20 Ga. Shotgun for Skeet?

[LostintheOzone]

Okay, recoil is a function of payload and velocity. Felt recoil has some other components like weight of the gun, stock dimensions, etc. Heavier guns often feel like they don't kick as much. A sub 6 lbs. 20 gauge shotgun can sure wear on you after 50 or so rounds down range.

You can find 12 gauge target loads that equal the standard 20 gauge 7/8 .oz to 1 oz. loads. Also, 12 gauge shotguns tend to weigh more than the same model in 20 gauge;so, 12 gauge shotguns launching the same weight payload at the same velocity often feel like they kick less.

If I were to take up skeet with a passion I would look at an over under 12 gauge with 20, 28 & .410 tube set.

When it comes to pump shotguns give me an older Remington 870 Wingmaster.

Some very good advice here.

12 ga O/U 7/8 oz. load. Real manageable in a 7.5 lb gun.

Winchester AA Low Recoil Target Ammo 12 Ga 2-3/4 7/8oz #8 Shot

http://www.brownells.com/ammunition...-7-8-oz-7-5-25--sku105200983-43139-91911.aspx

 

[DWalt]

One advantage of a pump gun over a semiauto is that you can grab most of your empties before they hit the ground. The exception will be the first shot in doubles - 5 of those per round. You should also invest in a good skeet vest, which will have pockets for unfired shells and usually a pouch for holding fired cases. Some shooters like to use a leather or canvas bag or case on their belt for unfired shells, and sometimes fired cases. I always just used the pockets on the vest. You will find there are all sorts of accessories for trap and skeet shooters available that you can spend your money on.

 

[EQGuy]

I just wanted to add that Winchester has a rebate of $2.00 per box on their AA loads. The link above in Lost's post to Midway is for the 26 gram load at 980 FPS for $89.99 per case less a $20.00 rebate. I bought a case of that and have shot it in a SXS double and it is very easy on the shoulder.

 

[Old cop]

Thanks to everyone for all your advise. I'm going this weekend and will borrow a friend's pump to see how I like it. There is little chance I'll compete, but just want to try this and see how I like it, and if I can hit anything.

 

[BRush]

Serious skeet is 12 ga O/U of your choice, fitted to your draw and a set of 410, 28 and 20 ga tubes. You'll never look back.

 

[Philadelphia Patriot]

For skeet/trap shooting, I prefer a semi auto 20 gauge. The 12 gauge is too easy for me, plus I prefer something that reloads quickly and shoots softer.

 

[3dots]

Weatherby Athena if you're serious about it. 20GA is a soft round and is not too harsh for an O/U. My nephew has is own regulation skeet range on his property and I have shot his Weatherby for years. There is not a sweeter shooting gun on the planet and I've shot many O/U shotguns.

 

[Gamecock]

20ga is fine, unless you reload.

I started 40 years ago with a 12ga 1100. After a few years, I went to a 28. I found that the smaller gauge mattered not, if I aimed right, I'd get the target. Hitting targets with a 20 should be no harder than hitting them with a 12. The 20 is good if you buy ammunition. If your reload, go 28. If you don't reload, ammo cost for the 28 is prohibitive.

My setup is a 28 O/U, so I can easily capture shells on ejection to keep for reloading. The fixed breech gun means greater recoil, but by dropping down to 28ga, it is no problem.

 

[DWalt]

"20ga is fine, unless you reload. "

I assume you mean that there is no (or little) cost advantage to reloading vs. buying factory loads. The same could also be said of reloading 12 gauge. And to some extent, that may be true, what with the inflated price of components today. However, some may just enjoy reloading as a pastime. My son (who was in his teens at the time) and I spent many "togetherness" hours reloading every Sunday evening. He would load 20 gauge, while I would load 12 gauge, usually 8 to 10 boxes of each size. I still have all my equipment and lots of components, but I haven't loaded any shotshells for almost 10 years, as I no longer have any place nearby to shoot trap or skeet at a reasonable price.

 

[Gamecock]

Right. If you buy ammo, 20 and 12 are priced about the same. 28 is way more.

If you reload, 28 takes less components, has lower recoil, and gets the job done. It's a bit of a trick. I amaze people shooting 28s, but at skeet ranges, it's no different than 12. Maybe once in a hundred rounds will I be surprised by a miss. Which, if I shot 12, might happen too.

Opening day of dove season, I carry an old Browning Citori lightweight in 28, choked mod and full. By the third Saturday, when the birds have thinned out, I go to my Beretta 471 12ga. I call it my cannon.

 

[johngalt]

If you can find an old 20 ga Remington 1100, they should have less recoil than a new 1100. Years ago, the 20 ga used the same receiver as the 12 ga. Now the 20 ga uses its own lighter receiver. I have no idea when it changed, just that it was quite a number of years ago.

