Trap shotgun under 500$

MTLean

MTLean

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Hey all!
So a friend brought me trap shooting last weekend, i am addicted! I had never shot a shotgun before and managed to hit 15, 19, 17 in 3 rounds..! I am not looking into buying a first shotgun for trap. I am worried that if i like skeet i might need a O/U? Or can i use a pump to take out 2 targets in skeet?

What size & caliber do you recommend? I was looking into 12ga 28inch but i couldnt justify on why.

So far i am looking at Remington 870 (on sale at Le Baron), Benelli Nova Pump (on sale at Dantesports).

What do you guys think

Thanks for the inputs:cheers:
 
If you're just shooting trap, it depends on the game. Some clubs only shoot singles. In this case, your idea of a pump would more than do. Some guys shoot single shots or over/unders with the top barrel removed and replaced with a high rib.

Skeet will be a different story probably. If you're the fastest gun in the west, then a pump shouldn't be a huge deal, though i have never seen anyone shoot a pump for skeet. Except for me. I went out last year and shot a 14 with my old mossberg 500, 18.5" cylinder bore barrel. Upgraded to a 28" screw choked barrel. Don't shoot any better :) I find the doubles from 1 and 2 difficult, rushing the high house so that i can try to pump in time to shoot the low, and most times end up missing both. I recently acquired a Beretta Teknys Gold Sporting autoloader to try to remedy this.

I would reccomend that you try to shoot some other guys guns to see what you like. It would really suck to go out and spend a boatload on a really nice o/u just to find out that you don't like/can't shoot it. 12 gauge is where it's at. Not a whole lot of guys use 20s that i have seen, and they'r ein a different class anyway :) Regarding barrel length, the only thing a longer barrel does for you is lessen muzzle jump a bit and make you shoot lower :) I've seen anywhere from 24" to 32" barrels used, and most guys will tell you, shooting trap, using a 30" barrel over a 28" isn't going to make a damn bit of difference :)
 
Big part of a gun for clay sports is fit and feel, pump guns are fine for informal games and general enjoyment and practice. But as you get more into it and take it serious you'll want to step up the quality and specialization of your equipment.
It sort of like this a tent is fine for living in for a while but eventually you'll want to upgrade to something else.
 
With a $500 limit a pump gun is your best option for a new gun. Pumps are fine for singles trap but they require a little more effort for doubles or skeet. I've seen a great many shooters use pumps for both games but they have spent years shooting them.

My advice to new clay shooters is to shoot what you have. There is a lot to learn about the games. I started with a 28" Remington 870 pump and quickly moved to other guns as my interested deepened and my finances improved. :)
 
Find a good used Rem 1100. There are all kinds of them for $500 or less.

It will be a great first gun, they are very easy on the shoulder, and you can get barrels for both trap and skeet.

Ted
 
I agree on the good used guns. I recently bought a Citori to try my hand at o/u's. I'm fairly new to shooting but have a great dealer fairly close to my home. I've run a slew of different guns from auto loaders,pumps/singles/double triggers, and now o/u's and only 2 where new.the point was the gentleman had made and i now agree is if you find a gun that fits and shoots to your needs you can bust the guts out of it till it dies and buy a nice new one with your experience or trade it or sell it to get the next one to try and you wont lose out cause you bought it used . It's all pesonal preference but my favorites are a mossberg 500 20 ga / a browning silver auto loader 12 ga / and of coarse the citori that i havent been able to put down since i bought it
 
With practise skeet with a pump comes natural. Its like driving stick shift. Many can't do it. Some can get where they're going with a few stalls and very few can drive flawlessly. Its all in practice. Quality practice
 
JamesM said:
Big part of a gun for clay sports is fit and feel, pump guns are fine for informal games and general enjoyment and practice. But as you get more into it and take it serious you'll want to step up the quality and specialization of your equipment.
It sort of like this a tent is fine for living in for a while but eventually you'll want to upgrade to something else.
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well said :D got too do it one step at a time

Claybuster said:
With a $500 limit a pump gun is your best option for a new gun. Pumps are fine for singles trap but they require a little more effort for doubles or skeet. I've seen a great many shooters use pumps for both games but they have spent years shooting them.

My advice to new clay shooters is to shoot what you have. There is a lot to learn about the games. I started with a 28" Remington 870 pump and quickly moved to other guns as my interested deepened and my finances improved. :)
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well said, thats probably what i will end up with (Rem 870)

Why not? said:
Find a good used Rem 1100. There are all kinds of them for $500 or less.
It will be a great first gun, they are very easy on the shoulder, and you can get barrels for both trap and skeet.

Ted
Click to expand...
lets see what i can find, thanks for the tip

Win/64 said:
Everyone starts with a pump gun but no one finishes with a pump gun. :)
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probably one if the safe but not on the top 5 list :D
 
Two I would watch for...

Rem 1100, can be had quite cheap now,..more often than not under $500
Ithaca XL 900 SKB, usually the $500 price range.

I have found both of these guns to be wonderful and know many others you have found the same.

Bonus points if you are using the same gun as you are in the field, which you could certainly do with these.

If you are looking for double duty and Steel shot will be used in the field, I say stick to looking for a pump with chokes as opposed to a fixed choke used shotgun.

The big thing is "have fun!"
 
I started off with a Marocchi over under which I purchased for around $500 from Gagnons in Oshawa. I picked the gun up, shouldered it and at the time I thought it was a good fit. I am 6'5" and after a few years of shooting skeet/trap/sporting clays I decided it was time to move on. I went to another gun shop and traded in the shotgun (and got the same as I paid for it) and upgraded to a Beretta Silver Pigeon V.

I shouldered every shotgun they had and then based my decision on that. For whatever reason that shotgun fit me the best.

But the point is you can get an over/under for $500 or so (if that's what you want) and upgrade as you go.

A shotgun is a shotgun in general function, its the fit that makes it right for you.
 
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