Wingshooting practice

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Random 8

Random 8

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What do folks here use to get some good wingshooting practice pre-season? With the 'rona, any organized sporting clays are kind of weird locally. Pre-registration required, and that doesn't jive with my work schedule as I sometimes get random emergency calls that must be taken. Trap and skeet are easier options, but I find them marginal at best for practicing bird shooting. My favorite method was clays thrown with the cheap plastic hand thowers. Good target speeds and infinite shot angles. Especially useful for simulating decoyed and hard crossing duck shots, but they require a partner with a strong arm and a practiced techinque to get the throws right. I don't have this.

Anybody know of a remote activated static clay thrower that won't break the bank and gets a good target speed? The usual box store suspects just don't wing 'em fast enough.
 
We use a push button remote controlled Black Maxx clay target thrower, and we can easily launch clay birds from 100 yards away. Throwing distance is dictated by height, angle and wind speed.

Windy days are most fun, because we can easily launch targets to 100 yards or further, and with guys lined up on a fence row like dove hunting, 5 people can easily shoot 15 times and not hit nary a bird.

We start shooting tomorrow, in anticipation of dove and teal season.
 
before we take our sporting clays throwers down between shoots several of use do the course shooting from a static carry like you would in the field, its a rear eye opener.
 
Pass shooting English sparrows when they leave the Purple Martin houses.
20 ga. and #9 shot works wonders for eliminating a nasty pest and keeping you in shape. :)
 
Random 8 said:
What do folks here use to get some good wingshooting practice pre-season? With the 'rona, any organized sporting clays are kind of weird locally. Pre-registration required, and that doesn't jive with my work schedule as I sometimes get random emergency calls that must be taken. Trap and skeet are easier options, but I find them marginal at best for practicing bird shooting. My favorite method was clays thrown with the cheap plastic hand thowers. Good target speeds and infinite shot angles. Especially useful for simulating decoyed and hard crossing duck shots, but they require a partner with a strong arm and a practiced techinque to get the throws right. I don't have this.

Anybody know of a remote activated static clay thrower that won't break the bank and gets a good target speed? The usual box store suspects just don't wing 'em fast enough.
Click to expand...


Find an old Winchester Western SIngles/ Doubles thrower (The infamous X model) or wobble (XS) at an auction house or tucked away at a range. They used to give them away, now they cost some money. This place has parts, or whole rebuilt machines:

http://store.westernretro.net/

You would need someone to load it; no stacker.

The Skeet (V model) has a stacker, but throws the same path every time.
 
Our local sporting clays course has the time delay system. I can go and shoot the course by myself. Can shoot gun down at targets that are thrown on a couple of second delay. Since they use a counter system I can shoot as many or as few as I want at each station. So I find a station that resembles hunting a little (many do not) and work it over. Best to go on a week day when they are not real busy. If you could find a course like this it would be good.
 
Dove season opens in a week here----they are fast and agile----I've seen them actually pull up and avoid shot strings. If you hit them, they will go down ---if you miss, you will miss completely----they are the best practice out there----if you get good at doves ---you can hit anything.

You can go anytime you want---morning or evening----game loads are cheap. Plus you might bring home a few birds---probably not.:evil:
 
Skeet's origin was from grouse shooters as a way to practice for bird hunting. It is still the easiest way to get consistent practice on quartering and crossing shots
 
ColtPythonElite said:
I know 3 people with Champion Wheelbirds. They work very well for a personal use machine.
Click to expand...
This is what we have. Works well enough for a $250 thrower. We also have a Do-All Outdoors - Clayhawk thrower. It's a manual cocking thrower, but really throws the clay pigeons out there.
 
Purchased one of these Champion WheelyBird 2.0's recently and we are extremely happy with it. It has so far run over 1500 clays with no problems except some bolts coming loose which we didn't tighten enough during assembly. Would purchase another without hesitation.
 
You can practice with a 12ga and a mini Mag light, down the barrel, in the house. Mount the gun, come up and follow the room wall corner joint and ceiling joint. it adds strength and speed to your swing.
I did buy a Wheely Bird and am very happy with it, it can sling birds pretty good. I use the Clays Cart to power it on my range.
 
