Trap & Skeet Shotgun

stubblejumper said:
Our local sporting clays range does have a minimum barrel length, one additional concern with sporting clays, is that the barrel must be through the safety frame at each station, a short barrel may result in the barrel swinging out of the safety frame., if the shooter leans the wrong way.
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Two inches isn't going to make any difference. These kinds of rules say that shotgunners are way less competent with their 3 foot long guns than handgunnners are with their 7 inch long guns? :rolleyes: The irony being that lots of shotgunners happily throw the handgun guys under then control bus.


Sniffer said:
From the limited amount I know I suspect that is the main reason for the minimum length.
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Nah, the reason is that petty tyrants feel compelled to make burocratic rules for other people so they can feel superior.


Licensed to kill said:
Seen a video (I think it was on Brandon Herrerra’a channel) showing a woman in a tank top shooting handgun and a piece of brass went down her shirt. She was flailing around with a loaded pistol, not good. However, I am not convinced that she should have been allowed to shoot a pistol dressed like that for that exact reason. I often don’t think of things like that as I don’t own anything that ejects shell ither that a couple sxs’s with ejectors ( which I despise) but they rarely get used much for that reason. They will be going down the road as soon as as I find suitable replacements.
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This comment screams that you have precious little experience with handguns. :rolleyes: As a male, I've had hot brass go down my tee-shirt and even had a hot 22 rimfire case go down my glasses. Both being quite unpleasant experiences. The funky chicken is understandable in those times but one still has to maintain control over the muzzle direction. Lets not slut shame the women who choose to shoot shall we?
 
I did some pattern work when I first got my Browning 625...my reloads vs factory loads. Did it at 16 yds cuz that's where the clubs board and pad were ?
Going by book velocity's for my reloads. I tested 3 different ammo's, 2 different loads each (same speed ?)...3 different chokes. My loads were as good and as accurate as the Challengers and Gun Clubs in every case.
 
Sniffer said:
I plan to dabble in Trap & Skeet in 2026. At this point I am super green.

I have a good few shotguns but they are all semis and I sense that an over under is a better fit for this type of sport.

Can I start with a semi to see if it floats my boat? The barrels (~21") would be on the short side based on what seems typical (looks like most people are running 28" or 30") - is this a disadvantage?

What ammo is used for this? 7.5 birdshot? And what choke (guessing one of the tighter constrictions)?

Thanks in advance.
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I started on a semi auto Franchi with a 30 inch barrel, some people on the trap fields dont like getting hit by ejected shells but sucks to suck and I wouldn't worry about it. Over and unders the way to go but id say run your 21 inch with full choke and 7.5 buckshot 1200fps and just learn and enjoy it. Once your ready to upgrade to an O/U go with Beretta or Browning but make sure you enjoy the sport before spending that money. With a shorter barrel you cant let them float as long because the further out it gets harder to hit with spread
 
Sniffer said:
Kinda, so long as the barrel is longer than 28" (which I currently dont own).

It wont be a Turkish gun. Not knocking them but wont be going that direction.

Almost every time I got into a new firearm discipline I tried to go "basic" to start and to date it has never worked. Quite quickly it was sold on and I then moved to something I should have bought in the first place but initially perceived as"too much".

Luckily I am someone that looks after their gear and generally keeps stuff a long time so makes sense for me to get something that is a good fit.
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Is that a rule at your club?

Because I've shot everything down to an 18.5" riot gun at trap and skeet (had it threaded for chokes) and the only person who ever complained was a miserable old fudd of a fellow who thought the gun was illegal (to own). My favourite skeet gun is a 21" Beretta 1301 comp, as a matter of fact. (That's one that I won't use for trap if I'm with a squad, because it chucks shells directly right)

And this is a club that hosts national and international events - not some shoot-what-you-got game and fish club
 
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Licensed to kill said:
When you say 55/45 that means 55% above POA and 45% below ??? Proof reading my post, since shotguns are pointed not aimed I suspect POA is the wrong term and if so please correct me. Thanks.
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Actual term is POI " point of impact " other than that the charts are spot on, I have my trap guns set about 70 / 30 which works for me but everyone is different
 
I Dont Care About You said:
Two inches isn't going to make any difference. These kinds of rules say that shotgunners are way less competent with their 3 foot long guns than handgunnners are with their 7 inch long guns? :rolleyes: The irony being that lots of shotgunners happily throw the handgun guys under then control bus.



