Post by: trippledigitss on April 21, 2011, 03:29:58 PM
I do like the Browning XS Skeet and XT Trap guns but I dont know the difference between the two. One guy told me the trap gun is setup to shoot above the sight whereas the Skeet will shoot more even with the barrel. I am leaning toward the Browning XT but I would like to NOT spend 2k+ for a gun when just starting out. But then again I dont want to spend 5,6,$700 on a used or cheaper gun just to find out soon afterwards I dont like it then have to go out & spend more. Maybe it is best to pay more for something I know is going to be good even down the line if I get more serious?
Any good affordable brands/models you can suggest and/or types of gun, like Skeet vs Trap, barrel lengths, etc etc? Thanks!
Post by: jackelope on April 21, 2011, 03:36:59 PM
The other thing you should try is sporting clays. It's a lot more fun to me than trap or skeet...just don't tell the trap and skeet guys that.
Post by: Ironhead on April 21, 2011, 04:28:46 PM
Post by: trippledigitss on April 21, 2011, 04:43:49 PM
Do you know if I can fit one of those bead type sights like I've seen on some O/U that go in the middle of the barrel to one of my Escorts.
And see I thought sporting clays & 5 stand were the same thing? Is sporting clays where you walk thru the woods to different stations?
Post by: wapiti hunter2 on April 21, 2011, 05:18:49 PM
Post by: sakoshooter on April 21, 2011, 05:20:17 PM
There's nothing at all wrong with whatever you're shooting. Most field grade guns shoot to point of aim(flat). So do most skeet and sporting clays guns. Trap is always a rising target so most trap guns shoot slightly high. Say 60/40 or 70/30 or more. That's 70% of the pattern above the center line and 30% below at 30 yds as most trap targets are broken at 31yds. Most skeet @ 21yds. Sporting clays is my favorite. Similar to hunting situations and any field grade, skeet or sporting gun will work. I would continue with what you've got untill you really want to get serious about a certain aspect of the shotgun sports.
I had my 30" barreled Rem 3200 Trap Special choked for Seminole chokes. It shoots about 60/40. It's my skeet, trap and sporting clays gun. I know where it shoots and can do well with it. Love it.
When I take my SBEII or another gun out to the club I have to remember to cover up that target or I'll be shooting under them.
Longer barrels point better, swing better and their length/weight helps with follow through. Shorter barrels swing fast, do not point very well for longer shots and do not allow for very good follow through because of the lighter weight.
Years ago, skeet shooters, including myself, went to shorter barrels - 24,25 and 26" barreled guns. I've even got and 870 w/21" barrel. It didn't take too many years to figure out that pointability and follow through were suffering. Many of us switched to longer barreled guns. With the advent of Sporting Clays, may trap shooter's doubles guns and skeet gus quckly found new use. No days there's a lot of sporting guns to choose from.
I DO use my hunting guns for clay targets prior to hunting season. The moral here is practice, practice, practice. Know your gun and how it shoots.
Post by: Hilltop123 on April 21, 2011, 05:27:15 PM
Post by: wadu1 on April 21, 2011, 05:35:56 PM
If you think you need a new gun look at the used market you can get some great deals; here are some suggestions. Browning BT99, Remington 1100 Trap, Browning Broadway, Charles Daley (Browing Clone), Remington 11-87 Sporting and if you can find one a Biakal O/U Clays gun. :twocents: :twocents:
Post by: jackelope on April 21, 2011, 08:33:07 PM
My stepdad does lessons at Seattle Skeet and Trap in Ravensdale. If you want info, pm me.
Post by: trippledigitss on April 21, 2011, 08:43:57 PM
I dont know if I can get a 32" barrel for my Escort, I have a 24" & 28" barrels and always use the 28's
It seems to me with my gun I am usually shooting over the birds on the trap line. So if my gun is setup to shoot flat vs a trap gun I must be really messed up with my aim! I think not only do I not get down on the gun - cheek tight against it - I lift my head too. In my class the teacher had me shooting with both eyes open and I started killing them but when I tried it again next time on my own I couldnt hit squat! I also felt more rushed when I wasnt in class. During instruction, not only did I have him there reminding me what to do, I felt like I had more time and was thinking more about what I was doing vs just pulling and shooting
The reason I want to get a new gun is alot about the new shiny gun aspect, but also because I thought it would help me shoot better if I got a gun that was designed for that purpose. At this point I dont really care about other's scores or want to compete with them, I just want to do better for myself, my own satisfaction. If I can do that with my own guns or a beat up antique, even better. But I'd still like to get a new *censored* shotgun too! :chuckle:
I did go into the gun shop yesterday and 'tried on' a few different guns and started to feel the difference. I dont know what half of the guns listed on here are even like so I have a lot more looking around to do. I think in the now though I am going to focus on shooting my current guns more, learning how to shoot better and just soak up as much as I can. From what these other guys were telling me I was under the impression that with my current guns I was already handicapped and would be limited in how well I could do no matter what.
