Beginner Trap & Skeet Gun

[mmc45414]

IMO one thing about the value cut-off line might be support. If you spend $700 on an auto from an established manufacturer and you shoot it until it breaks there is probably going to be a parts and/or service option. With a $700 Russian or Turkish O/U maybe not so surely. But probably by that point you will have got your use from it and leaving it behind might not be that big a deal. I shot my SKB 85TSS (one of the Japanese guns) until one of the ejectors broke, it took a lotta rounds and took a long time. I was able to send it back and have it repaired (also upgraded the triggers to mechanical) but back then it cost $500 just to get it fixed up. So it was like an $1800 gun I spent $500 on, throwing away a $700 gun after thousands of rounds is probably not a big deal, if it lasts thousands of rounds.

But when I wanted a 20g the "SKBs" where Turkish replacements, not the Japanese guns with a century of history. I am sure they are great guns but I wasn't interested, they were priced like the Japanese guns had been. So I ended up with a Beretta 686 Sporting, an earlier one with an adjustable comb.

One thing about the O/U depends on where you shoot. Most of my shotgunning takes place where they expect you to pick up your own litter, so the auto is a bit of a PITA.

[rob_s]

One thing about the O/U depends on where you shoot. Most of my shotgunning takes place where they expect you to pick up your own litter, so the auto is a bit of a PITA.

that's an interesting consideration. I kept thinking I was supposed to be picking things up at the ranges I shot at, but never really saw anything in terms of signs or rules, and found shells on the ground at every station, so just ass-you-me'd that I didn't need to be picking anything up.

The variable here is a new range. We shot at a new facility recently and I frankly didn't even consider it but in hindsight may have been "littering". Of course, their rules aren't helping... Sounds like they want me to clean up, but if I don't the penalty is that they keep my empties?

[mmc45414]

I kept thinking I was supposed to be picking things up at the ranges I shot at, but never really saw anything in terms of signs or rules...
We shot at a new facility recently and I frankly didn't even consider it but in hindsight may have been "littering". ... Sounds like they want me to clean up, but if I don't the penalty is that they keep my empties?

I think an inaccurate rule of thumb might be how much you paid for the targets.
When I pay $4 at WPAFB R&G I expect to pick up my hulls, if I pay $9 at Blackwing there are hulls littered everywhere and they pay some young guy to pick them up. OTOH I have shot sporting clays at ranges where an auto is going to throw them down a hill that I would be in front of the firing line if I retrieved them, and would probably bust my ass trying to get back up.

As far as forfeiting your hulls, they are probably worthless if they are not AA or STS. But I do reload shotshells for skeet, so it is nice to have them stay in the gun.

[rob_s]

I think an inaccurate rule of thumb might be how much you paid for the targets.
When I pay $4 at WPAFB R&G I expect to pick up my hulls, if I pay $9 at Blackwing there are hulls littered everywhere and they pay some young guy to pick them up. OTOH I have shot sporting clays at ranges where an auto is going to throw them down a hill that I would be in front of the firing line if I retrieved them, and would probably bust my ass trying to get back up.

Interesting. I'm not familiar with that pricing structure (but maybe we're talking Sporting Clays vs some other game?). I think we were paying $0.48/bird at the facility referenced above. Our normal range(s) changes $0.50/bird and I've never picked up a hull there.

As far as forfeiting your hulls, they are probably worthless if they are not AA or STS. But I do reload shotshells for skeet, so it is nice to have them stay in the gun.

I meant that as a joke, in that they have zero value to me no matter what, and therefore if the "penalty" for not picking them up is that I don't get to keep them, then I'll just keep right on no picking them up...

[mmc45414]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with that pricing structure (but maybe we're talking Sporting Clays vs some other game?).

Yeah, that was skeet (it is a lot cheaper).

I meant that as a joke, in that they have zero value to me no matter what, and therefore if the "penalty" for not picking them up is that I don't get to keep them, then I'll just keep right on no picking them up...