Armorer 101 said:
You can practice with a 12ga and a mini Mag light, down the barrel, in the house. Mount the gun, come up and follow the room wall corner joint and ceiling joint. it adds strength and speed to your swing.
I did buy a Wheely Bird and am very happy with it, it can sling birds pretty good. I use the Clays Cart to power it on my range.
Click to expand...
I have a brass 12 gauge shell that is a laser, even easier than a mini mag light
 
Omaha-BeenGlockin said:
Dove season opens in a week here----they are fast and agile----I've seen them actually pull up and avoid shot strings. If you hit them, they will go down ---if you miss, you will miss completely----they are the best practice out there----if you get good at doves ---you can hit anything.

You can go anytime you want---morning or evening----game loads are cheap. Plus you might bring home a few birds---probably not.:evil:
Click to expand...

Went on my first dove hunt earlier this week and they are TOUGH! Went on my first teal hunt today and came home with but one teal and a dove. Can only go up from here.

And I thought I wqs good with a shotgun. Boy do I have some learnin' to do. Sure is a hell of a lot different than clay games.
 
I don't practice.
Just hit the dove field twice a yr.
Heading out today.

Practice.............just ingrains bad habits LOL.
I normally run 50% w no cherry picking.
Not great, but not bad, usually limit out and for the area we go to............usually in the top guns.

Might just mean everybody else needs practice ;)

Half my doves shot seated... out on edge of chair, angled.
Lesser chairs/stools are cripplers. Foot position, even when seated, is critical. Position so the shot is midpoint of the swing (so can follow through).
Also do not pre mount my gun (bud does). I keep it all low until they come in and then mount/swing and shoot.

Dunno if that's the right way or what. It helps me though.
Am aware of the bead but I don't really look at it.

Remington field stuff seems to fit me very good, so that's what I run. Med build, about 6 ft tall.

Never shot skeet, did shoot trap. IMHO trap is worthless for dove hunting, but is kinda fun.
Buds are into skeet, but only one dove hunts.
We work diff shifts so I haven't gone to the skeet range.
Locally trap is evenings, skeet mornings.
One bud is into Brownings and the other two have gone Berretta.
Mid to high end stuff.

Proly razz me good about an 870 Express LOL
 
I pounded one tonight---feathers flying/dropped like a rock----while I was in the tall grass looking for it, 10 more flew over the sunflower patch---got off a couple shots but didn't even come close and they weren't even all that far off. Dang it:(--maybe I'll just go fishing tomorrow.
 
Random 8 said:
What do folks here use to get some good wingshooting practice pre-season? With the 'rona, any organized sporting clays are kind of weird locally. Pre-registration required, and that doesn't jive with my work schedule as I sometimes get random emergency calls that must be taken. Trap and skeet are easier options, but I find them marginal at best for practicing bird shooting. My favorite method was clays thrown with the cheap plastic hand thowers. Good target speeds and infinite shot angles. Especially useful for simulating decoyed and hard crossing duck shots, but they require a partner with a strong arm and a practiced techinque to get the throws right. I don't have this.

Anybody know of a remote activated static clay thrower that won't break the bank and gets a good target speed? The usual box store suspects just don't wing 'em fast enough.
Click to expand...

I use dove season as my practice for duck hunting.
 
Dove season.............says fall is comin'.
Less than 300 killed first 2 days on the reserve hunts (F&W area we go).
Was nearby so stopped, sat 3.5 hrs and saw 20 birds. 4 offered shots.
I flubbed #1 but hammered #2.
Tried a go pro on my shotgun and while messing with that had 2 screamers come in, blanked.
Coulda stayed another hr or two to get my avg back to 50%.
Gopro came off the gun.
But I didn't care.
Consider it my last dove hunt.
Just can't get into the heat/bugs and change. It used to be dandy up there, even a week after opening.
Cool weather pushed em away, but its still different.

Oh well.

I haven't even fletched arrows for bow season yet.
Just aint feelin it.
 
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