Model 12 Riot Gun for sporting clays?

C

Clead

New member
I have a 1929 Model 12 that I bought as a HD/Y2K gun and now I want to take it to the range. 20" barrel and cyl. bore. 1.Do I have any chance of being competitive in sporting clays? 2.Am I going to get laughed off the line by the SxS and O/U guys with their custom guns? Thanks for any help. :)
 
Heck, no, it's not an ideal clays gun.

Heck yes, you should take it to the range.

First, the practice will aid your handling skills no end,and instill confidence.

Second, you might be surprised, and surprising, at how good you do with it. My clays gun, for casual shooting, is an 870 I kitchen tabled from a receiver from the Md Pen and a 21" bbl with Colonial tubes installed.I do OK with it, and few have laughed.

And face it, how many folks are going to mock someone standing there holding a riot gun(G)?

Coupla suggestions....

First, get tubes installed, I'd get an IC or a Skeet II tube.

Then, get the forcing cone lengthened. This reduces pellet distortion and keeps them in the pattern. Lowers recoil a trifle too.

Next,pattern your weapon until you know where it hits, and adjust the stock if needed to place the pattern dead on or a little high.

Good luck and have fun, be safe....
 
I have OFTEN flirted with idea of shooting a round of sporting clays with a 12 guage 18 inch barreled muzzle loading coach gun.. of course I have to shoot with 5 other guys so i have time to reload.. and I'd always go last and we'd have to keep the next two positions open for fear of smoking them out... but the range officer had no problem with the idea.

The first time I ever shot sporting clays was with a remington sportsman 12 (870) magnum with a 26 inch vent rib barrel and rem choke with imp. cylinder. I didn't shoot very well. made me want to practice practice practice more.

So what if the guy with the $6000 shot gun and the $55000 "rangeprancer" scoffs.. just outshoot him and everything will be hunky dory.

Safty tip: some of those guys with gazillion dollar SUV's, nissan thermoses and high dollar shotguns are bankers, lawyers and doctors who have NEVER set foot in "the field" they shoot very well in spite of these things. ;)

Dr.Rob

[This message has been edited by Dr.Rob (edited January 10, 2000).]
 
Only a $6000 gun? You must be slumming it. :) I like to go and watch the guys get out of their hummers and land rovers, reach into the vehicles pulling out $12,000 shotguns and complain that the "field" isn't mowed. Then they wait for the 20 year old trophy wife to bring the golf cart around cause its too far to walk. Hmmmm, actually watching the 20 year old trophy wives is a good thing. :)

[This message has been edited by Ned Roundtree (edited January 10, 2000).]
 
Hi Clead,
I used my 1300 Defender, which I had modified for plates, for the 1st year I shot sporting clays. Actually, didn't do too bad.
It worked especially good for the bunnies. The worst part is you have to hunt for your hulls. I finally bought a Beretta silver pigeon sporting, but still use the 1300 once in a while just for tune up.

------------------
Good shootin to ya
Plateshooter
 
There's a guy at one of local ranges who keeps buying these worn-out ugly cheap old scatterguns ($50 or less) for skeet. He uses them to good effect just to annoy the folk with $3K Berettas and Brownings...
 
I once was outshot by a kid using an Ithaca deerslayer slug gun, he removed the scope prior to stepping into the box on stand one.

You might want to look into one of the three bird shoots that are becoming popular. Three targets are thrown either together or in some combination of following or report triples. Obviously with three birds in the air you can't use a double and must use an auto or pump. A lot of the guys with expensive doubles pull out the old 870 for the three bird tournaments.

Most clays courses can be shot with an IC choke, cylinder is probably too open. Many of the best shooters use Skeet 2 or Lt Modified chokes for everything.

Sporting Clays is supposed to be fun, don't be intimidated by the guys with golf carts and Orvis shooting vests, just go and shoot. The game will teach you about your gun and make you more proficient with your M12. Who knows, you may embarrass the guy with a $8000 gun driving the Kawasaki mule.

Geoff Ross
 
I recently went out as a guest of a good friend of mine, and my son and I shot several rounds with my 870. It's a parkerized 20", equipped with an extended tube and rifle sights.

A credit to their sport, not one person scoffed. Rather, every time either of us hit a bird, they yelled their encouragement.

Some very good shots were there, and some fine shotguns as well.

Just do it.
 
No, you won't be competitive. Many of the ranges around here post no riot guns. However, if you're serious and present a mature attitude and that's all you have, the club will usually provide a loaner free or charge a minimal fee. You may get snickers from a few snobs. So what? If a shotgunner jeers, he's probably an AH. Be happy you're not.
 
Go out and give it a try. Most places won't give you any trouble about your firearm as long as you handle it safely. Ask questions if you don't know something.
There are some real snobish clubs, but you probably would have to be a member to shoot there.
My favorite shotgun is my Remington 1100 with a 21" vent ribbed, choke tubed barrel. It is matte finished with a synthetic stock. It has a 7 round extended magazine.
I took it to the local Trap and Skeet club one Sunday to give it a try. Mind you, I had only tried trap about three times years ago. The "Old Guard" was looking at me sideways when I pulled the 1100 out.
I ended up busting 23 out of 25 on the 16 yard Trap range, 21 out of 25 on the 27 yard range, and on my first and only try at Skeet, busted 18 out of 25. After all the shooting was done, they all wanted to know what kind of gun it was and why a short barrel shot so good.
I went to a Sporting Clays benefit shoot with my brother-in-law and several of his friends. These were good guys and we had an assortment of hunting type shotguns, but I had the only "Black Gun". Out of 46 shooters that day, I came in 9th and won a little money.
Nobody can be competitive with a gun that doesn't fit them. This gun is my partner. It fits me pretty well, but it is for bowling pins, steel targets and goblins in the night. I don't hunt.

Neil Casper
 
Every year our scout troop devotes one camping trip to an informal skeet shoot. Just for fun, I bring along my Mossberg 590. The kids love it and some even do well enough to get the merit badge with it. That ain't too shabby. :D
 
And I thought I was unique - LOL
I joined a club last year, and brought along my 16 ga side-by, but was not doing well at skeet because it is choked Full/Mod. One old fellow asked if I had anything with a more open choke, and I happened to have my 20", 8-shot 590 with ghost ring sights in the car. Well, it flings bird just as well as buck and slug, and my breaks improved significantly. This is a very laid-back club, so the only remarks I get are good-naturedly about the "bark". I'm not in any hurry to buy an actual skeet gun any time soon.
 
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