Low 8 Skeet with a .38 shotshell

[ezb57]

Sadly, due to a situation out of our control our much-enjoyed club will be closing down at the end of the year. There is some hope that it will reopen before too long. In light of this, we have been taking advantage of the weather and shooting as much as we can. It also seemed like time to try something I wondered about, namely, shooting clays with a handgun.

I have had these CCI shotshells for years and the time was now or never. During a break after a few rounds of skeet, I put in a Briley coin, grabbed my 586 and asked a friend to pull a few for me on low 8. I took 5 shots and broke the fourth one! At first it seemed impossible, but it broke pretty well too, It was fun! Left the rest of the birds for the next squad.

 

[Bald1]

I've shot trap as well as dove hunted with my .410 Thompson Encore handgun. Definitely a learning curve.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

Sadly, due to a situation out of our control our much-enjoyed club will be closing down at the end of the year...

This begs for a further explanation...

 

[Tmnguuyen]

I've made snake rounds for my 1911 with cut down 308 case and 410 wads. The die set costs me close to $200 if I remember right. My success rate is 50% station 7 with an incoming target from the high house. The rounds cycled reliably in my norinco 1911.

 

[ezb57]

Well, this is most of the story:
Shooting range in SLO County to close at end of the month

 

[686Wheeler]

We set up a few weeks ago in the back 40 for shot guns. I was wondering about this as I had my 686+ with me, but didn't try it. what kind of distance were you at? Impressive the blue tip shot shells would work. Before I saw the pic I figured it was the red tip shell with heavier shot load. Out of a 4" barrel at that! you Sir are an inspiration!

 

[Green Frog]

ezb57, that is a sad story. It sounds like there may have been some politics involved, but I hope you will be able to reclaim "your" facility. This seems to be a widespread problem though. Our club, in a rural county in generally pro gun Virginia suffered not one but two, "situations" this year. In one, we were temporarily closed when our insurance company dropped our coverage with no notice because they had lost their underwriter. Our club leaders scrambled around and dealt with that in about two weeks. In another challenge, the county which had no real regulations for a "campground" suddenly was challenging the way we were having camping for shooters and staff during our events. We're still trying to get that sorted out.

Our club is over 60 years old and we own over 300 acres free and clear. We have a healthy bank account and not only are our facilities paid for, but we stock ammo and reloading supplies for our members and guest shooters during our several annual events. Even with all of that, and in a generally pro gun area, we can still have challenges, so any shooting clubs are facing the potential for difficulties just about anywhere. I wish you luck there in Kalifornia and hope the politics don't keep you from recovering your club.

Green Frog

 

[richrd]

I can't hit low 8 with a 12gskeet with scatter loads

 

[ezb57]

For distance, I was standing on the pad at 8 and got it just before it became even with me so I dont know, 20 feet or so? I was very suprised when I hit the fourth try. Missed the fifth and called it quits for that day. I might get another chance next Friday.

 

[desmobob]

I've had some real fun shooting full rounds of skeet with a 10" T/C Contender .410. I imagine the .38 shotshell loads are a bit more challenging to break a bird with!

 

[Nevada Ed]

It is a sad day when a town see's it's trap club, close it's doors.

The Large Reno club had to shut down due to the price of insurance going out of sight,
on it's workers, due to small injuries, received in the line of work.

Hope things turn out for the better.

 

[Tmnguuyen]

For distance, I ws standing on the pad at 8 and got it just before it became even with me so I dont know, 20 feet or so? I was very suprised when I hit the fourth try. Missed the fifth and called it quits for that day. I might get another chance next Friday.

The station 8 targets are very fast. I think my success rate is due the incoming station 7. Much more time and the target comes to you not away from you. The feeling of breaking the moving clay with a pistol is very satisfying.

 

[RGPM1A]

I'm surprised the handguns used where people hit birds in this thread patterned well enough to accomplish a hit. Usually a rifled barrel will form a ring pattern with a big hole in the middle. I have seen it happen with both handguns and shotguns with rifled slug barrels.

 

[Tmnguuyen]

I'm surprised the handguns used where people hit birds in this thread patterned well enough to accomplish a hit. Usually a rifled barrel will form a ring pattern with a big hole in the middle. I have seen it happen with both handguns and shotguns with rifled slug barrels.

Interesting point on the rifling. In my case it does not matter I don't think since I have a wad. The CCI commercial snake round may be an issue with the pistol barrel. Besides , the beauty of the shotshell is you don't need to hit it dead center, just get the edge and you're GTG.

 

[ogso]

I've wanted to watch a cowboy match over there. Drove by once when they were having one and we were on our way to Cambria. Do/did the Hogues still have some revolver matches there?

