Random Thought Re:Sub Gauge Tubing

the spank

the spank

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So I have been watching the EE and a few other boards for a new to me skeet gun for taking part now and again at the odd 4 gun shoot and today it hit me. Why not just get a set of tubes made to fit the 30" doubles barrels on my brand new 687 Silver Pigeon III Trap Combo? The doubles barrels in combination with the height I have the comb at print about 4" above poa or roughly 70/30 so by dropping one shim in the comb I would be down to 2.5" above poa or about 60/40 which would work well I think for shooting skeet. What do you think? Am I going way out on a limb having a trap combo serve double duty as a skeet gun?
 
I shot skeet for a couple years with my 682 Gold trap combo. I used 26 or 28" tubes (the universal fitment kind of Brileys) in the 32" o/u barrels. I won't say I had any great success, but I think that falls more on my LOFT than on the gun. I know at one registered shoot I cleaned the first ~72 in the 28ga, then fell apart big time to finish out the 100, so I'm led to believe the tubes were working properly.
 
It came about because they were posted used on the EE, and I am too cheap to buy proper tubes and the proper gun. Not because I thought it was ideal.
 
" Am I going way out on a limb having a trap combo serve double duty as a skeet gun?"

One of the members of my club does exactly this, and with great success I might add, except of course he's a Browning man. He rarely shoots anything but this one trap gun, can't remember the model, IIRC it's 525.
 
Spank: Your plan is just fine. Yes 60/40, or even less, down to 50/50 .

I've had both 4-barrel sets and tubed guns, but prefer the tubed guns.

Briley's will work just fine but IMHO, Kolars are nicer ! Use good ammo, preferably brass based.

You may want some weight in the butt stock to counter-balance the tubes.
30" Skeet guns in the 8-1/2 - 9 lb + range seem to be the "norm" these days.
I prefer a balance point right at the hinge pin, so weight-in for the tubes, out for the 12 ga. ... but your mileage may vary. ;)
 
beretta boy said:
Spank: Your plan is just fine. Yes 60/40, or even less, down to 50/50 .

I've had both 4-barrel sets and tubed guns, but prefer the tubed guns.

Briley's will work just fine but IMHO, Kolars are nicer ! Use good ammo, preferably brass based.

You may want some weight in the butt stock to counter-balance the tubes.
30" Skeet guns in the 8-1/2 - 9 lb + range seem to be the "norm" these days.
I prefer a balance point right at the hinge pin, so weight-in for the tubes, out for the 12 ga. ... but your mileage may vary. ;)
Click to expand...

I was thinking of the Kolars as well. The AAA superlites are only about 10oz per pair!! That is not a huge weight gain when spread over 30" long barrels. Probably a removable lead tube in the butt of a few ounces(would have to experiment with various weight sizes) would be enough to maintain a balanced gun and still add no more than a pound overall combined with the tubes. One thing I discovered after my first foray into 4 gun over a decade ago with a borrowed tubed gun(3200) was I shot better scores with the 20 than the 12 so I would shoot the 20 in the 12 events anyways. I'd only need to remove the buttstock weight to configure the gun for trap.
 
If you are going to try this, perhaps find the exact balance point of the gun before the tubes are installed. Then with the tubes installed, add weight to find it again. The appropriate diameter and size of weight can then cast to fit the stock bolt hole. It does make for a heavier gun, but this may not bother you. An enlarged screw hole, for easier access, should be added to the pad, allowing quicker change overs as well, or you'll chew the pad up.

Pretty much what you've said, anyways, but cast that weight to fit, with a retainer so it stays at the end of the hole!

R.
 
Rman said:
if you are going to try this, perhaps find the exact balance point of the gun before the tubes are installed. Then with the tubes installed, add weight to find it again. The appropriate diameter and size of weight can then cast to fit the stock bolt hole.... with a retainer so it stays at the end of the hole ...
Click to expand...

Sage advice.
 
Seeing trap guns at skeet field these days seem to be a common occurrence. Since the high rib craze that started a few years back I to jumped on the band wagon. Although I opted for a high rib sporting model. Personally I choose to run a 50/50 point of impact. Most useful on on diving targets on windy days. After hours of research I ended up sending my gun to briley and had a complete set of match weight ultralights made for it. I have never used any weights on the stock and didn't choose to order the barrel counter weight that briley makes. May scores were pretty consistent dropping 1-2 bird average per gauge. One thing I have learn over the years is if you shoot sub gauge quit frequently and don't keep up with a 12 gauge, you will develope a flinch with out realizing it. At least for the first few rounds untill you get back into it. But in a competition. It just starts playing with your head. What I have done to over come this is played with one once reloads untill I found a powder and charge that imitated to same recoil and speed of a 20 gauge shell. 1200fps.

As for shorter sub gauge tubes I would recommend staying away for any tube shorter than 16". Study's have showed that powder needs 16" of barrel to complete a optimal burn. I have shot with a few fellows shooters that were using chambermates. And WOW the blow back that there were getting was horrendous. To the point that they say after a flat of shell they had to remove the stock to clean out the firing pin and trigger mechanism. Prior to that I had heard storys about chambermates or comparable short sub gauge adapters were wearing bolt faces and firing pins after prolong use. Never though it could be true. But after seeing what I saw. I'm thinking that it's plausible.

Any how. That's my 2 cent. Good luck with what ever you choose!
 
My understanding was that the top American skeet shooters pretty much never shoot 12ga. They shoot their 20ga in the 12ga and 20ga events.
 
They also use a semi's for 12 gauge. At least in the shoots that I attended. I actually met a guy that shoots 410 for all the gauges. But why handy cap yourself. As for the states they shoot on an average 1000s for more rounds than Canadians. They flat out have better shooters. Look at there averages and number of shooters compared to us. I find what they do there and what we do here seems to a little different. In my opinoin and only my opinion. At my club most skeet shooters believe more pellets created a better score average as long as you don't suffer on the recoil. Just like #9 pellets are better than #8 because there's more pellets. But on a windy day use #8.5 or #8. Those things can be debated to the end of time. I have to agree with you I have read time and time again that 20s are used in 12 and 20 gauge 4 gun shoots.
 
I had 28" tubes in my Beretta 30" barrelled 680. They worked fine but left a ring of carbon at the end of the tube in each barrel. No problem to clean it out, but should be done regularly, and BEFORE you attempt shoot 12 ga shells in it. I had about 8 oz in the butt, balanced out perfectly. Gun weighed about 9 lbs, but didn't feel heavy at all.
 
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