[christophera]

I was wondering if I could use an 18" smooth bore defender to shoot sporting clays. My friend and I have one of those cheap throwers but I was wondering if I would be laughed at if I brought it to a club for some organized fun. Thanks for any replies.

[sm]

Welcome to THR

I would first check to make sure there is not a Mininum bbl length restriction- some clubs do have these.

Lets put it this way...I have shot skeet and 5 stand with some *ahem* well not what most folks would use. :D

If the clays are close in enough - you should be okay with an Open Cyl...just use HARD SHOT...like Trap loads in #8 or #7 1/2

I have used a Defender, Ithaca model 37, slew of 870s...various LEO 18" -20" pump and semi's. Your apparent lead will be a bunch different, than the normal 26 and longer bbls. Get a lead , keep swinging and for gosh sakes - don't stop the swing! :p

Good Practice and fun...I always get the rising teal, always...even with a Defender...I won sodas on that side bet. ;)

[Dave McCracken]

Sure you can, Chris, with the caveat sm said about barrel length. It's certainly not an ideal shotgun for Trap, but Skeet shots and some Sporting Clays presentations are doable.

And shooting doubles, where we have to acquire one target moving on a vector, crush it, and then do the same on another on a different vector will hone your pumping/shooting skills to a razor's envy.

It's also as much fun as we can have fully dressed.

I suggest reading a good book on the various games like Meyer's Clay Target handbook to get an idea of what can be done.

Don't obsess over missing, just figure out why and have fun. After a few tries you'll note the hits are closer together. A few more tries, you've moved up the curve.

HTH...

[PJR]

If it's the type of club that would laugh at someone for the type of gun they used then it's not the type of club worth spending any time at.

But there is something much worse they could do to you. I know because it happened to me years ago.

When I showed up at the local trap club with my 18" 870, they welcomed me warmly even though my equipment was ideally suited to another, more important task. It was pointed out that trap was better shot with a longer barrel. When I was shopping for a longer barrel I noted that the store had a used 28" 870 on sale for not much more than a new barrel. I bought it and my scores improved.

Then one of the shooters did something really mean. He let me try his single-barrel trap gun and I began to crush targets. A few months later, a tax refund arrived in the mail and it went towards a Browning BT99 and my scores improved again. Then they suggested we try sporting clays and skeet at a nearby club and a target autoloader was added to the collection followed by an over/under.

Years and many shotguns later I have a group of great friends with whom I shoot twice a week. It's been a great adventure so far and it continues. Until I began shooting clays I flitted from hobby to hobby but not any more.

And yes I still have that original pump gun and it does get out to shoot targets every so often.

Go and enjoy but if some smiling fellow hands you a fine looking over/under just be aware of the potential consequences. ;)

Paul

[sm]

Go and enjoy but if some smiling fellow hands you a fine looking over/under just be aware of the potential consequences.
:D
There PJR goes blaming someone else...:D

The bigger problem is when you take a GF or Wife to the club...and some smiling fella lets her shoot a O/U in 28 ga....then you when hear "Honey I REALLY Liked that fella's gun..." That swooosh you heard ? Was the vanishing money sound from wallet - careful you may miss the sound because of the way she tilts her head and bats her eyes...

Go have fun...learn lots...but we have a Disclaimer...wallet gets thin...we had nothing to do with it. :D :D

So PJR how many folks did YOU let shoot your guns...and grin whin it happened to them...;)

[Smoke]

I shoot clays a good bit with a smooth bore defense gun with rifle sights.

I've never tried to shoot an actual round of skeet or sporting clays with it, but do shoot a lot of informal rounds. I have an old trap that I can operate by myself and will set it up and shoot. It's great training.

If the shots are close enough it is a very effective gun.

Smoke

[PJR]

The bigger problem is when you take a GF or Wife to the club...and some smiling fella lets her shoot a O/U in 28 ga....then you when hear "Honey I REALLY Liked that fella's gun...
Been there, done that. Do you know how long it took me to find a 28 gauge Winchester Diamond Grade skeet gun and what I had to pay for it when I did? ;)

So PJR how many folks did YOU let shoot your guns...and grin whin it happened to them...
Anyone who shows an interest in any of my guns gets the offer to shoot it. I'll even provide the shells. :D

[sm]

:D :D :D
Yeah I kinda figured that...you are as bad as me..."sure the lady may shoot my gun...here are some shells too..."
:p

What comes around - goes around - ;)

[christophera]

Like smoke said, my buddy and I shoot with a hand thrower and we have a hard time missing. The real question I guess is distance. With the hand thrower, we hardly have a shot over 25 yds. Is that What sporting clays is shot at? I would imagine it's both closer and farther than that given the type of game played but how much?

And I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend that doesn't like shotguns. Her dad made her shoot his 12ga too early so she's a little frightened of them. So mum's the word on the 20 and 28ga from you guys. If she gets a hold of one of those lighter recoils, I will be stuck. Thanks for the replies.