Nah, the reason is that petty tyrants feel compelled to make burocratic rules for other people so they can feel superior.



This comment screams that you have precious little experience with handguns. :rolleyes: As a male, I've had hot brass go down my tee-shirt and even had a hot 22 rimfire case go down my glasses. Both being quite unpleasant experiences. The funky chicken is understandable in those times but one still has to maintain control over the muzzle direction. Lets not slut shame the women who choose to shoot shall we?
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Two inches may not make much difference, but with no minimum barrel length, you would have people showing up with 18" barrels or even shorter, possibly as short as 14 or 16". So compared to a 28" barrel, that could easily be 10" shorter or possibly even 12 or 14" shorter. That is a significant variation, and could make a difference.
 
Sniffer said:
I have looked at a few more guns. Couple of things I am starting to notice.

It is common for the same model of Over / Unders to be offered with two barrel lengths (ie 30" & 32") - in almost every instance the 32" is sold out and the 30" is still available. Logically it seems the 32" is the preferred choice which is counterintuitive from what I would have thought initially.

Looking at Browning and Beretta - your money seems to go much further with Browning but they don't have the really high end models like Beretta does.
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There are far more Browning shotguns than Beretta, at the clubs that I shoot at, the Citori is by far the most common shotgun used. I know of multiple Citori shotguns with more than 100,000 shots through them, some with over 200,000 shots so if looked after properly, a Citori will last most shooters a lifetime. I earned my 25,50,75 and 100 patches with Browning, if they fit you, you can do very well with them. And when you get to the high end shotguns, you should check out Kreighoff, and Perazzi , and Blaser as well. I shot Browning for many years, until I switched to Kreighoff and Blaser six years ago. If I was buying today, I would stick with Blaser, as I prefer my F-3 Vantage over any other shotgun that I have tried. And when it comes to the high end shotguns, it does come down to personal preference.
 
I cannot get a manufactured shell catcher or deflector for my Maxus Sporting so I made a homemade deflector from a calf ear tag...works great! Does not interfere with doubles and sends my hulls a few feet forward of the pad and short stops them about half the distance to the pad to my right.
 
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Licensed to kill said:
LOL, my son and two grandsons participated in an “ATA” shoot last summer. I assumed it stood for “Alberta trap association.”
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That is APTA...Alberta Provincial Trapshooting Association. All provinces have a governing body for registered trap shooting that is a body under the Amateur Trapshooting Association. Here in Canada the Canadian Trapshooting Championships are run by the CTA(Canadian Trapshooting Associstion) which also falls under the ATA umbrella.
 
Mark-II said:
Is that a rule at your club?

Because I've shot everything down to an 18.5" riot gun at trap and skeet (had it threaded for chokes) and the only person who ever complained was a miserable old fudd of a fellow who thought the gun was illegal (to own). My favourite skeet gun is a 21" Beretta 1301 comp, as a matter of fact. (That's one that I won't use for trap if I'm with a squad, because it chucks shells directly right)

And this is a club that hosts national and international events - some some shoot-what-you-got game and fish club
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I was thinking of joining this new club purely for shotgun and yes according to the person from the club that replied to my email that is a rule.

I have looked on their site but it seems the full rules are not listed there.
 
CanadianBee said:
I started on a semi auto Franchi with a 30 inch barrel, some people on the trap fields dont like getting hit by ejected shells but sucks to suck and I wouldn't worry about it. Over and unders the way to go but id say run your 21 inch with full choke and 7.5 buckshot 1200fps and just learn and enjoy it. Once your ready to upgrade to an O/U go with Beretta or Browning but make sure you enjoy the sport before spending that money. With a shorter barrel you cant let them float as long because the further out it gets harder to hit with spread
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It's called etiquette or common courtesy. I've been shooting on trap ranges 42 years and shot every type gun at some point. I always had a shell catcher or deflector for semi's. There is nothing worse than somebody who has little to no concern for bouncing their empties off the shooter next to them or off their expensive high grade finished gun. If the person is new and it's been explained to them that it is frowned upon to allow hulls to fly and please address the issue next time out but their attitude is like yours then don't be alarmed when you are removed from a sqaud and made to shoot alone or asked to leave altogether.
 
