who shoots clays with shotguns? - Page 4

FITASC · February 7, 2018, 09:57 AM

IF your goal to get into shotgunning is for hunting purposes, then shoot your hunting guns for grins and giggles. If, however, your goal is to get into serious competition in any of the games, get the 12 gauge target version of whatever brand fits you the best. A lot of folks can have a hard time swallowing the $2-$3K for the basic Browning/Beretta type of O/U until they sit down and realize that the cost of ammo and targets over 20-30 years will run 50-100X that costs - I know because mine did......(just don't tell the wife)

OzeanJaeger · February 7, 2018, 11:10 AM

I have an early M3Super90 (circa '94) that is a great skeet gun. I brought it to the range one day when I was still serving just for grins and shot a 21 first time out. While not used to using ghost rings for skeet, they work perfectly for me. I may even prefer them over just a bead, but I still shoot a citori for all clays.

B.L.E. · February 7, 2018, 06:24 PM

In my opinion, it's hard to beat skeet for dove hunting practice. Unless you are a skybuster, taking shots at birds that are hopelessly out of range, nearly every dove shot is found on a skeet range. A lot of the difficult sporting clays targets are actually irrelevant to dove hunting.

Fjblair · February 11, 2018, 11:23 PM

My club holds weekly club trap competitions and hosts regional events a few times a year.

It's good, it's organized. I sold my BT-99 and need to get back in the game.

stuckinthe60s · February 17, 2018, 08:03 AM

+1 with BLE.

B.L.E. · February 17, 2018, 09:36 AM

If your club has a combination trap/skeet field, challenge your buddies to a round of Skrap. Trap birds from the skeet stations.
It's not a recognized game so the rules vary from region to region but we start at skeet station one and everybody shoots until they hit with a five shot maximum, then go to skeet station 2 and repeat. After station 8, we start over on one and repeat, the person who goes the farthest before running out of ammo wins.
I've also shot it where the shooters shoot stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and repeat until the best shooter is out of ammo.
Those station 1 and 7 shots are "the mothers of all crossing shots". Like station 5 in skeet but the shooter is farther back, plus the variable target presentation of trap thrown in.

stuckinthe60s · May 8, 2020, 07:16 PM

anyone able to get out and shoot some clay during this crisis lately?

FITASC · May 8, 2020, 07:37 PM

Yep, all the clubs in Florida have never closed. We have registered shoots happening now in GA and FL - starting tomorrow for me.................

ammo.crafter · May 8, 2020, 08:04 PM

As soon as the outdoor range reopens I'll be sporting clays shooting with friends with my Remington V-2 20ga.

reynolds357 · May 8, 2020, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuckinthe60s

I see a lot of sd/riot/tactical going on here. just wondering who still shoots clays in formal and non-formal ways?

Every once in a while I shoot Skeet and Trap. Used to shoot them a lot, but lost interest.

reynolds357 · May 8, 2020, 09:12 PM

In SKRAP, 1 and 7 can either be a very easy or very tough shot, depending on which way the bird comes out.

GE-Minigun · May 11, 2020, 04:21 PM

Shoot in a skeet league year round, plus a lot of 5-stand and some sporting for fun. Last year shot just under 25k and with all the crap going on I’ll be lucky if I get in 15 this year.

darkgael · May 15, 2020, 05:51 AM

Costs. As Fitsac noted, the cost of ammo over the life of the gun dwarfs the cost of the firerarm. Looking at that 25K shell total....even shooting nothing but Walmart sale shells at, lets say $6/ box.....that 25K is $6000 worth of shells (15K = $3600). That is per year.
I never shot more than 5k shells per year. Even that low round total ran up to $6000 after five years (plus range fees). The gun, a BT-99, only cost $1200 new.
Treat yourself to a Trap gun.

stuckinthe60s · May 15, 2020, 04:17 PM

its always been a goal of many clay shooters to get the absolute lowest price gun to achieve the goal of the game...running as much ammo thru it as one could, to beat the cost of the game.
an 1100 comes to mind much like an 870. cant get much cheaper than that, yet countless thousands did it and did very well with a cheaper gun.
in doing so, the sport was opened up to the middle class in ways that saved the sports.
but as time marches on...the price of the gun is slowly creaping up again...along with ammo cost.
add to that the entry fees...and the sports over all are slowly tipping back towards the more financially secured crowd, than the working class of America.
Europe and asia isn't stupid. they saw the void...and now America is flooded with cheap (really cheap) euro-asian imports to shoot the cheap euro ammo flooding in.
sad day indeed to see a great game pushed over by cheap invaders.

The Rattler · May 17, 2020, 10:00 AM

I try to shoot trap once a week informally, but on a regulation field. HD shotguns don’t do much for me. I have handguns for HD but have buckshot and slugs should I need them. I never hunt birds or animals.