 

[Narragansett]

ezb57, that is a sad story. It sounds like there may have been some politics involved, but I hope you will be able to reclaim "your" facility. This seems to be a widespread problem though. Our club, in a rural county in generally pro gun Virginia suffered not one but two, "situations" this year. In one, we were temporarily closed when our insurance company dropped our coverage with no notice because they had lost their underwriter. Our club leaders scrambled around and dealt with that in about two weeks. In another challenge, the county which had no real regulations for a "campground" suddenly was challenging the way we were having camping for shooters and staff during our events. We're still trying to get that sorted out.

Our club is over 60 years old and we own over 300 acres free and clear. We have a healthy bank account and not only are our facilities paid for, but we stock ammo and reloading supplies for our members and guest shooters during our several annual events. Even with all of that, and in a generally pro gun area, we can still have challenges, so any shooting clubs are facing the potential for difficulties just about anywhere. I wish you luck there in Kalifornia and hope the politics don't keep you from recovering your club.

Green Frog

I am a past president of the Hartford Gun Club in East Granby, CT. The largest clay target facility in New England, and home to the Hartford Rifle Club, the oldest rifle club in the country. We had a thousand members, and threw 6+ trailer loads of targets a year.
We were constantly under pressure for one thing or another. One being campers for shooters. Could not get permission for one. They were always after us about noise, so we adjusted hours. New comers to the town had to sign an acknowledgement that they understood they were within certain limits of an operating gun facility.

They tried to get us for lead pollution, but we had been mining our lead for a few decades.
We were the largest employer of high school kids in town pulling and scoring, gave a nice matching donation to the library every year. Let the cops use the range for free whenever they wanted. Gave the town almost free ammo, and handed out 2 nice scholarships to deserving seniors every year, but it did not matter. Somebody was always busting our agates over something.

 

[ezb57]

I've wanted to watch a cowboy match over there. Drove by once when they were having one and we were on our way to Cambria. Do/did the Hogues still have some revolver matches there?

They have indeed, the entire action pistol range is called the "Hogue Range" complete with large signage. Many large national matches had been held there in the past. All competions have been concluded by now and whether or not we reopen is far from certain.

 

[2152hq]

We tried shotloads in handguns once in a great while on Skeet.
The last time was a handfull of .22rf shot out of a K22 at low-house Station 1. That was at night, in winter with the lights on in a driving snow.
Very interesting!. Couldn't break much even standing way off the 'pad' to get a better line of sight at the target coming straight at you.
Maybe it was just those whimpy .22shot shells.

I did break 4 out of 5 low house on Station8 with a Winchester M61 pump 22Magnum w/ CCI shot loads at one time.
Probably could never do it again though.

I made up shot loads for my 500 x 3" BPExpress double rifle to shoot skeet.
Shot quite a few rounds with it and over all hit only a few targets.
Never patterned it on paper (probably should have to find out what that looked like).
But I suppose the rifling just spun that shot load into a gallaxy looking thing with a great big hole in it.
At least that's what I'm blaming it on..

 

[ezb57]

I am a past president of the Hartford Gun Club in East Granby, CT. The largest clay target facility in New England, and home to the Hartford Rifle Club, the oldest rifle club in the country. We had a thousand members, and threw 6+ trailer loads of targets a year.
We were constantly under pressure for one thing or another. One being campers for shooters. Could not get permission for one. They were always after us about noise, so we adjusted hours. New comers to the town had to sign an acknowledgement that they understood they were within certain limits of an operating gun facility.

They tried to get us for lead pollution, but we had been mining our lead for a few decades.
We were the largest employer of high school kids in town pulling and scoring, gave a nice matching donation to the library every year. Let the cops use the range for free whenever they wanted. Gave the town almost free ammo, and handed out 2 nice scholarships to deserving seniors every year, but it did not matter. Somebody was always busting our agates over something.

The range has been around for decades now, starting as a small group with a focus on hunting and hunter safety, and firearms education. The organization is located on state land, managed by Fish & Wildlife. A simple MOU with F&W as to our mission sufficed for many years.
Over time the organization grew with many sub-groups and ranges. This expansion had the effect of a loose confederation of groups with different "styles" of management. Each sub-group had a seat on the BOD. I was on the BOD for some years and witnessed first hand the amateur, feckless management style that many board members exhibited.
About 6 years ago F&W set out some stricter requirements for the club's operation but many were ignored. F&W became aware of this and unsuccessfully urged the group to get in line. With a continued lack of compliance, F&W has now decided to not renew our lease and we are done.
Sometime next year the lease will be open for bids again however, the present "management" is not favored to regain it and at this point no credible successor is in sight. All very sad, we had over 1500 members, this is the only public range in our large county, local LE used the range, CCW classes were held there, programs for youth and women too. I dont know what Im going to do now.

 

[Cotis]

ezb57,
That is some nice shooting!

Question for you - what grips are those on your 586? I have never seen them before.