Starter trap shotgun

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Gmack

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Hey folks! I shot my first rounds of trap shootin tonight...had a "blast" bud dum bump(I'll b here all week XD) with my Mossberg 500 28" fixed modified choke shotgun. I shot 3 rounds and the highlight was my 2nd round where I scored 20/25....I thought that wasn't too shabby for my first day. I was the only guy at the range with a pump shotgun though.

I want to get into this sport big time, i would like to make a habit of shooting trap once a week at least. I was hoping to get some suggestions for a starter trap shooting shotgun...what I gathered from the trap range was browning was the way to go but I'm not sure, I did OK with my Mossy 500 pump with the fixed Mod choke, but I want to start shooting Dbl's and also skeet.

Any suggestions of starter trap/skeet shotguns woul be welcome!
Thanks gang!
 
I think a semi automatic(Remington 1100-1187,Beretta,Browning,etc.) would fit the bill. You could use it on 16's,handicap,and doubles. Get a cheap shell catcher to save the empties.

Good luck!
 
get yourself an 1100 trap with a stock that fits you. An 1100 will take you all the way to the top of the game. Singles, doubles, and handicap. Low recoil.

Years ago they sold trapguns at the Indiana Gun Club in Indy. You could get a used one there.

Just be sure to get a trap gun that fits you. Don't just order one at Gander Mtn.
 
IF you go the O/U route, look for 30" barrels or longer - depending on how they swing for you, 30 or 32 will help keep you moving with the target. You'll want choke tubes so you can use skeet chokes for skeet and mod or tighter for trap.

Trap and skeet are two very different games, (as is sporting clays from those two). many folks use a dedicated trap single shot for singles and then either have a second set of barrels or another gun. If you go that route, look at the browning BT-99 for singles - well made, not in the same price range as the Kreighoff and seems to fit a lot of folks very well.

Have fun!
 
Take a look for a used older remington 1100, many of these were hardly fired and have now been traded because the owner needed a 3.5" gun to shoot the newest ubber shells.
2 3/4" shells will do the job for trap and skeet. Preferable to find one with a remchoke barrel so you can change the pattern for skeet. I have an old 1970's 1100 I bought for under $300 a couple years ago ( in brand new condition) that had a fixed choke modified barrel, and its just great for trap (I don't shoot skeet which it helps to have a more open choke).

If you have $1500-2500 to spend look at a hinge Browning or Beretta or the latest Beretta auto and get it fitted to you. The BT99 is a great gun for about $1200 but its a single barrel and will be impossible to shoot doubles with. Of course if you have $7000-10,000 you could go with the Kreighoff :rolleyes:

An new 1187 sportsman will also fit the bill for under $600, its what I use to teach new folks and both my son age 13 and daughter age 15 shoot it very well.
 
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Skeet & Trap Gun

I want to start shooting Dbl's and also skeet.

Any suggestions of starter trap/skeet shotguns woul be welcome!
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Browning Citori O/U is the way to go. An adjustable comb with 28" or 30" bbls will do all. Skeet, Trap, Hunters Clays, Hunting. Plus a 12ga can use a Briley tube set to shoot skeet in 20, 28 & 410 gauge. Not a starter gun. Best bang for the buck$ :)
 
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243winxb said:
Not a starter gun.
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No, it's not. But it's also not a trap gun. Most trapshooters are using a MINIMUM of 32 inch barrels, with 34's being far and away the most common.

A standard Citori will also shoot far too flat to be appropriate for use as a trap gun by anyone who cares about their scores.

If an O/U is desired, the Browning XT would be a much better choice than a standard Citori (but it also has a higher price tag).
 
A lot of the local ranges where I live will let you rent a shotgun (many models to choose from for a reasonable price). A local instructor at the range may be able to offer some advice as well. I'd suggest you try renting some of theirs and see which one you really like. More than likely all of them will do the job just fine so it's more likley than not just a matter of personal preference and what you can afford. Clay shooting is a lot of fun and I enjoy it every time I go out no matter how poorly I do.
 
I was the only guy at the range with a pump shotgun though.
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It doesn't matter, though, since you are shooting one shell at a time.
I started (only two years ago) with a used Mossberg pump gun, an old "Country Squire" ( a 500 by another name). After a couple of months, I went to Numrich Arms and bought a 30" ribbed FC barrel (less than $100). Corrected LOP with a pad, raised the comb with a lace-on. I shot that for a year. Then I bought a BT-99.
Pete
 
Of course if you have $7000-10,000 you could go with the Kreighoff

No thanks... I'll take a Kolar. :neener:
 
Thanks for everyones input! I was in the pawnshop today and they had a real nice browning for $1700. I'm pretty sure it was a citori. It felt pretty nice, I'm thinking of going back and making her mine! I like the fact it had the adjustable comb. My mossy 500 beat the heck out of cheek the other night when I shot! $1700 is a pretty penny, but you get what you pay for I suppose.
 
The Trap Citori is the XT. The Skeet Citori is the XS. Both can be had with adjustable combs. The two sports are quite different, so those guns have been set up to work better for the designated sport.

I second the recommendation of the Citori XT. I use one for all three Trap events. (I may yet buy a BT-99 for the two single-target events.)
 
Howdy

Don't run out and buy the first thing you find!

