Back after quite an absence.

O

OkieCruffler

New member
Finally made it to the skeet feild after over a year. Thought I'd be a bit rusty, but managed to shoot a personal best of 23. Even tried to shoot a round with my 870. I think I shot around a 15 but I may be abit generous with that. Just couldn't seem to get that whole pump the action, release the trigger thing down for the doubles. I think if I get the chokes opened up on this SXS I may be able to shoot a 25 some day. Hey, a guy can dream can't he?
 
Once you get warmed up and tired of that boring skeet (sorry Zippy!), step on down to the 5-stand or sporting course and have some real fun!......:D
 
OkieCruffler,
Congratulations, if you can shoot your your personal best after a year's hiatus you're doing OK. With Skeet and trap using your personal best is a good reference point and there's an obtainable goal, of a 25-straight, to pursue. This is not the case with oneounceload's convict sports (where you shoot from a cage, or stand). With these, they are continually changing the presentations, so comparing scores from session to sessions is meaningless. It seems they are purposefully making it nearly impossible to shoot a clean round.

Your experience with a 870 serves to reinforce my repeated attempts to dissuade new Skeet shooters from selecting a pump. While learning Skeet, there are plenty of other factors involved to keep you fully occupied -- why unnecessarily complicate the process?

If you're looking to maximize your Skeet scores, then opening the chokes on your SxS will be a definite advantage. It may quickly make the difference between your 23 and a 25-straight. Hopefully you already have screw-ins and it's just a matter of getting a pair of Skeet inserts. Otherwise, depending on the value of your gun, you can do it yourself (if you have the skills and equipment), have it done professionally, or have screw-ins installed.
 
Actually it was the cursed sporting clays that took me away from the skeet field fo awhile. Luckily this club only allows such foolishness on Saturdays. Shooting clays as they bounce around on the ground :rolleyes:. Honestly, who came up with such lunacy?
 
Bounce on the ground, shoot straight up in the air, incoming dropping and curling at once, quartering in, quartering out, battues, chondelles, minis, midis, rabbits..................

Variety IS the spice of life after all...........:D
 
Hey - the more games the merrier ....( except too much Trap - now that is boring ..) ....

Come on Zippy - the way you gague your day on a sporting clays course is to compare your score to the top gun by class ... if an 86 was HOA for the day and you shoot a 70 ....its a pretty good day or about 81.4% ....or compare yourself to the class high shooters even if you're not a registered shooter - Master 86 / AA 82 / A 78 / B 70 .... C / D / E .......if I can shoot as well as whoever won Class A or B ...its been at least a respectable day. ( kind of like a slope rating for a golf course ) ...

I'm not as good as Zippy is ....I'll consider a 23 avg a pretty good day on a skeet field ....( with any gague ).
 
I don't compare scores to anyone else but myself - if it's a course I have shot before - even if it has been changed - then I compare my shooting skills at a station or course to what I did the week before..........
 
Yep, the scoring is like the difference between golf and bowling. If a guy rolls a 300 you know he's a real bowler; but, with golf, par varies from course to course. For me, knowing a bowling average is more accurate, and satisfying, than knowing a golf handicap.

….I'll consider a 23 avg a pretty good day on a skeet field ….
Click to expand...
I don't know how many times I've had someone tell me they easily get 23 or better every time they practice Skeet. I convince them with scores like that, they are ready to shoot NSSA targets (An avg of 23 is 92% and would be solidly in C-Class). When they actually start shooting NSSA targets it quickly becomes apparent that they can't routinely shot 23s. They've been fooling themselves, in reality they are a D-Class shooter and are lucky to get one 23 round in a 100-target event.

There are some shooters out there (you know who you are) who, on their best day, once shot a clays score up there with the Masters (if may have been that the real Masters were having a bad day) and convince themselves that they are a Master Class shooter. My club used to have an annual event that combined 2 100-target Skeet events and 2 100-target Trap events over two days. It was always an eye opener to see how poorly some of the self-proclaimed hot shooters performed. It was generally these guys who flocked over to the clay sports when they were first available in my area. Some were trying to be the big frog in the little pond. The sport has grown up since then; but, the attitude still prevails with some shooters.

There are enough varieties within the shotgun sports that everyone should be able to find their niche. It's not only the targets; but, how the games are shot: with trap it's every man for himself -- each man an island on his post; with Skeet it's a team event with each man up individually. Often people will gravitate to one of the sports based more on the personalities of its shooters rather than their ability.

In the long run, it really doesn't matter as long as you're having fun shooting whatever game(s) you shoot.
 
OKEY DOKEY Zippy my friend.........bring your P guns to FL where it's flat and we walk, and come shoot some fun targets - I'll buy - one course is "skeet in the woods" which should work for you guys that can't hit chondelles...........:D

you guys have to get over worrying about perfect scores, because those of us who shoot sporting and hunt birds know that perfect scores don't happen
 
Good to see you, John! Welcome back.

And ignore the snibbling, it's just in fun. Real shotgunners shoot any game they want to, and make some up as they go.

This weekend I shall shoot Chinese Trap with the Geezers, some wobble, 5 stand and maybe some SC. Maybe even a round or two of trap singles.

All in all,I shall have major fun. And THAT is the point....
 
I've found a pretty decent group of folks to shoot with. I'm the youngest by a few decades, the retired group shoots on Tuesday after lunch. Alot of money on that field, alot of guns I've never seen up close before. I was the only 12 shooting, the rest of the field was split pretty evenly between 20's and 28's with one guy shooting a .410 (quite well I might add). I'm giving some thought to dropping to a 20. I've had some problems in that shoulder, a clot put me in the hospital for a week last year. not as bad righnt now, but I definately feel the numbness and ache in my right arm.
I got lucky on that 23, I usually go about 18. a 20 is a good day for me at skeet. I do quite abit better at trap and can't wait to try wobble.
 
