Savage 444 20 gauge O/U
- Thread starter pyscodog
- Start date
Hidalgo
Well-known member
If you can get them down to somewhere around $300 it would be better. But if you like the gun, $400 isn't out of the question.
They are good guns (not great) and will serve the hunter or casual shooter well. They are NOT a regular skeet gun because the round count will get to them in short order. If you plan on shooting it weekly you're into Red Label or Citori country. But you already knew that.
. And if I remember correctly they are a fairly light gun compared to everything else.
Somewhere along the line I remember one doubling at our club. Scared the crap out of the owner. Our gunsmith "tightened something up that had came loose" ??? and fixed the issue. Sorry, but I don't remember what he did to the gun to correct it. It was likely a freak happening and nothing to worry about, but I thought I'd mention it FWIW. The owner shot it quite a bit afterwards with no more issues.
They are good guns (not great) and will serve the hunter or casual shooter well. They are NOT a regular skeet gun because the round count will get to them in short order. If you plan on shooting it weekly you're into Red Label or Citori country. But you already knew that.
Somewhere along the line I remember one doubling at our club. Scared the crap out of the owner. Our gunsmith "tightened something up that had came loose" ??? and fixed the issue. Sorry, but I don't remember what he did to the gun to correct it. It was likely a freak happening and nothing to worry about, but I thought I'd mention it FWIW. The owner shot it quite a bit afterwards with no more issues.
It was kind if a neat little shot gun but agree, a Citori would be better. Had a Red Label in 20 guage years ago. They seem to kick like a mule for some reason. Maybe not enough weight. My gunsmith hates them. Not so much the shotgun but the lack of replacement parts. He claims there aren't any. So I steer away from them.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: pyscodogIt was kind if a neat little shot gun but agree, a Citori would be better.
Apples & oranges.
And a nice used hunter grade Citori or similar will be more like $1200 instead of $400.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from that Savage. If it looks like it has been cared for and the tubes aren't pitted it's probably worth the money.
As for the Ruger recoil .... their 20 gauge is built on a smaller frame than the 12 gauge if memory serves. The 12s have less recoil than the 20s.
Apples & oranges.
And a nice used hunter grade Citori or similar will be more like $1200 instead of $400.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from that Savage. If it looks like it has been cared for and the tubes aren't pitted it's probably worth the money.
As for the Ruger recoil .... their 20 gauge is built on a smaller frame than the 12 gauge if memory serves. The 12s have less recoil than the 20s.
I had a nice Citori and sold it. Then bought a Beretta Silver Pigeon...sold it to. Now I have a Mossberg International Silver Reserve Super Sport, long name but a very nice shotgun. Great wood and 30" ported barrels. I was kicking around the idea of Briley sub-gauge tubes but don't think its a great idea investing that much money in the Mossberg.
As for the Savage, I know the pawn shop owner and he's hard to deal with. He's got it over priced and doubt he would come down to a reasonable price. By the time he added tax it would be close to $500 and IMO that's way to much and I don't want it that bad.
As for the Savage, I know the pawn shop owner and he's hard to deal with. He's got it over priced and doubt he would come down to a reasonable price. By the time he added tax it would be close to $500 and IMO that's way to much and I don't want it that bad.
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Hidalgo
Well-known member
My son shoots 12, 20, & 28 and we should have done tubes from the beginning. But when he started we had a 12 Citori, then I found a 20 Citori, and a few months later I ran across a really nice 28ga Beretta that had beautiful wood and bought it for myself. And like kids do ... he started shooting it and I haven't seen it since then. I have offered to do tubes but he likes the current setup and that's fine with me.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: GCBeretta, Browning, and SKB are hard to beat for the money.
Yep, I totally agree.
But about 10 years ago I ran across a little 28 gauge Remington Premier O/U at an Academy store that the manager had marked down dramatically because "It was an import" and they couldn't sell it. Well, what they didn't know is that it was essentially hand-made by Sabatti of Italy and was an exquisite firearm. Fit and finish is on par with Browning, etc and it points and shoots like an extension of my arm. I love shooting skeet with it and I have never owned a better upland gun. The only drawback is that I only have Skeet and IC chokes for it and replacement choke tubes do not exist. I've been offered 3 times what I paid for it and refuse to sell it.