 

[DWalt]

A little off-track, but one place I lived had a superb trap and skeet club. Once, they had the shot fall zone mined (there are companies which do that), and recovered multiple tons of shot (don't remember how many, as this was over 25 years ago). Anyway, they sold off the recovered shot very cheaply to the members (don't remember the price, basically whatever scrap lead was selling for at the time). I bought 500 pounds. Of course, it had to be cleaned up before it could be used, but that wasn't too much of a problem, and my son and I did it in one day in the back yard using a leaf blower and a cement mixer. Of course, it was various mixed sizes (mainly 7-1/2, 8, and 9), and many if not most of the pellets had flat spots. But was it ever great for skeet. I shot better scores with shells loaded with that reclaimed shot than ever before or since.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I have a Winchester model 42 pump, .410 Ga. that is really
sweet handling, light and fast on the Skeet course.

The standard 2 3/8 load of 9's or 8's will smoke the birds if you
do your part with a shotgun that fits correctly.

A O/U 28 Ga. is another sweetheart but both these have a high
price on ammo, unless you reload.

A 20 Ga. has the best price on ammo for the small bores.........
and it just a matter of price and style of shotgun you fancy.
If you go into the field an automatic with five shots is nice but
two shots will work with trap and skeet.

As a note;
I have shot 20 out of 25 back at the Handicap 27 yard line with the little .410 shell with 7 1/2 lead pellets.

Good luck.

 

[K Frame Keith]

My Remington 1100 kicks like a 20 ga. when using skeet loads, however a 20 ga. is a very viable skeet gun. Use what makes you happy. It's just a game. Enjoy!

 

[Farmer17]

My outdoor gun club has 9 skeet shooting ranges and 2 trap shooting ranges. The problem is, the hardcore skeet shooters practically live out there and you can hardly ever get on a range because these same tournament guys are always there. They mostly shoot Kriegoff shotguns with multiple barrel sets which run about 20 grand but won't wear out firing thousands of rounds per month. They are always pretty friendly to me but they can tell by my CZ Ringneck Side by Side 20 gauge that I'm not a serious skeet shooter and it makes me feel a bit awkward. I wish the club had some skeet ranges that were for "hunters only" since I just do it for fun and to polish up on my wing shooting. I don't care about winning a trophy.

 

[Duckford]

A couple of weeks ago, I tried my 20 gauge inserts in my big 10 bore SXS, a Mercury Magnum weighing in at 13 pounds. Between the heavy gun weight, the light 20 gauge loads, and all the blowby from the smaller shell in the much, much, much bigger bore, it felt like shooting a .410. It does kill terminal performance, the massive blowby guts velocity and hitting power, but I was quite surprised with the patterning, which was actually decent all considered. Shooting skeet with my friends, I was able to break the clays every time, even at around 50 yards, and the combination was a success for that purpose.

For killing clay pigeons, smaller bore inserts might be a consideration. When shooting a break barrel, they offer the ability to shoot a smaller gauge from a heavier gun, making for excellent low recoil shooting. It also opens up the availability of ammunition and choices if you don't reload.

 

[DWalt]

At one time, Remington offered matched weight sets of their Model 1100 (all 4 gauges). I had a friend once with such a set, but he seldom used the 28 and .410 guns. Many serious competitive skeet shooters use 12 gauge O/Us with barrel inserts for the other three gauges. But those can get fairly expensive. Advantage is you need to get used to only one gun.

 

[Long Barrel]

Take your time......

Getting into the sport of skeet. Like a lot of sports, it can consume a lot of time and money. The first 24 months I shot competition, I went through 16 skeet guns, trying to find the best possible solution. I settled on a tubed O/U, with an 1100 for 12ga and doubles.

Shoot your pump , learn the game, have fun, talk to other shooters. When you go to the gun shop, remember that the cost of the gun doesn't necessarily give you a higher score.

 

[Jt7009]

As a recovered skeet nut/addict I can atest to the fact that shooting skeet is fun as can be. You have had a plethora of information thrown at you almost all of it great. I started out knowing nothing of shotguns. I don't know much more know than at the beginning. But I did eventually find out what worked for me.

Is an auto a good choice? Yes, so is an O/U and a pump (my least favorite for the game). Single shot breach loaders are difficult to use at the two bird stations.

20 gauge and 12 gauge shooting 71/2 to pure skeet loadings of 9 is what I observed to be prevalent for the years I was a skeet nut. A friendly warning. If a guy with a .410 O/U wants to shoot with you and suggests a small bet..... run away. Especially if he's an older dude or you may find a large dent in your discretionary spending in short order. I could tell you a story but I digress. Where were we?

What brand? Personal preference is the only correct answer. When I started I got hooked by shooting a friends older Remington O/U 12ga. I couldn't afford his gun but I could afford a used Beretta Automatic in 12ga. I enrolled in a league and the following is a list of the guns I bought trying to find the right fit and my budget.
Weatherby Athena in 28" 20ga. (used), 28"SKB O/U in 20ga. (same gun as the Weatherby w/out the fancy wood and engraving), and a 28" Browning Special Sporting Clays in 12ga. is what I ended up using in the league. A soft shooting gun due to it's compensated barrel, weight and adjustability. The game of skeet is a great way to drive yourself crazy, meet new people and just have fun.

 

[Gamecock]

And once you've decided that you are going to stick with it, get your gun fitted. It is critical!

My skeet gun is a fitted Ithaca-SKB 600, 28ga, 28". About 35 years old.