Rifle man getting into trap shooting in BC

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maxshiau

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Hi everyone I am getting into trap shooting with my GF I use to shoot rifle long range, we tried a 20 guage and I have took a round of 12 gauge and ready to get into the sport.
So from my understanding 12 is the way to go, and if possible for future double trap or sporting clay better have a o/u shotgun... no cycling problems.
I found a Beretta o/u dr something for 1k and I am looking into a new brand called Dickinson semi auto. Was told to stay clear of the Stoeger condor but the Stoeger M3000 is ok. been told to get the Remington 1100...

really confused... maybe because i dont have a shotgun.

Need some pointers. Also at the moment awaiting approval for the exchange page.
 
For what it is worth my opinion is get a separate gun for each game if you plan to take one or the other seriously. If not my suggestion would be one of the B guns in an o/u with screw chokes and an adjustable comb at minimum. Also if you are going back and forth between trap and sporting clays I would suggest a set of 30" barrels for a good all around sighting plane and for their handling characteristics.
 
Don't get hung up on which gun when starting out. If you are going to try various games a 12 gauge over/under or semi-automatic with removable chokes will get you started.

Go with a recognized brand: Beretta, Browning, Remington (semi) and perhaps Cesar Guerini and Rizzini. They will be more expensive but they are also easier to resell should your interests change or you want to upgrade.

Get longer barrels: 30"-32" for an over/under, 28"-30" for a semi-automatic.

If the clay target bug takes hold it is very unlikely that the gun you start with will be the one you end up with. As you shoot more targets you will find out which game you like and can then decide on another gun if you wish. Ask questions about what other people are shooting, clay target shooters are pretty accommodating in letting other people try their guns.

Finally, get some lessons if they are available in your area. The games are much easier with instruction and you'll save a lot of money over learning by trial and error. Shooting shotgun is very different than rifle.
 
The most important thing in a shotgun is fit. Get advice on a knowledgeable person as to proper fit (LOP, cast and stock drop).

TRap, skeet and sporting clays entail high volume shooting. A quality gun is a must. By all means, stay away from cheap O/U, such as Stoeger and Stevens.
If you decide to go for an O/U, a used Beretta or Browning is the way to go.

Otherwise, a decent quality semi-auto, preferably with removable choke tubes, will do the job more than adequately, if it fits you.
 
I went through this and most important is the FIT if it dont fit you dont hit!! Then comes barrel length and chokes Shoulder a bunch and see what fits you best and you like. Try going to local clubs they may have some loaners to try out. I dont like and cant hit with an O/U at all so I went with a Semi 30" barrel, make sure whatever you get has external removable chokes youll appreciate them!!
 
Thank you all for the advice! I will jump into it then, I guess more information and what i would want to do will come to me later.
Will swing back when i run into anything. Im going to pitt meadows gun club since its close by and work my way from there.
I cant see the exchange forum yet, anything there that i can use to start with?
 
bdft said:
The EE is full of potential competition shotguns. Some are even reasonably priced.
Click to expand...

You mean a hand painted 1968 wingmaster without a barrel isn't worth $650? :)


A lot of manufacturers will make a trap version of their popular models ie rem 1100 etc. A lot come with shims. You will probably change your gun as you get experience. Get the one that fits best for your budget. Enjoy!
 
+1 far more important than brand or action. Then to avoid making the same mistake I did, there are some very good reasons why trap guns are designed the way they are (high rib), skeet and sporting are much different. Easier to sort of to ok in trap with a sporting gun, much harder to do sporting with a trap gun. So try out the various disciplines and see what you like. I thought I was headed for sporting clays then discovered I really liked trap, so then got a dedicated trap gun.

Barnard308 said:
I went through this and most important is the FIT if it dont fit you dont hit!! Then comes barrel length and chokes Shoulder a bunch and see what fits you best and you like. Try going to local clubs they may have some loaners to try out. I dont like and cant hit with an O/U at all so I went with a Semi 30" barrel, make sure whatever you get has external removable chokes youll appreciate them!!
Click to expand...
 
I have a Dickinson Arms semi-auto (212, in 12ga. 28"), it is my first and only [atm] trap gun. While everyone else here likely has a more experienced opinion on shooting trap, I'll touch on the shotgun. Assuming the Dickinson semi you were referring to was a Dickinson Arms.

I couldn't afford a proper O/U, so I looked to cheap semis. I found the 212 at $550 price point, more than cheap enough to justify getting into trap. It's very light (7lbs), feels well made, has good customability for the stock (comes with adapters/shims to change the angle of the grip/stock), a full set of chokes with case for them, and a gorgeous trigger pull - and not just for a $500 shotgun. It strips and cleans very easily since it is inertia driven and there aren't many parts to clean or reassemble. While I have only shot 4 boxes out of it, it has never failed or stuttered in any way, but I haven't shot anything but singles so I can't comment on the follow up round. It's so light it sweeps well, and is accurate/easy enough to shoot out of the box to get me an average of 19 out of 25 for my first 4 games ever. I have not seen individual barrels in store, but they sell a 26-28-30" version, so buying barrels for swaps (if you intend to use one gun) should be easy and takes seconds to swap if you can find them to order. I would not hesitate to buy it again if I was looking for a cheap semi and did not have one.
 
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My advice would be to borrow something and shoot a few flats to see how you like it. Fit is important but if you are just starting out it is likely you would be better off shooting 1000 targets to get a feel for things before you buy something. To start- anything will work that goes bang when you pull the trigger. You will quickly figure out what you like and what you don't. Then buy something nice.
 
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