Yet another half-baked plan... for shotgun.

[gizamo]

I need to improve my shotgun skills. I'm alright, but no magic....

So I purchased a Stoeger Condor 12 gauge to use for the balance of this year. Nice gun, well made.

Now for the half baked part. I also bought a Stoeger Competition model for trap. with the intent of using the trap gun to hone my timing and shot placement...and using the same style gun in a field grade model, for wing shooting.

Same basic operating controls, a bit different in balance.

What do you think?

 

[jbcap]

I try to shoot trap with my hunting guns so that I am tuned up on them.

 

[jbull380]

I shot skeet and hunted with the same gun. I shot tactical/sniper matches with the same rifle I deer hunt with. I shoot idpa with a G17 the same as my patrol duty gun, well you get the idea.

 

[dkizer22]

Depends on what you hunt with a shotgun. Trap and field guns are set very different. For flushing birds that fly away from you practice on trap. For ducks and doves practice on skeet or sporting clays. Trap guns are set to shot high for rising targets. If I was shooting clay targets to improve my field shooting I would use the field gun.

 

[2152hq]

Shooting the same gun all the time seems to leave the fun out of it. Something like the gov't would make you do.

But every one is different. I get bored quickly with the idea. I see and shoot with many on the skeet range and SC course occasionally that only shoot one or maybe two different shotguns,,ever.
They don't seem to shoot any better, though no worse, than when I first met them but I understand the concept.

I like to mix it up and use different vintage shotguns. Current favorite is a Marlin Model 43T (Trap). Does perfectly well on skeet and catches the far ones before they drop out of sight.

Not as severe in Trap styling as guns made now for the sport or even those made in the 50's. This is from the late 20's.

It could easily double as a field gun today,,just a long bbl'ed straight grip pump with good stock dimentions. Not even a raised rib on the gun, just a matted top barrel surface.

A couple weeks from now ,,who knows..I may go back to the Win97. 26" cyl.

Have fun & good luck with your shooting.
No ramrod to break...

 

[gizamo]

Interesting responses...all make good sense.

Seems like the advise is the wand isn't the problem. Its the magician, that needs work.

 

[jbull380]

"Beware the man with one gun"

 

[H Richard]

If you are going to be halfway serious about Trap or Skeet, you need two different guns. I always shot trap sort of mediocre using my Browning Citori Special Sporting Clays, and averaged around 20-21. Within two weeks after I got my Browning BT99+, I started busting 25's. Since it's a single barrel gun, it is limited to the trap range, but it shines there. I use the Citori for both skeet and sporting clays.

 

[enfield]

It all depends on what your ultimate goal is -- hitting more birds or hitting more clay pigeons.

I always shot trap with my hunting gun, and I killed a lot of pheasants.

 

[Bob Smalser]

Sounds to me like you've set yourself up nicely for both trap and field. Be sure to pattern both guns from both mounted and butt-down positions so you know where they are shooting. Most trap ranges have a proper patterning board you can use.

If the patterns are typical...70/30 (vertical spread) or 80/20 for the trap gun and 50/50 for the field gun...what you're gonna have to get used to is blotting out rising birds with the field gun, something all trap shooters have to get used to when switching to field guns.

If your patterns are consistently off-center right or left from the butt-down mount, the solution is either bending some cast into the stock or installing an adjustable comb. I do both, but advise the adjustable comb. Until your gun mount is fully mature you need some flexibility, not to mention the effect of season changes of clothes. The only danger of an adjustable comb is screwing around with it when the problem is really an inconsistent gun mount.

 

[quneur]

When I was in high school, I used to shoot skeet a lot. I got fairly proficient until my friend & father figure pasted away and I moved. But I would love to shoot skeet again. I've shot trap throughout the years but don't like it as much. There's no skeet range nearby without driving through Bellevue-Seattle traffic.

As to transferring skills to the field, I find most of my misses is from not mounting the gun properly. Most of my misses will be early in the season and gets better with practice. Mounting, sighting and follow through should be instinctive. I don't notice or see the gun when I shoot; my concentration is on the bird. If the barrel gets into my sight picture then I know I missed.

 

[Rule3]

I thought you would just use your Mossberg 930 Tactical Squirrel gun??

 

[gizamo]

I thought you would just use your Mossberg 930 Tactical Squirrel gun??

I wouldn't mind getting another barrel set for it. It is my favorite shotgun, with the recoil reduction.

I have consistently shot Partridge with my Flintlocks. So I'm at least able to make meat...


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