Killed my first clay today.

[jar]

Got a chance to shoot one of my shotguns for the first time in over 40 years, a 20 gauge Spanish SxS made by Aramberri and imported as the Star Gauge by Interarms. Back in 1972 (IIRC) it was $150.00. It's a 20 gauge double trigger field gun that I used to annoy squirrels, amuse ducks and carry through the fields stirring up dinner for the doves, quail and partridge that tagged along behind me feasting.

The gun was every bit as nice as I remembered, but I kept forgetting that it switches to 'safe' every time you break open. The safety certainly works and unfortunately I tested it thoroughly today.



Most of the things I was worried about considering the 40+ year hiatus turned out to be no issues BUT my back reminded me that I definitely am not in the same shape as long long ago in that land far far away.

I can say that few clay pigeons were harmed but those that were harmed were well harmed. The big lesson for me is that full/modified choke set up is not what I need for starting over. I'll try again this weekend but with my old hand-me-down 20 gauge Remington 48 Sportsman. It has an old poly choke so I can start out at cylinder and then move to tighter chokes as I get my eye, pointing and timing back.

 

[eastbank]

we had our first sporting clays of the year last sunday and to say we were a little rusty would be a understatement. our high was 38-50 and our low was 29-50, there are four of us that shoot together most of the time. we shoot for fun, so no one got upset over the scores.

 

[Remington1911]

I hear you on the back thing, I have good days and bad days, on a bad day I can be on my feet a max of about 10 minutes before the tears start. Don't know your back issue, but i find if I can take a rest of even as little as 5-10 min I can be good to go again for a short time....time enough to shoot and sit down again. It sucks, but it sounds like your a bit of an informal setting, and I doubt many would mind chewing the fat for a minute or two while you back unkinks itself.

 

[jar]

Yup. But I've learned to listen to my body or else it will really punish me.

Old age is a bitch. I can't recommend it.

It was just me and the range manager so it was pretty much continuous shooting.

I keep a little folding stool in the trunk I can carry around if I'm going to be standing in lines for an extended period and I'd be okay taking five shots on a line then sitting until moving to the next position.

 

[glassman]

The big lesson for me is that full/modified choke set up is not what I need for starting over.

might not want to go much farther than an improved modified choke from the 16 yard line. A man I shoot with has an extremely bad back and shoots from a seated position on a three legged stool. He's in his mid eighties and does pretty well. by the way, welcome back!

 

[Scooter22]

Killing a Clay isn,t the hard part. Finding a good recipe for them is. Either comes out crunchy or pasty.

 

[AzShooter1]

What an exciting day at the range. Love seeing those clays burst. Good luck with your future endeavors with your shotguns.

 

[Griffen]

We shoot clays nearly every pretty weekend and I have found that a modified choke seems to be the best overall for what we shoot. Six machines throwing all directions in the 25 to 55 yard range. In my OU, I use a modified on top and an improved modified on bottom. I saw a study on choke testing from a few years back and the modified had the best pattern for the longest distance. Some of the guys are really fine shooters and we have all found the modified gave the most hits. Of course, every situation is different.

p.s., don’t eat the orange part.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Gotta say jar, those are two nice looking older shotguns. Enjoy them and welcome back.

 

[jar]

Gotta say jar, those are two nice looking older shotguns. Enjoy them and welcome back.

Yes they are and there is another old 20 gauge hand-me-down that needs to get to go walkabout as well.

the one on top: 20 gauge Winchester Model 12 Mod Choke that was made in 1926.


The one on the bottom is a new Winchester SXP 20 gauge that I bought about a week before Covid. It's still a virgin but I have to admit it just doesn't feel as comfy as the other three.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have my Dad's 28 gauge SxS with dual triggers that I have not shot in several coon's ages. I've shot single trigger double barrel shotguns (over/unders) so much over the past couple decades, I'd probably forget to change triggers between shots more times than forgetting to pump a pump shotgun.

But it is fun to shoot the old guns once in a while.

If the rain does not get I the way, we are planning a "skeet day' at the range around the first of April. I might take a .410 for one round and provide some humility to my skeet shooting.

 

[jar]

I have my Dad's 28 gauge SxS with dual triggers that I have not shot in several coon's ages. I've shot single trigger double barrel shotguns (over/unders) so much over the past couple decades, I'd probably forget to change triggers between shots more times than forgetting to pump a pump shotgun.

I was pleasantly surprised with the double trigger experience. I had expected that might be an issue but honestly the transition turned out to be totally natural. There wasn't a single instance of my squeezing the wrong trigger and I even found I could select which barrel I used on the fly.

In all, the biggest issues was my body, eyesight and reaction times certainly were just a shadow of 40+ years ago. And I was never all that great a shot back then.

Oh, and remembering to switch to 'FIRE' mode after reloading.

