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I am 15 years old and buying my first gun, which should I choose?

I am 15 years old and buying my first gun, which should I choose?

It's best to go to a shooting ground with a gunshop and try some of the dealer?s guns, and take a lesson or two.


By Bill Harriman

Friday, 01 February 2008

I am 15 years old and am saving up to buy my own gun, but do not know which one to choose. I would like to shoot medium to high birds, but also clays. My budget is £1,000 and I am left-handed. Can you suggest where I might go for more help?

A:
With £1,000 to spend you should be able to buy a good second-hand shotgun set up for a left-handed shot.

Whether you choose a side-by-side or over-and-under is a personal matter, but if most of your shooting is clays, an over-and-under might be best.

Choose a gun which is open-bored and avoid screw-in chokes as they can cause trouble. For most of us, choke is a solution to a problem we don't have!

I suggest you go to a shooting ground with a gunshop and try some of the dealer's guns, and take a lesson or two. A good coach will ensure the gun fits and will take a note of any necessary measurements to be altered.

It is a buyer's market at the moment and some gentle haggling may well produce a competitive price.


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