Simple question for you trap and skeet folks

[theCZ]

I've been shooting trap for about a year now, I just started my 3rd league. I am on my 2nd league of skeet. I am currently shooting a Remington 1100 12ga with a 32" full choke barrel for skeet and a 26" skeet choke for skeet. I've progressed in trap to where 24 is the norm regardless of handicap. Last week I had to shoot to make up for the week before and shoot the current week. I managed to pull off my first 50 straight, I had gotten a couple 25 straights before that. Skeet however is not as high, I'm getting around 16-18 as the norm, but I'm starting to feel comfortable with all the positions and stations.
SO...
I've been thinking about using my skeet barrel for trap, to get me more accustomed to the way it feels. The trap barrel has a single bead, the skeet one double beads. Is this a bad idea? I'm not counting on being able to use the skeet barrell once our team is handicapped in a few weeks, but I thought it might be good to practice with it from the 16yd line.

Also, my barrel came with a "skeet" and "skeet improved" chokes. What exactly is the difference between the two?

 

[kudu]

If your noticing the beads during a round of skeet, then your eyes are not focused on the bird. Trap is more of a measuring lead type of shooting, skeet is keeping the gun moving ahead of the target or pushing through the target for your lead.

You may be shooting over the birds in a skeet round if your useing the same gun for both games, barrel length does not make that much difference. Personaly I would be using the 32" barrel with a skeet choke on skeet,and forgeting the 26" unless I was bird hunting. The longer barrel will help adjust your lead in a skeet round.

A skeet choke is more open than an improved-cylinder choke, and improved-skeet choke is tighter than I/C, but more open than modified choke. Improved skeet, or skeet 2 is generally used in skeet doubles.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Kudu nailed it. Use the long barrel for all range things, the 26" for birds.

I may take one of the barrels here and remove all beads, just to see how it goes after.

 

[theCZ]

Well, that is a tiny problem. My long barrel does not have removable tubes, it was made in 1963 before choke tubes were a common feature on a factory shotgun. I do not really notice the beads when I am shooting skeet, only when I am getting my head adjusted before the targets come out. How much would it cost to have removable chokes installed, along with a vent rib for the barrel?

 

[Darkside]

I do not really notice the beads when I am shooting skeet, only when I am getting my head adjusted before the targets come out.

That would be a perfect example to get the shotgun fitted to you. If you are using trap and skeet to practice for bird hunting then the gun needs to fit you and you should shoot from the "gun down" position. I did for several years in collage, dispite all the remarks about my wrong way of shooting. You won't have time to adjust your cheek weld when the birds are comming out from under your feet.

If you are playing trap and skeet for the game of it, then disreguard the above statment. but still get the gun fit to you. If you take your eyes off the beads and look at the target the guns position is going to change, maybe not much, but some. That little change, that you don't notice, will cost you a bird here and a bird there.

I guess what I am trying to say is Your gun must fit you to shoot to the best of your abillity.

About the vent rib and chokes, you may be money ahead to get a new barrel from Remington with these options.

Darkside

 

[Dave McCracken]

By the time you pay for a good smith to work your barrel over, you've not far short of the cost of a new barrel with rib and tubes. You'd also still have a nice tight full choke barrel in original condition that shoots really well for you.

The two LC barrels I bought recently to replace old barrels are entirely satisfactory. I've something like 10 Remchokes for them from no choke to too much. The 30" one is great for trap, SC and geese, the shorter oughta be terrific for quail and some clays presentations.

In your shoes, I'd get a new barrel, like the 30 LC, and shoot the heck out of both games....

 

[theCZ]

As always Dave, your advice seems pretty good to me. I've only got one more month of college until I graduate, and now I have another gun-related thing to invest in.

 

[sm]

Agree with All of the Above.

I'm glad to see another member mention Gun Fit - and the importance thereof.

I rarely shot trap, I can though. When I would attend such places that had both skeet and trap , many times I used a Circa 1974 Winchester Super X Model 1 Target grade with 2 bbls. These were fixed choked bbls, Skeet and Trap.

My buddy used a Target Grade 1100 2 bbl set.

Then again many a time I used "that old thang" - Field Grade '74 SX1 with the Nu-Line external chokes , was a 28 " fixed mod bbl.

Really gets the knickers to fall when you run 'em with "that old thang". I'd left the mud on the gun from hunting - on purpose.

My buddy - well he ran 50/50 from the twentysomething line with a Beretta 303 in 20 ga

Well - that day paid for a steak dinner.

Gun fit to shooter, ammo that works in YOUR gun for the task, and Trigger time. Basic Rules for Shotgunning for any Discipline.

Another Basic Shotgunning Rule : Missed stuff don't fell.

 

[Kingcreek]

nobody mentioned a coach?
15 minutes with the right person watching over your shoulder can correct alot of shooting faults. start there and then go to the hardware mods.
I've been fortunate to know a fella that sees more form problems from the corner of his eye than most of us see when we're looking for it.

 

[redneck2]

Kinda along the same line..

I was shooting solo at the sporting clays range. Got pared up with 3 other guys. One was pretty hard core...had a Citori with a recoil reducer. We'd shot maybe 5 stations and I was asking about it. He generously offered to let me try it. He was almost exactly the same height and build as me...

WOW..cleaned 10 straight on a tough station. Didn't break the birds, I dusted them...total smoke. Went to the next station...10 straight again.

Now I've got a Weatherby O/U that has a hydraulic recoil reducer. One of great benefits is that the pad can be moved up/down/sideways. You can't believe how much better you'll shoot once you get it to fit right.

Don't want to get into a big discussion, but skeet's pretty easy once you get the right fit. Bird is always at the same speed, same angle. Trap is more difficult (angle change) but if you really want to get tuned up for bird season, go to the SC range. Dude, if you can run 90 on the SC range, there isn't a bird alive that has a chance.

 

[Darkside]

Forgot to mention/ask. Are you using a stock that has the monte carlo hump? If you are that will make a lot of differance on the skeet feild.

Kingcreek is right, a short lesson with a good coach will help A LOT. I used to go to great pains to shoot with a local instructor. He was a really nice fellow and let me tag along with him. He would politely point out little flaws in my form that I did not notice when shooting. Another thing, I liked to shoot with people that were better me. Sometimes just watching them helped me with my timing.


A little Off topic.

Don't want to get into a big discussion, but skeet's pretty easy once you get the right fit. Bird is always at the same speed, same angle. Trap is more difficult (angle change) but if you really want to get tuned up for bird season, go to the SC range. Dude, if you can run 90 on the SC range, there isn't a bird alive that has a chance.

I personaly got bored and burned-out with Trap and Skeet in collage. Fast forward 20 years. A friend of mine told me about this "new game" called Sporting Clays. Next thing you know I am shooting 2-3 times a week, driving all over creation and practicaly living at the clays clubhouse. That was several years ago. I (my wife and kids) finally got a handle on my addiction. Now I am limited to every couple of months. I use it mostly as a warm-up several months before bird season.


Darkside