Advice on First Gun Purchase For Skeet and Trap

One of my biggest fears trap shooting is being suck between right and left handed 1100s with no shell catchers.
 
JIMMY 808 said:
One of my biggest fears trap shooting is being suck between right and left handed 1100s with no shell catchers.
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OP, if Jimmy 808 happens to be "sucking" beside you, there is a cure should you buy an autoloader. You can eat a nutritious meal the night before, then use the blue elastic band over the port of your semiauto. I know this works, as I own the A400 bdft has shot. Speaking of which, since he shot it I have acquired a weight kit, available from Beretta which has moved the gun weight up closer to an 1100 Comp, which another of our fellow shooters brings out. As for the elastic band, keep it away from the lube and it will last several range sessions.

Keeping with Canvasback's sage advice, you want an autoloader or an O/U (yes a SxS will also work) for the weight and recoil absorption. Shooting 25 shells on a round of singles is just the start. Once you get out there and start having fun, you will want to shoot a second and third round, or more. This is where the cumulative effects will pound your shoulder to burger. If you attend a big shoot, 500 birds over three days is common.

I admit, I don't care for light guns because of recoil, or single shots because you can't shoot doubles with them. Oh, but why do I want to shoot doubles you ask? Well, what is going to happen is that after you shoot a bit, you will start getting into the high teens or low twenties. This will start you thinking that you are actually getting good as a trap shooter. Doubles will cure you of that notion.

So back to autoloaders, my recent experiences with them are an 1100, which is a bit dirty to run, and always were, nothing has changed over the years. The A400 Beretta runs very clean, but all guns regardless of action type need to be properly lubed and often. If you don't want to do any more than breaking down an O/U, then pass on the semi and find a nice Citori or 101. Cleaning a semi is only slightly more involved. It sounds like your friend can help with a semi, if that is your chosen route. You will find semis a bit cheaper, although a Beretta Multitarget or Fabarm XLR5 Velocity will eat up most of $4000.

Do some searching on this forum and you will find lots of info.
 

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Roadglide2021 said:
Fellow members,

I just recently acquired my Restricted and Non-Restricted PAL license and am now trying to figure what kind of shot gun I should purchase along with gear. I have no previous experience owning or shooting any firearms before so everything is brand new to me.
I am planning on joining a club and get some instruction primarily shooting Skeet and Trap with no real interest on hunting. I would appreciate any recommendations as to what sort of gun I should be looking for (12 gauge). Keeping in the $1000-1500 range would it better to go with a semi-automatic or a over under?
Also a reasonably priced gun recommendation that should I enjoy shooting as much as I think I will, I would not grow out of too quickly. Lastly regarding gear, what is a good pair of shooting glasses and shooting vests. As a owner of a Harley Davidson and paying $30 for HD oil filters has prepared me for the costly world of shooting sports and all those pretty guns.
Thank you all in advance......let the games begin!!
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I was going to edit my previous post, but this will work. I just want to clear up the autoloader talk that several posters have mentioned.

All have mentioned gas operated semis, as has your friend. This means skip the Benellis (unless you want to try clay sports with an M4), Franchis, Stoegers, etc.
 
Thank you members for all the input. I appreciate all the advice and will hopefully update shortly regarding a purchase. I did visit a gun store yesterday to shoulder a few guns to see how they feel and plan on going to another location later this week give myself an idea of different makes.
Thank you again, much appreciated.
 
Hi all, Also just got my PAL/RPAL recently - so thinking of this as a way to blow my retirement savings��

Lots of you recommended good fitting - I’ve trolled through the forum but could not find a recommendation for a shop (in southern ontario …. Near Toronto) that fits shotguns. If this is already covered somewhere would appreciate a nudge in the right direction. I am happy to drive reasonable distances.

I could go cheap but rather invest in something that fits and works - I have some cross eye dominance etc going on.

Appreciate any advice - thanks!
 
I use a Citori CX sporting, it's a good all around gun and you can still take it in the field and hunt.

Trap is very, very expensive.. Keep this in mind. I started with a used Remington 870 express from the EE, and upgrade a year later to a Winchester 101. When that broke, it was a buy once, cry once situation where I splurged and bought a brand new Browning. My point here is, you can spend $1,500 on a shotgun but if no parts are available it's as good as a paperweight. My 101 safety switch mechanism broke randomly one day, it started by hang firing and then progressed to just falling off. It was not available and ended up trading it in on a rifle. Buy something that can be fixed is my point.

Recoil is what it is, I've shot with guys with $200 shotguns who will go 25 in a row consistently, and guys with $15,000 O/U's they've had fitted shoot 12.

Buy shells in bulk, 10 flats minimum at a time.
 
Also troll gun shows at opening time for reasonable shells. I bought a bunch at our show on the weekend for $8 a box. As for guns, this spring I picked up a TriStar O/U used ( like new) from Frontier and it's a great gun for trap or skeet. Removable chokes so you can experiment with modified vs full at 16 yards . $600. You can always graduate to a fancier gun if you want to later.
 
TransAm1991 said:
I use a Citori CX sporting, it's a good all around gun and you can still take it in the field and hunt.

