Just got back from my first sporting clays lesson...
As promised, here is my review of my first experience shooting clays under the guidance of a NSCA Certified level 1 Instructor.
I showed up with my Remington 870 Magnum Express with a 28” vented rib barrel and a modified choke. I had my ear plugs and ear muffs and eye protection.
At the pro shop I bought 75 rounds of #8 shot shells with 1 oz. loads In 12 gauge. Then I headed out to the training station on the range taking the LONG way around the range. I didn’t realize how huge that range is. It has 24 sporting clays stations, 12 trap fields, 12 skeet fields and a number of combined trap and skeet fields.
Once on station, I worked with the instructor to determine if I am left eye dominant or right eye dominant. Turns out “it depends” on where I am focusing. For distance I am left eye dominant. For closer in I am right eye dominant. I told him I could shoot right handed or left handed but prefer left handed. The instructor decided to put me through some shooting trials. He said I was a first for him in that I shoot equally well (or poorly
) from either side!
So we did many drills with the 870. I shot about 30 or so shells from the 870. Then the instructor had me use his Berretta autoloader. I then finished off another 45 shells with the Berretta. Here is what I learned about the two shotguns:
• My Remington was a lot heavier than his Berretta even though both guns were about the same size.
• With the autoloader, I was able to focus on the birds more.
• With the pump I tended to focus on the gun rather than the bird resulting in more missed birds
• His Berretta had a nice walnut stock and beautiful engraving that was silvered to stand out from the receiver. My black synthetic stock Remington looked ugly in comparison
• When pointed right, both guns busted the clays equally well. Although the Berretta had an improved cylinder choke to my Remington Modified choke. This meant that I had a better chance of hitting the bird with the Berretta because of the larger pattern.
• The Remington recoil pad is square at the top of the stock while the Berretta had a rounded recoil pad. The square recoil pad kept hanging up on my shirt when moving from low mount to high mount. Guess I need to modify the recoil pad
• I loved the autoloader, but can use the pump as well. Guess I need to buy a sporting clays specific autoloader! (Honey, I need another gun!)
Another thing I learned is that a shooting vest is a really good idea. I was wearing a long sleeved dress shirt with a pocket on the left breast. Shooting left handed, the shotgun kept hanging up in my pocket when going from high mount to low mount. And when going from low mount to high mount the shirt would stick to the recoil pad making it difficult to properly mount the gun.
Also, hearing protection was an issue. I stopped using the ear muffs as they interfered with mounting the gun. The in ear canal plugs worked fine.
I expected some soreness in my shoulders from firing the 12 gauge, but they are fine; sort of. I did not realize that it took so much muscle just to hold the gun out. The shoulder muscles that have been trained for 32 years to put my arms on a keyboard became fatigued after 50 shells due to the weight of the guns. The last 25 shells were a challenge because of the shoulder muscles being tired. Yet, I was still busting clays to the end!
We had three goals for the day
1. Be Safe – we accomplished this goal. At one point a gardener drove his cart in to the field of fire from the tree line to the left of the shooting station. The instructor noticed him just before I did. Needless to say, we stopped immediately and got the gardener’s attention. He then came over and we yielded to field to him for 10 minutes so he could do what he needed to do. This was a welcome relief for my tired shoulders, and the instructor took the opportunity for some non-gun teaching. Once the gardener was finished, we retrieved our guns from the rack and got right back to the lesion.
2. Have Fun! Well, I had a blast! I would like to get my wife out there to join me on the range. I think she would have fun as well. I think she wants to do this as she called me immediately after the lesson to ask how it went. We accomplished this superbly!
3. Bust some clays – I busted my first clay with my first shot. After that I was hooked.
And one final lesson; Berretta autoloader fore ends do not move like Remington 870 pump fore ends! I guess the pump action became automatic very quickly so that I tried to pump the Berretta after the first shot.
No, the instructor did not laugh.
The cost for the day was $35 for an hour of instruction and $53 for 100 clay targets and 75 shot shells.
All I can say is, GET OUT THERE AND DO THIS! It is a blast and not that expensive (after you get your gun and gear).
glad you had a fun,positive time learning about this game many of us love so much.