sporting clays and skeet

2tall2

2tall2

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I've been shooting trap regularly for 6 - 7 years now, and am fairly happy with my Browning XT Trap o/u. Now I'm looking to shoot sporting clays and skeet. What's a good gun to start with? Is a flat shooting field gun as good as anything to shoot both?

I have long arms, so need to add a butt plate to almost anything. I think a wood stock is easiest in this regard.

I probably should have kept one of my Browning Maxus that I sold, but never added butt plates to. I realize now, they just didn't fit because they were too short. Looking at another Maxus sporting, or hunter, but also looking at Browning o/u skeet guns, or crossover.
 
2tall2 said:
I've been shooting trap regularly for 6 - 7 years now, and am fairly happy with my Browning XT Trap o/u. Now I'm looking to shoot sporting clays and skeet. What's a good gun to start with? Is a flat shooting field gun as good as anything to shoot both?

I have long arms, so need to add a butt plate to almost anything. I think a wood stock is easiest in this regard.

I probably should have kept one of my Browning Maxus that I sold, but never added butt plates to. I realize now, they just didn't fit because they were too short. Looking at another Maxus sporting, or hunter, but also looking at Browning o/u skeet guns, or crossover.
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Have you tried Skeet or Sporting with your XT ? You may be surprised. A lot of shooters like a somewhat high shooting gun for Sporting.
 
I shoot a high rib gun for sporting. After a long training curve, I love it. For me the heads up style of shooting is far more predictable.
Meaning when I miss a target, most times I know why. The only draw back might be if you shoot low gun. Trap guns tend not to shoulder quite as smooth as sporting guns. For me anyway I want a flat shooting gun for sporting. Floating the target over the bead, while dealing with arcing, or complicated angels, is just a lot of guess work. My sporting guns have adjustable combs so getting them to shoot flat is no big deal. good luck with your choice
 
You could shoot sporting with your XT but it might not be ideal. I shot an XT Trap for several years and liked it for trap but we wouldn't have gotten along very well on the sporting range at all. I prefer a slightly lighter gun than what most XT traps weigh and like flat shooting guns better than high shooting ones.
Field guns work fine for sporting but they do tend to be lighter than target guns so recoil can start to be an issue after a long shooting session and the heavier target guns tend to mitigate that.
 
IIRC the XT has an adjustable comb lower. If you have a high pattern for trap lower the comb until the pattern is flat for sporting/skeet, throw in a pair of IC chokes and have at it.
 
For sporting clays a higher shooting gun is not a disadvantage.

Covering what you are shooting at is a disadvantage.


To Low comb height will make for flinching and lifting head as well.
 
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Thanks for the responses. I have now shot a few rounds of skeet and sporting with my XT, and am not doing very well with it. I think a flatter shooting gun would be better. Yes, my XT has an adjustable comb, but I'm not interested in changing the comb height each time I change games.

I tried some of the other guys semi autos, and did ok with a Beretta A400 Competition Black, but being too short I still struggle with it.

I'm still considering either a semi-auto Browning Maxus Hunter, or Sporting, or a Browning CXS o/u. There is also a Winchester SX3 Sporting, Considering it because it uses the same Invector Plus chokes I already use.

What ever I end up with, I'll be adding a Graco LOP adjustable butt plate.
ht tps://graco-corp.com/product/575s/

Next question, what barrel length for a gun that will be used for both Sporting and Skeet? I've read a lot of skeet shooters are going with longer barrels, than were once popular. Is 28" still ok for an o/u, or is it considered too short now?
 
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2tall2 said:
Next question, what barrel length for a gun that will be used for both Sporting and Skeet? I've read a lot of skeet shooters are going with longer barrels, than were once popular. Is 28" still ok for an o/u, or is it considered too short now?
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I like 30 inches, but 28 is fine.
 
2tall2 said:
Next question, what barrel length for a gun that will be used for both Sporting and Skeet? I've read a lot of skeet shooters are going with longer barrels, than were once popular. Is 28" still ok for an o/u, or is it considered too short now?
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Sporting has moved to longer barrels. The minimum is usually 30" with 32" the most common and even the occasional 34" barrel seen at competitions.
 
Traditionally skeet shooters used 26 or 28 inch barrels on their over and under's, sporting shooters use a minimum of 30 and more often 32 inches with the occasional 34 inch gun. There are exceptions of course where someone uses a 26 or 28 inch gun for sporting but in most cases it's the guys field gun and not really ideal for the job. In my opinion, the best length to do both disciplines would be 30 inches, short enough to be quick on skeet crosser's and long enough to chase down long crosser's at sporting.
I think the reason you see longer barrels being used for skeet these days is because people are using their sporting guns there instead of having a dedicated skeet gun.
 
30" O/U's are now not all that uncommon on the Skeet fields and 32" sporting guns seem to be the preference these days.

I shoot registered Skeet with a 32" gun and don't find it a hindrance.

Want a new gun ... a CX or CXS would do the trick for you just nicely, modified to suit your LOP needs.
 
I shoot skeet with a Browning Citori XS Skeet in 20ga with 28" barrels. For the little I shoot sporting clays it works just fine. Sometimes I also use my SX3 20ga, its 28" barrelled as well but a little longer sighting plane being a semi.
 
Thanks for the feedback. So, what I really want is a 28" o/u for skeet, and 32" for sporting clays, lol.

I handled a Browning Citori CXS 30" in store today, and it felt good, other than being too short. Don't think I'll need adjustable comb, but can add that later anyway. Think I'll leaning toward this gun.
 
I’ve gone to 32” in my O/U’s in 12 and 20 gauge and shoot them for skeet, trap and sporting. At 6’3”” they fit and swing nicely with 14 3/4 “ LOP.

The CXS is a nice gun but if your tall spend the extra and get a adjustable comb. With the 50 / 50 POI I need the raised comb to see more rib.

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REM3200 said:
I’ve gone to 32” in my O/U’s in 12 and 20 gauge and shoot them for skeet, trap and sporting. At 6’3”” they fit and swing nicely with 14 3/4 “ LOP.

The CXS is a nice gun but if your tall spend the extra and get a adjustable comb. With the 50 / 50 POI I need the raised comb to see more rib.
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Thanks for the responses. I'm 6'6". If set up like my trap gun, LOP will be around 16" so I'm now looking at the 32" CXS, although there is nice a used 32" 725 Sporting on EE. Can't find anything definitive on how the 725 shoots, although what I have found seems to lean toward 60/40 POI.
 
2tall2 said:
Thanks for the responses. I'm 6'6". If set up like my trap gun, LOP will be around 16" so I'm now looking at the 32" CXS, although there is nice a used 32" 725 Sporting on EE. Can't find anything definitive on how the 725 shoots, although what I have found seems to lean toward 60/40 POI.
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I shoot a 725 in 20 gauge with 32” barrels & factory comb. Considered having a after market raised comb installed but adapted to the gun and with the beads stacked I’d be very close to a 60/40.
 
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