There are few shooting sports as exciting and challenging as sporting clays. It’s a sport that will humble the most ardent trap or skeet shooter, and yet sporting clays is perfectly suited to new shooters who simply want to give the sport a—ahem—shot.

Experienced or novice, the first thing you’ll need is the right sporting clays shotgun. We’ve assembled a list of the absolute best sporting clays shotguns available today from the most budget-friendly starter guns to world-class competition firearms. These are the ten best sporting clays guns available today.

Browning 825 Sporting

Why we love it: It’s the distillation of everything Browning has learned after decades of sporting clays dominance.

Browning over/unders are always a safe bet when buying a sporting clays shotgun, but the 825 Sporting is simply the best of the bunch. It utilizes the low profile boxlock design that debuted on the 725 version that preceded this model, and it also comes with mechanical triggers. Speaking of triggers, the Fire Lite 2 mechanical trigger in the 825 breaks smoothly so clay targets will do the same. A low post floating rib is included on each of these guns, and the 50/50 POI is perfect for sporting clays, skeet, and hunting. Browning’s transverse mounted full-width hinge pin helps improve the usable lifespan of the gun, so you can expect to be shooting your 825 for years. The Gun Dog team recently spent some time breaking clays with the 825 Sporting at the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex in Colorado and everyone was impressed by the gun’s balance, performance, and build quality. You can’t go wrong with this great sporting clays gun.

$3,869.99; browning.com

Fabarm ELOS N2 RS Sporting

Why we love it: A stellar Italian sporting gun that punches well above its price point.

The ELOS N2 is a superb sporting shotgun and one of my personal favorite over/unders, but Wes Lang and the team at Fabarm heard from shooters that they wanted a bit more weight for improved handling and recoil mitigation. Enter the ELOS N2 RS. The weight rides between the shooter’s hands so that the gun swings smoothly on target, and the added mass reduces recoil. The Turkish walnut stock has also been upgraded, and an adjustable comb and trigger and four EXIS HP competition chokes come standard with each gun. The ELOS N2 Sporting is available in 12-gauge with 30- or 32-inch barrels, and although it’s not the cheapest sporting gun, it performs as well as guns that cost more.

$3,725 ($205 additional for left-handed stock, 10% tariff surcharge); fabarmusa.com

Fausti Caledon Sporting

Why we love it: The Caledon Sporting offers Italian good looks, rugged build quality, and superb balance, and it does so at a very fair price.

The Caledon is Fausti’s entry-level over/under shotgun, but these guns are well built and attractive. And with a starting price under $2,500, they’re a great value. They come with Fausti’s patented Four Locks system that provides extremely strong action lockup for years of reliable service. The engraving on the steel receiver and the quality hand-oiled Turkish walnut stock make this gun more beautiful than most similarly-priced guns. The Caledon is built in Fausti’s state-of-the-art facility outside Brescia using the latest CNC technology, so fit and function are excellent. The Caledon Sporting is available in 12-, 16-, 20-, and 28-gauge and .410, making it one of the few sporting guns on the list that is offered in sub-gauges. The 50/50 POI and moderate weight (7.25-pounds in 12-gauge) make this a suitable dual-purpose field/sporting gun.

$2,426 to $3,087; faustiusa.com

Spandau Target

Why we love it: The Spandau Target is a no-frills Turkish-made over/under, but it’s a solid gun that’s perfect for casual clay shooters.

Over/under sporting guns can be fairly expensive, and that can prohibit some shooters from enjoying the sport. If you’re looking for a solid entry-level sporting over/under and you’re counting every dollar, check out the Spandau Premier Target. It offers an impressive list of features including auto ejectors, five Mobil pattern choke tubes, a low-profile boxlock action with tang-mounted safety/barrel selector, and even a hard case for transporting this gun to and from the range. This gun is austere compared to some of the more expensive models here and comes with a basic but passable walnut stock and fit and finish you’d expect on an entry-level gun, but the Spandau is a solid performer that will allow you to compete right away in clay games, and it’s a great option for new shooters. It’s available in 12-gauge with 28-, 30-, or 32-inch barrels.

$909; sdsarms.com

Fabarm Infinite RS

Why we love it: A fine Italian side-by-side designed for the serious sporting clays shooter? Yes, please.

There are a lot of side-by-side clay competitions around the country, but dedicated sporting side-by-sides are rare. Fabarm recognized this gap in the market and offered up the Infinite RS, an Italian-made 12-gauge side-by-side that’s unlike anything else out there. The comb is adjustable, and the tall, tapered aluminum rib reduces weight. Many side-by-sides are delicate, but the Infinite RS’s beefy four lug design means it’ll outlast most other side-by-sides on the market. TRIBORE barrels, Five EXIS HP screw-in chokes, and a hand-oiled Turkish walnut stock are standard issue with this gun. If you prefer side-by-side doubles but don’t want to be outclassed by modern over/under sporting guns in competition, then this is the gun you’re searching for.

