trap and skeet tips?

R

rugerdude

New member
I am on a city clay target team (as of yesterday) and I have practice on saturday. I will use my trusty maverick 88 (mossberg 500 clone) and I was just looking for any tips you guys could offer for a rookie. I have a modified choke, should I get improved cylinder or some other choke? What ammo works well for trap/skeet, I will probably use winchester AA. Once again any tips/pointers/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
rugerdude
 
some "clay" tips

There are a lot of good books out there on Trap, skeet and sporting clays. They're all very different games - but the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy yourself.

For shells - I like 1 oz of 8's for all 3 games and around 1200 to 1250 fps is a good load. Remingtun Gun Club shells are a good buy or you might find some Rio or Estate ammunition in your local area. Winchester AA's are not that popular a shell for clay target shooters - they've changed the cases from the older styles. For Trap go with 8's or 7 1/2's on your shells - for skeet you can down to 9's ( or just shoot 8's for everything ) - but 9's won't be very effective on trap because even at 16 yard trap your kill range on a target is around 35 yards and that's asking a lot of # 9's unless you get on the targets quickly.

Spend some time before Sat mounting your gun in front of a mirror - and try and get your mount as smooth as you can - it will pay dividents on sat. There are a lot of tips out there in the books - foot position, where to hold, where to focus your eyes, etc - but take some tips from your buddies and see if they might loan you a book or CD that will help you out a little.

Modified choke is great for 16 yeard Trap - if you move back beyond the 20 yard line you'll need an IM or Full - and if you shoot some Continental Trap I'd recommend an IM or Full. For skeet you'll want a skeet choke if you can get one - but an IC will work in a pinch. For sporting clays an IC or a Mod are usually good choices - but on a typical course you may have targets anywhere from 15 yards to over 40 yards - so it really depends on what you have on a particular station.
 
Not knowing what you will shoot the most, it's hard to give tips. But, keep your eye on the target, not the barrel, or the bead. They will only distract you from the target. KEEP THE GUN MOVING THROUGH THE TARGET. Don't stop your swing.

Pattern your gun to see where EXACTLY it shoots. Most guns don't shoot dead center. They have patterns of 50/50(center) 60/40(slightly higher than aim point, good for skeet and 16 yard trap.) 70/30( a good trap pattern for longer range targets. Trap targets rise so the gun makes up for the rise by shooting higher). All the way up to 100% over point of aim at 21yards.

Some guns shoot low, and should be avoided usually. You would have to cover the target up and lose sight of it to hit it. Losing sight is a no-no.
 
Read what you can on leads...

(especially for skeet). Head down and follow through is about the best advice for a beginner. For shells, the less expensive dove loads in #8 shot (for both skeet and trap) will work just fine. Can be had for less than $3.00/box (around here anyway). Worry about better shells/loads after you've become proficient. Practice safety at all times.
 
Thanks for all of the tips. I ended up getting remington gunclub sts target loads with no. 8 shot. Will a pump hinder my ability to hit doubles that much, or does it really not matter.

thanks,
rugerdude
 
For a beginner skeet shooter a pump will hinder your second shot. If you get thoroughly familiar with your pump gun you can keep up with the best of them. A pump gun on skeet gets into a rythm, but only if you can take your first target on a double before it makes it to the halfway mark, preferrably only 1/3 of the way down the field. This will give yourself time to shuck, reaquire your second target and swing through to your shot.
 
I just got back from my practice and I'm officially addicted to skeet shooting!
I shot 4 rounds of skeet but I didn't keep score. I did pitifully the first 2 rounds but the older guys that organized the team showed up and I shot with them. I improved drastically from their advice and had a GREAT time.

I was suprised I did as well as I did (and so were the other guys) because not only was I using a 140 dollar pump action but I didn't have a skeet or improved cylinder choke. The pump does not hinder me enough for me to care and it makes doudles so much more fun!

For others wanting to get into skeet shooting (if you haven't already you really should try it) the best advice comes from the old guys on the skeet range because not only will they tell you what to do, they can show you. They can help adjust your aim and lead and stance and you simply can't do that over the internet. Also, one of the organizers I shot with is letting me borrow his Todd Bender skeet shooting video for more tips, I'll tell you guys how it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top