When I 1st shot trap at Marysville I think I hit 5 of 25. Then shot 5 stand and got 16, no true pairs, all following. Then 2nd time thru with a different gun I think I hit 7. Now at Kenmore I am getting like 10-11 on trap and 6-7 on 5 stand. So I feel like I'm going backwards. But I think the 16 was a fluke and I am expecting too much, too soon. In one gun I use the mod choke and the other I use imp cyl - it seems I do better with the mod.
Post by: trippledigitss on April 21, 2011, 08:47:59 PM
Don't worry about putting more beads on your gun. You point a shotgun at clay targets, you don't aim. Half the battle hitting clays is psychological. You have to shoulder the gun and look at the target the same way every time. Learn to trust that the gun is in the right place when you see the target and shoot. Don't aim!
My stepdad does lessons at Seattle Skeet and Trap in Ravensdale. If you want info, pm me.
"dont aim" - that just sounds strange! But I am definitely going to keep that in mind. I just might hit you up for more info on your stepdad, thanks! I have another buddy that competes and seems do well, mostly at Evergreen in south end I think? He's got guns that cost him over 10k & up! :yike: That just blows my mind! He's got this Berreta Combo? he said he'll sell me for $5500 but thats waaaaay out of my league in terms of $$$. I've never shot with him but he offered to give me some private lessons for free. I am going to take him up that here sometime soon.
Post by: trippledigitss on April 21, 2011, 08:48:50 PM
Post by: jackelope on April 21, 2011, 08:56:14 PM
IF you do...you know how you anchor in the same place every time? Same with the shotgun...put your face to the gun the same way every time.
Did you shoot a pattern board with your gun during your lesson? If you did, I bet your pattern was high if you really were shooting over the birds. This is usually fixed by keeping your head down on the stock. If you are keeping your head down then there might be a comb height issue with your gun. You can fix this with the little foam inserts. It looks hokey but it will fix your problem.
Sporting guns get super expensive. Kreighoffs can go up towards the $20k mark. They're no good if they don't fit though, and a lot of that $$ is purely cosmetic. You can get a really nice browning Citori or Broadway if you want an O/U for $1500.00
Post by: trippledigitss on April 22, 2011, 08:39:04 AM
Post by: wadu1 on April 22, 2011, 05:59:45 PM
No I have never shot a bow. I did shoot a pattern board in the class. Everything seemed to hit fairly centered over all but he did say the majority was up & left - which is where I usually hit the birds, left side or front edge. I am almost certain I dont get face against it and keep my head down. I need to think about slowing down and keep that in mind evey time. I was thinking about putting a small pad or something on the stock as a reminder?Up and left???? You are right handed, correct; and you do better with targets moving right to left; correct? Right handers pull the gun into their face on right to left targets giving them the correct gun mount. Targets moving left to right you will tend to push the gun away from your face thus losing your sight pattern. :twocents:
Post by: runningboard on April 22, 2011, 06:48:00 PM
Quote
Do you know if I can fit one of those bead type sights like I've seen on some O/U that go in the middle of the barrel to one of my Escorts.I have some stick-on fiber optic ones on my pump actions I use for hunter education and they work pretty good for keeping your head down as you can't see it at all if your head isnt down where it's supposed to be.
