The EJ Churchill Gun Room lists the competition clay guns most often picked by the world’s top Sporting shooters.
As proud host of the CPSA World English Sporting Championships 2014, 2016, 2018 and of the World FITASC Sporting Championships 2019, we have had the privilege to welcome a myriad of shooters from all over the world to compete at the highest level of the sport.
Those competitions run over a few days, during which we often have the chance to talk to the competitors about their choice of competition guns.
Naturally, all the top shots want the best possible performance, so it is very interesting to notice the different preferences in gun specifications of shooters from all different nations.
Some will favour durability and reliability over balance and aesthetics, but what really matters for all of them is the fit and performance on the circuit. In this month’s article, we have gathered a list of the guns that we have seen the most on the shooting course during the competitions, and that we favour.
Perazzi MX2000S
RRP £10,500
The MX2000S has become the main reference on the clay circuit thanks to legendary British shot George Digweed. Having won the English Sporting Championships multiple times with this specific gun, Mr Digweed has put the Perazzi MX2000S on a pedestal.
He demonstrated not only the extraordinary performances of the gun but also its longevity. In order to achieve over 25 world championship victories, Mr Digweed has shot millions of shells through his gun.
He is not the only famous shot who used this gun – Olympic medallists Peter Wilson and Steven Scott have too. What makes it one of the most sought-after guns are features such as uniformity and reliability, because this will allow you to concentrate on the target, and that is precisely what this gun offers.
Beretta DT11
From around £7,900
The successor of the legendary DT10 has also become one of the guns favoured by Olympians and other top competition shooters. An Englishman was behind the origin of the famous DT series – a couple of decades ago, Barry Simpson convinced Beretta to design a Sporting clay gun by developing the silver action 682 Trap gun.
The DT11 arrived on the scene a few years ago, and it is now very well represented on the clay circuit. It is well known for its chunky fore-end and stock. The gun boasts the first-class level of finish you would expect, with excellent wood-to-metal fit and overall engineering of the usual high Beretta standards.
Blaser F3 Vantage
From around £5,995
The Blaser F3 is a pure product of the joint work of German engineering and English expertise. Indeed, the German firm recruited the seven-time sporting world champion John Bidwell to assist on the development of their first over & under.
The result of their work was warmly welcomed in 2003, and it has been improved over the years to reach perfection and top scores in international competitions. What makes it so appealing to the top competitors is that it is fully customisable and interchangeable.
Indeed Blaser offers such a great range of options and all the parts can be exchanged in matters of seconds without any gunsmith job. The only downside of those amazing features is that repairs have to be carried out by Blaser.
Browning Ultra XS Pro Adjustable
RRP £3,645
2019 saw a peak of popularity for the Browning Ultra XS following Sam Green’s victory at the World FITASC Championships with this gun. Popular with the FITASC shooters, it also reached other disciplines.
Browning’s success resides in simplicity. The Ultra XS is a synthesis of the knowledge Browning has accumulated over the years to offer the most important features for the top competitive shots.
It reaches perfection thanks to a clever weight and counterweight system in the stock and barrel. Supplied with eight Invector Titanium extended chokes, two spacers, three Inflex recoil pads and three trigger shoes, every one makes it a perfect fit. Elegance shows in the engraving decorating its action frame and the T4 wood with oiled finish.
Leave a Reply