I normally shoot skeet with either a 20 or 28 gauge O/U, but with the bird season approaching, I thought that I should do some practicing with the AYA #2 in 20 gauge that I purchased from Prophet River a short time ago. I had only shot the gun at skeet once before, so I wasn't expecting to shoot my normal scores, but after a 24 on my first round, the second round went clean for a 49/50. The gun is just a pleasure to shoot, and I look forward to using it on some pheasant and Hungarian partridge. What I do find interesting is that when people see a SxS on the rack at the skeet field, most of them view it as a novelty, rather than as a gun that is capable of shooting respectable scores at skeet.
Skeet with a SxS
- Thread starter stubblejumper
- Start date
I did that just a couple weeks ago, pairs are interesting waiting for the bird to show up through the smoke. Figures the one calm day we get is the day I tried it. Managed to eke out a 24 though. Keeps ya humping to reload and keep up to the squad.
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
Westward summed it up nicely. Mine occasionally finds itself at the club, though I will confess choked F/M it tends to be on the trap field more than the skeet field. Perhaps Monday is a good night for a couple of rounds of Full Choke Skeet.
Choke and ability makes more difference than the actual tool IMO
There are guys here I think can run them with a piece of old copper pipe if given the chance
Won most of my matches over the years with wingmasters, did 4 barrel sets, K-32's etc etc do anything for me to improve scores
NOPE , but sure nice to see pumps and SXS on the skeet fields again especially kicking the ass of the big dollar guns and tube sets
Cheers
There are guys here I think can run them with a piece of old copper pipe if given the chance
Won most of my matches over the years with wingmasters, did 4 barrel sets, K-32's etc etc do anything for me to improve scores
NOPE , but sure nice to see pumps and SXS on the skeet fields again especially kicking the ass of the big dollar guns and tube sets
Cheers
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It often happens with a new or borrowed gun that I shoot better the first couple of rounds. This can be attributed to low expectations. I'm more relaxed and unconcerned about whether the bird breaks and as a result more of them do.
The more I shoot these games the less I am convinced that the gun matters much. If it hits where you are looking and doesn't beat you up too hard then the rest is up to you. Even weight and swing dynamics aren't that important because shooters can compensate for them with different foot, eye and gun holds.
The more I shoot these games the less I am convinced that the gun matters much. If it hits where you are looking and doesn't beat you up too hard then the rest is up to you. Even weight and swing dynamics aren't that important because shooters can compensate for them with different foot, eye and gun holds.
I seldom shoot the same gun at skeet two days in a row. I generally alternate between my 20 and 28 gauge sporting clays guns, with my hunting guns worked in every few weeks, and more often as the season approaches. I will be shooting my 625 Feather with the 410 barrels tomorrow. The only time I shoot the 410 barrels is for skeet.
I shoot 4 rounds of skeet every week with my SxS, couldn't really figure out the whole O/U thing, Shoot it better then alot of the K gun guys, they aren't overly pleased afterwords. but skeet is for me anyway, the most fun shot with a SxS
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
Same here, Baikal IJ-58M.
digitalblue
CGN Regular
- Location
- GTA unfortunately
I shot a 24(my highest score to date) during a round of trap with an old beat up Stevens 311A; everyone else on the squad was running "higher end" guns(berettas, brownings, etc) and their scores ranged from 12-22.
The gun will almost always outshoot you.
The gun will almost always outshoot you.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
I always love these I outshot the guys with the higher end guns with my lower grade gun stories. The best part is it's always a one round story. You don't need a higher end gun to break a good score you buy a higher end gun to go the distance. The guy with the higher end gun will be laughing at you later as you rub your wounded shoulder after 100 rounds and your scores start dropping off significantly in back to back rounds of shooting as your not designed for high volume shooting gun pounds your shoulder to pulp. Go shoot a 200 target event then get back to us on how you made out.
Me too. Have you noticed that you read those stories on the Internet far more often than actually seeing them in real life?
