[BlkHawk73]

I'll be joing a new gun club soon. (Old one is going to $#!t) The new one has far better facilities. One improvement is the trap range they have. The club does a great deal with this shooting sport and opens the range to the public once a week. I'd like to become involved in this (trap shooting) but have never attempted it. I currently have a Benelli M1 "defense" (18" cyl bore), an Ithica M37 in 20ga. and a Mossberg 16ga boltgun. I've been told the Ithica is suitable. However, I'm beginning to think another scattergun in the stable may not be a bad thing. I'd like suggestions for scuh a gun, keeping in mind that I'd prefer to not got much over $1000 but still have a quality piece) I know that's an oxymoron and goes against my "you get what you pay for" saying but...

The only ones I've considered thus far are the Benelli Montefeltro, and the Remington 1100. Others?

Thanx fellas!

[Jim Watson]

Assuming this is regulation ATA trap...
If the Ithaca has some choke, modified or full; you can make a start with it to see if you like shooting trap before spending money on a new gun.
Assuming you like it and want to shoot trap, check out...
Remington 870, 1100, 11-87.
Beretta 391
Browning Gold
Winchester - whatever their current 12 ga 2 3/4" auto is.

For frequent shooting, get the specific Trap model, stock and chokes will be suited to the game.
I don't know if there is a Benelli Trap model, if so, it would be ok.

A field model with 26 - 30 inch barrel, modified or full choke, and maybe a stick-on pad to raise the comb of the stock to trap dimensions would do for less money.

Get acquainted and talk to trapshooters at the new club. They will be very helpful and you can look at guns of all types and prices.

[TrapperReady]

The Montefelro is nice, and my wife shoots one every Tuesday in our trap league. There are two small caveats about it, however. The first is that if you want to use a T&S shellcatcher, you need to send them the bolt handle for a little machining work. The turn-around time was a week or so when I got mine. The other thing is that the recoil-operated Benelli may not like very light target loads. Other than that, mine has been absolutely reliable through thousands of shells.

I recently picked up a Beretta 391 Urika Sporting and have had good success with that. It fits me well and I seem to be more accurate with it than any of my other scatterguns. If you do a search here, I wrote up a relatively detailed description.

For a grand, you may be able to find a decent-condition O/U. A couple local shops have Brownings and Berettas at that price not infrequently.

You would probably do well to shoot for a little while with what you've got. Spend a little time getting used to the game and talking with other shooters about what they've got and why. There's a good chance they'll let you handle or shoot their shotguns, and it's an easy way to "try before you buy".

[Dave McCracken]

Run what you got for now. None of them is ideal, but all are capable of breaking some targets and having major fun with. As you shoot, ask the other trapshooters what works for them.

I've got to handle and try out a vast number of shotguns belonging to other folks, including Citoris,Parkers,Purdeys,a Kolar combo, some Beretta autos and O/Us. A very tweaked 1100 owned by a factory rep was a Satori as to how little kick an overbored,long coned,ported gas gun can have.

Not all trapshooters are gregarious and amiable, but enough are that shooting some trap usually means a chance to look over various guns and see how they do on the line.

If I were starting out and had $1000 to spend on equipment, I'd get a used 1100, one of the Hastings Trap Barrels for same advertised in Shotgun Sports magazine,and a M/C stock. I'd fit the stock to me and use up lots of ammo.

[ArMa]

I started Trap 2 years ago and right now im in the 3 year, shooting once a week. the first year I shot my Ithica m37 featherweight for the first year and shot good with it beleive it or not, never over a 43 but I was also in my first year. the very next year I bought myself an all around everything gun.. the winchester SuperX2 in 3 1/2" with synthetic/matte finish. I love it and I has shot perfectly every year, interchangable chokes, and a nice sight picture. If you save your hulls then I'd recommend the browning equivilent, the browning gold... its almost exaclty the same gun even cheaper and you can buy a T&S shell catcher for it, they dont fit on the superX2, the bolt is different. If you want a good used trap gun, I would reccomend the browning BT-99 you can get one for 600-900 or so used. If your ever going to shoot skeet or sporting clays go with the Citori.

Whoever told you the ithica wasnt suitable was mis-informed. There is an old timer at the trap club that shoots an old bottom ejecting browning pump or something, everyone just deemed it the "rusty pipe", but he shoots 48-50's he won best overall shooter 3 years in a row now. Really makes the guys with the KRS's and the Krieghoffs look bad.

[TaxPhd]

You can buy a new BT-99 for right around $1,000. Used ones for significantly less. Will let you shoot singles and 'Caps very effectively. By the time you are ready to shoot doubles you will have a much better idea what you want.