Post by: jumpin on April 23, 2011, 07:03:11 AM
Post by: Jburke on April 24, 2011, 12:24:09 PM
Can you get a 32 inch barrel for your current shotgun? I won the Nevada state championship with my regular 870 and a trap barrel. Lots of guys laughed at me. It is how you shoot that counts, not the gun. As you get into it more, some of the guys will get to know you and you may get to try a few different guns before you plunk down serious cash.A friend of mine used his 870 and did better than most of the people using the fancier more expensive guns. Hell, I used a mossberg 500 with a short turkey barrel for awhile and it still hit the clays the same as any other gun. I personally would use whatever gun you hunt with. If you feel like spending extra cash down the line then so be it, but it makes more sense to me to get the practice in with a gun I already know and hunt with. :twocents:
Post by: AWS on April 24, 2011, 02:38:44 PM
http://www.joeletchenguns.com/records.htm (http://www.joeletchenguns.com/records.htm)
AWS
I have and 870 Trap Barrel, stoch and forend that i will sell if anyone wants to convert their 870 to a Trap gun.
Post by: uplandhunter870 on April 25, 2011, 08:28:28 AM
for a newbie the most prevalent problem i used to see was people lifting their head and not following through. you have to keep your head down or you will watch that bird sail away 99% of the time. as for the follow through think of it this way when you hit a baseball you dont stop swinging the bat right at impact, you follow the swing through same idea in trap.
also in trap and all shotgun sports your swing should be created by your hips, moving your entire upper body. swinging with your arms will create alot of problems.
to keep my post short if you have any questions about trap shooting PM me and i will be more than happy to help you out
Post by: trippledigitss on April 25, 2011, 10:22:39 AM
No I have never shot a bow. I did shoot a pattern board in the class. Everything seemed to hit fairly centered over all but he did say the majority was up & left - which is where I usually hit the birds, left side or front edge. I am almost certain I dont get face against it and keep my head down. I need to think about slowing down and keep that in mind evey time. I was thinking about putting a small pad or something on the stock as a reminder?Up and left? ??? You are right handed, correct; and you do better with targets moving right to left; correct? Right handers pull the gun into their face on right to left targets giving them the correct gun mount. Targets moving left to right you will tend to push the gun away from your face thus losing your sight pattern. :twocents:
Yes I am right handed. But I havent noticed doing better on one type than the other. I will have to pay more attention
Post by: Bigshooter on April 26, 2011, 09:51:05 PM
As far as buying a new shotgun, I would just keep shooting what you have. And try to get guys to let you shoot what they have until you find something you really like. I started with a pump, then went to a autoloader, and ended up with an o/u. I believe that an o/u is the way to go but you need to find out what you like.
Keep us up todate on how your shooting is going.
Post by: trippledigitss on April 27, 2011, 09:12:48 AM
At that class I went to , one of the 1st things the guy did was checked how we mounted the gun. He said I was not down on it enough and too far back. Then I got too tight and had my eye over the side of the gun. I was thinking a pad and 2nd bead would help to remind me to get into the right place.
Thanks for all the help guys, I will try to really keep my head down and pay attention to what I am doing and let you know how its going. The new gun is on hold for now but still thinking about it in the back of my mind! :chuckle:
Post by: trippledigitss on May 06, 2011, 09:06:16 AM
No I have never shot a bow. I did shoot a pattern board in the class. Everything seemed to hit fairly centered over all but he did say the majority was up & left - which is where I usually hit the birds, left side or front edge. I am almost certain I dont get face against it and keep my head down. I need to think about slowing down and keep that in mind evey time. I was thinking about putting a small pad or something on the stock as a reminder?Up and left? ??? You are right handed, correct; and you do better with targets moving right to left; correct? Right handers pull the gun into their face on right to left targets giving them the correct gun mount. Targets moving left to right you will tend to push the gun away from your face thus losing your sight pattern. :twocents:
Yep - went out last night and I think I was hitting more right to left birds and the fairly straight out ones
Post by: trippledigitss on May 06, 2011, 09:24:28 AM
I dont know what the hell I am doing. I tried to pull my face down tight everytime, look 2-3ft above the house, and shoot ASAP. I did try the 'point vs aim' method and I was actually hitting a couple that way. Also, I noticed one time on a hard left bird I got ahead of it by 1 or 2 feet and pulled the trigger almost by mistake and SPLAT! But when I tried leading a few more I missed? :dunno: Another thing I am having trouble with is shooting with both eyes open. I was able to get the hang of it during the class but when I try it on line I always miss so I do it once or twice then go back to one eye.
