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Old June 19, 2017, 05:30 AM   #26
darkgael
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1 1/8oz vs. 1oz.
I defer to the experience of the posters here. I do find, however, (having loaded and used 7/8ths, one, 1 1/8th) that I break more birds with the heavy load. Have not noted much difference in felt recoil.
Quote:
International uses 24 grams on targets flying 50% faster and which are physically made 50% harder to withstand the spring, and they do just fine
True. They virtually always take two shots at the target. Gun up. Bird out. BangBang.
I wonder how much difference that makes. Don't know. That is a lotta lead flying out there, though....1.69oz.
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Old June 19, 2017, 06:21 AM   #27
FITASC
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I will poke fun at you if you have neoprene, foam and duct tape on your stock, but only b/c I've been there.
There were a lot of stocks at the US Open with a lot of bondo on them. Those guns were higher-end Kreighoffs, Perazzis and Blasers. The owners were working with one of the stock makers there to try different configurations in order to have a custom fit stock made. So while initially you look and think what are these folks doing, when you realize their goal, it makes sense.
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Old June 19, 2017, 11:07 AM   #28
BigJimP
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Guys....we're talking to a young teenage shooter here... and an inexperienced trap shooter ...that is averaging about 10 or 11 out of 25...

He needs basic help ... basic help to get the gun to hit where he or she is looking...basic fundamentals...( he probably has at least 5 or 6 reasons he's barely into double digits out of 25 )... / I doubt seriously he's shooting any competition even at a "club level".

We all have to start somewhere...but custom stocks are not in the OP's immediate future...
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Old June 19, 2017, 12:08 PM   #29
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No, but customization in the form of an adjustable butt plate or comb could easily be.
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Old June 19, 2017, 12:46 PM   #30
ocharry
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im kinda curious about this 686,,,is it a field gun skeet gun sporting gun trap gun????? or do they only come one way

i think he needs to have some one look at where his head is at when he is mounted and see if he

guys this kid is inexperienced and and needs basic shot gunning help,,,,you know,,,,head down wood to wood,,,keep swinging,,,kind of stuff

needs to pattern the gun to see where the pattern is first ,,,keep the head down

i like to use a video camera when i help someone,,,then you can look and see or point out the problems to work on...lol...it has helped with saving breath and " i am not doing that " a lot,,,,

just my thoughts

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Old June 19, 2017, 01:47 PM   #31
T. O'Heir
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"...an additional $250..." $250 will buy you a reloading kit and a bunch of components. Shotgun reloading is a great deal less expensive to get into than cartridge reloading. A Lee Load-All runs $60 at Cabela's.
It your shotgun or the school's?(if that question was even whispered up here there'd be panic in the streets.) You get a choice of chokes? Good ammo and the right choke make a lot of difference.
Most school coaches are arrested adolescent Phys-Ed majors who weren't good enough to get drafted by whatever professional children's game team they wanted.
"...Highly figured wood will run up the bill..." Yep. Stock blanks can start at $500 plus. And that's before the stock maker gets anywhere near it.
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Old June 19, 2017, 02:37 PM   #32
FITASC
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Most school teams have the kids supply guns and ammo and the coaches are not teachers but outside - think like Little League; at least where I have seen them.

Checking hand/eye dominance and gun fit and taking care of those (if any) issues will go a long way for the new shooter to adopt proper form and stance. Too many try to stand like they are shooting NRA Highpower and try aiming the shotgun like a rifle.
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Old June 20, 2017, 09:47 PM   #33
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Howdy

First off, forget the inexpensive ammo you can buy in Walmart in four packs. They are usually 3 dram loads and kick much more than you want. A good way to generate a flinch.

I only shoot 2 3/4 dram loads in Trap, usually 1 ounce of #8. I used to shoot 2 3/4 dram 1 1/8 ounces loads, but the extra 1/8 ounce really did not make any significant difference in my scores. Lighter recoil will make you a better shot. If you want to know what a dram is I will explain it below.

Size of shot does not matter a whole lot, you will get about 350 #7 1/2 pellets in a one ounce load, you will get about 410 #8 pellets in a one ounce load. Sixty pellets may sound like a lot, and you may break a few birds with that one lucky 'magic BB', but in order to smash targets consistently, getting your pattern centered on the target is more important than how many pellets are in the load.

