Sporting clays with sights

NateKirk · February 11, 2017, 03:39 PM

Hey all, has anyone ever shot sporting clays with both front and rear fiber optic sights? Do you think it's sort of cheating or would you think it was a hindrance?

So I went to shoot sporting clays for the first time at a professional course with a friend of mine who invited me and brought along the old 870, currently my only shotgun. It's set up for turkey season right now with the Truglo Gobble-stop front and rear fiber optic sights that attach to the rib, and I was doing fairly well with the rear sight on there. I was initially worried that it was going to get in the way, however I found it to be somewhat easier than normal to bust clays, as I could lead the target more accurately.

Do you think it would be bad form to leave the sights on for the next time, or does it not matter? I wouldn't want to seem like a noob at the gun club (aside from the fact I'm using an 870 and everyone else is using over unders!)

FITASC · February 11, 2017, 04:19 PM

Major hindrance. You need zero sights on a shotgun - your EYES are your sights and they should be focused on the target, not some glowworm stuck on your barrel. This is nothing like shooting rifles or handguns.

NateKirk · February 11, 2017, 04:38 PM

I was actually doing fairly well, better than normal to be honest. I was mostly concerned about people complaining that I was using anything besides a straight bead should they take note.

MarkCO · February 11, 2017, 04:53 PM

Hindrance.

Aerials with shotgun are my weak spot, but I can tell you that a properly fit gun is THE big deal with shooting them. Gimmicks will slow your progression.

I took the sights OFF of my 3Gun shotguns because it was hurting my Sporting Clays and bird hunting skills. I still need the front fiber optic for slugs, but once I took off the rear sights, it only took me a few matches to get back to where I was and the close statics are faster now too.

FITASC · February 11, 2017, 06:00 PM

Quote:

I still need the front fiber optic for slugs

In that case, however, you are using your shotgun like a rifle shooting a stationary target.

stuckinthe60s · February 11, 2017, 06:31 PM

your eye is the rear sight on a shotgun.

but don't tell mr. ljutic that with his space gun.

FITASC · February 11, 2017, 07:23 PM

And we know how successful he was with that versus his regular guns.............

NateKirk · February 11, 2017, 07:31 PM

Had to look it up.... That thing is a pile of crazy nonsense.

http://www.nramuseum.org/guns/the-ga...space-gun.aspx

Anyway, I get the impression no one will be offended if I keep the rear sight on my gun for now. I'm doing well with it and it's not really getting in my way so there's not much reason to change it I guess.

FITASC · February 11, 2017, 07:37 PM

Offended? Not at all; but your success will be seriously hampered trying to shoot moving targets like you are shooting a rifle.

It is physically impossible to have your eyes focus both on near sights and moving far targets.

stuckinthe60s · February 11, 2017, 08:07 PM

his guns are still shot and sought after to this day.

FITASC · February 11, 2017, 08:36 PM

Of course they are - just not the Space Gun. His regular trap guns are, like Silver Seitz, some of the best made.

eastbank · February 12, 2017, 11:38 AM

even those who say they don,t look at the beads on a shotgun, know where the end of the muzzle is in their field of vision. don,t believe it, tape a piece of cardboard on the reciver so you can,t see any part of the barrel and shoot a round of trap, sporting clays or skeet and report back. eastbank.

FITASC · February 12, 2017, 02:21 PM

The best shooters remove the beads from their shotguns so they aren't distracted. This is a game of hands and eyes working together as you are locked onto the target. Your natural pointing ability takes over while your mind visualizes the target breaking where you want it to. If you need multiple sights to line up to shoot, your gun doesn't fit and you are trying to fit yourself to the gun instead of the other way around.

g.willikers · February 12, 2017, 02:50 PM

Quote:

I was actually doing fairly well, better than normal to be honest.

What exactly does that mean, in terms of the number of birds hit?

eastbank · February 12, 2017, 06:17 PM

each to his own, what may work for me,may not work for you. i want to know where the muzzle of my shotgun is in my field of view. i am not aiming the shotgun but looking at the bird, and muzzle is in my perifial vision. i have shot many,many 25-25,s and many 50-50,s. and 74-75,s and 96-97 out of 100. i just plain get tired with long strings, so i,m as good as i,m going to get no matter how i shoot and just enjoy shooting and don,t chase the tom knapp syndrome. i will shoot against any one in the world for a dollar a bird difference at trap and will lose maybe 2-3 dollars a round and maybe i will win a few dollars too. for those who shoot for enjoyment try to be the best you can be, but know we all can,t be the worlds top shots. when you don,t enjoy what you are doing, it becomes work. eastbank.

stuckinthe60s · February 12, 2017, 06:31 PM

shooting w/o bead alignment only works if the gun is properly fit to you and you know the gun.
buy a gun new off the rack and tape the cardboard to it. dollar to donut, itll take a while to find where its going.
besides. I like beads. especially since they came with the gun and I paid for them~

Blindstitch · February 12, 2017, 07:25 PM

I'm sure your actions will make you look more like a noob (till you aren't) than sights.

I shoot clays with my guns just the same as I do birds in the field. They're practice objects to me. Yes I leave the shell pouch on along with the sling. Even on my Browning Citori.

