Skeet/trap question

castnblast · December 11, 2007, 08:20 PM

I've had the same gun for 25 years...An S&W 1000 w/ improved cylinder barrel...yes, pre-choke tube era, so all I've ever shot w/ was what I had...improved cylinder. I just got a Franchi I-12 limited w/ all the chokes...Cylinder through full. What do most of you guys use on the trap range? Full? improved Mod or Modified? Is IM tighter or looser than Mod? This is all new, since I never had it, I never worried about it. Some tips would be nice. I'll be using 1oz to 1 1/16 oz shot...

Jim Watson · December 11, 2007, 08:38 PM

The little bit of Trap I shoot these days is with a Modified choke. When more active, I shot a Full. Improved Modified is intermediate between Modified and Full and makes a good Trap choke.

JWT · December 11, 2007, 08:58 PM

I use modified for singles (16yd). Will change to improved modified or full if I elect to shoot handicap. Use the IM for the 'shorter handicap positions and change to F if I decide to practice further out.

BigJimP · December 12, 2007, 03:55 PM

On chokes it really depends on the load(velocity and pellet size - not quantity of pellets ) and the range you kill a target at - but in general I will shoot a Mod choke from the 16 - 20 yard line on a trap field, Imp Mod from 21 - 25 yards lines and a Full choke beyond the 25 yard line. For continental trap I like a Mod for the bottom barrel and ImpMod for the top barrel or 2nd shot.

Since you want to shoot trap as the bird is still rising - the average kill range for a bird from the 16 yard line is about 30-35 yards / and from the 27 yard line it'll be 60 - 65 yards.

Remember every choke is machined a little different - and its really a function of the amount of constriction vs the diameter of the bore in your gun. You can measure the bore and the choke and figure out the constriction difference - or take the gun to a pattern board and see what kind of pattern you get at 35 yards.

You will also see a pattern variation between 1 1/16 oz of 8's vs
7 1/2's and the velocity of the load or dram equivalent will be a factor as well. I shoot 1 oz of 8's at about 1235 fps from 16 - 25 yards / then I switch to 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2's when I go beyond 25yards and I bump the speed up to about 1275 fps on those loads.

castnblast · December 12, 2007, 04:06 PM

Do you reload your shotgun shells? I RL lots of rifle, but I don't personally know anyone who reloads their shot shells...If so, is there much difference in consistancy, and is there any cost savings to doing so?

BigJimP · December 12, 2007, 07:08 PM

Yes, I reload 12ga, 20ga, 28ga and .410 shotgun shells.

My costs on reloading 12ga are at about $ 3.60 a box right now for what I'll consider to be a premium shell like the Remington STS retailing at about $ 7.50 a box. There are a lot of cheap 12ga and 20 ga shells out there - Estate (which I think are junk) and RIO which I think are a lot better at around $ 4.50 a box.

My costs to reload 20 are about $ 3.50 a box / so I still save there too.

There are real significant savings in 28ga and .410 - where retail they cost $8 - $ 10 a box I'm reloading both of them for about $ 3.10 - $ 3.25 per box right now.

I reload a shotgun hull 15 or 20 times probably - and there is some variation as the cases wear out but its not significant for 16 yeard trap or skeet. What most of us do when we get into loading shotgun shells is we customize for what we want - if I want a 1oz shell I can load it for ballistics of anywhere from 1150 fps to well over 1300 fps ( and I can load 9's , 8 1/2's, 8 , 7 1/2's or whatever I want. ) But if my grandkids are shooting - or I have a new shooter I'm working with - I like a light load like 1150 fps so it doesn't beat them up / they have more fun. But its really about being able to tailor your loads for whatever you want. Check out the line of shotgun presses from MEC

http://www.mecreloaders.com/ProductLine/Product.asp

If you want to get into it - look at the Grabber or the 9000GN model as a good first step ( about $ 300 ) and they are very good presses. If you think you want to get into it in a big way - look at the MEC 9000HN hydraulic press. RCBS, Dillon, etc make shotgun presses - and while I really like the Dillon 650 on metallic / I favor the MEC on shotgun presses.

perazzimx14 · December 12, 2007, 07:45 PM

Castnblast,

If you are interested in a 12 gauge shotshell reloader I have two for sale:

MEC 650 - $75.00 plus shipping

MEC 900H - $625.00 plus shipping

OSUCowboy · December 13, 2007, 12:58 AM

Just to answer your question about choke sizes:

Improved is less "tight" than Modified.

Skeet (or Cylinder, or Bore)<Improved<Modified<Improved Modified (although this one is rare)<Full<Extra Full<etc.

oletymer · December 13, 2007, 10:59 AM

Cowboy, improved modified is tighter than modified. I could not tell what you were referring to, but usually improved refers to the next lower choke.

Zombie Steve · December 13, 2007, 05:02 PM

First barrel is Modified, second is improved modified on my Browning Citori. Seems to work well.

