Road to the Classic 2022: 10 Best shotguns for every budget

Wondering what the best shotguns for every budget are? We’ve put together a list of what you get for the money in terms of new competition guns. Inevitably we’ve had to trim the list to just the top picks, so there are plenty more excellent guns out there.

The Clay Shooting Classic is one of the most prestigious competitions in the clay shooting calendar. To find out more about the event, just follow this link: https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/news/clay-shooting-classic-2022-thursday-26th-sunday-29th-may-127907

ATA Nickel Adjustable

Price: £724

The ATA Nickel Adjustable is another superb-value gun from the ATA stable. With an adjustable stock, it is ideal for those wanting precision gun fit without the price tag. Matte-finish oiled walnut, matte finish barrels and minimalist nickel-colour action make for an attractive, contemporary-looking gun. Multi choke barrels.

Caesar Guerini Summit

Price: £3,150

As far as competition clay guns go, the Caesar Guerini Summit takes some beating. Available in 12, 20, 28 and .410 gauges with a choice of 28″, 30″, 32″, or 34″ barrels, there is an option to suit almost all shooters.

The pistol grip sporting stock has a slight palm swell and nice radius on the grip, which makes the Summit a very comfortable gun to shoot. The build quality is superb – something that is backed up by Caesar Guerini UK’s 10-year mechanical warranty – but in the unlikely event that parts do need replacing, this can easily be achieved. Complete with eight multi chokes and ABS case.

Blaser F16

Price: £3,648

The Blaser F16 offers German reliability and handling at an attainable price point. It’s very well balanced and smooth in the swing, thanks to its low-profile receiver, with little felt recoil. Typically crisp trigger pulls and adjustable trigger for comfortable length of pull.

Great off-the-shelf gun for most, but if you want to really customise the F16 to suit, there are balancing systems and adjustable stocks available as optional extras. The F16 has a minimalist grey action that complements the ‘fusion’ walnut stock – this is laser-enhanced to give improved figuring. Cased with spare chokes.

Browning Ultra XS Pro

RRP from £3,645

An all-round competition gun based on the reliable 525 action, with an internal weighting system and adjustable comb and trigger. The Browning’s balance and fit can be easily refined to suit the shooter’s needs. It’s smooth to shoot and sports Inflex recoil pads. The action has restrained decoration, complemented by an oil-finished walnut stock and a Trap-style fore-end.

Beretta 695

RRP from £4,415

Another impressive all-rounder, based on the 690 boxlock action but featuring grade 3 oiled woodwork and hand-finished engraving. The 695 has Steelium barrels with a tapered sporting rib for better target pick-up. The gun is smooth to shoot and trigger pulls are crisp and responsive. It comes with an upgraded ABS case and spare chokes. This is an affordable, premium-quality competition gun that is a pleasure to shoot, with Beretta’s usual high standard of craftsmanship.

Perazzi High Tech

Price: £10,500

A favoured Sporting competition gun, and for good reason. Compared to the MX8, the heavier action on the High Tech is well concentrated between the hands, resulting in a gun that is fast handling yet steady to shoot, with minimal recoil. A reverse tapered rib affords an improved field of view and rapid target acquisition.

So you’ve identified your shortlist and you’re keen to get the ball rolling. But do you have a shotgun license? Find out how to get one on our next Road to the Classic entry…