Stupid safety switch!

 

[d2wing]

That reminds me that I had a nice little Spanish 20G SxS like yours. I sold it to a friend. I have a 20 G O/U single trigger now for Grouse hunting but I wish I had kept the sweet SxS.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I don’t suggest you try cooking them and eating them!

I’ve got a recipe if you decide to try anyway.

They always come out dry, chalky, crunchy, and flakey!
Not much flavor!

 

[cfullgraf]

Oh, and remembering to switch to 'FIRE' mode after reloading.

Stupid safety switch!

The guns I shoot in clay games do not shift the safety on when opening the gun. I know it would be an issue if I ever shot a gun that automatically put the safety on when opening the gun.

But, with practice, it can be automated to switch the gun to fire.

It is kind of like remember to cycle a pump gun between shots on doubles..

 

[cfullgraf]

I don’t suggest you try cooking them and eating them!

I’ve got a recipe if you decide to try anyway.

They always come out dry, chalky, crunchy, and flakey!
Not much flavor!

Right, but if you dust the target, there is not any worth while "meat" left to eat.

Remember, the minimum metric for a hit is a "visible piece".

The ultimate metric is "if it flies, it dies."

Clay games are fun.

 

[entropy]

I was pleasantly surprised with the double trigger experience. I had expected that might be an issue but honestly the transition turned out to be totally natural. There wasn't a single instance of my squeezing the wrong trigger and I even found I could select which barrel I used on the fly.

In all, the biggest issues was my body, eyesight and reaction times certainly were just a shadow of 40+ years ago. And I was never all that great a shot back then.

Oh, and remembering to switch to 'FIRE' mode after reloading.

Stupid safety switch!

I confess I forgot to put the second shell into my 1100 twice in the first round of doubles Saturday. It was the first doubles I'd shot in about 30 years.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I shot clays for the first time a couple months ago with my old mdl 12, modified choke 16 gauge. oh my gosh that was fun

 

[jar]

I shot clays for the first time a couple months ago with my old mdl 12, modified choke 16 gauge. oh my gosh that was fun

My Model 12 20 gauge with MOD choke is on the list to get out once again.

 

[paul harm]

I run the shotgun venue at the club which is only 3 miles away, and we shoot shotgun three times a week. Right now I have a dozen old SxSs and try to shoot one or the other every week. It's getting tough seeing how I'm 76 years young and was laid up with the Chinese flu pretty bad for three weeks. Seems like all my leg muscles have gone to pot. We have a cart to ride around for SCs but I don't pick up my feet good enough for the woods. So I try to shoot trap and I also use a four legged stool. Actually, it works quite well. It's probably a good thing. I bought this Parker SBT gun about a year and a half ago and wasn't shooting it very much. Now I'm getting it out all the time.
On all my SxSs I've removed the auto safety. If I want the safety on, I'll put it on myself. That's what you do with a pump or auto. And I've opened all the chokes up to light mod. That's good out to 45 yards, about the limit of our birds. WE have a number of guys shooting SxSs.

 

[paul harm]

All my SxSs are 12ga but one, and you got me to thinking. Last year I bought a little 410 double. I had forgotten all about it. Gonna have to get it out. I loads up a 100 444 Marlins to use in it. All brass shells will look nice.

 

[jar]

I run the shotgun venue at the club which is only 3 miles away, and we shoot shotgun three times a week. Right now I have a dozen old SxSs and try to shoot one or the other every week. It's getting tough seeing how I'm 76 years young and was laid up with the Chinese flu pretty bad for three weeks. Seems like all my leg muscles have gone to pot. We have a cart to ride around for SCs but I don't pick up my feet good enough for the woods. So I try to shoot trap and I also use a four legged stool. Actually, it works quite well. It's probably a good thing. I bought this Parker SBT gun about a year and a half ago and wasn't shooting it very much. Now I'm getting it out all the time.
On all my SxSs I've removed the auto safety. If I want the safety on, I'll put it on myself. That's what you do with a pump or auto. And I've opened all the chokes up to light mod. That's good out to 45 yards, about the limit of our birds. WE have a number of guys shooting SxSs.

I'm just a few years older than you but really regret how so much of what's available today is simply not what it usta was. For example the modern ground today is so much further away then when I was young; so far away I can barely reach over to pick up a spent shell. The air today is so much denser and no where near as stable as in the past, why sometimes it's so dense I can hardly see see the birds.

 

[Remington1911]

I shot clays for the first time a couple months ago with my old mdl 12, modified choke 16 gauge. oh my gosh that was fun

I am still pretty new at it, been doing it a couple years now. I still find myself watching the bits fly off in different directions and have a habit of just stopping and watching it fall.....trouble on doubles.

That is the most fun to me, seeing those bits go everywhere.