Wow.....I like folding stocks for skeet?

[SPUSCG]

Tried a ati folder on a 870 today and shot better pointed better, felt good! What? Of course skeet elitist hate the things but Im shooting better than a fixed. Im 6 foot so maybe the longer stock is helping? Anyway, time to go buy a folder.

.

[g.willikers]

Anything that works is good.
The last time I was at the skeet field, a young fellow showed up with a .410 pump and proceeded to show the hide bound regulars how it was done.
It was very entertaining seeing all those shotgun snobs, with their gold plated over and under 12 gauges, muttering in their beards.
Give 'em what for.

[Slugo]

hey, if it works and you can break clays, screw the other guys. It's not a fashion show, it's a sport and high numbers win. Keep at it...

[Technosavant]

Anything that works is good.

This.

When I went from a pretty traditional 1100 to a 870 Tactical, I immediately picked up about 3-4 birds per round on my skeet game; I chalked it up to the longer length of pull and how the gun just felt more natural.

However, the time will come when you outgrow that; I found that the SpecOps stock, although it aided in control and recoil absorption, was giving me a somewhat inconsistent cheek weld. Going to another gun that fit me better helped me improve yet again. I'm currently trying to get used to a Browning O/U- I was outgrowing the 105CTi on the skeet field; good gun, but again, when you hit a certain plateau you learn that sometimes it'[s the shooter, sometimes it's the tools.

It will take me a while to get the hang of the O/U, I'm still a bit rusty from the long winter. A better gun won't necessarily make you a better shooter, but a more appropriate gun can help you focus on YOUR issues with less working around the tool. By all means, shoot what you have and don't let anybody look down on you- we all begin somewhere.

[Usertag]

Thats cool, It's probably Your height. Height has to do with arm spand and well that basically explains itself from there.

[oneounceload]

When I went from a pretty traditional 1100 to a 870 Tactical, I immediately picked up about 3-4 birds per round on my skeet game; I chalked it up to the longer length of pull and how the gun just felt more natural.

Let me get this right - you went from an auto to a pump, and a plastic military-style one at that, and picked up 4 birds per round in a game involving shooting doubles? I guess you weren't that active of a skeet shooter before or scoring very highly?....

Imagine how well you might be doing with a properly fitted wooden stock on your semi..or even better, on an O/U

The last time I was at the skeet field, a young fellow showed up with a .410 pump and proceeded to show the hide bound regulars how it was done.
It was very entertaining seeing all those shotgun snobs, with their gold plated over and under 12 gauges, muttering in their beards.
Give 'em what for.

And these type of statements never seem to be verified or are even half-way true, but seem to come from folks with wealth envy of those who shoot nicer guns - I imagine they same the same thing about vehicles/houses/etc...... the reverse snobbery DOES get old though...

[zippy13]

Let me get this right - you went from an auto to a pump, and a plastic military-style one at that, and picked up 4 birds per round in a game involving shooting doubles? I guess you weren't that active of a skeet shooter before or scoring very highly?....

Yep!
A serious Trap or Skeet shooter is ecstatic if an equipment change gets him 1 more target in a 100. Most improvements come in just fractions of a target per 100. If you can increase you scores by 3 or 4 targets (per round of 25) with a simple equipment change, then you're still near the bottom of a steep learning curve. I've known social shooters who, after years of shotgunning, are just a little higher up the curve.

Many newer shooters put too much importance on equipment, when what they need is instruction and practice -- a lot of practice. Of course, having a gun that's appropriate to the application doesn't hurt. If you can afford to have it gold plated, then good on you.

[Slugo]

Great response 1ozLoad. Those anecdotal stories abound the shooting forums. It's all BS...

[Technosavant]

Let me get this right - you went from an auto to a pump, and a plastic military-style one at that, and picked up 4 birds per round in a game involving shooting doubles? I guess you weren't that active of a skeet shooter before or scoring very highly?

Yup and yup. I was *really* new to skeet at the time. The 1100 didn't fit me well at all and the hard plastic buttplate made it very uncomfortable to shoot. Flinches don't help accuracy.

With the 870 Tactical, initial fit was better and I wasn't fearing the recoil (note: the SpecOps stock eats up the recoil quite a bit). I really didn't have a problem with the pump action; I lost a fraction of a second on the doubles, but I was still able to pick them up. As I practiced more, as I said, I outgrew it.

My next gun was a Remington 105CTi II. Again, better fit due to a more consistent cheek weld. It was with this gun I shot my first straight, but my scores tended to be in the low 20s most of the time. While I shoot the gun reasonably well, I ran into a couple things that made me consider going to an O/U (among them, the ability to shoot lighter loads and shotshell reloading).

Now I have a Browning Citori XS with the adjustable stock, and I'm still getting used to it. I'm a workin' man, so I only manage the time to shoot about 3-4 rounds/week. Since winter only just lifted a couple weeks back, I'm still getting back into the swing of things.

That 870 Tactical was not ideal, but it was good enough for where I was at the time. As I said, it is the kind of thing somebody who shoots a fair amount will outgrow quickly, but to a new skeet shooter, it's definitely a workable gun. I have shot with an old timer with a well worn 870 who did incredibly well, but yes, there's a big reason the folks seriously into the game have O/Us.

The Olympians aren't using Perazzis and the like instead of a well worn 870 Wingmaster because they all found some for dirt cheap. But then again, it takes a while before a shooter can really justify that kind of thing. Sure, starting out with one won't hurt, but it helps if you grow into such things. IMO, you appreciate some of the finer features more. I know there's several things about my Citori I appreciate because I've used less suitable guns in the past.

[g.willikers]

Hey, oneounce,
I wuz dere, and I was one of the guys with the nice guns.
And it still make me chuckle.
Cause I ain't a snob in either direction.
Put that in your powder keg and smoke it.

[zippy13]

g.wililers,

Yep, it's a two way street. It seems envy and snobbery are opposite faces of the same coin.

Another .410 story:
I was just starting in Skeet, and a brash young man with a .410 joined the squad. It was an absolutely stunning custom Model 42, fresh from Pachmayr's -- beautifully figured wood and fully engraved with gold accents. He wasn't ready for a .410, the entire round he was either making excuses for the target he'd just missed, or bragging about how much his daddy had spent on the gun. We get to Station 7 and this guy crowds the window. Wouldn't ya know, his target breaks coming off of the arm and a large chip clips his fore-end. His fingers were banged and bloodied and the cob's checkering suffered a significant gouge. A look of horror came across his face -- what would he tell daddy? In hindsight, I suppose we could have been a little more sympathetic.

[TheKlawMan]

Zippy, That is something to be said for the Bleck Behemoth, my synthetic 870. It is so ugly to me it is purty.