Yeah, I know. When I want to shoot my auto I generally shoot some inexpensive stuff I just buy in hulls I will throw away. So that is a huge PITA, picking them up just to put them in the trash...

[Rick R]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with that pricing structure (but maybe we're talking Sporting Clays vs some other game?). I think we were paying $0.48/bird at the facility referenced above. Our normal range(s) changes $0.50/bird and I've never picked up a hull there.

The club I shoot most often at is a non-profit all volunteer “club” where you pick up your hulls on the skeet or trap field. Five stand is a raised platform with a roof and ejected hulls usually end up on the ground in front of the firing line where they get swept up with a magnet and disposed of as the volunteer running the course sees fit. The members rate for trap and skeet is $5.00 for 25 birds. Five stand is $8.00 for 25.

The two sporting clays venues I shoot most at are for profit ventures with employees who fill machines, pick up hulls and pull for newbies/single shooters. One place is $27/100 birds for members the other is $33. We occasionally (1-2 times per year) go to two locations that are @$65/100 which doesn’t include cart rentals or trapper tips. My wife and I have joked about becoming clay pigeon tourists after she retires.

[Pistol Pete 10]

I have dedicated skeet and trap guns. Newest is a Browning 725 Sporting I bought for skeet and sporting clays, I have been shooting some trap with it and it works pretty well. I prefer skeet and sporting to trap so the sporting gun is what I bought. The 725 Sporting handles very well and has less felt recoil than any 12ga gun I've shot but it is kind of pricy if you are trying to save money. Almost any bird gun will do for skeet or sporting. Don't be afraid to shoot trap with it. You may be surprised. The real trap gun is pretty useless for anything else.

[Cory]

While I wouldn't pick a 1301 Tactical for a dedicated clay gun, it absolutely works. I played a game with my 1187, 2 with the 1301. The last game, a buddy used my 1301 and I used his Browning Citori.

I liked the 1301 best. The sights were definitely busy, but the ghost ring and ears of ghe front sight actually made judging my lead easier as long as I stayed focused on the clay. I shot about the same, maybe a tad better with the 1301 surprisingly.

The 1301 was the lightest, shortest, and least recoiling gun. My buddy commented that he thought it would recoil harder because the gun was light, but it didn't. He did about the same as his Citori. We're casual clays people, but the gun worked.

[rob_s]

Somewhat minor update to our progress…

Wife has now been consistently shooting about 65s, and I appear to have returned to my 80+ norm. Of course, all of this is on the “easy” courses…

This past weekend we went and stayed over at OK Corral for the night. Got up there Saturday afternoon, shot a round of clays on a near-empty course, and she shot a 65 while I shot an 80. Had drinks and dinner after, and then got up and shot the same course the next day. She shot a 65 and I shot an 81. Somewhat interesting, she was more consistent stage to stage, while I dropped more birds due to distractions (loud redneck kids, people running up on us in their carts while we were shooting, etc.). That’s on me, and I need to learn to stay in my own zone. I could have easily shot 85+ if I hit the birds I didn’t let get away due to bad mental prep.

We also tried our hand at the hard course, and didn’t hit shit. Those birds are hauling ass!

We also tried the super sporting field, and definitely struggled but I don’t know how much of that was format confusion vs actually being harder. I think its a combination of both.

Stopped to loo at the 5-stand setup and my Immediate takeaway was that just the two of us shooting 5-stand would be a great way to blow $300 in about 30-minutes (vs the 1.5-2 hours it takes us on the clays course…). With a larger group though, it could be a lot of fun.

We pretty much agreed that we seem to be at a point where we’ll need some instruction to progress. We are about topped out on instinct and prior training. If we want to shoot sanctioned events (and I do) they are on the harder courses and it won’t be fun to go shoot a 30.

Now I need to learn about the sporting clays traveling instructor world and figure out how we book some time with a pro. I think the facilities near us have trainers, but I feel like our time would be best spent with the highest quality/level of instructor.

[Shotgun]

but I feel like our time would be best spent with the highest quality/level of instructor.

https://www.southfloridashootingclub.com/instructors

Brad Kidd is your man.