December 11, 2007, 08:20 PM	#1
castnblast Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2006 Location: Corpus Christi TX Posts: 1,148	Skeet/trap question I've had the same gun for 25 years...An S&W 1000 w/ improved cylinder barrel...yes, pre-choke tube era, so all I've ever shot w/ was what I had...improved cylinder. I just got a Franchi I-12 limited w/ all the chokes...Cylinder through full. What do most of you guys use on the trap range? Full? improved Mod or Modified? Is IM tighter or looser than Mod? This is all new, since I never had it, I never worried about it. Some tips would be nice. I'll be using 1oz to 1 1/16 oz shot... __________________ VEGETARIAN...old indian word for bad hunter

December 12, 2007, 04:06 PM	#5
castnblast Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2006 Location: Corpus Christi TX Posts: 1,148	Do you reload your shotgun shells? I RL lots of rifle, but I don't personally know anyone who reloads their shot shells...If so, is there much difference in consistancy, and is there any cost savings to doing so? __________________ VEGETARIAN...old indian word for bad hunter

December 13, 2007, 12:58 AM	#8
OSUCowboy Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: OKC Posts: 43	Just to answer your question about choke sizes: Improved is less "tight" than Modified. Skeet (or Cylinder, or Bore)<Improved<Modified<Improved Modified (although this one is rare)<Full<Extra Full<etc. __________________ If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns "I'd rather have a pocket full of rocks than an empty gun" -Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton

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December 11, 2007, 08:38 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	The little bit of Trap I shoot these days is with a Modified choke. When more active, I shot a Full. Improved Modified is intermediate between Modified and Full and makes a good Trap choke.

December 11, 2007, 08:58 PM	#3
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	I use modified for singles (16yd). Will change to improved modified or full if I elect to shoot handicap. Use the IM for the 'shorter handicap positions and change to F if I decide to practice further out.

December 12, 2007, 03:55 PM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	On chokes it really depends on the load(velocity and pellet size - not quantity of pellets ) and the range you kill a target at - but in general I will shoot a Mod choke from the 16 - 20 yard line on a trap field, Imp Mod from 21 - 25 yards lines and a Full choke beyond the 25 yard line. For continental trap I like a Mod for the bottom barrel and ImpMod for the top barrel or 2nd shot. Since you want to shoot trap as the bird is still rising - the average kill range for a bird from the 16 yard line is about 30-35 yards / and from the 27 yard line it'll be 60 - 65 yards. Remember every choke is machined a little different - and its really a function of the amount of constriction vs the diameter of the bore in your gun. You can measure the bore and the choke and figure out the constriction difference - or take the gun to a pattern board and see what kind of pattern you get at 35 yards. You will also see a pattern variation between 1 1/16 oz of 8's vs 7 1/2's and the velocity of the load or dram equivalent will be a factor as well. I shoot 1 oz of 8's at about 1235 fps from 16 - 25 yards / then I switch to 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2's when I go beyond 25yards and I bump the speed up to about 1275 fps on those loads.

December 12, 2007, 07:08 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Yes, I reload 12ga, 20ga, 28ga and .410 shotgun shells. My costs on reloading 12ga are at about $ 3.60 a box right now for what I'll consider to be a premium shell like the Remington STS retailing at about $ 7.50 a box. There are a lot of cheap 12ga and 20 ga shells out there - Estate (which I think are junk) and RIO which I think are a lot better at around $ 4.50 a box. My costs to reload 20 are about $ 3.50 a box / so I still save there too. There are real significant savings in 28ga and .410 - where retail they cost $8 - $ 10 a box I'm reloading both of them for about $ 3.10 - $ 3.25 per box right now. I reload a shotgun hull 15 or 20 times probably - and there is some variation as the cases wear out but its not significant for 16 yeard trap or skeet. What most of us do when we get into loading shotgun shells is we customize for what we want - if I want a 1oz shell I can load it for ballistics of anywhere from 1150 fps to well over 1300 fps ( and I can load 9's , 8 1/2's, 8 , 7 1/2's or whatever I want. ) But if my grandkids are shooting - or I have a new shooter I'm working with - I like a light load like 1150 fps so it doesn't beat them up / they have more fun. But its really about being able to tailor your loads for whatever you want. Check out the line of shotgun presses from MEC http://www.mecreloaders.com/ProductLine/Product.asp If you want to get into it - look at the Grabber or the 9000GN model as a good first step ( about $ 300 ) and they are very good presses. If you think you want to get into it in a big way - look at the MEC 9000HN hydraulic press. RCBS, Dillon, etc make shotgun presses - and while I really like the Dillon 650 on metallic / I favor the MEC on shotgun presses.

December 12, 2007, 07:45 PM	#7
perazzimx14 Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2007 Posts: 130	Castnblast, If you are interested in a 12 gauge shotshell reloader I have two for sale: MEC 650 - $75.00 plus shipping MEC 900H - $625.00 plus shipping

December 13, 2007, 10:59 AM	#9
oletymer Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 338	Cowboy, improved modified is tighter than modified. I could not tell what you were referring to, but usually improved refers to the next lower choke.

December 13, 2007, 05:02 PM	#10
Zombie Steve Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2007 Location: Old Colorado City Posts: 527	First barrel is Modified, second is improved modified on my Browning Citori. Seems to work well.