Beginner trap shooter

[ysr_racer]

1. Take a series of lessons over time from a local instructor that can monitor your progress
2. Learn and practice a good gun mount
3. Learn and practice a good stance and setup in the shooting cage
4. Learn and practice good hold points
5. Have your instructor check your gun fit, and modify if needed
6. Take a lesson, then practice what you learned
7. Disregard everything you read on the internet

[cannon]

Go with a Remington 1100 to start with.

Less recoil and parts are cheap. When you get to the point where the gun is holding you back. You'll have learned enough from your trap buddies to make a good decision.

Good luck and have fun.

[bigbearbear]

At <=$1k skip O/U's...or stick to a used field grade O/U. Lightly used field grade Browning Citori can be had for $1K.

BTW JD meant "field grade target shotgun", not field hunting shotgun. If you accidentally buy a field hunting O/U shotgun, it will most likely come with automatic safety feature which will drive you nuts.

Thankfully, they don't do automatic safeties on automatic shotguns, which is kind of an irony.

[Thefeeder]

BTW JD meant "field grade target shotgun", not field hunting shotgun. If you accidentally buy a field hunting O/U shotgun, it will most likely come with automatic safety feature which will drive you nuts.

Thankfully, they don't do automatic safeties on automatic shotguns, which is kind of an irony.

Browning Citori and the Superposed, Weatherby field do not ....Beretta field safeties are easily mod'ed to not go auto into safe mode.

Can't say for other brands

[sc870]

Do you guys shoot 12g, 20g, .410?

[ceh383]

Do you guys shoot 12g, 20g, .410?

Yes, 12, 20, 28 & 410

[John Joseph]

If you can shoot trap with a .410, that's pretty fancy shooting. Most trap is shot with a 12 or 20. That said, if you're "on" your "on" no matter the gauge(or bore) but a 12 will put more shot in the air, so denser patterns. 16 or 20 is good too as most new trap shooters start with 1 oz loads---less recoil and fatigue than the 1-1/8 oz loads.

[JagerDog]

BTW JD meant "field grade target shotgun", not field hunting shotgun. If you accidentally buy a field hunting O/U shotgun, it will most likely come with automatic safety feature which will drive you nuts.

Thankfully, they don't do automatic safeties on automatic shotguns, which is kind of an irony.

Field guns are hunting guns (at least in my vernacular).

But shotgun games are based on field situations. You can specialize a gun to a specific game, but the difference will be minor to either a beginner or a pro. In competition, everyone seeks that little extra.

[justwanaride]

Santa Clara meet up.

I've been wanting to get into trap shooting. And I'm curious if someone could guide me to good beginner shotgun. Looking at the mossberg 930 combo or all purpose field. Any thoughts?

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1243158

There is a group of us heading up to Sunnyvale Rod & Gun club on Tuesday 9/20. Check out this link

[AAShooter]

Do you guys shoot 12g, 20g, .410?

If you are purchasing shells, the 12 and 20 gauge are going to be the most cost effective.

[shovelon]

If you are purchasing shells, the 12 and 20 gauge are going to be the most cost effective.

That is one reason I am sticking to 12 ga. for the time being. I am finding 12 ga. cheap and deep right now.

[morthrane]

As for dedicated trap gun, one of the cheaper entries is a Browning BPS Trap, but an 870 Express will get you into the 20's and even some 25's.

That was my experience. Didn't know much of anything about shotgun sports, but after spending time just watching the trap shooters at SVRG, I bought a used 28" ribbed barrel for my 870 HD express. When I get there, I drop out the 18.5" barrel, throw the 28" on, and seem to do ok. My first try was in spectacularly bad conditions: end of day sunlight issues, heavy crosswinds, rising thermals from the canyon under SVRG's trap houses... so bad, you could see the clays ducking and weaving and juking. Still managed to shoot a 19/25.

I never did improve much after that. I think out of 25 rounds of trap, my best was a 23/25 and my worst a 17/25, and averaging right around 19/25. Could be the gun is holding me back, but it might just be a user error... as most of the time when I miss I can tell I did something wrong, like not shoulder the shotgun right, poor cheekweld/fit, failed to followthru, or just failed to breathe properly.

While I have no idea if this is "good" or "bad", it is certainly doable, and I saw many people shooting trap that were doing much worse with shotguns that cost more than my most expensive centerfire rifle. I suspect that the gun cases for those shotguns cost more than my whole two barrel 870 setup...

[XVIga_Rob]

Nothing wrong with a good 870. Love my Wingmaster! I have a good pad on it and it smashes clay's (when I do my part). I shot informal trap with it every couple weeks, for a couple years.

Just my $.02. If you want a good semi, without spending too much. Take a good look at the A300, or find a really nice, gently used 1100. If you go with a used gun (like a Wingmaster or 1100), just make sure it has screw in chokes.

[John Joseph]

If you're shooting WallyWorldWonder ammo, their Winchester brand seems to have more issues than the Federals.

[thutchinson0960]

I just listed a Browning BPS trap gun. It's good to start right and go with a dedicated trap gun. This was my first trap gun. For the money, you really can't go wrong.