the spank said:
It's called etiquette or common courtesy. I've been shooting on trap ranges 42 years and shot every type gun at some point. I always had a shell catcher or deflector for semi's. There is nothing worse than somebody who has little to no concern for bouncing their empties off the shooter next to them or off their expensive high grade finished gun. If the person is new and it's been explained to them that it is frowned upon to allow hulls to fly and please address the issue next time out but their attitude is like yours then don't be alarmed when you are removed from a sqaud and made to shoot alone or asked to leave altogether.
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No one had issues with spent shells and no one minded shooting beside and id pick up my shells at the end of each session. Ive had people shoot semi autos beside me also and its not the end of the world. Never shot alone and never asked to leave. Shell catcher didnt work on my gun and would tear apart elastics like nothing
 
Both browning and beretta have guns that can cost 100 grand so in the grand scheme of things the sky is the limit. Its about equal numbers of berettas and brownings for ou at my club. Most semi autos are berettas with the odd 1100 in the mix.
I shoot mostly skeet and use a 21" beretta 1301 comp mostly but I also use a400 xplors in 12 20 and 28ga. I like field guns. Majority of my double guns have 26" barrels. I have run 50 straights or better with all.
When shooting a semi auto you can use a elastic band around the reciever to stop the hull from ejecting. This works in singles trap not for doubles
When shooting skeet with an auto when guys have higher end guns I just tell them im shooting a spitter and they stand off or behind and there's no issues.
My club as long as you're safe there's no barrel length limits. I've used a 8.5" barreled pump and many other short barrels. I enjoy shooting a variety of guns whether they're sxs ou semi pump or even singles

The a400 multi target is a nice gun however so is the excel. I prefer the lighter weight and faster handling of the field models. To each their own. You have to try each before you can decide what you like. If you have natural ability you'll be able to adapt to shooting any style of gun but you will always have your favorite
 
8.5"! lol I can only imagine how fast that sucker moves! I love a fast gun at skeet, but I have to remind myself to follow through.

Another quick little gun I like is the Browning Double Auto Twelvette. Someday I might find a skeet barrel for it, but it's a fun point and click gun for trap.

And great for a left hander like myself.

No one who sees it knows what it is. Shame - great little guns
 
Arietta said:
I'm shooting a Beretta DT11 ACS which stands for All Competition Shotgun and the Multi-Target is the semi-auto version of the same concept. I've found no compromise for skeet and sporting and the gun can be adapted by adjusting the rib and stock to shoot higher for trap if that is your preference. I set mine up to shoot a 55/45 pattern and use it for all the games although I do not shoot that much trap.
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Good looking gun.

So how often do you adjust the rib? Guessing it would need to be adjusted for each discipline owing to the different distances (although it sounds like you don't)?

Adjusting the rib could get tedious unless it has markings so it can be easily adjusted to make switching easy. Kinda like switching scopes on a rifle and having to sight them in each and every time.
 
kevin g said:
Couple of my squad mates just bought these guns. They love them. Having great luck on the skeet and trap end of things...still struggling a bit with the perfect set up for Sporting Clays.
Once Rick got his pattern board work done, he went 74/75 on the skeet field. He said he HAD to stop cuz he didn't want a 99..LMAO
He did his first ...3 rds of trap..23,23,22. He figures he was recoil sensitive and never knew it. This Fabby is the softest shooting shotgun he's ever fired !! Been shooting a 694 O/U for a few yrs..Blaser before that.
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So who makes the Fabarm? Is it Turkish?

Sounds like your friend has had some of the best guns there are so it must be impressive. Price point seems very competitive.
 
Licensed to kill said:
I can certainly see that in trap were 4 out of 5 stations put a shooter to you immediate right and not all that far away, especially with the consentrstion required to shot trap well however, in skeet, at least how we shoot it, you just have to be aware and ask any shooter to your right to move, no different than shooting flint.
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o one stands next to ea other on a skeet field you walk up shoot station one then step out of the way and next person comes up and does the same
what a bunch of fudds
i'm very certain that know one here or maybe one or two have ever shot registered targets or plan to do so so most of the comments and reply's are options of people who only shoot a couple of rounds a season
i shot trap and skeet from 73 ish to 97 ish
in the usa and across canada and never had seen or experience as much stupidity as on these chats from people that know nothing about firearms and shooting sports ffs!!
 
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