My friends, BigJimP and oneounceload, and I may tease each other about our games of choice; but, we're in agreement about the 28-ga -- it's a joy to shoot. If you're recoil sensitive, or have had recent shoulder work like you and BigJim, go with a 28. It's a great gauge for Skeet: it breaks targets like a 20-ga and kicks like a .410-bore.
 
The problem with the 28 is I'd have to buy the gun which is bad enough, but then the reloader, hulls and other components. As I type this I already have 2 cases of 20's loaded.
 
No need for the gun - get a set of tubes - will weigh that 20 down about a pound more (great for recoil), and then shoot lighter loads - you'll think you're shooting a .22 (OK almost anyway)

And don't listen to Dave - the three of us - Zippy, me and Jim are some of the rare breeds here who think a shotgun is a great thing for breaking targets with that doesn't involve buckshot, flashlights, and M4 style stocks, so we welcome another like us!
 
Well you won't find any plastic on any gun in this house. Nasty cold stuff with no soul like Satan has on his shotgun. I prefer a nice Birch, or a good piece of walnut just like the good Lord has on his SXS.
 
geez ...I actually had to get some work done this morning ...and you guys are just hanging out and having fun ...:(

Hey, I know I'm a C class shooter and proud of it !:D I still say a 23 avg is a good day for me on a skeet field / its rare when I post a 25 ... off and on/high 2 aggravates me / and lately low 6 is getting on my nerves ...but 23's, 24's are good scores to me(21's and 22's mean I need to focus more !) / but I don't care about shooting registered. I've even let my membership in NSCA go for sporting ...although I intend to shoot 6 or so events this year ...just locally...nothing big.

Like someone said - if it isn't fun / why do it. I want to shoot well ...but somedays the shoulder hurts / or the bicep repair hurts (or both) ...somedays they eyes blurr out big time ....but it is / what it is !!

Oh come on now .... you have to have at least one good piece of carbon fibre laying in the gun safe ......( mine is a Benelli Super Sport ) and even if Zippy says its ugly ...and it is - sort of ...just having a big safe full of fancy walnut stocks isn't the only way to go ....

But yes, I enjoy shooting a 28ga / I have a bunch of Browning O/U's including XS Skeet model Citori's - made in 12, 20 and 28ga and a .410 ...it isn't as good a system / as a full set of tubes ...but I like having the 4 guns as well. There is something special about the 28ga ( but yes, you do have to get into a loader if you're going to shoot it much ) ......but here a MEC, there a MEC ...and pretty soon you have them all covered !! I do load for all 4 gagues ( and for about 6 calibers in handguns as well ) ...but every guy needs a hobby !
 
Last edited:
Here's the difference - in school a 92 average was an "A"; in skeet, merely good enough for "C" class; in sporting, a 92 AVERAGE would make you one of the best shooters in the country and have you in "Master" class - the difficulty is there. I shot a course today - managed an 82 while cohorts were more in the 60's - doesn't mean I'm great or they suck, just means I had a decent day.

Okie - come to the dark side with sporting - we have cookies!;) (and more fun razzing each other)
 
If this place shot sporting on weekdays I honestly probably wouldn't have bothered with skeet again. Sporting clays is like shotgun crack.

What's strange about this outing is I hit the low8 twice, I don't think I've ever hit it before. But then I missed low 7 twice and that has to be the easiest shot. Have you ever hit that low 8 dead center with a full choked 12 with a 1 1/8oz load? NOw that be cool.:D
 
BigJim,
I don't recall, did I say your Benelli is "ugly" or "funny looking"?
After witnessing you take it down in a flash, I gotta admit it's sweet on the inside.

oneounceload,
There's no question about the difficulty factor in any of the games. How many times have we seen a top shooter miss a Low 7 in Skeet or a 16-yd straight away from Post 3? But, in the clay games how do you similarly describe an "easy target" (that can be treacherous) so everyone knows exactly what you're talking about?

OkieCruffler,
Don't take any target too lightly. I watched top Skeet shooters (including a world champ) lose an "in-the-bag" 100-straight by missing a Low 7 or 8 in the fourth round.

A 1/2-oz load from a .410-bore outta a Skeet choke will ink-ball a Low 8 if you hit it dead center -- it's a very satisfying end to a round -- and extra special if you do two in a row. Going after Low 8 with a full choked 12-ga and 1-1/8 oz is a different story. Everyone I've ever shot with has used their widest choke at Station 8, never a full.

I once heard of a guy who used an extra full choke 12-ga at Low 8, and hit the target squarely with the full 1-1/8 oz. The target was hit so hard that all of it's mass became energy -- there was a bright flash of light and an explosion. It knocked the squad back onto their butts, temporarily blinded them, and left a small crater below the hit point. They were fortunate that he was a quick shooter and took the target right out of the window. Can you imagine the massacre had he hit it directly overhead? ;)
 
Some folks manage a pump on doubles better than others. I never felt to be at a real disadvantage with mine- the poor fit with the adjustable stock was more a problem.

It always amazes me how, in skeet, you can shoot a personal best, then turn around and drop back a ways for a while before getting back up there. I shot my first 25 straight a few weeks ago, and haven't even put up a 22 since (of course, part of the problem is I've been shooting by myself and the delay doesn't do the shooter any favors).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top