Need some quick tips for Trap

[Win/64]

So far I have settled on Improved Modified for trap at the 16 yard line because the patterning is best at 36 yards in my gun. The pattern is starting to open a bit by 50 yards and there are some gaps. So, unless I begin to feel daring, I'll likely shift over to full once I get a handicap of 27 yards. On the other hand, I may not be able to lift a full choke, let alone the whole gun, by the time that happens. So, things are easy for me. It's IM out to the 20 yard line. At least it makes things simple. Not like clays, now that's a completely different story.

You don't have to have a 27 yd handicap to shoot from the 27. Sometimes it's just fun to take the long walk back there and try your luck.

 

[BCFred]

You don't have to a 27 yd handicap to shoot from the 27. Sometimes it's just fun to take the long walk back there and try your luck.

Fair enough. My partner and I practice back there sometimes and its fun, like you say. But I'm on the front end of the learning curve. So, I don't do it much, and most of my time is spent at the 16 yard line. It's still fun and I'm putting more pictures of hitting into my head, rather than pictures of missing. As I have aged and done more and more things, I have come to believe that it is far better to learn by emphasizing building on successes, rather than by emphasizing correcting errors. So I want a good level of success when I'm practicing. Better for morale and better for learning, especially at the early stages. Master shooters can be productively interested in errors. They make few. But errors are less useful to me right now. I'm shooting in the low 20's in practice and can dip to an 18 or 19. Unlike skeet, I don't feel that I own any particular shot at the 16 yard line yet, and until the consistency is there, and I'm shooting in the 90's, I don't see much reason to move back. Just my opinion, of course, and there are certainly people who have more fun going at things differently. Different strokes...

 

[bluelynx]

Look at but one, with both your eyes
Then elevate the tube with care,
Still gazing on the bird in the air;
Follow it not along the sky,
To take a formal aim, but try
to draw the trigger just as you
At the gun's end the object view.
Nine times in ten the gun is right
At first, obeying well the sight;
But if you look, and look again,
And doubt and waver, it is plain
Your hand has ev'ry chanch to be
Betrayed by such uncertainty.

Alaric Alexander Watts, "Shooting Flying" (1797-1864)

 

[eh class]

haven't shot much trap but the one rule I use is "bring lots of ammo because it's fun and addictive" the last thing you want is to run out of ammo before you're done having fun.

 

[colt45cz75]

Relax, find a comfortable foot position, keep your head down , shoot em in the face, follow through. Repeat till finished.

 

[Paul Morrison]

Well, because you all asked so nicely:

http://www.choketube.com/benelli.html

They are about 40% of the way down the page, and are labelled:

"BENELLI 12 gauge Sporting Clays Choke Tubes "

The one I use is .715

 

[Kenny]

what to do

Load some shells with little pieces of broken targets in them, they will think you chipped every one of them,
Just kidding ,,have some fun keep your head on the stock.

 

[Win/64]

Well, because you all asked so nicely:

http://www.choketube.com/benelli.html

They are about 40% of the way down the page, and are labelled:

"BENELLI 12 gauge Sporting Clays Choke Tubes "

The one I use is .715

.715 is an I.C. choke. I guess I got confused when you said it was a Sporting clay/trap choke. I still don't think I.C. is enough choke for trap.

 

[Covey Ridge]

.715 is an I.C. choke. I guess I got confused when you said it was a Sporting clay/trap choke. I still don't think I.C. is enough choke for trap.

For 16 yards and for the younger fellows who can see the target before they get past the horizon, they will work fine.

 

[Win/64]

For 16 yards and for the younger fellows who can see the target before they get past the horizon, they will work fine.

Most new shooters I watch don't take their shot till the clay is at least 40yds out and on it's way down. I.C. is not enough choke. Experienced young shooters who can "hit em quick" Hit them much closer. Even these guy's are using I.M. to Full chokes. And then theres always the wind, where it's nice to have a tighter pattern.

 

[Covey Ridge]

Most new shooters I watch don't take their shot till the clay is at least 40yds out and on it's way down. I.C. is not enough choke. Experienced young shooters who can "hit em quick" Hit them much closer. Even these guy's are using I.M. to Full chokes. And then theres always the wind, where it's nice to have a tighter pattern.

Even for the newbies, IC or LM will work fine. Should remind those score keepers that there job is to score them and not judge them When Newbie gets the hang of it he will know to choose his own choke according to style. I would not be surprised to see them stick with at least the LM especially with those fluffy 16 yard targets

 

[Win/64]

Even for the newbies, IC or LM will work fine. Should remind those score keepers that there job is to score them and not judge them When Newbie gets the hang of it he will know to choose his own choke according to style. I would not be surprised to see them stick with at least the LM especially with those fluffy 16 yard targets

I wasn't judging anyone Sorry if my opinion is different to yours. Yours is just uninformed. I.C. is not enough for Trap at the 16 especially this time of the year. In post #10 of this thread you said a Mod. choke would be fine. Have you moved from the 16 yd to the 14 yd line?

