Skeet and whatever gun

G

gifted

New member
I've been shooting skeet, and have been trying for the last couple of months to make it a weekly activity. Thus I've been looking at a shotgun for it.

I've shot mostly with a twenty guage. I recently rented the twelve for a round, and the only difference was a bit more recoil and the clays broke better. I've fired an over-under and semi twentys, and didn't notice a difference in the recoil. I can't see a pump being much different. As far as this goes,if complexity makes for money, then a double barrel would be the cheapest option, and there's only one purpose that would make a different gun attractive: competition, and I'm thinking the competitions I'd be interested in would require a gun totally not adaptable for hunting or skeet.

Otherwise, the only real thing I'd insist is being able to change out the chokes, if I want to do something else later. I don't need to hunt for food, but if that becomes a requirement, I'm sure a double will serve just fine.

So, tell me about shotguns.
 
How serious you do want to get?

Are you going just brush up for hunting, or take up competition - all 4 gauges?

A 20 ga will break just as many targets as a 12 ga.
A shotgun that fits shooter with shooter knowing proper mounting and stance has less felt recoil that one with a ill fitting gun.

Lots of folks, especially pixies and tyros ,start with a 1100 in 20ga. Now if you enter a tourney you can shoot a smaller ga than the event - meaning you can shoot that 20ga in the 12 ga event, and in the 20 ga event.

20 ga loads for tourney are 7/8 oz, 7/8 oz fired from the 12 ga is just as effiecient with less recoil.

In my tourney days I shot a Win. Super X model 1 in 12 ga. I used a Citori 3 barrel set for 20, 28 and .410. Many folks shot a gas gun in 12. barreled sets, for the little guns.

Along came the tube sets,Many shooter were going to these - same gun, 12 ga with the 3 tubes. The deal is one shoots the same gun, knows that gun well, just changes tubes. Consistent over and over again, same gun, same weight, same MOA.

Another question is how much you willing to spend for the sport to get to what level. I ran an 25K rds in 12 ga alone for many years. My garage held pallets of reloading components and reloaded shells...8 reloaders, 10 at one point.

I would recommend you at least attend a tourney, I recommend even shooting it NC ( not classed) to get a real feel for what the folks use, guns, equipment...etc.

I still say a 20ga 1100 is one of the best kept secrets. To many folks learned skeet, shot 5 stand, and had a HD defense weapon they knew intimatlly.

Oh - for the fun pump gun events, I used a Model 12 or Ithaca 37, or 870.

Then again I sometimes just got a kick out of using a 870 pump for 12, 20 and 28 ga events and a model 42 for the .410 event. Why? Because I could, I wanted to, I was having too much fun. Trophies never meant anything to me, didn't accept most...I just wanted to see if could do it, the competition was a HIGH in itself, the folks were great, friends made. Heck yeah I cashed them checks for monies won...I ain't stupid. :)

Nowadays I shoot a 870, for most everything. I gave all my target guns away to up and coming shooters. I retired the SX1 ( kinda) . My last round of skeet- I used a NEF Youth Model 20 ga single shot. Obviously I could not shoot doubles - per se'. I used 99 shells and ran 100 straight. Fella forgot about pulling the doubles on sta 7...you time it right and you can get them both with one shell... ;)

Keep it simple, stay with the fundamentals, and have fun. Don't get caught up in equipment and fashion statements. Have Fun - Stay Safe !!
 
An 870 is hardly ever a bad idea. Simo pairs are little problem, report and following pairs none at all. Depending on your build, a 26-30" barreled 870 set up for choke tubes comes close to a do all goto.

If you want to shoot the smallbores, then an O/U with subguage tubes makes sense. Both Browning and Beretta make good ones, and the tubes are available from companies like Kolar and Briley.
 
Are you going just brush up for hunting, or take up competition - all 4 gauges?
Click to expand...
Skeet. Hunting would probably be the last thing I end up doing. I don't need to hunt to eat, and so I feel little reason to hunt for fun. The choke tubes would let me do anything else I want to, I'd just have to buy the right tube.

One of the things I was curious about was what competions are out there. That would make the choice. I have no clue what's out there. I know of skeet, trap, and sporting clays. I know there's three gun, that might use a shotgun. I really have no clue as to what else would appeal to me. The sporting clay course sounds interesting from what I've heard, I'll have to try that.

I'm new enough to not know the models. Is an 870 pump or semi? I need more baby talk.
 
No problem, I figured you were new, hence the reason for my earlier post.

I would recommend Bob Brister's Shotgunning: The Art and The Science. This is an older publication - however most questions that have been asked in the shotguns forums here at TFL and THR are in fact answered in this book.
I would try www.abebooks.com for a copy.

Another tip: Use the Search function and look under username Dave McC. He has "101" posts that are choked full of info. Other members to pay attention to - but not limited to -include: PJR, K80Geoff, Will Fennell, Correia,...
 
An 870 is a pump, made by Remington. Probably the most ubiquitous shotgun on earth.

