shotgun trap vs skeet vs ...

[solv3nt]

What's your budget? If Beretta is out of your budget, Ruger Red Label for used. Or CZ has one new. I'd stay away from the Stoeger if you plan on shooting it a lot. My buddy bought one dirt cheap, and it's a great entry into shotgun, but it won't keep up if you really start shooting a lot.

 

[spookshack]

for sure i've been a member at tri county for years which is where I intend to shoot at. I just need the proper tools....to be honest length of pull, casting etc is beyond me BUT Browning and Beretta has stuck. I will look at those. thanks

Assuming you don't have your shotgun keys (you'll need them to operate the throwers) and in order to get them, you'll need to complete the required shotgun key class.

Go to the TCGC website, then login to the member portal. Click the events tab and scroll down to the shotgun key class (they are offered quite frequently). Pick a day and time to attend. Reggie will show you all the ends and outs of using the keys to operate the throwers, rules etc. While there, you can "pick his brain" on how to proceed with a shotgun that will fit your budget, etc.

While I'm not seeing it currently listed, Brent McTaggart offers "one on one" shotgun coaching. I believe you need to bring your own shotgun, but I'm sure he could clarify it for you, if asked. Pulled from the Member portal: Direct questions to Brent McTaggart, 503.860.5807, [email protected]

Or you could just show up the shotgun fields on a Sunday morning and tell all the old timer's milling around, that you're a complete FNG with regards to shotgunning and they'll get you all squared away.

 

[tlfreek]

What's your budget?

well I guess whatever it takes, but to be honest I typically walk into sports from a $$ perspective knowing that buying the "thing" gun, motorcycle, bicycle is actually the cheap thing - it's what happens after that costs. so. I walk. if it takes 3K to get into this for a gun that's what it is.

 

[ColeInOregon]

LOL - ok I just checked the Beretta website. I see O/U for as high as 32k a gun down to 3K. a little sticker shock...wasn't expecting that, but I will keep looking. those guns are beautiful though.

LOL, check out the Perazzi's.

 

[solv3nt]

I've got a Beretta 686e and love it. We took a few hundred rounds to get to know each other though. I've heard good things about the Red Label and the CZ. Browning has a decent following, as does the Winchester 101. I've heard that the 101 doesn't hold up to the amount of shooting as the Beretta or Browning.

 

[tlfreek]

LOL, check out the Perazzi's.

I'll take 3 please.

 

[eldorado]

FWIW, I'm not a great trap/skeet shooter, but I've had a few trap guns. In order of fanciness I had a Citori, a Rem 1100 Trap, and a CZ 20 ga semi auto. The Citori was pretty neat, but overall I think I enjoy shooting the CZ 20ga the best.

Overall, if you are shooting for fun, just use whatever. Semi has a little less recoil, where O/U are just sort of more traditional.

If you are competitive, well, you better get your wallet out and get fancy.

 

[esbshaw]

If you're interested in a do-it-all 12 gauge o/u, I have a Beretta White Onyx Sporting I could make you a sweet deal on. Same basic 686 action as the current Silver Pigeon, but minus the gaudy machine "engraving". Excellent condition. 32" barrels. Wider rib than a field gun and heavier. Also target-type sight beads instead of single brass bead, and non-automatic safety. Includes full set of factory Optima extended chokes and factory hard case. Great shooter. Trap, skeet, hunting, 5 stand, sporting clays, it will do it all. Let me know if you're interested and I can text you some photos. I'm in Puyallup. Thanks.

 

[powersbj]

I shoot 5 stand with a Winchester 1300 i got at a pawn shop for a couple hundred bucks, to me that has been a solid return on the cost to fun ratio.

 

[Lesliet]

I use the holosun with the eotch redical, smashes clays and ducks.

What an evil idea.... *grin* I think I want to try this.

 

[Hemlock]

If you're going to try the clay target games and hunt with it too, A Mossberg 12 gauge will do just fine. Get one with wood and you won't look out of place at the club. Step up to a Remington 870 or 1100 for a little more money. Either will last you a lifetime.
If you take a liking to one of the clay target games, They are not all the same, then you may want to invest in a shotgun more specialized for that discipline. And you could still hunt with it. Guys at the club are always willing to help a new shooter. Especially trap. They always want to tell you what's good for you!