 

[Covey Ridge]

I wasn't judging anyone Sorry if my opinion is different to yours. Yours is just uninformed. I.C. is not enough for Trap at the 16 especially this time of the year. In post #10 of this thread you said a Mod. choke would be fine. Have you moved from the 16 yd to the 14 yd line?

I did not say that mod. would be fine. I said that Mod would be good, however in post 9, you said that mod. would be fine. But that was earlier in the year

Now I get it! Sheephunter has taken you off his buddy list and you are going to pick on me?? I am hurt and confused
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Just joking!!! You are still my favourite good natured troll

 

[BCFred]

Gee Whiz! There I was perfectly happy with IM choke. Now I think I'm going to shoot an ICLMMIMF choke at 16. I'm absolutely certain (read pretty sure, maybe) that I'm not going to use a skeet choke, so far. Unless I've missed something it's the only one that hasn't been mentioned. Fred

 

[Covey Ridge]

Gee Whiz! There I was perfectly happy with IM choke. Now I think I'm going to shoot an ICLMMIMF choke at 16. I'm absolutely certain (read pretty sure, maybe) that I'm not going to use a skeet choke, so far. Unless I've missed something it's the only one that hasn't been mentioned. Fred

Fred,
Those 16 yard targets will break with a well centered shot from any of those chokes you mentioned. IC to mod. are good choices for newbies. Not too many targets will be able to fly through the pattern, but lot will not be broken because they were not centered.

 

[Win/64]

Fred,
Those 16 yard targets will break with a well centered shot from any of those chokes you mentioned. IC to mod. are good choices for newbies. Not too many targets will be able to fly through the pattern, but lot will not be broken because they were not centered.

 

[MauserMike]

My vote is for a modified choke #8 shot 1oz 1200fps but here is a real gem of advice if you intend to stick with trap: pattern the gun at the range you break targets so you know the POI and so you can see how the pattern looks at the ranges you will be breaking targets. Normally 35 yds for a shooter of average to good ability at 16 yd trap.

If you've only shot trap once before, relax and have fun. You aren't going to impress anyone. I've been at this for a couple of years now and I am inconsistent at best.

 

[Win/64]

Fred,
Those 16 yard targets will break with a well centered shot from any of those chokes you mentioned. IC to mod. are good choices for newbies. Not too many targets will be able to fly through the pattern, but lot will not be broken because they were not centered.

Have you seen what an I.C. looks like at 40 yds.? You could probably drive your "K-car" right through it and not be touched.

 

[MauserMike]

IMO you are better off too tight than too loose. I previously shot with a fixed full choke gun.

I'd take a full choke with a strong centre and weak fringes over an IC with an inconsistent centre and weak fringes. Inconsistent or weak = dusted targets = L O S T.

The patterning board can be deceptive as well. Your IC choke may look like it has enough pattern in the centre but because of the shot string, those pellets won't all be hitting the target. The target is edge on in trap making the situation even worse. Bob Brister did some great work in the 70's patterning on moving targets to take shot stringing into account. But I doubt many of us will have wives that will let us shoot targets they are pulling behind the family station wagon

 

[BCFred]

Have you seen what an I.C. looks like at 40 yds.? You could probably drive your "K-car" right through it and not be touched.

This is correct for my gun too and if I want to use modified at 16, then I get a much better pattern with 1 1/8 oz of shot, especially with #7 1/2, though it is true with #8 as well. I used IC chokes for skeet until I got my skeet chokes. They worked well there, though I believe I get the odd extra bird with the more open pattern. Will likely use IC for sporting clays on some stands too. In the end it probably comes down to the gun and load which choke you use. The one thing I have heard that makes some sort of sense is using a full choke when one wants to refine their skill. I try this at the 16 (when I'm feeling strong ) and it does force me to concentrate more and somehow the cause for a miss seems a bit clearer. If the concern is picking up birds from the 16 with an inexperienced shooter, a good concern because it is fun to hit birds not miss them, then I would go with a modified choke and a 2 3/4 DE 1 1/8 oz load of #8. It won't save money, but it will give a decent pattern and will pick birds up that aren't dead center. I'm not disparaging 1 oz loads as I know too many really good shooters who use them, but it does take some work to get a good pattern at 36 yards or so in my gun with 1 oz. So, I have to go with what the patterning board tells me. Just my $0.02 worth.