What opinions on traps

[hillbilly]

Here's the deal.

I am not a shotgun guy, but it looks like I'm about to become one.

My wife tried shooting clay birds last weekend with a borrowed 20 gauge auto and loved it.

This morning, I have just been given a wad of cash with orders to go get her a Remington LT-20 with a synthetic stock......she tried one on for fit earlier this week, and now it's go time.........

We own 30 rural acres and have plenty of room for clay bird slinging.

I would like some opinions on traps.

I'm completely ingnorant, but know I want the following in a trap.

1) Easily mobile.....attached to a frame with wheels would be good. But movable by just one person with ease is important.

2) Versatile....one with lots of settings that can throw regular trap, high angle birds, even fling rabbits along the ground. Also, one that can throw doubles and handle different sizes of clay birds........

3) Not too expensive. Under $200 would be great. But then, I am a complete newbie to this, and have no idea what the price range for such things is.

4) And this is one of the most important features....EASY TO COCK. At the gun club last weekend, the only negative part of the experience was my wife trying to cock the ancient, creaky trap they had out there when it was my turn to shoot a few. (And no, I worked the trap about three times as often as I got to shoot, but that's fine with me)

I've seen models that you can cock by just completing the circle of rotation started when the arm flings the target. I don't know what that feature is called, but it looked like a winner for me.

I am begining my search at the Cabela's web site.

But I am looking for any suggestions or nuggets of wisdom here.

Thanks,

hillbilly

 

[TrapperReady]

Sportrap makes some good stuff. I don't know how hard it is to swap out the different arms, but it can be setup (with add-ons) to do almost any presentation you can think of.

Just looking through the Cablea's site, this

Do-All Trap looks pretty interesting, although outside your stated budget as well.

If you just want to mess around and throw some clays, a hand thrower can work OK. It's very portable, very inexpensive and can be used to throw (sometimes inadvertently) a whole range of target presentations.

Trius makes a range of inexpensive traps ($100 or less for most), and their 1-Step trap looks interesting. You load the trap with no spring tension, and then step on it to both set the spring and launch the target. Unfortunately, I have no experience with this model, although I have used a couple other Trius models in the past.

 

[Flatfender]

A Do-All 3/4 cock single trap is a great starter thrower. $170
http://www.doalloutdoors.net/Mercha...Code=DAO&Product_Code=ST234&Category_Code=TT1

Do-All 3/4 cock double cock thrower $290 - I know, more than you want to spend, but worth the extra $90 bucks.
http://www.doalloutdoors.net/Mercha...Code=DAO&Product_Code=DT534&Category_Code=TT1

Go over to Shotgunworld and ask or look around in the Trap/Skeet Forum for ideas. Good bunch of folks over there. (I'm one of 'em)
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/index.php

 

[9mmMike]

Trius makes a range of inexpensive traps ($100 or less for most), and their 1-Step trap looks interesting. You load the trap with no spring tension, and then step on it to both set the spring and launch the target. Unfortunately, I have no experience with this model, although I have used a couple other Trius models in the past.

The 1-Step is what we use and it is, IMHO, the best low-cost thrower out there. Every single time we go to the free range to shoot, we see at least one guy trying to setup a thrower on a tire or board or big rock. We put the 1-step down and start throwing & shooting. On many occasions we are in and out before others get their contraptions nailed to the ground.

It is very easy to load and cock and is virtually no work to operate. We often use it in combination with a hand-thrower to get some fun angles and options.

I do not think that this is what you are looking for though. It does throw doubles but not very fast and it is slow to readjust for angles.

They go on sale in places like Sportsman Guide for nearer to 70 than 100 bucks on a regular basis if you are interested in getting one.

Mike

edited to add. Mrs. 9mmMike shoots an 1100 Special Field in 20 ga. which is essentially the same as an LT-20. She is thrilled with that 1100.

 

[Smoke]

Go to Walmart and buy one of the red plastic hand throwers.

They work better than any trap machine. With a little practice you can make a clay target do just about anything.

I only use mechanical traps when I'm shooting by myself. I have an old Outers trap set on a semi permanent concrete base, thats rigged up to trip with my foot.

YMMV

Smoke

 

[sm]

What Smoke Said-

Though I have used most everything from Outers , Trius to Winchester set up on farm/ field ...