I did talk with a few guys for awhile and they gave me some good info but I'm still at the stage where I forget everything once I get on line and have no idea what I did right or wrong to hit or miss - or even what I did at all. It is so darn frustrating when I miss 3-4 in a row and at every station! :bash: I just feel completely rushed once I say pull and like I'm jumping at them or something when I shoot. Plus I shot with a few people that were like hitting 23-24, I guess these people were champs, one lady was a Canadian champ and the club record holder, another dude had like a robo stock, and this younger lady was also really good. They were all really good and hitting every single one it seemed. Plus they didnt waste any time - it was like "pull"-BANG-splat, pull-bang-splat, then it comes to me............p u l l....................bang..........wsssssshhhh (nothing). So I felt even more under pressure.
But everyone is telling me the same thing. shoot the gun I have, basically just keep shooting shooting shooting & asking questions. I talked to one guy who was really nice, and really good too, I shot one time with just him and he shot 23 of 25 and went slow for me, real low pressure. But he was really cool and talked to me for 10-15 minutes. He was saying I should try & use a full choke, then when I hit it I know where I was aiming, plus it will make me a better shooter and give me more range for when they get farther away from me. I am going to try that next, I think I'll try & get out on saturday again.
Post by: pianoman9701 on May 06, 2011, 09:30:05 AM
Post by: trippledigitss on May 06, 2011, 09:42:36 AM
Post by: CP on May 06, 2011, 09:43:41 AM
• Bend forward at the waist, this helps keep the head down
• Start by aiming below the trap house, not at the line like you were probably told. This allows more time to swing on the target, allows the target to get out there further (I shoot a tight choke) and helps you keep your gun moving through the target.
• Use your hips to swing, especially for the left to right targets.
• Don’t think too much, just shoot
• Have fun
I’m just a 20 to 23 shooter, not interested in competition. If find that my scores suffer if I switch guns or switch games but I just shoot trap to keep comfortable with my guns and I don’t care about the scores. Your interests may differ.
Post by: trippledigitss on May 06, 2011, 10:43:25 AM
Some basics that worked for me.
• Bend forward at the waist, this helps keep the head down
• Start by aiming below the trap house, not at the line like you were probably told. This allows more time to swing on the target, allows the target to get out there further (I shoot a tight choke) and helps you keep your gun moving through the target.
• Use your hips to swing, especially for the left to right targets.
• Don’t think too much, just shoot
• Have fun
I’m just a 20 to 23 shooter, not interested in competition. If find that my scores suffer if I switch guns or switch games but I just shoot trap to keep comfortable with my guns and I don’t care about the scores. Your interests may differ.
Thanks for the tips. They told me to point the gun at the top edge of the house and look about 2-3 feet above it. "just" a 20 to 23 shooter?!? :chuckle: That sounds pretty good to me! I just want to be better at hitting them, I am not interested in competing, at least not at this time, not sure if I'd want to even later if I was better. I just think it is fun to shoot them and better than a rifle on a paper target since you have instant results/gratification in seeing the birds break. I just dont get alot of those results! :chuckle: I do see alot of the better shooters bend at the waist & lean forward, I will have to try that. I am pretty sure I do not swing with my hips. But the guy at the range did say I was standing correctly and swinging well, except I dont follow thru.
Post by: CP on May 06, 2011, 08:34:48 PM
Keep at it and you’ll improve your scores. Sounds like you are stopping your swing if you are having to put on a large lead to break them, or maybe you are looking back at your bead. Try starting lower, below the house, to get, and keep, your gun moving. Follow the clay if you miss, follow the rubble field if you hit.
Post by: Bigshooter on May 07, 2011, 05:23:22 PM
The best piece of advice I can give you is to keep your head down, keep shooting, and don't think about misses.
Thinking to much is a real killer. I remember shooting in a tournament and all I needed was a 24 in the last round to win top shooter. I missed number 23 on a easy straight away hit number 24 on another straight away but couldn't stop thinking about that miss and ended up missing number 25. So I ened up with a tie (to a girl). She had shot a 25 in the earlier rounds and my best round was a 24 so she won top shooter. That was a hard pill for a 15 year old kid to swallow. But after that I never thought about a miss until I was done. Then I would talk to my dad about it.
Post by: gadwall on May 07, 2011, 10:09:10 PM
Good luck
Gadwall.