ChristopherG
Member
Well, it's been a couple of months now since I got my 870P, and can you believe it was only today that I got around to shooting it at something fun.
I've taken my pumpgun to an indoor range a couple of times, patterning out to 25 yds (what else can you do with a shotgun at an indoor range? anyone?), but hadn't been able to just bounce stuff 'round a berm or perform that most essential shotgunning feat, breaking flying inverted bowls.
Today I finally could not help it any longer. Went to D***'s sporting goods store, where I had seen a Trius one-step trap on the shelf. Got a box of clays and a hundred target rounds and headed (after assembling the trap) to the informal, blessedly outdoor range.
So here's my review of the Trius and my assessment of shooting clays: Fantastic. Really great. Once I got the machine set up, I thanked the stars no-one was around to see me hack away at this, and let a couple go to see what they'd look like. The Trius required no staking or weighting or anything, and all the cocking effort is done with your leading foot on the pedal, the same pedal that releases the trap. When I was ready to shoot, I thought I'd take it easy on myself and start mounted. I missed 4 before I hit one (poof! a rather magical feeling, isn't it?). It took another half-dozen or so to frustrate me enough to want to try from a low ready. That, to my surprise, worked a lot better. Mounting felt pretty natural (after reading Dave's essay and the many helpful replies and expansions); I wasn't getting every one, by any stretch, but more of 'em.
What really surprised me was when I tried a few doubles. Those, I hit every time (Well, I took a third shot on a few. Let's see you do that with your fancy O/U). Now that feels cool. I think two things may have been happening here. First, I didn't have time to work too hard at it--just point and shoot. And second (and probably more importantly), the Trius didn't throw the doubles as far. I was using a 20" fixed choke IC barrel (rifle sights, which I think I effectively ignored), and the trap was throwing singles a good 50 to 60 yards. The singles I hit, I had to hit fast, while they were still rising. Doubles were only going out 30-35 yards or so, and the second clay was descending before I got around to it. But a poof was a poof, in my book.
Dave McC expressed interest, at one time, in knowing how someone might do with a shotgun if all they learned was from the internet--in fact, from this board. I am such a guineapig, at this point. I don't know enough to assess my progress, of course, but I will say I've got it under my skin. And, it's getting easier. Earlier trips to the range had me a little frightened of the 12-guage beast. But today (granted, with that wonderful lightweight ammo--2 3/4 dr., 1 1/8 oz.), I shot a hundred rounds in a t-shirt and still was eager to blast 3 boxes of SWAT 00 at hapless objects on the berm.
Next time: gonna put my 28" vent-rib barrel and a modified choke-tube on and see if I can't reach out and touch those fast-moving singles a little more reliably. And, it's definitely not going to be forever before I do it again. My first formal range trip is going to be in mid-May, but I just couldn't face going into that as a complete tyro, so I'll be blasting away in preparation for my novitiate. There you have it, just me wanting to tell someone what a great time I had and how much more fun I anticipate. Thanks for listening.
CG
I've taken my pumpgun to an indoor range a couple of times, patterning out to 25 yds (what else can you do with a shotgun at an indoor range? anyone?), but hadn't been able to just bounce stuff 'round a berm or perform that most essential shotgunning feat, breaking flying inverted bowls.
Today I finally could not help it any longer. Went to D***'s sporting goods store, where I had seen a Trius one-step trap on the shelf. Got a box of clays and a hundred target rounds and headed (after assembling the trap) to the informal, blessedly outdoor range.
So here's my review of the Trius and my assessment of shooting clays: Fantastic. Really great. Once I got the machine set up, I thanked the stars no-one was around to see me hack away at this, and let a couple go to see what they'd look like. The Trius required no staking or weighting or anything, and all the cocking effort is done with your leading foot on the pedal, the same pedal that releases the trap. When I was ready to shoot, I thought I'd take it easy on myself and start mounted. I missed 4 before I hit one (poof! a rather magical feeling, isn't it?). It took another half-dozen or so to frustrate me enough to want to try from a low ready. That, to my surprise, worked a lot better. Mounting felt pretty natural (after reading Dave's essay and the many helpful replies and expansions); I wasn't getting every one, by any stretch, but more of 'em.
What really surprised me was when I tried a few doubles. Those, I hit every time (Well, I took a third shot on a few. Let's see you do that with your fancy O/U). Now that feels cool. I think two things may have been happening here. First, I didn't have time to work too hard at it--just point and shoot. And second (and probably more importantly), the Trius didn't throw the doubles as far. I was using a 20" fixed choke IC barrel (rifle sights, which I think I effectively ignored), and the trap was throwing singles a good 50 to 60 yards. The singles I hit, I had to hit fast, while they were still rising. Doubles were only going out 30-35 yards or so, and the second clay was descending before I got around to it. But a poof was a poof, in my book.
Dave McC expressed interest, at one time, in knowing how someone might do with a shotgun if all they learned was from the internet--in fact, from this board. I am such a guineapig, at this point. I don't know enough to assess my progress, of course, but I will say I've got it under my skin. And, it's getting easier. Earlier trips to the range had me a little frightened of the 12-guage beast. But today (granted, with that wonderful lightweight ammo--2 3/4 dr., 1 1/8 oz.), I shot a hundred rounds in a t-shirt and still was eager to blast 3 boxes of SWAT 00 at hapless objects on the berm.
Next time: gonna put my 28" vent-rib barrel and a modified choke-tube on and see if I can't reach out and touch those fast-moving singles a little more reliably. And, it's definitely not going to be forever before I do it again. My first formal range trip is going to be in mid-May, but I just couldn't face going into that as a complete tyro, so I'll be blasting away in preparation for my novitiate. There you have it, just me wanting to tell someone what a great time I had and how much more fun I anticipate. Thanks for listening.
CG
