I'm already thinking about a 12 gauge trap gun...

A

Anthony66

Moderator
well, at least not at the immediate moment. But this summer sometime. I like (love) my Browning White Lightning, and another Browning is not unlikely. Even thinking about a good condition BPS trap model. Hard to find though. Can't afford a new or even mint O/U, so a pump would do the trick. I used to shoot trap with my uncle, really enjoyed it. I plan on selling my Remington 1100 to help finance the purchase!
 
Oops... sounds like you've swallowed the shotgunning hook.

Why not get a trap stock and barrel for your 1100?
 
Leo Harrison III rode an 1100 all the way into the ATA HOF. Other 1100 owners use them to beat the dickens out of other trapshooters.

Ed Clapper (AKA AverageEd in Cyberspace) added a trap barrel and Jack West stock to an 1100 and loves it. He can be reached through Shotgun Sports magazine.

Most 1100s used for trap have a shell catcher to trap the empty hull as it's ejected. It can be as simple as a rubber band, small wire,etc. This keeps you from dinging them off the guy to your right with all those gold ducks on his Parker A1 Special SBT.

Were I setting up a dedicated trap gun, this is the most likely road I'd take..
 
The factory R-1100 trap barrel has a little stud that attenuates ejection so you won't bother your neighbor. If you're a reloader and don't want the hulls landing at your feet, then get a shell catcher.
 
I'm not an autoloader fan. I hate having to strip and clean them. Plus my 1100 is not in the greatest condition. Bought it used about three years ago, just to shoot hand tossed clays and to do a little duck hunting. I would need a new stock and a barrel with choke tubes. I'm really leaning towards another Browning or a nice Remington 870 trap... :)
 
...." Another Browning or a nice 870 trap"....

There's many roads in Shotgunland. Try out amessaguns, see what works for YOU.

Most of those roads are major fun. Enjoy....
 
For Trap ...singles, continental, etc....I prefer an O/U ...and the Browning Citori XT with 32" barrels is tough to beat.

On a budget - there are lots of used XT's out there ....but if Trap Singles is all you want to shoot ( vs doubles, or Continental, or Bunker Trap ..) then a good single barrel like the older BT-100 or the newer BT-99 are good choices as well.

Trap shooters are a really superstitious group ...if they miss 3 targets out of 150 ..on a cloudy day, when the moon is in its 3rd stage..and they saw a robbin flying south...they'll sell that gun in a heartbeat ...and buy at least 3 more ...just because !! So every shotgun club out there ...has a dozen shotguns for sale on the bulletin board....and 25 shooters that have guns they'll sell / but they can't be bothered to put notes on the board.

If you want a good used Citori XT - in 32" ( they made a 30" as well / but most guys find it too light for Trap ) ....just ask around ...and I'll bet you find at least 6 of them in a month...some with Gracoils on them, etc....

Here is a used XT - 32" with a gra coil unit on it ...and a very nice Turkish Walnut upgraded stock ...that I bought used about 8 yrs ago for around
$ 2K ....( gun was made in 2002 ) ...and somebody paid at least $ 5K just a few yrs before they sold it.

Shotguns 11-10-08 019.jpg

Shotguns 11-10-08 018.jpg

One of my buddies did buy a Browning BPS Trap - pump gun ....about 8 months ago ...and he likes it a lot...and I think it was about $ 700. I don't see many Trap ..pump guns around ...

but Jack West stocks...makes a parallel adj comb ...for 870's, 11-87's and 1100's ... and its synthetic...and reasonably priced ..../ you might even give Jack a call ...and see if he has any 870's in stock that are all set up and ready to ship with his stocks on them.
 
Last edited:
BT-99 is one heck of a singles gun IMO.
Click to expand...
Yes, but it's a one-trick-pony.
I'm guessing, being new to trap, the OP's going to want to give doubles a try. That's when he's going to wish he had an O/U. When I got into trap, I started with an auto but soon went to a combo.
 
I use a Browning O/U with an awesome recoil setup in it, works great.

My friend just bought a new Beretta 400 Explora Extreme with the kickoff system. I could not believe that I felt no recoil shooting that gun! I wish they sold it with a wood grain, the black one he has is ok, the camo one is butt-ugly, but a good hunting gun I guess.
 
Not sure I like an OU for doubles.
Click to expand...
What's the alternative, a SxS? ATA rules prohibit ejecting shells at your neighbor and shell catchers on autos and pumps turn them into single shots.
 
Besides, why would you want two of the same cokes when shooting doubles? One will be closer than the second shot, so an IM/F or similar will work well for doubles at a distance
 
Not sure I like an OU for doubles. Very few come with the same choke in both barrels and tactics for the different chokes gets complicated.
Click to expand...

Nothing complicated about it. Shoot the one more nearly straight away in a hurry with the open choke bottom barrel, then swing on the other with the tight choke upper barrel. (Why the British call them under-overs, you typically fire the bottom barrel first on outgoers.) The last trapshooting I did, I used a screw choke o/u with IC bottom and Full top for doubles. Before, I had a solid choke IM & F that did ok.
 
Last time I went to Lehigh for Sporting Clays I used IM in the lower and Full in the upper, shot 84/100 using # 7 1/2. I was told I use far too tight of chokes and should also use #8 for this course. Next time I go I will try their suggestion and see if I do better. I shoot 90% of the course as Simo Pairs.

PS: It is cool to see the cloud of dust with these tight chokes on close targets! :D
 
+1 on what Weatherby said ....

Most decent shotguns have come with changeable screw in chokes now for the last 25 yrs...

You don't need more choke for Doubles than you do for Trap singles.../ a pair of Mod's from the 16 yd line is plenty.

Continental Trap is a little different ...birds are smaller and faster ...and angles are wider and lower and higher...where personally I shoot a Mod and an Improved Mod ( you shoot it from the 17 yd line ) ...but with some targets - they can really get away from you if you don't get on them pretty quickly / so I don't want to be too quick - I want a well executed shot ...so I make sure I have a little more choke for that 2nd shell, in case I need it.

At the same time, as you get better at singles...for a Handicapped event ...they move you back in yardage.../ so for singles from 16 - 20 yd lines I like a Mod choke / for 21 - 24 I like an Imp Mod / and 25 - 27 yd line I'll shoot a Full choke. It makes no sense to change guns...if you go with a fixed choke gun ...so screw in chokes are almost mandatory for Handicap Singles...even if you only shoot them for fun. I know some of the better shooters will just shoot a Full choke for Trap singles whether its from the 16 yd line - or at their handicapped distance...but for most of us, just out having some fun, that makes no sense.
 
Last edited:
PS: It is cool to see the cloud of dust with these tight chokes on close targets!
Click to expand...
Yes, but it's cooler to have fewer misses with a larger pattern. :D
There's and old saying among trap and skeet shooters: I'd rather have 100 chipped targets than a miss and 99 ink balls. All the "X"s look the same on the score sheet. And, one target is often the difference between champ and chump.
 
Even thinking about a good condition BPS trap model.
Click to expand...

I just picked up a Browning BPS Trap for my son-in-law. He's taking it out for the first time Saturday. He's a pretty good shot so I'll see how he does with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top