February 11, 2017, 03:39 PM	#1
NateKirk Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2013 Location: Detroit Posts: 435	Sporting clays with sights Hey all, has anyone ever shot sporting clays with both front and rear fiber optic sights? Do you think it's sort of cheating or would you think it was a hindrance? So I went to shoot sporting clays for the first time at a professional course with a friend of mine who invited me and brought along the old 870, currently my only shotgun. It's set up for turkey season right now with the Truglo Gobble-stop front and rear fiber optic sights that attach to the rib, and I was doing fairly well with the rear sight on there. I was initially worried that it was going to get in the way, however I found it to be somewhat easier than normal to bust clays, as I could lead the target more accurately. Do you think it would be bad form to leave the sights on for the next time, or does it not matter? I wouldn't want to seem like a noob at the gun club (aside from the fact I'm using an 870 and everyone else is using over unders!) __________________ “Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".” ― --Thomas Jefferson

February 11, 2017, 04:19 PM	#2
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	Major hindrance. You need zero sights on a shotgun - your EYES are your sights and they should be focused on the target, not some glowworm stuck on your barrel. This is nothing like shooting rifles or handguns. __________________ "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 Last edited by FITASC; February 11, 2017 at 04:21 PM. Reason: spelling

February 11, 2017, 04:38 PM	#3
NateKirk Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2013 Location: Detroit Posts: 435	I was actually doing fairly well, better than normal to be honest. I was mostly concerned about people complaining that I was using anything besides a straight bead should they take note. __________________ “Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".” ― --Thomas Jefferson

February 11, 2017, 04:53 PM	#4
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	Hindrance. Aerials with shotgun are my weak spot, but I can tell you that a properly fit gun is THE big deal with shooting them. Gimmicks will slow your progression. I took the sights OFF of my 3Gun shotguns because it was hurting my Sporting Clays and bird hunting skills. I still need the front fiber optic for slugs, but once I took off the rear sights, it only took me a few matches to get back to where I was and the close statics are faster now too. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

February 11, 2017, 06:31 PM	#6
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	your eye is the rear sight on a shotgun. but don't tell mr. ljutic that with his space gun. __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

February 11, 2017, 07:23 PM	#7
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	And we know how successful he was with that versus his regular guns............. __________________ "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 11, 2017, 07:31 PM	#8
NateKirk Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2013 Location: Detroit Posts: 435	Had to look it up.... That thing is a pile of crazy nonsense. http://www.nramuseum.org/guns/the-ga...space-gun.aspx Anyway, I get the impression no one will be offended if I keep the rear sight on my gun for now. I'm doing well with it and it's not really getting in my way so there's not much reason to change it I guess. __________________ “Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".” ― --Thomas Jefferson

February 11, 2017, 07:37 PM	#9
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	Offended? Not at all; but your success will be seriously hampered trying to shoot moving targets like you are shooting a rifle. It is physically impossible to have your eyes focus both on near sights and moving far targets. __________________ "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 Last edited by FITASC; February 11, 2017 at 07:44 PM. Reason: added

February 11, 2017, 08:07 PM	#10
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	his guns are still shot and sought after to this day. __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

February 11, 2017, 08:36 PM	#11
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	Of course they are - just not the Space Gun. His regular trap guns are, like Silver Seitz, some of the best made. __________________ "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 12, 2017, 11:38 AM	#12
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	even those who say they don,t look at the beads on a shotgun, know where the end of the muzzle is in their field of vision. don,t believe it, tape a piece of cardboard on the reciver so you can,t see any part of the barrel and shoot a round of trap, sporting clays or skeet and report back. eastbank.

February 12, 2017, 02:21 PM	#13
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	The best shooters remove the beads from their shotguns so they aren't distracted. This is a game of hands and eyes working together as you are locked onto the target. Your natural pointing ability takes over while your mind visualizes the target breaking where you want it to. If you need multiple sights to line up to shoot, your gun doesn't fit and you are trying to fit yourself to the gun instead of the other way around. __________________ "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 12, 2017, 06:17 PM	#15
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	each to his own, what may work for me,may not work for you. i want to know where the muzzle of my shotgun is in my field of view. i am not aiming the shotgun but looking at the bird, and muzzle is in my perifial vision. i have shot many,many 25-25,s and many 50-50,s. and 74-75,s and 96-97 out of 100. i just plain get tired with long strings, so i,m as good as i,m going to get no matter how i shoot and just enjoy shooting and don,t chase the tom knapp syndrome. i will shoot against any one in the world for a dollar a bird difference at trap and will lose maybe 2-3 dollars a round and maybe i will win a few dollars too. for those who shoot for enjoyment try to be the best you can be, but know we all can,t be the worlds top shots. when you don,t enjoy what you are doing, it becomes work. eastbank.

February 12, 2017, 06:31 PM	#16
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	shooting w/o bead alignment only works if the gun is properly fit to you and you know the gun. buy a gun new off the rack and tape the cardboard to it. dollar to donut, itll take a while to find where its going. besides. I like beads. especially since they came with the gun and I paid for them~ __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

February 12, 2017, 07:25 PM	#17
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,693	I'm sure your actions will make you look more like a noob (till you aren't) than sights. I shoot clays with my guns just the same as I do birds in the field. They're practice objects to me. Yes I leave the shell pouch on along with the sling. Even on my Browning Citori.