I need a cheap Skeet/Trap shotgun

Dave McC said:
BTW, the folks with the high end, mission specific gamer guns are rarely snobs.
Mostly, the possession of same doesn't indicate snobbery but commitment…
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Well said. Some of the nicest folks I know shoot with mission specific gamer guns.

I've made no secret that my favorite shotgun sport is Skeet. I've tried them all, and keep coming back to Skeet. In support of the sport, I try to encourage new shooters. At my club we dedicated a field for Skeet introduction. It included such things as hold point references (illegal in tournaments) foot positions painted on the pavement and graphics of the recommended leads at each presentation. These are basics that can be hard to learn if self-taught. I've coached new shooters who catch-on quickly with the single targets, but crash and burn at the double presentations because they're awkward shucking the cob. Rather than learning to pump proficiently or get an O/U or auto, they frequently just give up in frustration. Another potential Skeet enthusiast is lost to poor equipment selection. This is why I discourage pump guns for new shooters.
 
Anyone new to skeet can request all singles(at least where I shoot); when ready for doubles, go with doubles on report.
 
Use your pump...

First off Skeet and Trap are two different animals that use different shotgun setups. Trap usually is "28-30 bbls w/ Full-Improved Modified chokes and heavier gun then skeet. Skeet uses "26-28 bbls with Cylinder or Skeet chokes. Skeet to me is a faster environment...field guns usually make good skeet guns.

I bring this up because most people shoot one or the other. Maybe now a days more people do crossover but in general heavy shooters stick to one. As someone mentioned what is your goal.

I'd use your current shotgun and see which you like the most Skeet or Trap. Then start planning on what you'd need. It can get expense once you start shooting a 100 clays a day. So see if your in it for the long haul before you start laying out money for a shotgun setup for just Trap/Skeet.

Before you all flame me about your Cousin's girlfriends Dad's best friend that use a 28 ga "24 XX-Full-choke. I'm talking generalities here just getting the guy started with basic information. If someone addressed the differences between the two earlier I'm sorry for the dredging it up.

I guess nobody uses Double-barrels (SxS) anymore. My skeet gun was a Double-barrel in 16 ga no choke. Killed a lot of Clays & Grouse with that thing.
 
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While my friend Zippy is a dyed-in-the-wool Skeeter, I am not - I love Sporting Clays and FITASC (Just shot a tournament this morning). I shoot a 32" 12 gauge O/U if I want my best scores, and a 30" 20 gauge O/U for my next best scores. We have many shooters that shoot this monthly event, and O/Us and semis are what you see, not pumps or SxS.

Two quick shots are more readily accomplished in those sports with the semi or O/U.
 
1-oz
A 32-inch barreled O/U for FITASC !? -- Is that typical these days, or are you a memeber of BigJimP's longer barrel brigade?
 
Zippy - I have also used it from a low gun mount for skeet - works great. Our FITASC can have some targets that take a long time in flight and can still be out there a ways......
 
The Maverick 88 with 18 inch cyl barrel is as good as any P or K gun on the field and better than any auto loader ever built...

They are just misunderstood, under rated or over looked by all them snob elmer fudd types...

Okay that was a sarcastic joke and not meant to be taken seriously...

It is these type of posts that get a poster called out as not knowing guns much at all...
Brent
 
Brent, I just heard via my cousin's girlfriend's dad's best friend that the M-88 with the 18-inch cyl bore barrel has been banned from competition because it gives the shooter an unfair advantage over the P and K gun shooters. I checked Snopes, but they have nothing, have you heard anything to substantiate this? ;)
 
It's starting to sound like the gun does it all and all by it's self. ?

No quality practice needed. ?

No commitment needed, blame the gun or ammo. ?

No shooter technique needed. ?

No skill development desired. ?
 
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Noyes, that is not the case at all... For instance I put junior onto the BMX track at age 4, I was low budget compared to many but at least he was on a job specific bike.

Those who showed up with a "Huffy" didn't stand a chance against the real race bike riders.

Just no way they could compete. No matter the practice or determination, a 20 pound bike with cheap bearings and the sort couldn't hang with a sub 12 pound bike with the skinny tires inflated to 110 psi rolling on sealed "abec 12" grade bearings.

Junior was on a highly modified (extensive drilling and other lightening work) entry level racer but he was competing against kids on $4,000 bikes made of titanium with carbon fiber forks and rims.