I must admit that while I started coming to this site as my main shotgun site 6 years ago, it is no longer my “go to” because of the emphasis in HD and Tactical guns. Hunting and clays are different disciplines and interests from HD and Tactical shotguns.

natman · May 17, 2020, 12:28 PM

who shoots clays with shotguns?

Just about everybody. They're too hard to hit with a rifle and the bullets travel too far.

moe.ron · May 17, 2020, 03:11 PM

Love sporting clays, I bust em with a Citori, but not nearly as often as I would like.

stuckinthe60s · May 17, 2020, 06:40 PM

who shoots clays....(here) on FLF.

darkgael · May 18, 2020, 05:48 AM

I shoot ATA 16 yard Trap. As well, I can use a foot operated machine and shoot in my backyard though the clays are closer by half.
Lower back problems have really cut into my ability to shoot. Working on it.
Pete

stuckinthe60s · May 18, 2020, 06:57 AM

id like to see that back yard set up in Brooklyn!!:>

darkgael · May 18, 2020, 10:53 AM

LOL. Yeah, that surely would get me quick and unwonted attention.
The actual backyard is in PA where I retired. Still keep a place in Brooklyn.

FITASC · May 18, 2020, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Costs. As Fitsac noted, the cost of ammo over the life of the gun dwarfs the cost of the firerarm. Looking at that 25K shell total....even shooting nothing but Walmart sale shells at, lets say $6/ box.....that 25K is $6000 worth of shells (15K = $3600). That is per year.

And about an equal amount or more, for the targets...........they ain't free........

stuckinthe60s · May 18, 2020, 02:43 PM

when the navy had a navy yard, I worked there in the mid 80's. had a navy office in Hempstead too. close to your place? wonder if they still have castle burger joints?

eastbank · May 18, 2020, 04:33 PM

we had our first trap shoot of the year yesterday, a grand time was had by all. no 25-25,s, but many 22-23,s-25. my main trap shotgun is a older BT-100 and i switch over to a citori sporting clays limited for doubles and other clay games. i shot my last 50-50 with a older 1187 rem trap grade.

Ricklin · May 19, 2020, 12:08 PM

My singles gun is now 102 years old. LC Smith SBT, a very early one from 1918.
It turns clays in to smoke, if the shooter does his part. It is choked tighter than a nun's kiss.
Once I learned to let the clay get out a touch, my scores improved. Those old boys built some great guns. Love the trigger, it is the proverbial glass rod breaking. Impossible to forget the safety is on, it has none.
I keep being tempted to open the choke a bit, but don't want to alter the gun.

February 7, 2018, 09:57 AM	#76
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,443	IF your goal to get into shotgunning is for hunting purposes, then shoot your hunting guns for grins and giggles. If, however, your goal is to get into serious competition in any of the games, get the 12 gauge target version of whatever brand fits you the best. A lot of folks can have a hard time swallowing the $2-$3K for the basic Browning/Beretta type of O/U until they sit down and realize that the cost of ammo and targets over 20-30 years will run 50-100X that costs - I know because mine did......(just don't tell the wife) __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

February 7, 2018, 06:24 PM	#78
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	In my opinion, it's hard to beat skeet for dove hunting practice. Unless you are a skybuster, taking shots at birds that are hopelessly out of range, nearly every dove shot is found on a skeet range. A lot of the difficult sporting clays targets are actually irrelevant to dove hunting. __________________ Hanlon's Razor "Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence and organization."

February 17, 2018, 08:03 AM	#80
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	+1 with BLE. __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

February 17, 2018, 09:36 AM	#81
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	If your club has a combination trap/skeet field, challenge your buddies to a round of Skrap. Trap birds from the skeet stations. It's not a recognized game so the rules vary from region to region but we start at skeet station one and everybody shoots until they hit with a five shot maximum, then go to skeet station 2 and repeat. After station 8, we start over on one and repeat, the person who goes the farthest before running out of ammo wins. I've also shot it where the shooters shoot stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and repeat until the best shooter is out of ammo. Those station 1 and 7 shots are "the mothers of all crossing shots". Like station 5 in skeet but the shooter is farther back, plus the variable target presentation of trap thrown in. __________________ Hanlon's Razor "Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence and organization."

May 8, 2020, 07:16 PM	#82
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	anyone able to get out and shoot some clay during this crisis lately? __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

February 7, 2018, 11:10 AM	#77
OzeanJaeger Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2014 Posts: 301	I have an early M3Super90 (circa '94) that is a great skeet gun. I brought it to the range one day when I was still serving just for grins and shot a 21 first time out. While not used to using ghost rings for skeet, they work perfectly for me. I may even prefer them over just a bead, but I still shoot a citori for all clays.

February 11, 2018, 11:23 PM	#79
Fjblair Member Join Date: January 3, 2013 Posts: 53	My club holds weekly club trap competitions and hosts regional events a few times a year. It's good, it's organized. I sold my BT-99 and need to get back in the game.

