First time trap shooting

D

Dagmaar

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Alberta
So , my range shoots trap once a week and I went out to watch , see what it looked like .
I wasn't going to shoot , just there to observe .
Well , the lovely fellas shooting offered me the chance to try it out .
Now , as a woman who has never shouldered a shotgun , and a little leary of shoulder crunching recoil , I was a wee bit nervous .
These men were wonderful guides for me , and they set me up with one of their guns , a Browning Maxus . Jeff , the owner of that gun walked me through the steps and everyone was very patient .
Out of the 5 birds , I actually hit 2 , much to my surprise !
I have to tell you all , it was love at first try there . That was the most fun I've ever had with a firearm in my life !
It felt like almost no recoil !
So , now I will save for a few months with the intent of buying a trap shotgun .
My question to all of you is , what other guns in the $1300 or less range are as good for me as the Maxus is ( if any ) ?
The low recoil and low weight were what I really liked ( okay , it also was a very handsome shotgun ) . The Maxus was just a tiny bit long in the stock , but Jeff told me out of the box it can be made shorter , that his was set up for him .
Are there other shotguns that might have the qualities of this one , and are they less or more expensive ? Just like to be fully informed prior to buying .
Thanks all
Dana
 
The Browning Silver Hunter 20ga. Micro is a very good Trap gun for a smaller statured female. You didn't say how long your arms are or how tall you is. My uncles GF uses the Silver Hunter Micro ( She's about 5'4") and loves it. No kick at all.
 
A Beretta 391 in a 20 gauge would be a delight.

I am a smaller male -- 5'8, 135lbs, and shoot the 391 in the 12 and the 20.
Find that stock the 20 gauge fits better, has super low recoil and swings just right. The 12 is worth trying as well as if it fits you the shells will be a bit cheaper for it. It would be hard to quantify much of a difference in felt recoil between the two of them. In my opinion, the differentiating factor for you should be fit.
 
Are you looking just to shoot trap, or would you be hunting waterfowl or upland?

If you are looking to do more than shoot trap, the best bang for your buck would be the Beretta Xtrema2 or Urika2. Both coming in 12ga which is not too big for skeet and with the kick-off feature for recoil, they are one (if not the best) shooting 12ga on the market.

Only my opinion, but I have recently purchased a Urika2 and they're a very versatile shooting shotgun.
 
Thank you guys for your input , definitely going to check those out !
I am 5"5 and have average arms for my height , don't have a tape measure right now but I'm average in the arm , maybe a bit short ( not T-rex short , but my shirts are never too short for me ) .
Drewster , I would like to stay with 12 gauge for price and availability ( I'm I'm a small town with limited ammo ) . Before ever shooting one , I really thought 20 gauge might be for me , but after experiencing that Maxus 12 gauge I'll be going with a 12 for sure .
Cultured , I was wondering about the silver hunter , thanks . I saw it online and wondered if the recoil was similar to the Maxus , you've answered my question . The silver hunter is more widely available online , so that's worth persueing .
Berettaboy , for now just trap , but who knows in future , I will be checking out the Xtrema , thanks .
Dana
 
Congrats on the 1st time out shootin' clay Dana.

A shotgun that fits you well will be key - for fit (obviously) and for performance (you're not struggling with it).

The weight of a shotgun, like any other rifle, will have a considerable impact on the recoil, no pun intended. The lighter the rifle is, for example, a feather light weight .300 win mag rig will kick / felt recoil quite a bit more than if it'd be on a heavy tactical chassis that weighs 12lbs alone. Same applies for shotguns.

If its a o/u or a semi-auto will make a good difference as well as the semi-auto internal will absorb the recoil Vs the o/u being felt directly by the shooter. A good quality recoil pad (i.e limbsavers) will help greatly.

Now, shooting 7/8oz target loads Vs 3 1/2" turkey magnum loads is undeniable - one you'll barely feel whereas the other will be a wakeup call if you aren't expecting it (its not that bad, but you wouldn't be shooting it all day!).

Good luck with the future purchase.

B
 
Thanks Ben .
Yes , I think the semi auto is the way to go for recoil . We were shooting lighter loads ( 7s I believe ) and that's what I'll stay with for sure . I just couldn't believe how small the recoil was with that Maxus , as I have a cz 858 that just sits in my safe because it causes my shoulder too much pain . Honestly , I might never have EVER tried shooting a shotgun if these wonderful guys hadn't been so persuasive , and I'm so glad they were . It speaks volumes for the wonderful shooting community we have that they , and you are so proactive about helping people learn in a positive way .
They were also showing me how to try different guns , bringing them to shoulder to try fit like you are saying , it was a great thing to learn .
Shooting clay is just so much fun that I know I'm going to get involved in it now !
Thanks for the info
Dana
 
If you like the maxus after shooting it then you might as well stick with that. Every gun shoulders differently and has a different feel. I don't recommend buying a gun without first shooting it to make sure it feels good for you. I personally own a browning maxus and it's a great shotgun. You will never need to buy any other shotgun as long as you own this one.
 