Sorry about the crap picture.
100645041_339_75D352D302BA3712 by John Doe, on Flickr
Yep, I totally agree.
But about 10 years ago I ran across a little 28 gauge Remington Premier O/U at an Academy store that the manager had marked down dramatically because "It was an import" and they couldn't sell it. Well, what they didn't know is that it was essentially hand-made by Sabatti of Italy and was an exquisite firearm. Fit and finish is on par with Browning, etc and it points and shoots like an extension of my arm. I love shooting skeet with it and I have never owned a better upland gun. The only drawback is that I only have Skeet and IC chokes for it and replacement choke tubes do not exist. I've been offered 3 times what I paid for it and refuse to sell it.
Sorry about the crap picture.
100645041_339_75D352D302BA3712 by John Doe, on FlickrI shot a few rounds of skeet with mys bud's at the club this morning. I seem to be improving more but its a slow process for this old man. But....we had a great time. Got home and decided to run into Sports World. They are one of the larger gun shops in Tulsa. I ask to look at a NIB Browning Citori Sport. I like the more vertical grip on this model. Gorgeous shotgun until I looked at the price. It was almost $3100 plus tax. I commenyed about the price increase since I last looked at them. The owner was standing there and told me Browning had a 8% price increase. I'm gonna have to save some more money for that one. No hurry, my Mossberg is still breaking targets.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: pyscodog No hurry, my Mossberg is still breaking targets.
Short story: My son was getting pretty good, and his school was the highest ranked school in the area. He was the top shooter on the team as a Sophomore. All of the shooters on his team had quality guns and equipment.
His team went up against the other top ranked school and he finished 2nd overall with 94/100 total. But he was terribly upset because the winner (who shot 95/100) was a GIRL, and he said to me "She was shooting a stinking YILDIZ. !!!!!"
So as the saying goes, it ain't the arrow ... it's the Indian. Your Mossberg is just fine.
Short story: My son was getting pretty good, and his school was the highest ranked school in the area. He was the top shooter on the team as a Sophomore. All of the shooters on his team had quality guns and equipment.
His team went up against the other top ranked school and he finished 2nd overall with 94/100 total. But he was terribly upset because the winner (who shot 95/100) was a GIRL, and he said to me "She was shooting a stinking YILDIZ. !!!!!"
So as the saying goes, it ain't the arrow ... it's the Indian. Your Mossberg is just fine.
My friend is the skeet chairman at out club. He's also the coach of the Oklahoma Claybusters. Its a youth group with the oldest being 15 IIRC. He just got back from shooting the US Open in Kansas. I guess he did pretty good from what he has told me. He shoots a Kolar. The upper end guns are pricey but made to shoot 1000's of rounds. My Mossberg is a nice shotgun but it won't stand that kind of round count. He shoots more in a week than I do in a month. His pockets are deeper than mine to.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
For an actual "Professional" a Kolar or Krieghoff seem to rule the roost. But there are still a few competitors that use old 1100's that have to be rebuilt after every tournament. I know a gal that has a 28ga 1100 that gets shot so much that the finish is worn off the forearm, and she still wins with it. Like you said though ... longevity is the key (along with fit) and there are very few brands/models that can stand the round count that competition demands.
I looked several times on several sites trying to find a value on the Savage. Very little info there. I did see one that sold for $349 which IMO was a fair price. About $130 less than the pawn shop was asking for theirs. I went back today to shoot them a low ball offer, not sure why, but to my surprise, it was gone. I figured $150 to have it cut for chokes and another $60 for a recoil pad. Maybe not that it needed these but the way I would want the shotgun set up for me. That would put me way over the true value of the shotgun so I'm glad someone else is the proud owner of the little Savage. I hope it serves them well.