Just in case there is some misunderstanding with the title, this is not about the first shotgun you were privileged to own or shoot with, but rather about a selection process for the firsttime buyer and aspirant shotgun shooter.
Shotgun shooting seems to be on the rise, at least judging by the number of shooting clubs active in my area and the turnout at clay target events. It’s also clear that bird shooting is alive and well, and any number of organised activities are on offer through associations and institutions, as well as in the media. Many shooting clubs now also offer three-gun shoots that include shotguns. However, as these shoots are normally undertaken with pump, semi-auto or combat shotguns and, therefore, fall outside the gamut of this article, we’ll confine ourselves to the double-barrelled models.
Let’s for a moment consider the person interested in purchasing their first shotgun. This is someone of any age from teenager through