Trap is very, very expensive.. Keep this in mind. I started with a used Remington 870 express from the EE, and upgrade a year later to a Winchester 101. When that broke, it was a buy once, cry once situation where I splurged and bought a brand new Browning. My point here is, you can spend $1,500 on a shotgun but if no parts are available it's as good as a paperweight. My 101 safety switch mechanism broke randomly one day, it started by hang firing and then progressed to just falling off. It was not available and ended up trading it in on a rifle. Buy something that can be fixed is my point.

Recoil is what it is, I've shot with guys with $200 shotguns who will go 25 in a row consistently, and guys with $15,000 O/U's they've had fitted shoot 12.

Buy shells in bulk, 10 flats minimum at a time.
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Trap isn't that expensive. Motocross or car racing is expensive. IMO, trap is on par with skiing or golfing. The shotgun is the cheapest thing you will buy, ammo and targets cost a lot more in the long run.
 
bdft said:
Trap isn't that expensive. Motocross or car racing is expensive. IMO, trap is on par with skiing or golfing. The shotgun is the cheapest thing you will buy, ammo and targets cost a lot more in the long run.
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On average I spent around $200 to $250 an outing, that includes buying shells in bulk, and $7.50/round.

Doubles stings the wallet a bit, but is just too much fun.
 
I shoot at least twice a month and shoot about 100 rounds each time so 44.00 for ammo and 6.50 a round. So I only spend about 150.00 a month. I could easily spend more than that but work keeps me away too much. Judging by the price of clays and ammo we will all be paying more in the future but we pay more for everything.
 
bdft said:
Trap isn't that expensive. Motocross or car racing is expensive. IMO, trap is on par with skiing or golfing. The shotgun is the cheapest thing you will buy, ammo and targets cost a lot more in the long run.
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A good comparison. Skeet runs me about $45/day for targets and shells that I reloaded myself, but will be getting more expensive as I have to purchase new components, and when our target prices go up, when the club has to purchase more, and then it will go up again when my current hulls need replacing. I am currently loading 410/28 gauge for $6/box, and we pay $5 per round, so that is for 100 targets. Sporting clays runs me $100 for 100 targets, $12.50 per box, and $50/100 targets. Fortunately, I have enough components and factory loads on hand, to last me about two more years, and then the costs will rise dramatically.
 
bdft said:
I shoot at least twice a month and shoot about 100 rounds each time so 44.00 for ammo and 6.50 a round. So I only spend about 150.00 a month. I could easily spend more than that but work keeps me away too much. Judging by the price of clays and ammo we will all be paying more in the future but we pay more for everything.
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I go through about a flat a trip.

I also shoot every Sunday, it's my day to not be at home or work so I go all out.
 
There's some great advice in this thread but a view often not taken or given is it should be about fun. You are new to the sport. Your interests will change over time and with experience. I suggest you go handle a few guns find one that points where you look that takes choke tubes buy it. Buy a cheap shell vest or belt pouch and a pair of safety glasses and go hit the skeet and trap fields. Travel around a bit and get to know other shooters. You will find old guys that will look down on new shooters who don't have the latest and greatest gear but you will find a whole lot more that are willing to help you and let you try their guns. Spend a few months shooting and then you see what path you want to go down.
I grew up hunting with pump guns and wanted to make noise in the off season. I shot trap with a old Ithaca 37 and Mossberg 535ats. Showed up on a skeet field for a couple times and had fun. Met the regular shooters and one fine gentleman asked me to try his sxs. Until that moment I thought sxs dual triggered guns were dumb. Now I have a dozen. One round of skeet changed my life. The first double I bought was an old Baikal ij58. I shot it for everything for years until I could afford to buy guns of higher inspiration. Now on any given day I can and do shoot pumps semi autos over unders side by sides and even singles. I have high end guns and low end guns and both bring me joy

Ultimately if you decide you like the clay games you will gravitate in one direction or the other and you'll get the sickness for ever increasing quality. We all do. Just don't forget to enjoy the shooting part. Good luck
 
I started shooting trap at a club this year in the spring. I have shot tens of thousands of rounds in the back yards with hand throwers bolted to hockey sticks but this year at a real trap club lol. I am on my third gun. I started with my old auto 5 light 12 and did well with that but was wanting more so I picked up a BT99. Did really well with that but felt I wanted to try something else. I then picked up a 1954 model 12 trap. I shot my first round with it last weekend and fell in love with it. I can’t believe what it does to targets and find that the smaller beads on it allow me to pick up the target easier than the large white bead on my BT99. I will be replacing that big white bead soon. I Can’t wait to get back out with that model 12.

Yes, it isn’t a cheap sport but I work hard and find it incredibly fun so who cares. Anyone of us could kick the can tomorrow.
 
sharp shooter said:
I started shooting trap at a club this year in the spring. I have shot tens of thousands of rounds in the back yards with hand throwers bolted to hockey sticks but this year at a real trap club lol. I am on my third gun. I started with my old auto 5 light 12 and did well with that but was wanting more so I picked up a BT99. Did really well with that but felt I wanted to try something else. I then picked up a 1954 model 12 trap. I shot my first round with it last weekend and fell in love with it. I can’t believe what it does to targets and find that the smaller beads on it allow me to pick up the target easier than the large white bead on my BT99. I will be replacing that big white bead soon. I Can’t wait to get back out with that model 12.

Yes, it isn’t a cheap sport but I work hard and find it incredibly fun so who cares. Anyone of us could kick the can tomorrow.
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Was that the Model 12 I sold you? Haha, when are you coming out to ATS?
 
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