who shoots clays with shotguns?

[Rob228]

I've used "tactical" shotguns for work (breaching mostly, and I've got to say that ballistic breaching is the least preferred method) but for fun I shoot trap, although work has forced me to take a 6 month hiatus and it looks like it will force me to take another 3 year break here shortly (Moving to Japan for a bit and the Beretta's will be staying with my dad). I've done a bit of upland hunting as well, but squirrel hunting with my 20ga Wingmaster is one of my favorite things to do.

[FITASC]

You could always look into taking your Beretta and shooting trap in Japan.

[Rob228]

To me its honestly not worth the hassle, and its a huge hassle. We had much better relations with the Okinawans when I was there in 06-08 than we do now, and they aren't huge fans of anything resembling fun:

http://www.stripes.com/news/skeet-ra...okinawa-1.7613

[stuckinthe60s]

too bad there isn't enough around in one area to have a meet and greet for shotguns.
does this site hold meet and greets?

[Rangerrich99]

I shoot clays irregularly to practice for quail season at the clay target center near the house with the same mossberg 500 that does nightstand duty every night. Of course, I switch barrels from the 18.5 incher to the 26 before I hit the range. On the down side, it's a fixed modified choke, but it's doable, and I've only lost a few bets against my buddies with their premium-grade autos and over-unders. This helps me come home with a few more birds than my better-heeled but non-practicing friends.

[FITASC]

You sound like you're shooting at Ben Avery? A fixed M choke is about as perfect as you can get for Western wild bird hunting; don't sweat it. Focus on the bird, not the bead, and success will be yours.

[Rangerrich99]

@FITASC;

Yeah, over at the CTC at Ben Avery. About ten years ago a buddy of mine was helping manage the place and he's actually the one that got me started shooting clays. I gotta say, it's just about the most fun with guns I have without actually going hunting.

All of my buddies use Olympic (think that's what they're called) chokes; supposedly for bigger patterns. If it's true, it'd sure be nice, but as it is, I win my fair share of free dinners/drinks before and after quail season.

Besides, I get a kick out of handing those guys their hats with my $250 pump vs. their $1800 rigs.

[stuckinthe60s]

say that 30 years from now and it will be an accomplishment.

[Rangerrich99]

Heck, in 30 years I'll be almost 90. Don't think any of us will be shooting shotguns for any reason by then.

[FITASC]

Got several friends in their 80s that still shoot sporting clays; one is 89, the other is 85. Average age at my local trap/skeet/5-stand club is about 77. We have a few that shoot from their motorized scooters, a few others from those triangular folding stools.
If there's a will, there's a way.

[stuckinthe60s]

the best part about shooting with people older than me is their stories are genuine and unique....not something they read about on the internet, and just repeated it.
and they use much better grammar!
not.....like this and like, like ya know, like.

[Husqvarna]

Nordic Trap= single clays from one machine, 5stations 5shots each. I am decent, I like to get my average up to 22-23 before hunting begins

Skeet is harder but fun

Sporting is too Hard to be fun but we gotta ring it up before doing it so we only do it a couple of Times each season

We also have a Steel-deer on a track with The vitals cut out and you put a piece of paper behind. Two shots per run and you count the holes.
Practise for driven roedeer

[darkgael]

I shoot 16 yard Trap once a week year round. Mostly I use a BT-99. Periodically, though, I break out an SKB 20 ga. O/U or an old Winchester Model 59.

[stuckinthe60s]

wow. a 59. does it have the glass bbl?

[darkgael]

Model 59...Yes, it has the fiber wrapped barrel. Marvelous gun - shot one of my first straights in 16 yard Trap with that gun and it is a pleasure to carry afield. It is under six pounds.
Pete

[stuckinthe60s]

is it fixed choke or does it have the win chokes?

[bobn]

shot another round of 5 stand yesterday, did worse this time lol. next weekend is coming again, LORD willing, bobn.

[eastbank]

over the last 50 years i have watched the men with hunter style shotguns shoot the clays games and its true they will beat the clays style shotguns shooter,s some of the times, every body can- will have bad days or the shooter may not put the extra effort into it.. but i have found that a true clays shotgun will out preform a field shotgun most of the time at the clay games. we do know that there are some men who can shoot well with any shotgun handed to them, but they are few and far between. eastbank.

[FITASC]

There is an article in the latest issue of Shooting Sportsman. This mag is usually about bird hunting, but they did an article on 7 of the top sporting clays shooters and the 7 different brands of guns they shoot. there were some commonalities - ALL had LOPs over 15"; all had barrel lengths of 32", except for one who had 34"; all guns weighed over 8# except for one that weighed over 9; all had a trigger pull right at 3#;
Some differences - 3 have ported barrels, while 4 do not; 3 have fixed chokes (tight) while 4 do not

Just about all removed the front bead, and if they had a mid bead, they either removed that as well, or had that tiny bead installed on the front.

Not a lot of similarity to a basic 12 gauge field gun.

[Shenna9220]

Love sporting clays. My oldest shoots true pairs with a 870 pump, dives the regulars with their expensive OU's crazy. You also got to get them started young.

[stuckinthe60s]

funny how s.clays grew.
at the time when it was being created, it was the answer to hunters wanting a course less predictable and formal like skeet and trap were, where any gun mostly used for hunting was the order of the day.... not some custom gun made just for one purpose.
when clays came out, it catered to a lot of old timers whos guns were designed primarily for hunting. hunters were happy. they finally had a clay game they could practice hunting with.


then.....came the custom s.clays guns, golf carts, memberships fees and dues, boards of directors, money purses, classification ratings, and videos on how to play a sporting clays course.

and of course, all the pro's started jockeying for dominance in the game and there ya have it....another formal clay game just like skeet or trap with just more angles and machines.

I think all those hunters just took their guns and bought machines for themselves and set them up in their back yards and gave up!

my opinion.

[B.L.E.]

I shoot trap mostly. Last year I shot 4300 registered targets singles and hdcp. This year I'm beginning to shoot doubles also after getting a suitable gun. Hard to shoot doubles with a BT-99 you know.

I also shoot trap with muzzle loading shotguns several times a year.


A 12 gauge built on a Billingsworth underhammer action. That thing hanging on the barrel is a barrel weight to balance the extra weight in the stock.

Shooting Mike's 8 gauge cape gun.


Every once in a while, I'll shoot a round of skeet or sporting clays.

[stuckinthe60s]

wheres that range youre shooting at?

[Virginian]

I think all those hunters just took their guns and bought machines for themselves and set them up in their back yards and gave up!

That's what I did. I lived one mile from Cajun Elite, too. Paid for itself in less than a year.

[B.L.E.]

Originally Posted by stuckinthe60s

wheres that range youre shooting at?

The top photo was taken at the Red River Renegades muzzle loading rifle club near Electra Texas, about 20 miles west of Wichita Falls. They have an annual Muzzle Loading Shotgun Soiree, trap, skeet, and sporting clays. It's a four day event.
Location: 34 00 25.45N, 98 51 32.48W

The bottom photo was taken at the Texas Muzzle Loading Rifle Association's Kenneth Matlock range near Brady TX. They have three shoots a year that includes trap.
Location: 31 08 00.11N, 99 22 23.02W

Highlight those GPS coordinates and put them into Google Maps or Google Earth and it will take you right to the spot.