Go back to the club and do some research. Ask to try other guy's guns. See how they feel. Ask to shoot them. See how they swing and how well you can hit with them.

I am a bit unusual, my favorite trap gun is an old Winchester Model 12 with a 30" full choke barrel. It is not a trap model, just a standard field model, but I do pretty well with it.

Decide if you want an O/U or a Semi-Auto. A single barrel is out if you want to shoot doubles. If you want the same shotgun for both Trap and Skeet you are going to have to compromise a bit.

The stock is set up differently on a Trap Model than on a standard field gun. In Trap, you generally want your barrel to be pointing up a slight amount. Not straight ahead. That is because trap targets are rising as they travel away from you. With the barrel pointed up ever so slightly you can keep the muzzle below the target, so you can see it, and the shot will rise up to meet the target. That's why Trap guns are specialized. A trap setup usually does not work real well for Skeet or Sporting clays because many different types of targets are presented.

If you want a Semi-Auto I would recommend the 1100. They are available in many different versions, including dedicated trap models. I just picked one up for $450 with a 30" full choke barrel.

I'll let the other guys tell you which O/U is best, I only own one, an old Weatherby Orion.
 
When thinking about buying your trap gun, remember that how it fits is uber important. You have to get a gun that fits you instead of trying to fit yourself to the gun. Does the gun snag under your arm pit when you raise it to your shoulder, is your hand too close to your nose when mounted, when you mount the gun with closed eyes and then open them, does the mid bead and front sight form a figure 8. These are things I wish I had known when I bought my first trap gun. I have since traded it in for a Browning Citori XT and boy am I glad I did.
 
A few things to keep in mind. Stay away from field guns if you're talking about shooting a lot of trap or skeet or clays. Field guns are generally lighter and the recoil adds up over a long weekend of shooting. IF you go to a normal trap shoot and you may shoot 300 targets a day or even 400.

If you're thinking of trap doubles, stay away from autoloaders. They work just fine - but they they also throw hulls at the shooter next to you - if you ding his kreighoff with a hull he will not be happy. If you distract him from his routine by bouncing shells off of his shoes - he will not be happy.

Trap guns are designed to shoot high. if you pattern the gun at say 30 yds, you'll want something like 70% to as much as 100% of the pattern to be above the point of aim (70/30 90/10 etc) To do this trap guns have higher ribs that are tapered from the breach to the muzzle and correspondingly higher combs to get your eye up to the right elevation. Skeet and clays guns are generally set up to a 50/50 or 60/40 pattern - lower ribs and corresponding combs.

Personally, IMHO, I think if you are going to try to get a do-all gun - I'd look at 30" O/U sporting or skeet gun with adjustable comb and an adjustable butt plate. I'd much rather shoot trap (16 yd anyway) with a skeet gun, than try to shoot skeet with a trap gun. If you really are going to shoot mostly trap and a little skeet/clays - then find a 32" o/u or a 32" o/u with a 34" over or under single bbl combo.

I prefer Beretta over Browning any day - but thats because Beretta o/u'ss fit better and feel better to me. Also - you can buy additional bbls for the Berettas -not cheap - but you can get them. Browning will not sell you an additional bbl. Try a lot of guns - and get one you can mount consistently and that feels right. Spend time at the trap club and talk to folks about their guns and try some out if you can.
 
John3921 said:
if you ding his kreighoff with a hull he will not be happy.
Click to expand...

More like, you'll be paying for repair or replacement, and be advised that a high grade stick of fitted wood might cost upwards of $5,000.
 
Whoa there, maybe you should go back to the range with your Mossberg 500 and shoot a few more rounds to make sure before you drop a couple of large on a high end shotgun. Also look at the advice that states there is quite a selection of alternate barrels out there for your Mossy. Also look at the trading post board, there is a nice old Marlin 90 O/U that you can have for pennies on the dollar of the modern high end Citori.

Lastly, leisurely shooting doubles trap and 5-stand is great fun even with a pump Mossberg field gun. I do it all the time and regularly score 20-25/25! If you want to get competitive, dont forget that it is an very expensive sport.
 
agree with Pete and the others that say stay with the pump. Talk to others at the range, borrow/rent guns to try. you may find your needs a gun are different based on experience. I ended up buyong an O/U and after a few months ended up buying another shotgun more approrpiate for what i wanted.
since you asked you seem more patient than me, i jumped in with a mossberg 500, bought an O/U and then asked for advice.
 
If your budget allows you to buy a few shotguns to see if they work shooting trap, then go for any.
You sound enthralled with the game so do it right. Buy a shotgun with the adjustable cheek piece and the adjustable buttplate. Get the "cast" that is right for you. Straight cast will work. The opposite cast will waste your money.

Look for a "combo". They come with an "unsingle" or a single barrel. You will want the unsingle. Most have an adjustable rib sight. Research patterning the trap gun.

The combo will give the single barrel and the double barrel. The "unsingle" puts the single barrel on bottom and the recoil is different as in good.

Since I have a SKB combo read through this. Hopefully it will convince you to get a dedicated trap gun.

http://www.skbshotguns.com/over-and-under/trap/trap.php

I am not saying SKBs are the best. i got a good buy and pulled the trigger:evil:
 
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