Beretta Over/Under Advice

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kbshorthairs
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Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by kbshorthairs » Sat Aug 18, 2012 4:36 pm

I would like to "treat" myself with a nice shotgun. I am left eye dominant and shoot long guns left handed. It is my understanding that all Beretta over/under shotguns have 1/4" right hand cast. A gentleman at the Beretta gallery said that they often "bend" the stocks for customers like me, by wrapping the grip with burlap, soaking it with linseed oil, and applying high heat in order to bend the wood.
My questions are........does the right hand cast have much effect on the accuracy? Would it be advisable to alter such a fine example of craftmanship? I have always made due with right handed shotguns, but would like to get something nice in my old age.
Any advice is appreciated.

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gotpointers
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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by gotpointers » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:12 pm

I would let them cut and bend that stock any way they need to fit you. The more expensive guns are often custom made to fit the shooter. I like to look at the top corner of a room and close my eyes and shoulder the gun. When it fits right i should be able to open my eyes and have that bead exactly at the corner. Natural alignment and without having to aim is the goal. Eyes on the target and not the rib or bead. Just a natural extension of you should be your correctly fitted gun.

codym
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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by codym » Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:29 pm

I have the same issue you do. I have always shot left handed. I currently own 3 beretta o/u all rt handed. I shoot them all pretty well, I shoot 25 staright in skeet pretty often with my 687 in 20. I use to have a 391 teknys gold semi that I set up for a left handed shooter. I shot that gun really well but to be honest I can't tell much of a difference between a left and a rt handed gun. I was going to order a new prevail sporting a while back and the guy on gunbroker said he could order a left handed model directly from beretta so that could be an option. Ultimately I would love to have a gun custom fit for me but I dont think that will be an option for a while. Good luck

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kbshorthairs
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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by kbshorthairs » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:52 pm

Thanks for the replies fellas. I would love to have a custom gun as well, but budget constraints won't allow that now.....or probably ever. Cody, you answered my main question. Can you tell much difference between the two......I have been making due my entire life so I doubt that I will notice any difference. I was just concerned that I'd spend a small fortune and then not be able to hit anything with it! :D

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:27 pm

I suspect that there have been some beretta scatterguns gone thru stock-bending but....it can be expensive done right and does not always last.
Also depends upon the wood....get a very fancy grained sample and bending may be problematic.

Look to other guns such as the Guerinis, etc.
Many, many are out there and you may find one that does not require work that might well end up in a broken stock.
I am a beretta fan but others will serve you as well.
Especially if you are shopping at the Beretta Gallery.
Consider another course of action.

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by edreiman » Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:22 pm

I have two o/u 686's and an AL390. They are unmodified in any way. I shoot all 3 left handed and have no problem shooting any of them left handed. I can shoot in the 90% accuracy area all day. I never even knew that there was a 1/4 inch right hand cast on the stocks. Personally, I would not spend the money, or time to modify the gun. Something else you might consider, some guns clubs will allow you to use a gun for a round of clays to see if it fits your shooting style. My gun club does this at no charge.

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by codym » Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:47 pm

Like I said I couldn't really tell a difference. If you have a beretta dealer in your area you can usually have them order you a factory beretta with stock dimensions for a lefty. Also I have an old citori upland special with a straight stock or parallel stock (no bend either way) and I kill everything that comes up within 40 yards, anything further is a crap shoot but I think that has more to due with the 24' barrels than the stock. What model were you looking to get anyway?

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kbshorthairs
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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by kbshorthairs » Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:01 am

I am not set in stone about what to get. I have accumulated several inexpensive guns over the years that are all right handed and pretty well hit what I shoot at. The only negative I remember was my first shotgun as a young boy.....a mossberg pump that allowed a little powder flash to hit my cheek everytime that I shot it.
I have a Browning A 500G that I like, and a S&W 1000 that looks just like a Remington 1100. As a young boy, I always thought that a Browning over/under was the pinnacle of shotguns. Now that I am old and thinking of passing something down to a grandson eventually, I am interested in something a little nicer. I understand that Browning makes very fine guns and are even preferred over the Beretta by some. I have heard that if a Browning "fits" you, that the Beretta will not and vice/versa. During my research and shopping, I have been directed to consider the Caesar Guerini. Another person suggested a used Perazzi or Kreighoff for around the same money as a new Beretta. The biggest challenge is that there is not a range in my state (that I am aware of) that has these types of guns to shoot in order to see which one fits me the best.
I am headed to Dallas this weekend and have convinced my wife that we need to stop by the Beretta Gallery. :D
I will keep talking to people and maybe I will come up with a good solution!

