[BridgeWalker]

To the trapshooters out there: Would it be a bad idea to have two guns to use for trap on a regular basis?

The problem is that I have a weak left shoulder. Old injury. When the weather is bad or when I'm tired, or when I want to shoot six rounds instead of four, it gives a lot of trouble. Can't swing well, hurts like heck, and hurts for a couple days.

Because of this, I got an upland gun (Benelli Montefeltro). It's very light, which lets me shoot for longer and even on bad weather days. But, it's an upland gun and is really not ideal for trap. Sometimes I really wish I had a gun that wasn't quite so fast to swing way too far, or one where I have to compensate for the low rib. I'd really like a trap gun (well, to start saving up for a trap gun, anyway).

I would almost certainly end up switching back and forth between guns. Trap gun for serious practice, for working on specific problems, for good days, and upland gun or rainy days or for shooting with friends or just for after two or three rounds when the trap gun is getting too heavy. Is that gonna seriously mess with my scores? Would I be better off picking ne gun and sticking with it? Seems the serious shooters I know all use one high end gun exclusively or have multiples of the same mid-range gun. I dunno anyone who shoots trap regularly who switches between vastly different guns.

[throdgrain]

I have two guns, and whenever I swap from one to the other it takes AGES to get my scores back up.

Best thing if you're going to have two guns is use each for a specific job and never mix them.


(Easier said than done I know :) )

[Dave McCracken]

I know folks who keep switching guns. I usually outshoot them.

Good trap guns tend to price high. Exceptions include 870s and 1100s.

Trap guns tend to be long, heavy, tightly choked and durable.

IMO, you'll be better off with a dedicated trap gun. Your Benelli is a nice field gun but it's going to beat you half to death on a 200 clay day.

HTH....

[BridgeWalker]

IMO, you'll be better off with a dedicated trap gun. Your Benelli is a nice field gun but it's going to beat you half to death on a 200 clay day.

I'd agree with you, except that I can't hold the darn thing up after 75 clays. Repenting my misspent youth...

[ArchAngelCD]

delta9,
I feel your pain. I'm not sure what to suggest but I want you to know you're not alone. I do know that Trap shooting is a learned repetition which develops muscle memory. If you change from one gun to another you will confuse your body and it's learned reactions.

Maybe you can find a good shotgun that's somewhere between a full blown Trap gun that that very light Benelli.

[Regolith]

Perhaps you should look into getting a light gun in a smaller gauge, like maybe a 20 or 28 gauge for trap. Using light field loads, the recoil won't be as bad on the lighter guns as it would be with the 12 gauge. Then just use that one gun for trap, etc.

[ArmedBear]

Describe more about your shoulder injury.

[BridgeWalker]

Alright, if it will help. I'ma little shy. It's been several years since it was diagnosed/treated, and I was less medically astute then, but I'll do my best.

It's a repetitive stress injury. Originally incurred when I was trying very intensely to learn a particular method for off-balancing a judo opponent by sharply jerking their jacket upwards with an extended arm. The guys I was sparring with were pretty big and I didn't focus sufficiently on gaining enough upper body strength to support that kind of motion, and I didn't listen when my body said to quit. I'm kinda' dumb like that. :o

This was about six years ago. Ended up tearing some cartilage in my left shoulder. This is important. I shoot right-handed, so the affected shoulder is not substantively affected by recoil. Honest. Recoil is not the problem.

At the time I got some PT to get it strong enough to use well, but was told that it wasn't bad enough for surgery. At this point it probably is, but I'm under-insured and I'd liekthe techonology to get better before I go there.

Now, that side is considerably weaker than the right side. There's pain in the shoulder most of the time, but it's liveable. I work out with light weights to keep it as strong as possible, and I've done that more since I started shooting heavily. Trouble is, if i'm tired or overtax it, that arm starts sorta' sagging. If I hold both arm extended, that arm starts quivering more quickly, if I hold weights extended, that arm weakens faster.

I guess there are some nerves involved, because often I will get intense shooting pains up and down one side of the forearm and aches in one side of the hand. That can happen from shooting too much, from writing too much (something about the fine motions of writing, I guess), from low barometric pressure, from lack of sleep (that happens a lot--I'm a mother in law school). It becomes difficult to control the gun, or even to hold it up. It seems that the lighter the gun and the less still steadiness required, the better it works for me.

