[RemmyZ]

I'm going to use my Remington 870 for doubles tomorrow and I have a safety/logistics question. It seems like a silly question, but I've just never done it before. Do I load 2 shells in the tube and pump to chamber the first when it's my turn to shoot? I'm not crazy about loading one in the chamber, then loading one in the tube, even with the safety on.

Thanks, Reid

[DJW]

Either way will work. I always used to load 2 and chamber one just before I called for the bird. NEVER use the safety at trap or skeet. WHEN you forget to release it you will lose at least one bird. Just keep your finger off the trigger until you call for the bird and don't slap the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
good shooting.

[RemmyZ]

Thanks. I don't use the safety and that's why I was concerned about pushing a round into the tube with a live gun. It's going to be fun!!

[ArmedBear]

I'd load two in the magazine, then open the gun. That will leave one in the chamber and one in the magazine. Close the gun when you're ready to call "pull".

[riverdog]

What ArmedBear said. What I did shooting Skeet was load two in the magazine and then open the action which puts one round on the carrier. The action stays open until you're ready to call.

[RemmyZ]

I've only used the 870 as a single shot gun for trap, so as I said this is new. It seems like if I load 2 shells in the tube and open the reciever, I'll have a shell angled and asking to get jammed. Do you push it forward into the chamber manually and wait until ready to close and call?

Reid

[ArmedBear]

If you have the gun closed, you can shove two in the magazine. Then you fully open the action (slide all the way to the rear).

This will extract one round from the magazine and leave it sitting loose in the receiver, just as if you dropped it in there yourself. When you close the action, it will be chambered and the other round will remain in the magazine.

You can also leave the gun open, push the slide forward part of the way so that the back of the foreend just clears the loading port, and put a round in the magazine. (Do not close the action all the way.) Then you can open the action all the way again and drop another one in the receiver, just like when you are loading single. This is a bit more complicated to do, though.

[RemmyZ]

Thanks, I'll give it a try

[RemmyZ]

Well the 870 worked fine for doubles and it was a huge amount of fun. I'll definitely do it again. I got a 10 (out of 20) but had 3 2-bird stations. It's an incredible feeling when you get both birds with a pump gun. I had a couple "coordination issues" - My first station, I shot and forgot to pump - duh! and one other time, I didn't pull the forend back far enough and jammed because the shell didn't eject all the way. I thought the O/U guys would be a little impatient or think I was a yahoo or something, but the first time I got a double, they were into it and I did better than a couple of guys with guns that cost $3X mine. Thanks for the advise. Starting with 2 in tha magazine was the way to go. I didn't slow things down for everyone else, and it was safe. Can you tell I'm pumped?? Two things I need to work on - I definitely need to take the right bird first from stations 1 and 2, and I need to follow the dropping bird on the right if it gets out too far, but I didn't feel rushed. It's relatively easy to shoot/pump and reacquire the second bird -Reid

[riverdog]

. . . It's an incredible feeling when you get both birds with a pump gun. I had a couple "coordination issues" - My first station, I shot and forgot to pump. . .Yes it is :) and BTDT :banghead: Do it a few more times and racking becomes a natural movement following the shot.

[Dave McCracken]

Trap doubles is a great way to learn your pumpgun.

When I use one for doubles, I drop in a round and close the action, then shove one into the mag. Of course, the muzzle's downrange and my fingers well away from the trigger guard.