Shotgun(s) good for trapshooting beginners

OP wants to shoot trap; 24" really doesn't work that well compared to at least 28; longer even better.
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OP stated that she is new to trapshooting shooting, 5'1" tall, 90 pounds and her shoulder and arms hurt after one round of 25 .....

My thoughts? While 30"+ barrels and one oz. loads are generally accepted by most as "working better" for trap, I'm thinking that they won't work at all for the OP.

My daughter shot trap in 6th grade ..... she was shorter than 5' then ..... she used an ancient Remington Model 10 in 20 guage, with a 7/8 oz. load of 7 1/2 shot ..... she did not win any shoots, but did pretty well for a beginner, becoming a competent wingshot, and outshooting some kids her age with 1,000 dollar guns. The gun was light enough for her to handle, and more importantly, did not beat the hell out of her. I don't know how old the OP is but if she's young and going to grow any, dropping thousands of dollars on a shotgun is foolish...... better to learn the basics with a basic shotgun she can handle well.

I imagine her arms hurt due to fatigue, and her bruised shoulder was no doubt due to recoil, a problem compounded by heavy loads, poor stock fit and inexperience .....

Fatigue can be mitigated by toning the muscles- and just being a strong muscled person is not going to necessarily tone all the right muscles used in trapshooting ..... I found that out when I used to shoot with my daughter at trap practice..... I've always been a pretty good wingshot and would nail the first 10-15 clays or so, no problem ..... but then would inexplicably start missing ..... her coach said that was fatigue setting in.... unless you condition yourself to shoot 25 shot stands, it'll happen....

The recoil issue- light loads, a heavy gun. and most importantly, good technique and correct stock fit will mitigate recoil ..... but none of that matters unless the shooter can hold the gun and point it well for a full round...... an 8 1/4 pound gun that is over 4 feet long and has a length of pull such that the girl can't shoulder it properly and still reach the trigger just isn't going to work.
 
First the OP needs is a gun that fits, and that can't be done over the Internet. A 28 or 30" gun weighing 7-3/4 to 8# and shooting 7/8 to 1oz loads will work just fine. I used to shoot with old small ladies - 5' to 5'4, all about 110# and while 1 shoots a 30" 20ga for clays, the other 2 shoot 30" 8-9# Brownings and Kreighoffs. FIT comes first.
 
I agree ... Fit comes first....and then fundamentals...

( her shoulder is hurting...so she has some flaws in the way she is mounting and probably gripping the gun and/or ..it probably doesn't Fit her ).

I understand she wants her own gun...but just buying something right now is not really her best option ...until she gets some help locally. If the club is big enough to rent guns...there has to be some experienced shooters that will gladly help her out.

A BT-99 ( or the older BT-100 ) ...are both nice guns / but they are "one trick pony's "....they are only good for shooting "singles"...and there are other Trap games where you do not shoot Single targets or you can load 2 shells ( like Continental Trap and Doubles )...so a single barrel, break open gun, may be a bad choice for her.
 
"...Get a Remington 1100 semi-auto..." That should read, get a Youth Remington 1100 semi-auto with a trap barrel. However, any Youth model semi-auto with a trap choke or changeable choke tubes will do though. Try it on for size first. You need a shorter LOP.
Cabela's is showing several brands running under a grand. $279.99 for a Remchoked barrel. $16.99 for a Carlson 'Skeet' choke tube. I think it's the same tube for any Remington shotgun.
 
The Browning BT-99 also comes in a "micro" version, with a shorter stock for smaller shooters. It has about a 13.5 inch pull instead of the normal 14.5 inch length of pull and is designed to fit smaller or junior shooters.

Length of pull is the distance from the butt pad to the trigger.
 
Yeah but you're forgetting that 24 in a pump or semi is just as long as 28 in a break action.
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Not when it comes to balance, handling and MOI. 30 would be better. I shoot a 30" gas gun; 32 would be even smoother. At the OP's stature 28" should be a minimum IF the gun fits.
 
Trap

Simplicity first - remember Marcus Aurelius, when you encounter a new thing, ask first what is its essence (sorry for the philosophy). In your circumstances, consider first a semiauto shotgun; the recoil is significantly less than an over-under. Even testosterone-laden males (who are truthful) will admit to some discomfort after a long session at the range after shooting O/U 12 ga guns. A semiauto is much more pleasant. Next, do not believe that a 20 gauge is useless for trap; try it if and see for yourself. But above all, believe that a semiauto is more pleasant to shoot, because it is.
 
In a pump or semi-auto ...the receiver is typically 2" longer than the receiver in an over under......so a 28" barrel on a pump or semi auto is approx the same overall length as an over under in 30" barrels.
 
I can guarantee, with money on it, that a youth model will fit the OP better in 95% cases against "adult" sized shotguns.

The youth Mossberg and Remington aren't just chops. Everything is reduced proportionately. If 4" is going to make the difference, sell the 24" on the youth and get the 28".

In 20, the 500 Bantam comes with extensions.
 
I lust after a Beretta Silver Pigeon 12 ga O/U but my 40-year-old Remington 1100 semi-auto is a steady and soft shooter. The more I shoot skeet with it, the less I feel the need for the o/u.

The only disadvantage is picking up hulls, but I need the exercise.
 
Harbor freight sells ..some telescoping rods...with a magnet on the end ...fits in a shooting vest pocket -- works real well to pick up hulls..
 
You have been given a lot of good information about soft shooting guns and the need for a shorter stock. While a soft shooter may help, it may not be necessary if you have a shorter butt stock. The reason being that if it is too long it is difficult to pull the butt in towards the pocket and the butt tends to hit you out near the joint and sometimes even on the top of the arm. I would stick with a 12 for trap as the heft of the frame helps to soak up the recoil of a 12 gauge load and a 20 is a handicap.

Renting a junior model is an excellent idea if one is available. Better yet if you can try other's guns with shortened stocks.
 
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