Choke? The amount of constriction of the choke determines how large the pattern will be at a specific distance. What choke are you using? I learned to shoot Trap with a full choke, which is a bit tight. Most shooters I know are using Improved Modified, which is one step less tight than full choke. I know a few guys who are using Modified, but most use Improved Modified.

Yes, the gun needs to fit you. One size does not fit all. Seek an experienced Trap Shooter to help you see if your gun fits you.

How to stand: Develop a stance that is comfortable. Where you put your weight is up to you. However most beginners stand as if they are shooting a rifle. They stand too straight up. You probably want to put a bit more weight on your front foot than your rear foot. You will probably want to lean forward a little bit. The recoil should not knock you back on your heels, your stance should absorb it. You must be flexible. Think of yourself as a gun turret, swinging the gun from the hips.

Cheek Weld: The most important thing. Develop the habit of keeping your cheek on the stock. If you pick up your head to see the target you are almost guaranteed to miss. Picking your head up will usually result in shooting over the target. This is one of the hardest things to learn, I still pick my head up sometimes and almost always miss when I do. The straight away shots are the most tempting to pick your head up. Keep that cheek welded to the stock.

Where to point the gun before you shoot. Divide the front edge of the Trap house into three points, left, middle and right. Before calling for a bird from the first (left) station, train the gun on the left top corner of the house. At the third (middle) station train the gun at the center of the top edge. At the fifth (right) station, train the gun on the upper right corner. For stations two and four, divide the distance between the appropriate corner and the middle.

Find a good stance and stick to it. Learn not to move your feet between shots. Moving your feet adds another variable. If your stance is not working for you, try a new one, but once you have a good stance, keep your feet planted between shots.

How to hold: Generally speaking, you want to hold just under the target. A Trap gun will usually have two beads on the rib. One in front and one in the middle. The idea is before you call for the bird, hold the gun so the front bead is positioned directly over the rear bead, forming a figure 8. The gun will then be pointing slightly up, and when you fire the shot will be traveling up and will intersect the target as it travels up. If you are using a field gun with a field stock you will probably need to hold a bit higher, so the muzzle of the gun covers the target as it flies.

When to shoot: Most beginners wait too long before they fire the shot. The target is just like a Frisbee. It describes an arc as it flies. It travels up for a while, then gravity takes over and it starts to come down. If you wait until the target is coming down, it is probably too far away, your pattern will be spread out too much, and you will be playing catch up as you try to track it down. Watch experienced shooters and you will see they fire fairly quickly, while the target is still traveling up.

Don't anticipate where the target will go. You will probably guess wrong and then you will be playing catch up. Look for the target to emerge and follow it.

How much to lead: That is the hard part. Only experience will teach you that. For straight away shots you hardly have to lead at all. For hard rights or lefts you have to lead more. Think of your shot gun as a paint brush. Paint the target with it. Track the target, swing through it, fire, AND KEEP SWINGING! Failure to follow through will usually result in stopping the swing before you pull the trigger. Don't concentrate on seeing the barrel or the sights. Watch the target. The barrel will become an extension of your hands in time.

Think of the shot as a bullet three feet wide and ten feet long. Ideally, with the shots where you have to swing the most, if the target runs into the middle of that three foot wide and ten foot long bullet you will smash it. If the target runs into the front or the back, or off center of the big bullet, less pellets will hit it.



Dram Equivalent: You don't see this much anymore, but it means a load that delivers the same velocity as X number of drams of Black Powder. Just as there are 16 ounces to a pound, there are 16 drams to an ounce. So a 2 3/4 dram equivalent load delivers the same velocity as 2 3/4 drams of Black Powder. These days shotgun shells are often labelled by velocity, not dram equivalent. Standard velocity for a 2 3/4 dram 1 ounce load is 1200 fps. Standard velocity for a 2 3/4 dram 1 1/8 ounce load is 1145 fps. That's all you need for Trap.

Last edited by Driftwood Johnson; June 20, 2017 at 09:52 PM.
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Old June 22, 2017, 06:01 AM   #34
DUNITALL
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a little extra advice

All that the people have told you is good advice. pay attention to what they have said . I have been to a lot of trap shoots and you can see who is an outstanding shooter. If you cant afford a good instructor, Go and talk to these people and tell them you are new and want to get a little advice from them. I have not seen one that was not willing to help me when I started. They also know people that can get you on the right path to be a better shooter . GOOD LUCK
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