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by MATT4126 » Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:47 pm

Mike Orlen would be someone to ask. He did some fine barrel work for me on my Beretta Silver Hawk sxs. If you look on shotgun world forum anytime someone is modifying a gun he is always the go to guy.

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by tdhusker » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:38 am

Sorry to be the voice of dissent but I disagree with most posters here. Everyone is built differently and some guys are going to have more trouble shooting a gun with cast-on than others. The reason the Beretta's come with a right handed cast-off is that 90% of right handed shooters just shoot better with some cast. Most replys here are guys that have adapteed to the guns and compensate without knowing it. That's fine, but they won't reach full potential shooting a gun that is cast opposite.

The best thing you could do would be consulting with a gun fit guru but short of that, I'd shop around for a neutral cast or LH stock for your Beretta. They really aren't that expensive and you can always sell it seperately if you sell the gun.

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by KarlW » Fri Sep 21, 2012 4:55 pm

Check your private messages

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by KarlW » Fri Sep 21, 2012 4:55 pm

Sorry, the above message was directed to the original poster

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by Tjwiley » Sat Sep 29, 2012 5:44 am

I have shot O/U for over 35 years. If you can afford it get the right cast. If you get the new gun and you don't hit with it right off. Your going to have the head thing going on , and your going to think its not a lefted handed cast. I have several O/U Brownings ,Berettas, Franich ,even a ruger. Berratta my first choice. I just like them. I had to work at shooting them. I had shot a browning for years. Now I shot them all very well. Browning guns comes straight or your choice of cast I think. Again I have several of each. Beretta my number one choice. My first choice Is Browning. He finished 2 in the nation in high school shooting sporting clays. I will try them all.

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by P&PGunsmith » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:46 pm

Have the gun fit by a gunfitter and take the guesswork out of it. What if you paid to have the stock bent but the way you shoot or your physical build requires the gun to be rh cast. Most gunfitters have a quick fit where they will check the length and pitch. If they cant get you with those then they will go the next step which is possibly shave some of the comb or bend the stock. What have you been shooting and does it have a neutral cast or what?
Take Care
Pete

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by Trev054 » Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:50 pm

Recently I attended a shotgun coaches class with Todd Nelson. Todd can be found online at country gentleman gun fitters. He writes for several magazines, and conducts training and fitting sessions all over. He has very strong credentials. At the workshop he advised against buying Beretta o/u shotguns that were made within the last three or four years. He said that a very high number of new shotguns from Beretta failed at the pattern board by a large margin. He contacted Beretta to return barrels for his customer and they will not take them back. Their qa now approves barrels to be sent out at a +/- 6 inches variance. For that reason, he won't touch them. Find him online and shoot him an email. Todd doesn't sell guns at all, he only fits what customers bring in.

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Re: Beretta Over/Under Advice

Post by tdhusker » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:26 pm

Trev054 wrote:Recently I attended a shotgun coaches class with Todd Nelson. Todd can be found online at country gentleman gun fitters. He writes for several magazines, and conducts training and fitting sessions all over. He has very strong credentials. At the workshop he advised against buying Beretta o/u shotguns that were made within the last three or four years. He said that a very high number of new shotguns from Beretta failed at the pattern board by a large margin. He contacted Beretta to return barrels for his customer and they will not take them back. Their qa now approves barrels to be sent out at a +/- 6 inches variance. For that reason, he won't touch them. Find him online and shoot him an email. Todd doesn't sell guns at all, he only fits what customers bring in.

Interesting. I know that when they came out with the Beretta "essential" a skeet club bought a few of them only to discover the point of impact was off on all of them. The sort of thing the average shooter wouldn't notice that much.

I have several Beretta O/U's and I prefer them to other brands I've owned but all of them are at least 6 years old.

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