The woman sometimes did/ didn't want to toss the hand throwers. If with other ladies more prone to, I always reminded them the upper body stamina was going to improve by "throwing"...there was that comment about "swinging" a baseball bat once in a teasing manner ...I think the gals were teasing...

Outers was the most often seen locally and easy to get. Saved any shipping cost. Similar to Smoke's set up, we found using a Plant carrier or making something similar [ think wheels to pull to location, and then lock wheels] made life easy.

Congrats on the wife taking interest, I'm sorry for your wallet though.

A coupla of things- Brister's Book and Misseldine's would be of great benefit to her. Misseldine not only shows how to hit various stages - he then goes on to explalin why you miss.

Ladies being built different than men sometimes require gun- fit tweaked to them different to men. One BIG reason I always preferred a lady to have a wood stock on a shotgun. LOP makes a difference, wood allows even that 1/2" to be removed that can make a world of difference.

Decelarator Recoil pads are great! Even so used to contour the heel and toe of wood itself and then contour even more the Pachmayer pad at toe and heel. The Decelarator itself I contoured even more , the inside edge toward body, have recoil pinch a breast is not pleasant.

I know she knows from rifles , I'll mention for the benefit of others - bra selection. Wider straps are more comfortable, that is a given, getting the shotgun in the same pocket is sometimes difficult at first because the strap moves and gets in the way...so the bottstock gets moved to compensate and the shot is missed, recoil is more - causing frustration. The Sports type bras that have wide padded straps alleviate this.

If I ever get up that way, about 2.5 hrs I'm guessing ( depends on orange bbls) be honored to meet you. Been meaning to ask if you do the Non-Res FL classes or renewals anyway.

Regards,

Steve

 

[TrapperReady]

Talk about serendipity! This afternoon, my wife and I were shooting some 5-stand (in low single-digit temps -- getting ready for winter trap league). As luck would have it, the owners of the clays course were getting rid of some old equipment. I picked up a single-arm/double-stack thrower attached to a very sturdy welded steel base. It's got a built-in seat and is rock solid... plus fits easily in the back of my truck. It's heavily used, but still fully functional and the only problem with the thrower I can fix with a tiny bit of JB Weld. The total cost was $55.

Updated with picture...

Here's the trap I bought. The thrower is an Outers, and the base is built like a tank.

 

[TrapperReady]

BTT - for addition of picture

 

[hillbilly]

Thanks for the feedback.

The Remington is supposed to be in to the dealer maybe tomorrow, but most likely Thursday.

My research has some great starting places thanks to the replies to this thread.

hillbilly

 

[ARGarrison]

I'll recommend the Do-All 3/4 cock trap. Our 4-H club has two. It's very easy to cock to firing postion because the energy from the prevous lauch bring the arm around. All the opperator has to do is bring the arm down and place a target on it. It has a oneway lock that prevents the arm from flipping back and forth after launch, that also reduces the wiggle of the thrower.

The Do-all can launch most any angle an turn on it side to through rabbit clays. It has four legs, that while doesn't have wheels, I guess you could add them. The model we have did come with a trailer hitch mount, that lets you mount right in your square hitch of a truck.

The big draw back with our Do-alls it they are slow to adjust having to use a wrench.

 

[SASS#23149]

A do-alll 3/4 cock is THE way to go,IMHO.Spend all you can afford,tha way you're not buying another one in a few months while the first one gathers dust in the back rooom.Trust me on this,One with a doub'e head is great since she's shooting an outo.More challenge as she learns.
I can NOT get the red plastic throwers to work in even cool weather. If anybody has the secret,I'm listening.
I have the Trius onestrep,and if you don't have a partner to shoot with it's great,but not much range and doubles suck out of it.
Just remembered,a company called Lincoln builds even better traps,but not sure if it's in your price range.They are nice heavy duty units.
great that she is shooting with ya!!!!!!!!

 

[9mmMike]

I have the Trius onestrep,and if you don't have a partner to shoot with it's great,but not much range and doubles suck out of it.

I like it because my sweetie can operate it without having to overcome some monster spring. Doubles are certainly not whizzing at amazing speed but they are at a real nice speed for shooting with a single-shot! Adapt!
We usually use the Trius in conjunction with a hand thrower to get three clays up quickly but I think the red hand-throwers are more work than shooting.

Mike