Shotguns can be expensive bits of kit, however they don’t have to be. In this part of our shotgun buying guide we cover the brands bringing brand new guns to market for less than £1k.

First up, Kofs with the Sceptre SXE, with retail prices starting at just £499.00 this gun is exceptional value for money and certainly a great option looking for a cost effective entry to the sport.

Nipping at the heels of the Kofs on price is the ATA SP, retailing from £599.00, this gun also makes for a perfect starter gun. Based heavily around the classic Beretta 680 series action the ATA is a safe bet when it comes to form and function.

So your budget stretches beyond the £1k mark and you find yourself in a position to spend up to 2k. This will ultimately find you weighing up two iconic guns from what are probably the two most well known manufactures. Beretta with the 686 Silver Pigeon 1 & Browning with the B525 Game one.

Which is best? Unfortunately the answer to that question isn’t simple, each gun has its merits and both being priced so competitively it’s difficult to set the two apart. One things for sure, they handle differently, this is mainly due to the change in size of the guns. The Beretta is a much more slight gun, feeling smaller in the hand and slimmer overall look. The action height comes in at just 62mm, 6mm shorter than the Browning.

Does that make the Beretta better? Both guns on test in our shotgun buying guide impressed us, ultimately the decision between Browning and Beretta comes down to personal preference.

Competition guns are the next logical progression as shooters develop and wish to take the sport more seriously. Some of the differences between a ‘competition’ shotgun and an entry level one are, the ability to customise the fit via an adjustable comb; the ability to balance the gun by adding weights forward and aft of the action; build quality for extensive shooting & the very latest barrel, stock and action technology.

Highlights in this category have to be Blaser and Perazzi, both renown for both build quality and performance. The Blaser F3 & F16 make for great competition guns, with the F16 starting at £3.5k and the F3 at £6.9k they have a range to suit the shooters budget. Perazzi could be described as the Ferrari of the shotgun world, these handmade guns start at £9.9k and once you’ve shot one you will realise the appeal. The Mx2000 S is a great sporting competition shotgun and is used by many top shots in the country.

So Budget isn’t an issue, we reach the final part of our shotgun buying guide. You are looking to purchase a prestige gun from one of the fine English gunmakers. Beautifully figured walnut stocks, meticulously hand engraved actions & trigger locks so beautifully assembled it feels wrong to have them hidden out of sight.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Purdey.

To this day some would argue Purdey to be the greatest English gunmakers. Every detail of the guns they produce can be tailored to your requirements. There is something very special about shooting a gun with “J. Purdey & Sons” engraved on it and very few shooters ever get to join that club.