To Bead or Not To Bead......

[Dave McCracken]

I mentioned (Threatened, maybe?) in another thread that I might take off the bead or beads on a barrel and see what happens. I took two 870s to PGC and had fun on a nice windy day. One was my TB, with the two bead setup beloved among trapshooters on the 30" LC Remchoked barrel. The other was, of course, Frankenstein, with the old 30" trap barrel and the front bead removed and the midbead feltipped black.

What happened? Nothing I could tell. Scores were similar, breaks were similar, fun was similar.

I shot trap premounted, a discipline conducive to aiming. I guess I do not aim.

I do note, BTW, I tend to revert to one eye shooting when premounting. Old habits die really hard.

Questions comments, donations?...

 

[Rupestris]

schweeet.
Anyone ever tried trap with a rifle sight barrel?
Just curious. I have my 870 26" set up and dialed in for turkey season (May 3) but I'm tempted to try a round or two with the FO sights installed.
My other option is to use the 20ga with a 26" IC fixed (which is what I'll more than likely use).

 

[kudu]

Good point Dave, last year I lost the bead on my trap gun and still managed to win some games with it. It was a bit distracting having to slide the vent rib back an inch after every shot. When the bead fell off it sheared the roll pins holding the rib to the barrel.

Beads are only there for referrence points to see how well your gun mount is. if you have to adjust your head to line them up, bad gun fit. You really don't even want to know they are there after you mount the gun. The most distracting thing I have come across is the fiber optic fluorescent front sights that guys are puting on their guns now. I could use one maybe for trap, but anything that requires a good lead and a fast moving gun I don't think I could use one.

Never really had the problem with closing one eye, guess I'm lucky there.

 

[sm]

Beads?
Oh them pesky things that hang up an oily rag when you wipe them down...

I agree with kudu .

Then again I was taught to shoot shotguns without beads or any sights. Shotgun is pointed not aimed , Gun Fit a must, and keep both eyes open to better use the human computer to gauge speed, angle of flight, depth perceptions...

Understand I was taught to shoot rifles and handguns the same way. I also use Brister's teaching method. Remove sights from a BB Gun and have folks hit ping pong balls. Seriously.

More than once I have had a bead come off...didn't affect my scores, in fact I may have shot better w/o that bead to distract my focus. Like kudu, having the pin come loose and the vent rib sliding back and forth...electrical tape works...ran a 100 straight with a SX1. That is when I learned to stake any and all vent ribs.

Hi- vis and rifle sights - really get in my way for flying or running targets. If the gun fits, from low gun, even slugs out to 25 yds stay in a nice group.

Now- a-days I gotta walk closer to the target see the groups...but the group is there...it is an age dealie.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Three responses, and from accumulated experience that adds up to a century or so....

Rupestris, try it and see. Never did it myself.

Kudu, a little duct tape woulda fastened that back down darn fast, heh,heh,heh....

sm,it's all your fault.....

 

[sm]

sm,it's all your fault.....

the word Always is usually used in conjuction with that btw...

Anyone ever tried trap with a rifle sight barrel?

Raises Hand <waving>

Ya know them evil black shotguns with ghost rings and side saddles to take over when the 2 round extension is not enough? AND them Rifle sighted deer bbls with screw in chokes?

Remember the line in Quigley Down Under ? Yeah well yeah just because I have my druthers don't mean I ain't never shot one these things...Not only trap , add skeet, and 5 stand.

I dunno , I was in one of those "moods" . I backed up the statement that one gets to a point where they can break 'em with a stick. Never saw them fellas again...sure had some fun tho....

Maybe me being blindfolded and still hitting a Trap target and low 7 in skeet did them in.

Hey - get in a groove it'll happen. Then again I never turned down an offer from Lady Luck either.

For ME...it was distracting having ghost rings and rifle sights. I am not accustomed to sights such as these for my tasks. I have too much trigger time without them.

 

[HSMITH]

I lost a bead on my skeet gun once. Don't know when or how, one of the other guys pointed it out. Could have been the shot before he pointed it out, could have been weeks earlier. I dropped 6 targets that day on 11 games. I shot that gun for a couple months without a bead and never noticed that it was gone while shooting. I bought another one and put it on, but my scores stayed about the same.

I do like two bead set-ups, I use them for mounting and dry fire practice to make sure my mount is consistent. I also use a fiber pipe 'sight' that has a hollow tube about an inch and a half long that you must look precisely down to see the fiber pipe for the same purpose.

I think beads have a real purpose and usefulness, but I don't use them while shooting if that makes any sense.

 

[Dave McCracken]

I note the responders tend to the experienced end of the spectrum. Beads are not essential.

H, good point about two beads and practice. Good for consistency.

OK, sm, ALWAYS....

 

[TrapperReady]

Again late to the party... I guess I'm spending too much time at the range and not enough online.

When I lopped a couple inches off the barrel of my grouse gun, I didn't bother replacing the bead. Never noticed it when shooting birds.

As far as mid-beads, I prefer them to be small and unobtrusive. My 391 has a nice small mid-bead, with a white bead at the end. I really like that setup. I found the mid-bead on my Browning 425 too distracting, as it was nearly the size of the front bead... so I broke it off flush and haven't missed it since.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Your tardiness is forgiven, TR.

Spending too much time at the range? Nonsense, there is no such thing.

Agreed on small midbeads, and also on.

I do plan on more shooting sans beads, stay tuned....