Then again there are some people with more money than shooting skills. We had one fellow that showed up at the previous club where I shot that had both a K80, and a K20, and both were very fancy finished shotguns. However , in the entire season, I never saw him shoot even one clean round. Several of us shot better scores than he did with much less expensive guns.
turbo_bird
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kamloops, BC
I've never shot a competition gun, but you're probably right on the gun beating a guy up. I know my old AH Fox made my shoulder pretty sore when I shot 4 rounds of trap one day with heavy #4 game loads. I'll never not check the boxes again, but I couldn't waste a trip to the range. I didn't hit much that day. It doesn't help that it's choked full and full either, but I have managed a few pretty good rounds with similar old hunting guns.
Kristian
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
The Spank is somewhat right on this one. Very few SXS were made specifically for shooting targets, those that are built for the purpose, are no less comfortable to shoot a 400 target event than an O/U. On the other side of that coin, the vast majority of SXS are field guns, they fly to the shoulder to give you 2 quick shots on a fleeing game animal. They tend to be light weight because they are meant to be carried lots and shot little. I had mine to the club last night, Baikal IJ-58M F/M 28" BBL, shot 2 rounds of skeet(20, 18) with it. I dropped 2 targets off my usual average on the first round, and by second round the winds picked up throwing the birds a little wonky. So far as "needing" an expensive O/U to shoot skeet, no you don't need an expensive gun to shoot the sport, however a higher end O/U or semi dedicated for the purpose is designed for the purpose of breaking targets over a very, very long period of time comfortably, without mechanical issues. At my club, the top 6 shooters shoot; K-80 Parcours(2), a Winchester 101(late-70's 4bbl set), a Beretta DT-11, & a Browning 525, and the last guy shoots anything, at anytime, but usually best with a Winchester model 12. That having been said, I normally shoot an Akkar Churchill 206 Silver Hunter or a Benelli Nova.
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I know guys like that too but so what? I've never quite understood the apparent need by some of the less wheel heeled to claim moral superiority by outshooting someone with a more expensive gun. Do they feel smug when they park their Kia better than a Mercedes? Does their self-esteem rise a couple of notches because they can tell time with their Timex just as well as the guy with a Rolex?
Some people shoot better than others. Some guns are more expensive than others. I've owned guns across the spectrum from low three figures to five figures. The scores aren't that much different. The personal enjoyment and satisfaction with the higher-end guns is however another matter entirely.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
I shoot (recreationally) 5-stand and skeet with my Ithaca Model 100 SxS. Its light even for a field gun, but with my 7/8 oz. reloads I can shoot clays with it all day.
In terms of scores, choice of gun type is for many of us a matter of, "It ain't the arrow that counts, its the Indian." No different than for me in golf it wouldn't matter if I'm using a set of garage sale clubs or latest, greatest and most expensive clubs used by the pros. In both cases (gun & golf clubs) fit still matters of course.
At the competition level however, I do believe that there is something about the geometry and dynamics of an O/U than can make the difference between a score of 499 and 500.
EDIT: I'm not advocating cheap guns, as they will disappoint you sooner or later if you do a lot of target shooting.
In terms of scores, choice of gun type is for many of us a matter of, "It ain't the arrow that counts, its the Indian." No different than for me in golf it wouldn't matter if I'm using a set of garage sale clubs or latest, greatest and most expensive clubs used by the pros. In both cases (gun & golf clubs) fit still matters of course.
At the competition level however, I do believe that there is something about the geometry and dynamics of an O/U than can make the difference between a score of 499 and 500.
EDIT: I'm not advocating cheap guns, as they will disappoint you sooner or later if you do a lot of target shooting.
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I do understand where you are coming from, as I also have heard more than enough of the "my cheap gun shoots just as well as the expensive guns" from some people. While some people that are shooting very expensive guns can't shoot clean rounds, I have yet to see anyone shoot clean rounds of skeet on a regular basis with a low end O/U or SxS. It may happen , but I haven't seen it. As for my AYA #2, it would actually be the most expensive gun that I own by far , if I had to pay full price for it new, instead of picking it up used for a great deal. As for personal satisfaction, I actually enjoy being able to pick up one of my sub gauge field guns, and shooting a clean round of skeet, more than I enjoy shooting a clean round with my target guns. The most satisfaction of all for me is shooting a clean round of doubles skeet with my 28 gauge.