Good point Viper . I would like to try and shoot a silver hunter 12 gauge . Well , I won't have the $ for a few months so I hope to try a few before purchasing . If I can't , I'll be going with the Maxus .
Thanks
Dana
 
I've shot the silver hunter 12ga. I can hardly ever miss with it. It shoulders and points beautifully... Try before you buy though, it may not fit you as well as it fits me. I dunno if the silver hunter micro comes in 12ga. as well? The length of pull and weight for you to hold up may make it more enjoyable. When you enjoy it more, you shoot it more.

Congrats on catching the "BUG"
 
I'm looking to see if the micro comes in 12 gauge as well as 20 . It's a few hundred less dollars than the Maxus so I am definitely interested . The micro is for smaller arms and it might be perfect . Going to have to take a trip to Edmonton and shoulder one to see . Not to say that looks matter as much as fit but .....darn , it sure is pretty ! I don't like to seem terribly " GIRLY " but it really is aesthetically .....gorgeous .
 
A good 'low buck' option to start out with would be an older used Remington 1100 with either a fixed modified or full choke barrel or even better with RemChokes.

$400-600 will get you pretty much everything your looking for.

Even an 870 with the R3(Limbsaver)Pad and 1oz loads would do the trick if recoil bothers you.
 
Fit is everything. Today at the range I shouldered a buddies new beretta 391 urika 20ga youth and it fit me perfect. I'm 5'10" and have a 3-4" reach on my shorter stockier buddy yet the same gun fit us both. If the gun doesn't fit it will increase felt recoil. Also if you go with 12ga use 2 3/4 dram loads instead of 3dram and for trap 1oz loads of #7.5s will do just fine. The less weight you throw out the less recoil. Find the gun that's right for you don't get pushed into buying something you're not completely comfortable with. I personally prefer field guns over trap guns but I hunt a lot. If you ask nicely most anyone will allow you to try their gun at the range. Good luck
 
Thanks brybenn . People at my range always offer a try on their guns , as do I . It's a great community !
I'll be saving some cash and will have time to try some of the shotguns CGNers have mentioned here for sure . As anything over $1000 is a big purchase , I'm not going to rush and I think I'll find the perfect fit for me .
Dana
 
Dagmaar said:
Thanks brybenn . People at my range always offer a try on their guns , as do I . It's a great community !
I'll be saving some cash and will have time to try some of the shotguns CGNers have mentioned here for sure . As anything over $1000 is a big purchase , I'm not going to rush and I think I'll find the perfect fit for me .
Dana
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VERY wise move. Odds are you won't find the perfect gun, even with shooting of a lot of different guns. However you will be a lot closer to finding out what you want and what you don't want. Also saving a bit more money means you will be able to get a lot more gun for your dollar and be happier with it.
 
Dagmaar said:
Thank you guys for your input , definitely going to check those out !
I am 5"5 and have average arms for my height , don't have a tape measure right now but I'm average in the arm , maybe a bit short ( not T-rex short , but my shirts are never too short for me ) .
Drewster , I would like to stay with 12 gauge for price and availability ( I'm I'm a small town with limited ammo ) . Before ever shooting one , I really thought 20 gauge might be for me , but after experiencing that Maxus 12 gauge I'll be going with a 12 for sure .
Cultured , I was wondering about the silver hunter , thanks . I saw it online and wondered if the recoil was similar to the Maxus , you've answered my question . The silver hunter is more widely available online , so that's worth persueing .
Berettaboy , for now just trap , but who knows in future , I will be checking out the Xtrema , thanks .
Dana
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If you can check out the Browning silver micro midas .it is available in 12 ga with a 26" barrel and has a 13" length of pull to fit smaller people.it has a gas system simlar to the maxus so it will be soft shooting and will cycle light target loads with out problems.
 
R&R Rancher said:
VERY wise move. Odds are you won't find the perfect gun, even with shooting of a lot of different guns. However you will be a lot closer to finding out what you want and what you don't want. Also saving a bit more money means you will be able to get a lot more gun for your dollar and be happier with it.
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Thanks , I think you are absolutely right ! There are so many good ones that would probably be a great fit for me , so I'm just going to do some research and take my time .
Dana
 
rembolt said:
If you can check out the Browning silver micro midas .it is available in 12 ga with a 26" barrel and has a 13" length of pull to fit smaller people.it has a gas system simlar to the maxus so it will be soft shooting and will cycle light target loads with out problems.
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That one is actually first on my list to try for fit when I'm in Edmonton next time !
I know cabelas has them , but will do a little more research to see if I can't find an independent store there first . If possible , I'd like to support those business' or buy in the EE although I haven't seen any of them on the EE .
I'm new to this part of Alberta so finding a good smaller dealer is high on my want list . I've heard excellent things about Prophet and I might drive out there to check them out .
Thanks
Dana
 
Dana,

If you get the opportunity to go to Prophet River, do not hesitate to do so. Clay runs an A+++ business. Top notch all the way.

Email him your want-list and I guarantee you that you'll be getting a response back from him or someone at his shop shortly after with answers to all of them.

Good luck on your search

Ben
 
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