 

[Mr Smith]

Vepr-12 is a great gun once set up properly for you, but not ideal for a trap/skeet/sporting clay range or hunting. (it's heavy, and single loading a box mag is a pain in the arse.) It's more of a 3-gun or home defense type of gun. That's not to say I've never used it for clays because I certainly have..Just using my own trap launcher at a rifle range without the 1-2rd restrictions, rather than a proper shotgun range that puts those restrictions on you.

Out of the box:


Post modifications:




For trap, skeet, sporting clays, and hunting: over/under shotguns are hard to beat. They load quickly, they meet all requirements, and usually handle nicely for the disciplines. Also easier to clean up your shot shells as they aren't ejected out the side all over the place like a semi auto.

Depends on the gun though. I'd stick to a "sporting" over/under (especially from Beretta as their field guns have that stupid auto-safety.) Sporting guns tend to be the most well rounded/versatile out of the various over/unders out there. Trap guns have a high rib on them which is not ideal for any discipline outside of trap. And field guns really depend on the manufacturer, but they tend to be extra light (higher felt recoil) unless they're a goose gun, and some have auto safeties.

Don't buy a goose gun for sporting clays and skeet...they're going to be extra heavy, more awkward to shoulder, and slower to swing.

Chokes will need changed for the different disciplines. Trap and most sporting clays (and probably hunting) can get away with running modified chokes usually. But for skeet: you're gonna want cylinder and improved cylinder chokes as the targets will be close and fast moving side to side.

I shoot trap and sporting clays every weekend, and this is my weekend warrior for that:
CZ (Huglu) Drake with a kick eez grind to fit recoil pad, and a pair of extended choke tubes in light mod and mod. (CZ Drakes use Beretta/Benelli Mobile choke system)
Certainly not the prettiest gun, but it gets the job done. Consistently hit 24/25 in trap and sporting clays I've gotten better at but some stands and distances just need different chokes but it handles the vast majority of it just fine without changing out the chokes.


If I had the money...I'd probably get a Beretta silver pigeon sporting or similar. But Miroku (Browning) makes a nice gun as well. I'd just prefer the Beretta because they're made to spec and as such have replacement stocks and barrels, etc. readily available for them and they're built to last a lifetime. They're the kinds of guns you pass down several generations.

 

[tlfreek]

thanks Mr. Smith - great response, like the rest. I think the O/U might be the way to go. I would like something nice, but not too nice. while I would like a 12 gauge only because i have one now, should i consider a 20? There is a Ruger Red Label that is for sale for 1500 on this site which I am considering, but a little hesitant because the last thing I really want is another caliber. But with that said, does it have the reach of the 12, easier to shoot?

 

[solv3nt]

thanks Mr. Smith - great response, like the rest. I think the O/U might be the way to go. I would like something nice, but not too nice. while I would like a 12 gauge only because i have one now, should i consider a 20? There is a Ruger Red Label that is for sale for 1500 on this site which I am considering, but a little hesitant because the last thing I really want is another caliber. But with that said, does it have the reach of the 12, easier to shoot?

While I have not owned a 20ga, I have shot quite a few critters with a 12ga, and it is my opinion that unless you're going for range, the 12ga may be overkill.

 

[Mr Smith]

Why not both? Briley and similar companies make tubes for certain beretta and browning shotguns that will reduce a 12G down to 20G.. same gun different gauge. I've never tried them before, but I know they're out there. Cost about as much as a cheap second gun too though... I personally stick to 12ga, but I know a lot of people like to get their wives and children smaller calibers for less felt recoil. Then again: one of the females of our group that comes out every other weekend shoots a 12ga and she handles it just fine and never complains about it.

Reach would typically favor a 12 over a 20 as shot typically exits the barrel at higher velocity out of a 12 than a 20, but it really comes down to the gun and the load being shot out of it. Bottom line though: they'll both get the job done.


It sounded like a member who posted above was offering a nice Beretta. If I were you I would ping him and get more details on it and the price. But if you just want a starter gun to see if you will even like it or not...A cheap turkish gun for under a grand is a good start like a tri-star or a CZ. Heck a Weatherby Orion is a nice over/under as well...and they're an absolutely gorgeous gun for the price point. My only gripe with them is that they were so light. It could have just been the one I shot, but it felt ridiculously light like the stock had no weight in it....not hard to fix though...Just secure some tungston or lead inside the stock and give it a little more chonk.

edit: looking at mfg claimed weight of the orion, and my drake...my drake claims to be lighter... so that said I think the owner of the orion took the weights out of his gun to make it lighter cause that thing felt like it only weighed about 4-5lbs.. it almost felt like a toy it was so light. So take my earlier gripe of that gun with a grain of salt as it may have been an isolated issue that the owner of the gun caused rather than the manufacturer. I'd still consider one either way.

