I met a guy on the skeet field with a tactical 870 who reasoned "you fight like you train" so I allowed that if we were ever invaded by orange discs I'd call him first ! He wasn't amused , oh well. Then I saw him shoot and prayed we never are invaded by orange discs. I still see him occasionally and he has added the obligatory tactical beard to his outfit !!
required length of barrel for trap and skeet?
- Thread starter albertaman238
- Start date
You will want a longer barrel. I first bought an 870 tactical (18.5" barrel) on the mind set that it could do everything decently. I quickly found out that cylinder bore and 18.5" sucks for shooting clays. Not impossible but sucked. So I tried a modified choke, clay shooting was vastly improved but still not ideal. then I realized I am not going into combat or doing any 3 gun or IDPA competition. So I traded it for a 28" barrel SXP with three choke options and have not looked back.
The only down fall now is that its not as portal as a short shot gun. But I am yet to have a situation that I wish I had a short shot gun.
So the short answer is get at least a 26" barrel or a grizzly. Everything in between is kinda pointless
bdft
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That's a bit stereotypical, don't you think? We make a point of inviting "tacticool operators" to shoot trap, explain to them why their shotguns won't work very well and, in some cases, invite them to shoot purpose built trap guns. Some of these guys are pretty good shots with the right shotgun. Some of them even come back.
Stereotypical perhaps but based on experience. The club in question is open to walk-in, non-member guests. The rules aren't hard to understand but the club management and other shooters shouldn't have to put up with having to stare down some wannabe operator who objects to being told to only load two shots, use proper loads and have the gun open and empty when not shooting. Follow the rules and your welcome. If you can't go elsewhere.
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
We always let them shoot providing the barrel length is at least 18", when they can't figure out why it doesn't work, we explain to them and offer to let them try a round with a target gun. Our goal is to increase club membership. The one's I get a kick out of the guys who show up with a KSG, Benelli Tactical or Winchester Extreme Defender with sight systems, it takes some convincing for them realize sights on a shotgun are a detriment to hitting a moving target.
I have lent out my shotguns to many people, but even after some of them try a proper shotgun, and shoot much better with it, they either don´t return, or they return with the same tactical shotgun, because they just won´t accept the fact that a proper shotgun will help them to improve their shooting, or they can´t afford two shotguns, and they refuse to sell the tactical gun to purchase a suitable shotgun.
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
Some won't learn, all you can do is try.
We've had a few tactical types show up a the skeet range, they are usually a buddy of one of the younger club members. As above, some seem to display quite a bit of attitude - even when given basic range instructions. I attribute this to the fact that:
- although they are PAL'd etc, they are not experienced shooters
- they have never been to an organized range
Then again, some of them are just plain ol' hotheads... We usually ask that a new shooter sit out the first round. This allows them to observe the drill, and for us to observe them. This seems to work pretty well.
- although they are PAL'd etc, they are not experienced shooters
- they have never been to an organized range
Then again, some of them are just plain ol' hotheads... We usually ask that a new shooter sit out the first round. This allows them to observe the drill, and for us to observe them. This seems to work pretty well.
That's a perception, a misguided one at that. Ported barrels you will notice a difference in the sound being louder. But my Win.101 with 26" tubes is no different than the one with 28" barrels. The ported barrels tend to direct some of sound to the side and back, hence the louder noise. But to say two identical guns one with a 26 and one with a 28 in. barrel both shooting the same ammunition and saying the 26" will be louder is perception in the listeners mind.
Interesting thread. My hay day of skeet shooting was in the 70's, 80's, and the 90's for sporting clays. For trap we used 30"-32" full. Skeet, OU's were 26"-28". Semi's and pumps 26". skeet choked or I/C at most. For clays longer barrels were preferred for balance and swing, but many of us did just fine with shorter barrels. I used a Classic Double with 27.5 " barrels and my Ruger Red Label had 28". Used the same guns for pheasants at Pelee and Scugog without issue. The barrel trend was for longer barrels as the 90's wore on something I never bought into or fully understood, other than I think it was great marketing tool to sell fellas a new gun. Those of us with our shorter barrels were grinding up targets just as well if not better than the folks with the longer barrels. Our guns fit us and we were used to them and had put 1000's upon thousands of rounds down the pipes which will in my mind out do a new gun with couple extra inches of barrel that some fella in Shotgun Sports magazine writes an article on the benefits of having. As far as the ultra short barreled tactical shotguns my opinion is they have a specific purpose non of which includes there use in the clay target sports, totally useless in that respect. Generally owned by folks with more body piercing's and tattoos than gray matter. My experience's anyways, and there are many of us here who have decades of it who don't say much, but just read and smile.
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the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
I am dying laughing here. I guess the stereotypical tacticool operator is much more widespread than I realized. I make it a point not to squad with them any longer. I just sit on the bench and observe and when asked if I'd like to join the squad as there is an opening I just kindly decline. I no longer waste my energy or breath trying to help either because one thing I have noticed is it goes in one ear and out the other. Why bother? I just sit back and watch the show. I love seeing the pounding they endure to make it through 50 targets!
Well put. The 50 target pounding isn't a bother due to the "no sense, no feeling" rule coming into play.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
You really haven't laughed until you see someone wander out to shoot a round of skeet with a mounted bayonet on their shotgun.
That would be priceless! I have loaned or offered proper shotguns to several people that brought craptical type shotguns to shoot skeet or trap, and some did purchase more suitable shotguns, but some people have watched too much television, and played too many video games to let common sense effect their choice of shotgun.
Rod B
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Hey, I've done that! Hit 12 out of 25. I was one cool dude!!
....I can not seem to find any rules for barrel length for competition..but I guess if you want to shoot your tactical 8 inch barrel with a door breach...all to ya!!.
Our range has ammo rules,no barrel length.Anyone who does bring their bear gun usually lasts a round before blood on their cheek.By that time we offer our personal guns to try...and in most cases we just converted another YOUNG trap shooter in this sport.
I shoot a semi....I feel the pain of trap shooting elite.
To many grumpy pants .....
Our range has ammo rules,no barrel length.Anyone who does bring their bear gun usually lasts a round before blood on their cheek.By that time we offer our personal guns to try...and in most cases we just converted another YOUNG trap shooter in this sport.
I shoot a semi....I feel the pain of trap shooting elite.
To many grumpy pants .....
