Following our initial story about the Professional Sporting Clays Association’s anticipated televised tour on NBC Sports, we requested a list of shotguns used by the 60 Pros we’ll see in action beginning April.

As the PSCA finalizes details, the list we received held 58 names. Of those 58, seven lacked the brand of shotgun used by the individuals. In other instances, the specific model was omitted in the report although the make was identified.

Still, the roster contained the Pros’ names and their shotguns, foretelling of the most sensational clays shooting ever seen on American TV: Gebben Miles, Vincent Hancock, Zach Kienbaum, Wendell Cherry, Will Fennell, Ashleigh Hafley, Bobby Fowler, Jr., Brad Kidd, Anthony Matarese, Jr., Haley Dunn and David Radulovich.

Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock shoots a Beretta DT11 in the PSCA Pro tour.

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John Woolley and Joe Carey are shooting Ceasar Guerinis. 

Kolaris  shotby eight-time US Open Champ and five-time All-American Team Captain, John Kruger and the great Pat Lieske.

Spanish shotgun maker Kemen, which has enjoyed modest success in the European clays arena, managed a single shooter in the tour. R. Wayne Davis has experienced success at numerous state matches.

CZ of the Czech Republic has a sole entrant in the PSCA as well. Tom Mack has participated on the All American Team for 15 consecutive years.

Browning garnered three competitors in the tour, counting winner circle veterans Bobby Fowler, Jr. and Robbie Purser. Todd Simmons, who has been shooting competitively for 15 years, is also a strong Browning contender.

16-time All American Brad Kidd, Jr. will shoot a Zoli.

Zoli, prominent in international clays competitions, is represented by two titleholders in the PSCA: Brad Kidd, Jr. and Ashleigh Hafley. Mr. Kidd is a 16-time All American who won the High Overall Main Event at the 2010 National Sporting Clays Championship. Ms. Hafley is five-time consecutive US Open Lady Champion (2008 – 2012).

Olympian perennial Perazzi is fielded by five PSCA Pros: Wendell Cherry, Justin Fox, Charlie Maynard, Pablo Montealegre and David Radulovich.

The 23-year-old Mr. Fox has attained many wins as a junior, is a nine-time All American Team member and continues to be well represented in various competitions. Mr. Maynard mirrors a similar track record in junior class. Mr. Montealegre is the 2013 NSCA Nationals 28 Gauge Champion with a 100×100, in addition to showing well in Pan American sporting clays events.

Mr. Cherry’s triumphant shooting career has been recognized by the National Sporting Clay Association with his 2012 induction into the NSCA Hall of Fame. The younger Mr. Radulovich, meanwhile, continues his meteoric rise  through an unrelenting string of victories including third place at the 2013 NSCA Nationals.

NSCA Hall of Famer Wendell Cherry shoots a Perazzi on the PSCA circuit.

Blaser presented another surprise in the list. Nine Pros elevated the Blaser F3 to third in overall adoption. With retail prices starting below thoroughbreds Krieghoff and Perazzi, the Blaser F3 has established a sizable following in the PSCA through the shotgun’s unique plunger-actuated firing pins, delightful mechanical triggers and general balance that can be fine-tuned via a barrel and stock adjustable weight system. High-profile Blaser F3 Pros include Bill McGuire, Joey Bolton, Cory Kruse, Diego Duarte and Mike Wilgus.

Krieghoff surpassed Blaser with 10 PSCA challengers. Krieghoff’s skeet, trap and sporting guns have become synonymous with bank-vault reliability, impeccable construction and flat-out winning in the U.S. and Europe. Krieghoff’s K-80 is the quintessential aspirational shotgun for most clays enthusiasts eager to tap into its medalist DNA

In the PSCA tour, Krieghoff superstars include Andy Duffy, Gebben Miles, Desirae Edmunds and Zach Kienbaum. The PSCA’s manifest revealed that eight of the 10 Krieghoff shooters used the venerable K-80 clays crusher. However, Alex Sumner and Ms. Edmunds have turned to the newer, lighter K-80 Parcours. Weighing eight pounds, it shaves nearly one pound from the K-80 Sporting. There is always a contingent of Krieghoff clays shooters who prefer the vaunted stability and recoil absorption of the heavier K-80s. Still, it’s a no-brainer that the K-80 Parcours will make deeper inroads among competitive shooters. Try one if the opportunity arises.

So based on the PSCA list, Beretta is the most popular brand in the forthcoming engagements — capitalizing on the company’s overstocked trophy cases from international competitions. Seventeen Pros, some sponsored, will take to the PSCA sporting clays circuit with Beretta shotguns.

Olympic gold sensation Vincent Hancock declared a Beretta DT11. Anthony Matarese, Jr., Ed Arrighi, Haley Dunn and Will Fennell also listed a DT11, although Mr. Fennell’s Facebook page shows progress on a custom stock for his new Beretta SO5 sidelock that we may see in the competition. Beretta semi-autos are similarly in play. Travis Mears and Scott Robertson are relying on an A400. Theo Ribbs, Byron Justice, Tony Rivera and Katie Fox are trusting their Beretta 391.

The PSCA Pro televised tour will dispense one of the best opportunities to see these marvelous shotguns and rarified champions in action from the comfort of your easy chair.

In the meantime, let us know what you think about the Pros’ choices in shotguns on the Shotgun Life Facebook page.

Irwin Greenstein is the Publisher of Shotgun Life. You can reach him at contact@shotgunlife.com.

Useful resources
The Professional Sporting Clays Association web site
Beretta USA shotguns on the web
The web site for Blaser USA
Shotguns on the Browning web site
The web site for Caesar Guerini USA
Shotguns on the CZ USA web site
The Kemen web site
The Kolar web site
Krieghoff’s web site
The Perazzi web site
Zoli’s web site

Irwin Greenstein

Irwin Greenstein is Publisher of Shotgun Life. Please send your comments to letters@shotgunlife.com.

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