What is the skeet thrower to have?

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DougG1980

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I'm looking to buy myself a high quality clay thrower but not sure which one to get or stay away from. Budget is loose let me know what you think and where to get one. Thanks
 
First you need to understand the games, and then decide what you want. Skeet is a game that requires two throwers to play. The throwers do not oscillate or wobble, they throw each target to exactly the same place. Trap can be shot with one thrower that oscillates, and wobble trap requires a trap thrower with wobble capability. Now what is it that you really want ? A pair of throwers for an actual skeet field, or an actual trap thrower that oscillates, or an actual trap thrower with wobble capability, or just a quality portable thrower for informal shooting? Do you want to have to manually pull a cord, or push a button, or do you want a voice actuated release? How many targets do you want it to throw before you have to load it again? Some machines hold less than 100 targets, and some hold 600 targets.

If you only want one thrower, and it doesn't oscillate or wobble, it would make for a very boring time, with very little challenge. An oscillating trap provides more challenge, and a trap that also wobbles provides much more challenge. A pair of machines as in skeet, where each one throws a target at the same time from different locations, provides more challenge yet. Your title used the word skeet, but I doubt that you intend to actually shoot skeet.

I just spec'd out two Promatic skeet machines with control wires and 120v transformers for a skeet field, and they run around $11000 each. Tom Ferguson out of Airdrie is a good source in western Canada.
 
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We have Promatic Rangers and Winchester-Western single stacks on our 5-Stand field, Beomat 700 target Skeet sets on our skeet fields, 2 Beomat 300 target trap models on 2 of trap fields and 1 Pat on our doubles trap field. The Pat is the most tempermental of the bunch, the Beomats run like a swiss watch, rarely have an issue with them, the Winchesters are the most power hungry and also throw the most consistent targets. We got the Promatics last year, very flexible in terms of target presentation, run off battery power, rarely seem to break a target. Durability wise, haven't had them long enough to comment, however the local Promatic rep is a member.
 
It also depends on the property layout that you propose to shoot on. Shooting from different positions around a personal machine can make more interesting targets than the limits of a trap layout.
Our club has a vintage Winchester Western White Flyer with a Western Retro WS270 carousel. It throws good Trap targets but has needed some maintenance, tweaking at times. I'll bet that a single owner machine that you learned the details on, would be a good choice. Ian Brotherson is as close as the phone or e-mail if you need advice, and he has seen it all with these Winchester machines.
 
Thanks for the replies. I should be more exact with what I'm looking. Very good info Stubblejumper. What I would like is a single machine to use on my property. I'm fine with loading clays a few times. So 600 capacity is not required. I do think I would like one that wobbles and oscillates to create more of a challenge. Really I just want a quality machine for personal use. I can check out the places you all have mentioned. If anyone has a model recommendation based on my needs feel free to fire away. Thanks again guys.
 
DougG1980 said:
Thanks for the replies. I should be more exact with what I'm looking. Very good info Stubblejumper. What I would like is a single machine to use on my property. I'm fine with loading clays a few times. So 600 capacity is not required. I do think I would like one that wobbles and oscillates to create more of a challenge. Really I just want a quality machine for personal use. I can check out the places you all have mentioned. If anyone has a model recommendation based on my needs feel free to fire away. Thanks again guys.
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The DS100 Winchester is my own personal machine :) I did get it with voice release and the manual pickle. It is a great machine :) you will get many years of enjoyment out of it, no matter what machine you choose.
 
DougG1980 said:
Thanks for the replies. I should be more exact with what I'm looking. Very good info Stubblejumper. What I would like is a single machine to use on my property. I'm fine with loading clays a few times. So 600 capacity is not required. I do think I would like one that wobbles and oscillates to create more of a challenge. Really I just want a quality machine for personal use. I can check out the places you all have mentioned. If anyone has a model recommendation based on my needs feel free to fire away. Thanks again guys.
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Then you don't want a skeet machine, a trap machine with wobble capability would server you better. Most trap machines will throw doubles as well, some are quick to adjust to throw doubles, others are not as quick to switch over.
 
Bowmen or Mec comes to mind for me we have two bowmen machines and Mec on order but the reviews seem good and good price. We have one atlas at the club. First and last for us. Just our thoughts on them
 
DougG1980 said:
Thanks for the replies. I should be more exact with what I'm looking. Very good info Stubblejumper. What I would like is a single machine to use on my property. I'm fine with loading clays a few times. So 600 capacity is not required. I do think I would like one that wobbles and oscillates to create more of a challenge. Really I just want a quality machine for personal use. I can check out the places you all have mentioned. If anyone has a model recommendation based on my needs feel free to fire away. Thanks again guys.
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call ian at western retro. He's got old reconditioned Winchester western traps for sale, along with the 100 count and 270 count turrets.
I found an old used western trap machine, and had Ian recondition it and add the CS270 loader. The machine works great, and maintenance is simple. The winchester western's are hard to beat, and near impossible to wreck. If replacements parts are required, western retro stocks all the parts. You will be very happy with the machine. I've had mine about 14 years, and have only replaced the carrier rail on the rail assembly ( the clay target lands on)
 
I bought three promatic merlins we've been using out at the farm for the past three years. They've been fantastic. Two are just the standard merlins we use for skeet, and the third has the wobble feature. All three have thrown many many thousands of targets and we've had zero issues.
 
Folks, the hotlink policy is not new. If needed please review it.

I have deleted all posts with hotlinks which violate board policy.

Thanks for your continued cooperation.

Brad.
 
Clayblaster Master said:
You should look into Mattarelli traps, by far the best built trap on the market, extremely well made and simple!!!!
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Hardly simple, it is needlessly over complicated. Take a look at Promatic if you want simplicity.

Have you changed the spring on a Materelli. Take about an hour vs one minute with a Promatic.

Have you adjusted the micro switch on a Materelli. By guess and by God and only if the screws that hold it in place don't strip out.

How do you tell what kind of spring you have without disassembling it and even then you cant tell. How about color coding the springs like Promatic. Simple!!

Do you know that Materelli no longer make the 400 target carousel because it doesn't feed properly if the machine is titled to the right.

Do you know what happens when the shaft which contains the spring adjustment knob gets a bit of rust? Turn it counter clockwise and the insides fly apart.

The electrical box only has a mechanical seal meaning water gets inside and starts corrosion inside the box.

Have you tried to make any sense out of the owner's manual?

Overly complex design and poor quality control in the manufacturing process. We have a bunch, worst purchase we ever made.
 
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