If you have any intention of shooting a sporting clays course you should probably look at a 12 gauge. 20s are fine on most shots, but a lot of clays courses are throwing in a handful of long shots to make things tougher. A 20 gauge becomes a bit of a handicap at 50 yards.

In addition to clays, skeet, and trap you might find 5 stand courses (essentially intended as warm up for a round of sporting clays), wobble trap (seems to me like a minor variation on trap), or ZZ birds (recent English development designed to simulate pigeon shoots. Lots of fun, 12 gauge almost a requirement).

No matter what shotgun sports you end up shooting I think the fit of the gun will matter more than anything else. A Mossberg 500 that fits will be better than a Browning O/U that doesn't, although you'll start seeing durability differences around 5,000 rounds. Once you find some guns that fit you any good O/U will do that job. I think most people are better off staying away from some of the low end O/Us like Stoeger and Lanber. In their price range an 870 pump, Remington 1100 or 1187 semi, Winchester Super X semi, Franchi AL48 semi, Browning BPS pump, or maybe a used Beretta 390 would be a better choice. If you want to spend $1000 or more look at Browning or Beretta field grades O/Us, less, look at any of the guns in the list above or anything along those lines that fits you well.

Good deals can also be had on used O/Us as well, particularly field grades. I just went to the Lousiville gun show with a friend who was trying to sell a Winchester 101 O/U and the best offer he found was $650, a really low price on a very well made gun.
 
Hi Gifted,

Be carefull, skeet becomes quite addictive. I have been shooting modified skeet for about a year now and love it. the key is to find a gun that fits and stick with that gun. the O/U's and SxS's give you the additional ability to use different chokes for varying shots (especialy double triggers), but a solid slide action like a Rem 870 will do fine. I have seen someone shoot almost 50 straight with a camoed 870 hunting gun. They're not too expensive either. Auto's are also nice, but are a bit more expensive, and some don't handle some of the lighter taylored loads if you reload.

Good luck,

Wheelgun
 
What's modified about it, might I ask? I've also heard of five stand, and heard sporting clays mentioned as a distinct and seperate event.
 
I'm not sure if it is a specific game or not, so I'll tell you about the general course we shoot.

We use the standard 8 stations. Hi and low houses use oscilating traps. Most shooters shoot unmounted/ low gun, but it is not required. On stations 1, 2, and 6, the shooter calls for the high house and the low house is pulled on the rapport of the gun (as soon as the shooter fires his gun, the low house trap is pulled). Then doubles. Station 7 is similar, but low house is caled first. Stations 3, 4, and 5 are rapport shots. Station 8 is taken in 3 shots. the first shot is doubles calling high house first, so that the low bird comes over the right shoulder. the last shot is a low house single shot.

It is quite fin, and the wind can do many things to the birds.

Wheelgun
 
I'm thinking twelve guage semi or o/u for the first one. One thing: The range has an 1100 for rental, it's been the one I've used the last couple of times I've shot. The most annoying thing though is the loading gate. The bolt release and the gate lock thing are on the gate, and it makes it difficult when loading shells into the tube becuase you have to hold it down and push the shell in at the same time in a small area. Any good guns that have it a little easier, say, on the side, so I can hold the button with one hand, leaving plenty of room for working with the shell?
 
Wheelgun...I believe the game you are referring to is called "Modern
skeet"

http://www.quackdecoy.com/clays.htm

The trap machines are on a device that alters the elevation (Up and down) but still throws the clay over the center stake as in regulation skeet.

The variances in elevation make the game much harder and more interesting, especially station 8. :D
 
Most Beretta semis have the release mounted on the right side of the gun, so do Franchis. Browning A5. There are quite a few now that I think about it, but I don't remember any specific models off the top of my head.

If you decide to go with a semi take a long look at a Beretta 391. They offer a ton of stock options so you're bound to find something that fits. They're also designed from the ground up to be sporting guns and according to the guys I know who shoot them (and used to shoot other semis) they will handle twice as many rounds before needing any work compared to their competition.
 
Thanks K80Geoff,

That sounds like it. It is a lot of fun. Up until a year ago, I had only shot rifles and pistols. Had to re-learn how to shoot. I wish I had gotten into shotguns earlier. :)

gifted,

I have shot 16, 12, and 20 gauge for modern skeet (thanks again K80Geoff), and realy like the 20's. my 16 and 12 are older sxs with full chokes and they can be fun as well. My 20 is an O/U Rizzini that I am quite fond of. It came down to the Rizzini and a Beretta, and the Rizzini just fit a little better. Try the feel of many guns, if ther is one you shoot well, go with that style. I found italian guns to be best for me, and they have a bit more cast-off in the stock. This is where the stock is bent slightly to the right to help line up the barrels to the shooters eye. Some shooters don't like it, others do. I think most american guns use less cast-off. Many also like Rugers for their price.

Hope this helps,

Wheelgun
 
The twelves spit enough shot to help more than the twenty, but I wasn't really liking the recoil, especially if I get an O/U. I was looking at 16, as for the less recoil, but still bigger than the 20, and more of a multi-purpose gun. I don't think I'd be able ot get one right off the bat, so I was looking at a twelve. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to get ahold of a 16 to try out.
 
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