Getting back into shooting skeet.

[Demitrios]

Recently I got a friend of mine into shooting handguns, well we had a day off so I took him up to a local trap shooting range and we did a little skeet shooting. I took two 12 gauges for myself, my father's Mossberg 835 "ulti-mag" shotgun (which had never been fired before and was oh so sweet ) and my Benelli Nova Pump. Mind you I haven't shot skeet in about 13 years (I'm almost 29) and I basically looked like a rookie. It didn't take me long to realize that the Benelli was created more for defense where-as the Mossberg was definitely meant for hunting.

To the point, I would like to get back into skeet shooting but I had a hard time gauging my point of aim and the mistakes I was making. The Mossberg had a gold bead up front while my Benelli has a ghost ring on the rear and a tri-post up front. Can anyone give me a few tips as to how to clean up my shooting and get better? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you guys.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Since this one is shotgun specific, and not involved with S&T, I'm moving it to Shotguns...

lpl

 

[oneounceload]

First - you said you went to a trap range and shot skeet. Just to clarify, you shot the game called skeet with two houses, 8 stations, correct? That will involve shooting singles at some stations and singles and doubles at others. A pump can cause issues on double unless you're "slick willy" with that type of action. Don't use GR and other sites for any of the clay games. One bead at the end and your two eyes at the other end are all that is necessary. Both trap and skeet are games of using some form of lead to successfully hit the target. IF you are going to get serious about shooting skeet, you'll eventually upgrade to a game specific gun designed for success.

 

[Bill B.]

Skeet has changed since I first shot about 40 years ago. The game has stayed the same but the equipment used has seen the change. When I started the Remington 1100 was hands down the most popular in 26" barrel length and they held most of the skeet records posted on both state and national level. Now the O/U has taken over the skeet field's and most of them sport barrels 30" long, some 32" and have interchangeable choke tubes. The most popular O/U's now start at about 3 grand which is quite a leap from what our Rem. 1100's went for way back when.

Regardless of what is being used today what used to work will still work and function well. Get a shotgun that has a long enough sight radius & weight for a good follow through. Have a good recoil pad fitted to your shotgun. Try to find a shotgun that either has open choke or interchangeable chokes and use an open choke. I used No. 9 shot for skeet and unless thing's have changed that is the standard skeet load. I do seem to recall one world record holder from TX that used 8's so that should work well also. Join a skeet league if you are serious about wanting to get better! The better shooters you shoot with the better your scores will be also. The most important part to skeet shooting .............have "FUN" & ENJOY IT".

 

[ilmonster]

One thing that helped me when I started shooting skeet was Todd Benders Basics of Skeet video. Also, you may wish to visit www.vaskeet.com website and their skeet 101 section. They have tips for each station. Good luck!

 

[jokusfocus]

Remington also has a small handbook that is fairly helpful (and free). There's also one for trap.

http://www.remington.com/~/media/Files/Booklets/skeet_fundamentals_2004.ashx

 

[Big Bill]

I bet your Benelli Nova is the defensive version of the regular Nova pump. I've owned tha particular model (with ghost rings {see below}) that you are talking about. For skeet you need a gun like your mossberg or even an Over & Under (OU) like a Stoeger Competition & combo...

http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/stoeger_condor_competition_and_combo.php

Is this the Benelli you have?

Nova Pump - Tactical

Black Synthetic, Ghost-Ring Sights, 12-GA, 3-1/2", MSRP $449

http://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/benelli_nova_pump.php

 

[Demitrios]

Yeah that's the guy. Funny, MSRP is $449 I got mine brand new for $75.