May 8, 2020, 07:37 PM	#83
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,443	Yep, all the clubs in Florida have never closed. We have registered shoots happening now in GA and FL - starting tomorrow for me................. __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

May 8, 2020, 08:04 PM	#84
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	Club closed As soon as the outdoor range reopens I'll be sporting clays shooting with friends with my Remington V-2 20ga. __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

May 8, 2020, 09:12 PM	#86
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	In SKRAP, 1 and 7 can either be a very easy or very tough shot, depending on which way the bird comes out.

May 11, 2020, 04:21 PM	#87
GE-Minigun Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 240	Shoot in a skeet league year round, plus a lot of 5-stand and some sporting for fun. Last year shot just under 25k and with all the crap going on I’ll be lucky if I get in 15 this year.

May 15, 2020, 05:51 AM	#88
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	Costs. As Fitsac noted, the cost of ammo over the life of the gun dwarfs the cost of the firerarm. Looking at that 25K shell total....even shooting nothing but Walmart sale shells at, lets say $6/ box.....that 25K is $6000 worth of shells (15K = $3600). That is per year. I never shot more than 5k shells per year. Even that low round total ran up to $6000 after five years (plus range fees). The gun, a BT-99, only cost $1200 new. Treat yourself to a Trap gun. __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member Last edited by darkgael; May 15, 2020 at 05:56 AM.

May 15, 2020, 04:17 PM	#89
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	its always been a goal of many clay shooters to get the absolute lowest price gun to achieve the goal of the game...running as much ammo thru it as one could, to beat the cost of the game. an 1100 comes to mind much like an 870. cant get much cheaper than that, yet countless thousands did it and did very well with a cheaper gun. in doing so, the sport was opened up to the middle class in ways that saved the sports. but as time marches on...the price of the gun is slowly creaping up again...along with ammo cost. add to that the entry fees...and the sports over all are slowly tipping back towards the more financially secured crowd, than the working class of America. Europe and asia isn't stupid. they saw the void...and now America is flooded with cheap (really cheap) euro-asian imports to shoot the cheap euro ammo flooding in. sad day indeed to see a great game pushed over by cheap invaders. __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

May 17, 2020, 10:00 AM	#90
The Rattler Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2013 Posts: 111	I try to shoot trap once a week informally, but on a regulation field. HD shotguns don’t do much for me. I have handguns for HD but have buckshot and slugs should I need them. I never hunt birds or animals. I must admit that while I started coming to this site as my main shotgun site 6 years ago, it is no longer my “go to” because of the emphasis in HD and Tactical guns. Hunting and clays are different disciplines and interests from HD and Tactical shotguns.

May 17, 2020, 12:28 PM	#91
natman Senior Member Join Date: June 24, 2008 Posts: 2,606	who shoots clays with shotguns? Just about everybody. They're too hard to hit with a rifle and the bullets travel too far. __________________ Time Travelers' Wisdom: Never Do Yesterday What Should Be Done Tomorrow. If At Last You Do Succeed, Never Try Again.

May 17, 2020, 03:11 PM	#92
moe.ron Member Join Date: July 4, 2008 Location: Macomb County MI Posts: 52	Love sporting clays, I bust em with a Citori, but not nearly as often as I would like.

May 17, 2020, 06:40 PM	#93
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	who shoots clays....(here) on FLF. __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

May 18, 2020, 05:48 AM	#94
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	I shoot ATA 16 yard Trap. As well, I can use a foot operated machine and shoot in my backyard though the clays are closer by half. Lower back problems have really cut into my ability to shoot. Working on it. Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

May 18, 2020, 06:57 AM	#95
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	id like to see that back yard set up in Brooklyn!!:> __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

May 18, 2020, 10:53 AM	#96
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	LOL. Yeah, that surely would get me quick and unwonted attention. The actual backyard is in PA where I retired. Still keep a place in Brooklyn. __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

May 18, 2020, 02:43 PM	#98
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	when the navy had a navy yard, I worked there in the mid 80's. had a navy office in Hempstead too. close to your place? wonder if they still have castle burger joints? __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

May 18, 2020, 04:33 PM	#99
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	we had our first trap shoot of the year yesterday, a grand time was had by all. no 25-25,s, but many 22-23,s-25. my main trap shotgun is a older BT-100 and i switch over to a citori sporting clays limited for doubles and other clay games. i shot my last 50-50 with a older 1187 rem trap grade.

May 19, 2020, 12:08 PM	#100
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,011	Oldie but goodie My singles gun is now 102 years old. LC Smith SBT, a very early one from 1918. It turns clays in to smoke, if the shooter does his part. It is choked tighter than a nun's kiss. Once I learned to let the clay get out a touch, my scores improved. Those old boys built some great guns. Love the trigger, it is the proverbial glass rod breaking. Impossible to forget the safety is on, it has none. I keep being tempted to open the choke a bit, but don't want to alter the gun. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free