He still pulled off a second place season for his age for the entire state of florida.

Job specific is very helpful for the person to attain the best possible performance for their level of commitment. For a true test, take a single shot break barrel NEF to a doubles match and let me know how you do.

It ain't all about the gun but it ain't all about the shooter either.

Brent
 
Its about time I converted some of you guys to 30" and 32" barrels ( or at least a 30" barrel on your semi-autos )...

"shorter is never better ...."
 
It's not the arrow. it's the indian.

Actually not 100% true. One needs the proper tool for the job to do quality work.

If you are going to shoot doubles a pump would be a hardship. It's tough enough with the right equipment.

If you get in to clays much you will find your shotgun to be the cheapest part of the whole deal. Those boxes of shells and round fees add up pretty fast.
 
Gents (and ladies),

Thanks so much for all the info.. I think i have decided against the 870, and am going to go with a Auto that should also suffice if I ever pick pack up Goose hunting again....

Dont know which auto yet, it seems Shotgun prices have ballooned up since i remember last paying attention to prices..
 
What is wrong with using a pump?
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Now my horse is laughing even more. :D

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7 1/2s are the max

A previous poster recommended # 6 shot. Don't use anything bigger than 7 1/2 for trap. Have not started shooting skeet yet but I think it is the same.

Most ranges and clubs are of finite size, the larger pellets carry farther and may not remain on the clubs property. At our club large pellets could hit cars out on the highway, not good.
Besides those darn clays are hard enough to hit using the right ammo and equipment.
 
everything i've read and heard is 7.5 is the largest shot that can be used at the clay shooting games.

i like using #8 for everything i shoot. :)
 
Ricklin said:
If you get in to clays much you will find your shotgun to be the cheapest part of the whole deal. Those boxes of shells and round fees add up pretty fast.
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AMEN! +1
You've hit on a point that's often overlooked. And, if you get into competition you've got to throw in the tournament fees as well as the costs for travel and accommodations. Shotguns are cheap compared to the price of the motor-home you take to the away tournaments.
 
I'm in a similar situation...

I bought a used 870 for $350 about a year ago. It has the 18.5" barrel, an adjustable (4 position) A4 style pistol grip stock and a 7+1 mag extenstion. I added swivels and a sling for $20.

I took the gun to the local clay range and asked if I could shoot it there. The answer was "No; you need a 22" barrel and cannot have a pistol grip." So, I bought a 28" Vented Rib Remington barrel with a screw in modified choke for $199 from the pro shop. I also bought a stock synthetic 870 stock from ebay for $30. So for about $599 I have a shotgun that can be configured in about 30 different ways. For everything from "You got to be kidding, a pistol grip 12 ga. with a 28" barrel" to a small tatictal SD/HD shotgun, to a long 28" barreled clays gun.

On Thursday I will take my first sporting clays lesson. The instructor said he will teach me on the 870 and also let me try his semi. He is excited since he shoots lefthanded and so do I. I will let you know how it comes out!

I have only recently shot shotguns at a Cowboy Action Shooting event where your choice is pump, lever or SxS. These people are FAST! They pick up an empty shotgun, load two shells, shoot two targets, and then reload and shoot two more targets. One event I saw on TV had the second shotgun target send a flyer when it was hit. In that case, after you hit your second target, you had to RELOAD two shells, acquire the target, break the clay and then swing down to the fourth static target. All on the clock, shortest time wins! If you want to see some seriously fast pump and SxS shooting, watch Cowboy Action Shooting. Lever action shotguns are interesting but simply too slow compared to the pump and SxS.

So, since I want to do both Clays and Cowboy, I figure I will learn to quickly manipulate the pump on the 870. If I decide to get serious in sporting clays I will probably get a purpose built gun.

So lets see... 1897 12 Ga for Cowboy, 1895 Lever Rifle for Cowboy, a pair of single action revolvers for cowboy, the 870 for home defense, and a autoloader 12ga for sporting clays. I probably will need a 12Ga for trap after I get in to the sporting clays, and another one for skeet. Yes, my wife is going to love me buying all of these! :D
 
I've used a benelli nova pump shotgun for years used to use a Beretta Urika 390 had a lot of hang ups and switched back to the nova. I shoot average 92-96 out of 100.
 
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