Clays rule

[Jseime]

Yesterday i was at a buddies house overlooking a huge coulee. He sets his trap thrower up so that the clays fly out into the coulee its such a neat setup.

We had two shotguns most of a box of clays and five boxes of target and #7 game loads.

End results i went five for five a few times, my shoulder hurts, and i have to go buy a pigeon thrower and a few boxes of clay pigeons.

That was an absolute blast.

P.S. he has a franchi semi-auto shotgun and that thing is so sweet to shoot.

[Daves-got-guns]

once you get into trap, you never go back. Good shootin for first time out, i missed the first 15 then i started pickin them up time and time again. Now i run 20/25ish for a round, and sometimes better sometimes alot worse. One of the most fullfilling shooting hobbys, you shoot a orange disk the size of a cupcake out of the air. If your gonna get serious about it, id go with a o/u before a autoloader, but thats my opinion and different strokes for different folks.

[mathman]

+1 on the O/U for skeet and trap.

Autos are the kings of hunting...pumps when the chips are down...O/Us for target shooting. ;)

[Jseime]

Right now im limited by funds but an O/U is definetly in the works for me when im done school.

It's quite challenging just like rifle shooting but more of a social/fun actvity. Shotgunning is an art i think and riflery is a science.

[Dave McC]

Glad you had a good time. A couple things....

A great first shotgun is an 870. It costs relatively little, lasts for generations and is adaptable, reliable and effective. One 870 can protect one's family, feed it, and provide recreation. It's a lot of gun for the money.

Coulee clays, like the pasture clays I started with, are fun. So are more regulated sports like Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays. Go have fun.

[mathman]

A great first shotgun is an 870

+1

You'll find that some of the nicest, most helpful people shoot skeet...I'm not sure why, but 'shotgunners' tend to be very nice and patient people.

Shotgunning is an art i think and riflery is a science

Absolutely...I can't think of a better way to put it.

[20YearVet]

A great first shotgun is an 870. It costs relatively little, lasts for generations and is adaptable, reliable and effective. One 870 can protect one's family, feed it, and provide recreation. It's a lot of gun for the money.


Are you referring to a real 870 - like the Wingmaster and not an Express?

[BUCKMARK]

You'll find that some of the nicest, most helpful people shoot skeet...I'm not sure why, but 'shotgunners' tend to be very nice and patient people.



Thats because we all started at the bottom too. ;)

[RUT]

Ummm, what's a coulee??

[WIN71]

what's a coulee??

a big RUT

[skeeter1]

You'll find that some of the nicest, most helpful people shoot skeet...I'm not sure why, but 'shotgunners' tend to be very nice and patient people.



Thats because we all started at the bottom too.

Yes, we all start at the bottom, and I've worked my way up a bit. I do find trapshooters somewhat more snooty than skeet shooters (I happen to be a trap shooter for the most part).

In any event, when you go to a range, you'll likely find a shotgunner welcome to try out his "trophy" shotgun and give you some advice. Just be aware that after you shoot a $3K shotgun, you can't go back. ;)

[Daves-got-guns]

alot of boys will say the 870, and i cant argue with that as 870's have years and years of reliable service, and you can just about take apart one from the 1950s and interchange everything with one made yesterday. But my personal pump preference is mossberg, 835. I know its newer, and alot of remmie boys have and will bash the hell out of the design, but i love it and it gets the job done for me time and time again. 870's just dont fit my shoulder like i would hope but everybody is different.

[mathman]

I do find trapshooters somewhat more snooty than skeet shooters (I happen to be a trap shooter for the most part).

I didn't want to be the one to say it, but that is my observation too.

[BUCKMARK]

I noticed the same thing about trap shooters. I also noticed that the average age of trap shooters seems to be higher in my area.

I shoot a little trap, but I'm really a sporting clay shooter.

[skeeter1]

When I get to a trap range, I get odd looks when I pull out my Ithaca/SKB 200 SxS. That is, until I break 25 straight. If someone wants to try it, I'm more than welcome to let them give it a whirl. It's 30-some years old now, and still works like new, so what the heck?

My Ithaca/SKB 100 is better for skeet and hunting.

A lot of shooters out there have never tried a SxS, but if you do your part, a SxS shottie can do as well as anything else. :)

Besides, I just think they're purdy!!!

[Daves-got-guns]

haha skeeter, i try time and time again and im gettin close to shooting 25 straight, but havent done it yet. Always wanted a nice older sxs, just because i like theyre fit feel, and i dont have one. Also woods duty would be good too, is that gun a 20 gauge?

[mathman]

I've shot quite a few rounds of skeet and have only busted all 25 once...and it was the first 25 rounds that I put through my Benelli...go figure.

[skeeter1]

haha skeeter, i try time and time again and im gettin close to shooting 25 straight, but havent done it yet. Always wanted a nice older sxs, just because i like theyre fit feel, and i dont have one. Also woods duty would be good too, is that gun a 20 gauge?

Nope. Both of those are 12-gauges, but I'd certainly think about picking up one in 20-gauge some day. With modern ammo, there's nothing a 20 can't do just as well as a 12.

[skeeter1]

870's just dont fit my shoulder like i would hope but everybody is different.

Look at the picture I posted above of my Ithaca 200. I had a good smithy install the recoil pad and increase the length-of-pull by 1/2" at the same time. What a world of difference. It fits me like a glove, and with the recoil pad, I can shoot 100-200 rounds before lunch without a problem.

The little Ithaca 100 I've left bone-stock. Great field shottie, but I usually end up with a black-and-blue shoulder if I shoot it too much.

[Daves-got-guns]

yeah, thats a pretty good lookin gun. Idk just somethin about the fit and feel of a 870, it didnt agree with my shoulder. I agree that the 20 gauge is just about as versattille as the 12, but if i was a long range wing shooter i would still pick the 12, or maybe even 10 gauge. These days i could probably blast off 500 rounds in a session, i dont cause it gets expensive, and i am going to start reloading very soon. My silver reserve o/u is a good gun, and the recoil pad is alittle stiff, but its just heavy enough to offset recoil and it doesnt bug me.

[skeeter1]

I agree that the 20 gauge is just about as versattille as the 12, but if i was a long range wing shooter i would still pick the 12, or maybe even 10 gauge.

Yes, when I was waterfowl hunting, the 12 seemed just about right. That was when lead shot was still legal around here. Steel shot is a big no-no in a thin barelled double. Were I to do it again, I'd think about a rugged 12 (maybe a Mossy or Remmy) with a 3-1/2" chamber. A 10-gauge is just too heavy for me.

[Daves-got-guns]

well from my experience, the only advantage a 10 gauge has anymore is longer range patterning. Factory 3.5" 12 gauge loads hit just as hard as factory 10 gauge 3.5"s, but for some reason (it escapes me) they just pattern better. I think if i was a long range wing shooter, i would use that as a excuse to own a 10 gauge lol.

[skeeter1]

Don't ruin the sport.

I do find trapshooters somewhat more snooty than skeet shooters (I happen to be a trap shooter for the most part).

The last trap range near me (Dover Bay, I'm sure Fairview Mick knew of it) was largely populated with fairly rich old men, and they didn't like noobs like me.

Well, I'm an old phart myself now, and would be happy to introduce a new trapshooter into the game.

BUT, I'd rather go out for a beer and a burger afterward with a skeetshooter. For whatever reason, they're just more fun people to be around.