Some questions on clay pigeon shooting..

J

jonathon

New member
Hey I got a couple questions..

At a party(yeah, we call gettin together and shooting a party!), we are supposedly shooting clay pigeons for fun(out of a launcher) with shotguns. I've never done that before, so. Seen it done many times, but each time its people with longer barreled shotguns.

So basically, my first question is, will an 18 1/2" bbl 12ga do the job?

And, what sort of shot do I need to get?

Its not a big deal if I don't shoot clays, I just want to :D They'll have a plinkin range setup for other shooting, I just want to shoot at something flyin' through the air!
 
yes the 18.5" barrel will work ok for what you are going to use it for. Really long shots on the birds will be tough though so you may want to try and get the birds while they are closer to you. I'm guessing there is no choke so your shot pattern will be wide...again good for close range. As for ammo, just go to Walmart and pick up their 100 round value pack of either Federal or Winchester shotgun shells. I believe it costs about $14.88. Usually they have 2 different shot sizes to choose from, 7.5 or 8. Again for your type of clay shooting(just going out and having fun) either will work fine. Really about the only difference is with 7.5 shot you get alittle more momentum to break birds alittle farther away, and with 8 shot you have a few more bbs in the shell as compared to 7.5 shot.
 
Cool, I'll give it a try then. Have to practice some around the place, but the ammo price sounds reasonable enough to blow through a box.

When I get the money, I want to get a break open 12 gauge with a 28" bbl.
 
I am guessing you aren't going to shoot at a trap range, but you and your friends are going to use a hand trap or mechanical trap to throw the rocks.

If you are standing next to the trap or person heaving the clay pigeons rather than the minimum 16 yards of a formal trap shoot,then a cylinder choke would work much better than the full choke.

Also, a hand trap or a mechanical trap usually throws a much slower target than the electric trap on a trap range, so they won't get out to farther distances as fast.

You should be okay, just remember not to "aim" put swing and point. (This advice from a poor trap shooter)
 
one other thing....BE CAREFUL....clay shooting is extremely addicting :D
For a nice O/U that doesnt cost too much try the Stoeger Condor. A friend got one and its pretty nice, fit and finish is good too. I dont remember now if the barrel is 26" or 28". He shoots pretty well with it. Me I use a BT-99 with a 34" barrel for about 95% of my trap shooting and the other 5% I use my Remington 870TB with a 32" barrel. I like long barreled guns better, but thats just me. Also both guns are fixed full choke...which I prefer, again thats just me. Another thought, if you ever plan to start reloading, a good shell to get is the Remington Gun Club ammo. They are between $30 and $35 for a flat (10 boxes of 25) in my area anyways and they are good for 5 - 10 reloads. They crimp just as beautifully as the higher end Remington STS or Nitro 27 hulls.
 
I second the stoeger condor. I had some minor issues with the safety (it was so greased up that when I shot it it would go back on and the 2nd barrel wouldn't fire) fit and finish is great for such a low priced gun (I love that brazilian wood) shoots great too.

18.5 will be fine for <25 yards so if they are going straight away, pick them up quick (just follow it with the bead, lead a tad and boom) don't aim it like a rifle though.

for even more fun (this is also better suited to your gun) set up the clay thrower, pace 10 yards away from it in the direction that it throws the clays and then 10 yards left. You should be aiming perpendicular to the flight path of the clays, just remember to lead them about 3 feet.

Skeet shooters will know what i'm trying to get you to simulate.

have fun and be safe,
rugerdude
 
I am guessing you aren't going to shoot at a trap range, but you and your friends are going to use a hand trap or mechanical trap to throw the rocks.
Click to expand...

Mechanical Trap on a stump ;)

Probably goin to go pick up ammo this week and practice a bit, though, I can throw enough lead up to take down something, whether its a clay pigeon or not though is the question ;)

Thanks guys!

Oh yeah, The Condor looks great, but whats the $ on it? The site only says "Starting at 350 MSRP"..

Is there anything in the $200 range thats either single shot or over-under?
 
well I'm thinking that maybe the Kahn (made in Turkey) shotguns are in the $200+ dollar range. A friend has one and he seems to shoot fine with it. I havent shot it yet but it looks nice, it doesnt have the nice shiny stock but like I said it seems to shoot pretty nice and he has hasnt had any troubles with it. All of my guns are single barrel and I"m kind of thinking about an O/U except I"m picky and want fixed chokes (full/modified or full/full) and the only ones I found like that are Kreighoffs...I dont see myself with a $10,000 shotgun...for a few years yet just being out of college and all :) I think now I"ll just concentrate on singles with my BT-99 which I"m pretty good with. Rugerdude, if you would like to shine the wood on your Stoeger up try Turtle Wax hardshell. We put it on my friend's Condor, let it dry for a few minutes then wiped it off with a cloth and it left the wood nice and shiny, careful polishing with some semichrome has worked too.
 
Jonathon, I"m wondering, is the gun you are going to use the Winchester 1200 Defender you have listed in your signature? If so maybe until you've saved up for a different gun you could buy a longer barrel to shoot with. I have a Winchester 1200 that I hunt with(what a great gun and a good strong action too). I dont think you can buy 1200 barrels anymore but I believe that the Winchester 1300 barrels will fit the 1200. The only problem is, the 1300 barrel is marked 3" and the 1200 action was only designed for 2 3/4" shells. So as long as you remember only to put 2 3/4" shells in, youd be ok. One other thing, I see you're in Washougal. Ever go see a national motocross there? Thats one track I"d love to race but its a 'bit' of a trip from Ohio :)
 
My father bought the stoeger condor for 374 dollars (tax included) at a local gunshop.

Thanks for the tip bic yak, I'll try it.
 
Jonathon, I"m wondering, is the gun you are going to use the Winchester 1200 Defender you have listed in your signature? If so maybe until you've saved up for a different gun you could buy a longer barrel to shoot with. I have a Winchester 1200 that I hunt with(what a great gun and a good strong action too). I dont think you can buy 1200 barrels anymore but I believe that the Winchester 1300 barrels will fit the 1200. The only problem is, the 1300 barrel is marked 3" and the 1200 action was only designed for 2 3/4" shells. So as long as you remember only to put 2 3/4" shells in, youd be ok. One other thing, I see you're in Washougal. Ever go see a national motocross there? Thats one track I"d love to race but its a 'bit' of a trip from Ohio
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I'll have to look into getting a longer barrel for sure!

Are you positive though that the 1200 only takes 2 3/4"? I could've swore my gun took 3" shells... then again, I've only used 2 3/4" so.

And.. I LIVE next to the MX track.. maybe 3/4 a mile away, get to listen to it each year :D Had some fun expierences dealing with the types that like to tresspass and avoid camping fees.

//EDIT
I'll buy a barrel for it I think if I really like to shoot the clays, I found a place where I could get 28" for around $70 new so. thanks for the suggestion!
 
well I know my 1200 has a 2 3/4" chamber. Maybe the Defender model does accept 3" shells also, I'm not sure, you'd have to look into that. Also 3" shells for clay shooting would be pretty expensive and it would probably hurt the shoulder too.
 
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