$5,495 ($205 extra for left-handed stock, 10% tariff surcharge); fabarmusa.com

Browning Maxus II

Why We Love It: The gas-operate Maxus 2 crushes clays, not your shoulder.

Gas systems come and go, but Browning’s PowerDrive has been around long enough that it has a proven record for reliability. The gas system is simple to maintain and very reliable, handling even very light loads with ease. It’s also one of the softest-shooting sporting guns on the market thanks to the gas operating system and Inflex II recoil pad. Five Midas grade choke tubes and an adjustable comb come standard with this gun, and the oversized controls are easy to operate after a long day on the course. The 50/50 point of impact is ideal for sporting clays, and the Lightning trigger is outstanding. It’s available in 12-gauge with a 28- or 30-inch barrel.

$2,370; browning.com

Syren Grayce Sporting

Why we love it: Designed for women, by women, the Grayce Sporting is a first-rate Italian sporting gun for serious female shooters.

In a bid to win over female shooters, many brands offer some version of a “ladies” model, which usually means a gun with a short stock, length of pull, and barrel. Syren is different. This company caters to serious competitive female shooters who want a gun that’s built to win major clay target tournaments, and the Grayce Sporting is just such a gun. This is the first Syren gun to utilize Caesar Guerini’s outstanding Invictus system (see below), but to maintain proper balance, Syren uses lightweight alloy in the receiver. Six ultralight MAXIS extended titanium chokes come with each gun, and the fit and finish and detailing of this Italian-made 12-gauge over/under is simply stunning.

$10,995 (add 10% tariff surcharge); syrenusa.com

Mossberg 940 Pro

Why we love it: Considerably better than the gun it replaces, Mossberg’s 940 is a hard-working autoloader for sporting clay shooters of all sizes.

The Mossberg 930 autoloader was a solid field gun, but it was a bit finicky for serious sporting clays shooting. The new 940 Pro Sporting, however, is a different animal. Because it features nickel boron coated internals and a redesigned gas system, this semiauto 12-gauge can fire up to 1,500 rounds between cleanings, and the smooth-cycling gas system makes this a soft-shooting gun that’s easy on the shoulder. This gun comes with a stylish wood stock, 30-inch barrel with Briley extended choke tube, and its adjustable for drop, cast, and length of pull. There’s also a Super Bantam with a polymer stock and minimum 12.5-inch LOP for small-statured shooters.

$1,078 to $1,267; mossberg.com

Weatherby Orion Sporting

Why we love it: The final nail in the “Turkish guns are second rate” argument’s coffin.

Adam Weatherby doesn’t put his family’s name on guns that don’t get the job done, and just because the Orion Sporting is made in Turkey doesn’t mean it’s not suited for serious clay shooters. These guns come with a low-profile boxlock action, high gloss A grade walnut stocks with diamond point checkering, and even auto ejectors. Five extended choke tubes come standard on these guns so you’re ready for every shot presentation, and the barrels are ported. I love the tapered top rib and fiber optic sight, and the adjustable comb is easy to manipulate and doesn’t look like it was hacked into the stock by kids in a junior high shop class. The Orion Sporting is available in 12- or 20-gauge with 30-inch barrels.

$1,329; weatherby.com

Caesar Guerini Invictus

Why we love it: It’s gorgeous, and you couldn’t break it in two lifetimes, but if you did, CG has the best customer service in the business.

If you shoot a shotgun a lot—and I mean tens or hundreds of thousands of rounds—eventually, you’ll develop a gap between the barrels and action, a condition known as “off-face.” It’s usually the death knell for over/under guns, but CG’s Invictus system allows you to correct this, and that means that useful life of this gun is 200 to 300 percent longer than other premium over/unders. In other words, the Invictus guns can handle a lifetime of hard shooting and be passed down to your children and grandchildren in working order. It also boasts stunning Italian styling, complete with InvisAlloy protective coating over the engraved, case-colored receiver. The walnut stock features a hand-oiled finish and is available in right or left-handed and six MAXIS extended competition chokes come standard. Invictus guns are not cheap, but they’re stunningly beautiful and brilliantly engineered, and CG has a reputation for outstanding customer service.

$9,725 (add $305 for left-handed stock, $485 for adjustable comb, and 10% for tariff surcharge); gueriniusa.com