Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
Providing it fits you, as an Upland field gun, they are fine, as a duty clays gun, the jury's still out. Some of their competition guns have been hit & miss quality wise.
New to trap and skeet
- Thread starter Canadian eh!
- Start date
Dang.
Ok, maybe I should just go this way. What is a good quality o/u that isn't going to break the bank? Is there such thing as a decent entry level around the, say, $600-$800 mark?
I'm more than happy to spend a few thousand down the road if it turns out to be something I really get into, I just don't like jumping in with both feet until I'm certain it's something I'm into for the long haul.
Ok, maybe I should just go this way. What is a good quality o/u that isn't going to break the bank? Is there such thing as a decent entry level around the, say, $600-$800 mark?
I'm more than happy to spend a few thousand down the road if it turns out to be something I really get into, I just don't like jumping in with both feet until I'm certain it's something I'm into for the long haul.
One thing you may want to consider before buying. If you purchase a lower end "entry" level O/U and decide in the future that you want a more expensive gun, you'll lose more money on it than you would if you just bought a used "B" gun in the first place. If you buy a used "B" gun and then decide you're not into the clay target games, you'll probably be able to sell it for just about what you paid for it.
As others have stated, fit is the most important thing and both Browning and Beretta have that figured out. One or the other will just feel "right" (which is only part way to "fit" but it's a pretty good place to start). They also have a reputation for a certain level of quality that most people appreciate. So many people where I shoot have come out with a Stoeger or equivalent and then, when given the opportunity to try a Beretta or Browning, have decided that they should have just bought one in the first place. I'm not knocking anyone's choice of gun, just pointing out that there's a reason that skeet/trap/sporting clays fields are full of them (and every other shotgun forum has the same "buy a "B" gun" advice for new shooters)!
Only a rich man can afford cheap guns (or anything else for that matter).
As others have stated, fit is the most important thing and both Browning and Beretta have that figured out. One or the other will just feel "right" (which is only part way to "fit" but it's a pretty good place to start). They also have a reputation for a certain level of quality that most people appreciate. So many people where I shoot have come out with a Stoeger or equivalent and then, when given the opportunity to try a Beretta or Browning, have decided that they should have just bought one in the first place. I'm not knocking anyone's choice of gun, just pointing out that there's a reason that skeet/trap/sporting clays fields are full of them (and every other shotgun forum has the same "buy a "B" gun" advice for new shooters)!
Only a rich man can afford cheap guns (or anything else for that matter).
bdft
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
BJP makes a good point. A used Browning Citori is easy to find for around 1000.00 and its never going to be worth much less than 1000.00. A used Stoeger is not going to sell for much, if it sells at all.
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
Great Crouton: I guess the question we ought to have asked is where you are already. What are you currently shooting Trap & Skeet with? What do you feel needs to be upgraded on it?
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Couldn't agree more. I saw what you did too !
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
First off congratulations on your purchase. Secondly the best $20 I ever spent on skeet was an instructional video by Todd Bender. The game changed for me instantly following his instructions. I was consistently shooting 22-23-24 until watching that video over and over and practicing the hold points, foot stances, where to look for the target, where to break the targets etc and within a few rounds I was smashing 25's at least 50-60% of the rounds I shot.
Thanks guys. Too cold to tell but last time out about 3 weeks ago I smacked a couple in a row shooting Skeet from station 4, the toughest for me. All the while I was being told, lead by 3 1/2 - 4 ft and not getting anywhere. Well thought I'd try 1 ft lead and what do know. Unfortunately those were the last few birds and a few other fellows were coming over to shoot a round, so never got to try it again. Hope to go full tilt as soon as we get out of this deep freeze. Been watching plenty of videos including Bender. Have some lessons planned for spring. Do hope my whole problem has to do with over leading. That would be an easy fix. Rather than worrying to much about stance and swing etc. I'm sure those can be important too but eventually the law of averages has to start working in my favor.
Now you are learning another important facet of clay target shooting which is that the most often the peanut gallery has have no idea what they are talking about. No one sees lead exactly the same. Target speed, gun speed, distance, insertion point, break point, even barrel length can change your perception of lead.
I honestly don't know many feet I lead by at any station, but I do notice that it seems like I lead more with my shorter barreled field guns, than I do with my target guns. The people that I see having the most problems at stations 3,4,5 tend to wait too long to shoot, and the target is a long ways out, and the angle has changed considerably.
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
You could not have said it any better. When I set out to shoot skeet I try to shoot the singles in exactly the same area I would as in doubles including doubles at stations 3-4-5. That way my leads never change for the station I am on and my sight picture is always the same in my minds eye for when it's time to squeeze the trigger.
Yes. I notice Bender suggests shooting most birds before they reach the center stake which right now I find too fast for me. Usually don't get on the bird till the center stake. Yet I can smack em good on station 8 usually. Gotta get more practice.
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
You'll find them much easier to break before centre if you establish the correct hold point as pointed out in the video and learn where to look for the target. If you are holding too close to the house or looking back all the way to the house you are going to be playing catch up. You say you cut your lead at stn 4 back to a foot. From what I am reading here I would almost bet a flat of ammo you are having to come from behind the bird, pass through, fire and keep going? In that case your perceived amount of lead is much less as you are moving faster than the target. Shooters like myself who break #4 with 4 feet of lead do so because I am using a sustained lead swing. I have not had to pass the target from behind as my hold point and focal point have allowed me to pick it up on the way to my gun barrel and remain ahead of it at the same rate of speed. In doing that I can shoot it before it reaches centre as my mind is not racing to play catch up.
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
Those are absolutely critical. Stance and foot/body position are extremely important in determining where you will run out of swing vs have plenty of free swing for breaking the targets where they should be broken to best take advantage of your choke and proper leads. Basic fundamentals practiced routinely will help you avoid bad habits being formed and continued frustrations down the road.
