heaviest of all but sure shouldered nice, the other two tied as best for fit feel but the silver pidgeon had a big bow in the vent rib that was disappointing makes one question quality control.

Decision decisions

Ruger Red Label. Love it. Course I'm think ruger is the best of all.

I find that very surprising on the Beretta. Was it a new gun or used ?

White is was new. When i shouldered it I saw it fite off , shouldered it a couple more times just to see if maybe it was how i was holding the gun. Handed it to the sales clerk and asked him what he saw and same thing.

Really surprising. I'd sure suggest looking at another one some place else.