 

[trevi]

I went all in. I own an 12g O/U and SXS, both by CZ. I also bought an automatic clay pigeon thrower but have not really got a chance to use it, was rained out that day. I am thinking of selling the O/U and stick to the SXS but I will not know until I actually test it all.

If you were close, I'd invite you to shoot with me, of course you'd have to bring your own ammo.

 

[FourTeeFive]

Buddy of mine was a very good trap shooter when he was a teenager. I think he won a few regional competitions in his age group. He stopped doing it but we used to talk about going out to the range sometime. One day I convinced him and he borrowed his dad's 870 goose gun and we went to the range. This was years ago and we were a couple of scruffy looking college students with a beat up pump gun. Then he started shooting. It was a lot of fun seeing all the doctors and lawyers with their multi-thousand dollar Italian guns watch him disintegrate clay after clay.

The moral of the story is, it's the shooter and not the gun. My wife and I have some inexpensive guns (CZ 720 for her, Benelli Nova 20-gauge for me) and just go out and have fun. Both guns are good for other purposes too but it still wasn't a big investment. If I got really into it I'd consider getting a really nice clay gun, but I don't see that happening.

 

[Deerhurst]

Buddy of mine was a very good trap shooter when he was a teenager. I think he won a few regional competitions in his age group. He stopped doing it but we used to talk about going out to the range sometime. One day I convinced him and he borrowed his dad's 870 goose gun and we went to the range. This was years ago and we were a couple of scruffy looking college students with a beat up pump gun. Then he started shooting. It was a lot of fun seeing all the doctors and lawyers with their multi-thousand dollar Italian guns watch him disintegrate clay after clay.

The moral of the story is, it's the shooter and not the gun. My wife and I have some inexpensive guns (CZ 720 for her, Benelli Nova 20-gauge for me) and just go out and have fun. Both guns are good for other purposes too but it still wasn't a big investment. If I got really into it I'd consider getting a really nice clay gun, but I don't see that happening.

This true but the gun helps. Find what fits you and everything will fall into place. I did youth nationals for trap in highschool. I borrowed my instructor's shotgun which was some crazy cripple stock thing. It basically shot it's self. Whatever it was that cripple stock fit me perfect!

 

[bbbass]

To reiterate, with traditional style of shotgun shooting, it's all about the swing.... you swing the shotgun, you don't point it like a rifle. With a rifle, fit doesn't matter as much. But when swinging a shotgun, if the fit isn't right, you won't shoot it well. That's why traditionally in England shops had shotgun fitters and it was a big deal... took all the measurements (with an adjustable stock) and then a long time to get your shotgun.

That's why I like longer action shotguns for traditional trap, and shorter action shotguns for skeet. For hunting, I used a longer heavier gun for duck and goose for a smooth/steady swing, for pheasant a medium length action with a 26" barrel, and for Huns and quail a light fast swinging 20ga o/u.

All that said, I have a buddy that really isn't into shotguns, he point shoots his Rem 3200, and outshot me on trap and rabbits. That probably means sporting clays too. I also have buddies that can snap shoot a running elk in the neck with a .338WinMag. Not me. Sigh.

 

[bbbass]

12ga vs 20ga is about shot density, ease of carry, and speed of swing.

1. 12ga having more shot density may be overkill on some game, but definitely an advantage on others. It allows you to hammer a tougher bird like ducks, pheasant, chukar, reach out farther for same (because the shot cone expands as it travels out, and higher shot density saves the day), and have a higher percentage of hits in trap (because of less chance of hole in your pattern).

2. Inside the duck/goose blind, a heavier gun can be a good thing because it steadies the gun for pass shooting and provides a smooth swing on birds flaring over decoys. But carry that same heavy gun out on the breaks of the Snake River for chukar and you will know the difference quickly. Problem is, chukar are tough birds, so I switched back to my 12ga. Tho I still preferred carrying the 20ga while hiking the hills for Huns.

3. A 20ga SxS or O/U is going to swing faster on a surprise bust/jump of a pheasant, or a busted covey of quail, than will a Rem1100 12ga. That's not to say that a good shooter cannot do well on those with a heavy gun, it's just easier with the lighter one. IMO/IME