When rifle-shooting, I really can't do standing positions at all, and pistol shooting I do exclusively one-handed--with those disciplines the attempt to hold that arm partially extended and totally steady is, well, it hurts a lot. :o It's a bit better with shotgunning, because most of the pain comes from holding it steady and extended and supporting weight. Swinging is a bit better. But, the trap guns I've held--BT-99, a Citori, a couple others, and the more general purpose American shotguns i've tried--870's, a Savage 430 o/u, an old Stevens single-shot--all seemed pretty muzzle-heavy and gave me a lot of trouble. Something about the way the Benelli and Beretta upland guns are weighted just worked better and made it possible for me to shoot four or five rounds of trap with minimal pain, most days.

So, one idea was alternating guns. A trap gun (probably a BT-99) for good days, for a couple rounds, etc, and then switch to the Benelli when I'm having trouble.

Consensus seems to be that that won't work well. So, I don't know where to go from there. I'm working on getting a reloading setup before buying another gun, and that will let me switch to light loads, but that's not really the problem, just light loads because that's a best option in general for many reasons. I guess a light-weight trap gun is pretty much an oxymoron. The most irritating part about the Benelli is the lower rib. I guess no one makes an upland gun with a raised rib? That I can afford?

I dunno. I probably will just stick with the Benelli for a while anyway, just wishing there was a better long term solution. Other than surgery, that is. :rolleyes:

[Hawk]

Anybody know offhand if the 105-CTi got itself sorted out yet?

I kept hearing that thing was light and could put out a bunch of rounds without pounding the shooter.

[RNB65]

2 pieces of advice:

1. Find a good orthopedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder injuries. The shoulder is the most complex joint in the body and you need someone who specializes in shoulders, not just a general orthopedic surgeon. What you described is a lot more than just injured cartilage. It sounds like there's ligament and nerve damage as well and it's only going to get worse the longer you wait. A good surgeon can do amazing things.

2. Take a look at getting a custom stock made. Retired Indy Car driver Johnny Rutherford is a big time shotgunner, but he only has partial range of motion in his right shoulder due to racing injuries. He uses a custom made stock with a thumbhole so he can mount his shotgun without having to raise his arm very high.

[ArchAngelCD]

I didn't post this before because I thought you were shooting Lefty, also supported by the fact the Benelli Montefeltro comes in a Lefty model. LOL

Did you look at Benelli's Super Sport and Sport II Models? They are a little heavier than your current shotgun but designed for breaking Clays. That might be just what you need, not too heavy yet designed for what you are shooting. http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/supersport.tpl The Cordoba might be even better than the Sport II. http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/cordoba.tpl

[Robert Hairless]

I use a Benelli Super Sport for trap. I can hold it forever, shoot as many rounds in a day as I want, show no sad aftereffect, and look really good too. Just can't hit much. :)

[Red Label]

Unfortunately I know how you are feeling. I too have ongoing tendonitis in my left shoulder which can flare up and give me grief. Thankfully its not as bad as you describe.

I also have a friend who did have surgery to correct his bad shoulder. He shot a M42 .410 for everything from trap to pheasant hunting for about a year until he was all healed up. He is now feeling better than he has in years and is back to shooting his M12.

Hope you can get the surgery. I realize the cost! Maybe you can find a good Dr. who will work with you. It is possible. Many of them understand the costs involved these days and will help any way they can.

[BridgeWalker]

Well, the thing with surgery is that right now I do not have access to much medical care at all, but in about a year and a half, all things being equal, I'll be a lawyer, duly admitted to the bar, and gainfully employed. Putting if off for two more years could be the difference between random orthopedic surgeon putting me seriously into debt and and top sports medicine specialist with little out of pocket cost. So, it just seems to make sense to wait just a little longer.

It is heartening to hear that one doesn't necessarily have to give up all shotgunning for the year following shoulder surgery. Guess I should be looking for a .410.

I am planning on getting my monte fitted to me next spring, and I'll definitely talk to the stockfitter about this problem.

I do like the idea of a sporting clays gun. Will have to look into that some more.