Pumping it for Skeet

[kudu]

It has been a tough year trying to get out and shoot very much, only been out about 6 times to the skeet and trap ranges this year. Made it out today with 90 degree temperatures and shot 4 rounds of skeet. So far I have only shot pump guns and was thinking that was all I was going to do for this year so I have been leaving my O/U Beretta at home cased and my 1100 autos in the safe. Today I shot my 870 Wingmaster in 20ga, shot a 23, then a 75 straight using my light 3/4oz reloads. The last time I shot we did 50 trap and 50 skeet and I shot a 49 on skeet with the same 20 gauge. Earlier in the year I shot a 50 straight with my 1897 Winchester with a big old ugly polychoke on the end, but it sure does shoot nice.

I had had a poor day with another 12 gauge WIngmaster when I shot a 45 out of 50 and before that at the beginning of the year I had shot my 28ga Wingmaster and shot a 49 out of 50. Almost every trip we shot 100 birds but usually had 50 trap birds mixed in. My average is about 96% pumping it. Just trying to keep the pump gun sports alive with all the naysayers that say you shouldn't be shooting clay games with a pump gun. So dust off those old pump guns and try them out on the clays range and see how you do. I think it's worth missing the occasional target to keep it interesting and keep the shucking skills sharp.

 

[jmr40]

It depends on your goals. Most people will shoot better scores with a double or auto. But if the goal is to remain proficient with a pump to use while hunting then a pump is what you should be shooting clays with. I don't shoot a ton of clay games. Just a few from time to time for fun and keep the hunting skills up. And I used to use an 870 pretty much all the time. I've moved on to autos now for the most part.

 

[entropy]

Well, I just traded mine in for an 1100 Competition Synthetic, but I owned and shot 870's from the age of 18 until this May. I haven't shot skeet in more than a few years, but I've shot doubles trap with an 870, not a problem. I caught myself trying to pump the 1100!

I did get out and shoot some Trap this year with my Ithaca 37, but with an 18" barrel and open bore, the score did not start with '2'!

 

[cfullgraf]

I think it's worth missing the occasional target to keep it interesting and keep the shucking skills sharp.

I agree.

While I have not done it in a while, I would occasionally bring out the .410 Mossberg 500 for a mind adjusting session on the skeet field. Besides needing to be more precise with each shot, remembering to cycle the action on doubles took several stations to recalibrate the mind and muscle memory.

 

[kudu]

It depends on your goals. Most people will shoot better scores with a double or auto.

Agreed, I will better my score by a target or three with my O/U target gun or even my Autos, but a great score can be had by the person fielding a pump gun also. I quit the registered target shoots years ago and just prefer to play now, and darn it, pump guns are pretty fun to play with.

 

[Armored farmer]

At my home trap range, we would shoot a 25 bird race with 1/2 oz 2.5" .410s . That was humbling.
I used my 870 Express quail gun. I had moleskin monte carlo on mine so it fit like a trap gun, lol
I shot my savage 24 .22lr/.410 one night.....once was enough!
It was a good time.

 

[entropy]

At my home trap range, we would shoot a 25 bird race with 1/2 oz 2.5" .410s . That was humbling.
I used my 870 Express quail gun. I had moleskin monte carlo on mine so it fit like a trap gun, lol
I shot my savage 24 .22lr/.410 one night.....once was enough!
It was a good time.

We had a kid shoot 4-H Trap with his Sav. 24.....once. He brought his turkey gun, a Win. 1300 the next week. He now shoots SCTP Trap in college.

 

[George P]

For grins and giggles, shoot what you want. For serious competition, there are better alternatives.
Now if you want to have some real fun, shoot skeet with a SxS that shoots BP in brass hulls. The doubles can get interesting while the smoke is in the air!

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’ve been using a double, albeit a double not made for clays games, a SxS game gun, for about 5000 rounds fired over the last two years. This is combined total of sleet, trap, and SCs.

I use my BPS pump here and there still too and with it, I usually shoot better scores. I enjoy the SxS much more though so continue to use it more often. Fit I’m sure has a bit to do with it but that just doesn’t matter to me right now. Maybe because I’ve had the BPS for 25 years and the SxS for a bit over 2.

 

[kudu]

Shot another 3 rounds of skeet this afternoon. Grabbed my 870 Wingmaster in .410. Unfortunately it has a fixed full choke. I shot a 21, and a 23 with it, and another 23. No straights with this gun, but I have run a few in the past with it. I figure my pattern was less than 15" on some of my longer shots and I had lots of ink balls out there with a few chips off fronts or backs thrown in. Had to really concentrate hard on targets with that tight of pattern.