George P
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- Jan 10, 2018
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Once I figured out gun fit, I found I didn't really need a bead at all.
We have a WINNER!
Once I figured out gun fit, I found I didn't really need a bead at all.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard that.
"You shouldn't see the sights, only the target" and other stuff like that.
The appropriate tool is the one that works. Vic Reinders won the Grand many, many years with a Remington Model 31 pump, as did Rudy Etchen and Daro Handy with Remingtin 870's. I've shot many a 25 with a Model 870 myself.
Pumps were more popular from the 40's to the 80's, first the Win. Model 12, Rem. Model 31, and the Rem. 870. Most people shooting trap with a pump today do so because it's their only shotgun, or for nostalgia. You do have to get very fast with a pump to score good on doubles. I was Ok with my 870, but I'd prefer my 1100 Competition for doubles these days. (My singles and handicap gun is a Ljutic single barrel trap gun.)
Your money would be far better spent on a good pump than that Legacy. Your 500 will work, like George P says, if it fits you. The fixed Modified barrel will be fine for 16 yard singles. 12 ga. is the only gauge to shoot for Trap, unless you are shooting a sub-gauge event.
If you have a bead, that is enough. You don't aim a shotgun, like you do a rifle. I do recommend on investing in one of these;
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018129779
and experimenting with it at the patterning board to find a good fit that gives you a Point Of Impact higher than the 50/50 POI your 500 probably gives now.
At the point you are now, just get out and shoot; watch the best shooters at your club, and approach them for advice. They will probably advise you to get an O/U or SBT (Single Barrel Trap gun; BT-99, etc.) , but if you explain you're just starting out, they might let you try their guns. If they do, offer them a box of shell and a cold beverage of their choice for their generosity. You may find a gun that you just can't miss with; that's how I fell in love with Ljutic MonoGuns many years ago.
Oh, and watch this:
It's old but it's full of good advice. Just like the info in the pamphlet that George P. linked, I have the high schoolers I coach watch that video. You'll notice them shooting Rem. 8780's and 1100's in it. Those guns dominated the Trap fields in the 60's and 70's.