Can I shoot skeet with an 18.5 inch barrel?

[Cnynrat]

There is a version of the Remington 870 that has an 18.5" barrel that accepts Rem chokes - I think they call it the 870 Tactical. That would give you a little more flexibility for shooting clays.

Also, like the Mossberg, it's very easy to change the barrel on on 870, so you could get a longer barrel to use for trap/skeet shooting.

[Skidmark]

Pacific Rod and Gun Club at Lake Merced limits barrels to no shorter than 20 inches, and no extended magazines.

http://www.prgc.net/index.php/safety/rules.html

[resident-shooter]

u can shoot, but u can't hit

[Shoot-it]

Pattern it at 30 yards and see how tight it is.

[G60]

You can do it, but once you see how easy it is to hit clays with a longer barrel you'll wish you had a longer barrel.

[shellyzsweet]

I got a Mossberg 500 Mariner, I added a Knoxx stock with recoil reducer so I could shoot 00 magnum load and slugs, it comes with a pistol grip. It changed my sight picture and I still haven't gotten used to it yet, thinking of added ghost rings to fix it, cause I like the stock....ne ways....my ex bought a 28 inch barrel for it to use for skeet and trap....We were gonna powder coat it to match....but thinking of it now....you won't see me shooting trap or skeet with it....its a tactical shotgun....nothing wrong with it. The 28 inch barrel does just fine on it, but with the stock and PG....seems too tacticool for skeet and trap. Ill just borrow a shotgun/go with friends and one day buy a nice U/O for skeet and trap.....haven't decided what to do with the barrel....might still get powder coated...dunno yet....but NO ITS NOT FOR SALE.

[ysr_racer]

I was shooting clays at a local range yesterday and I didn't really do so well. It was my first time and I noticed that I was hitting them okay as long as they were close up. Once they gained some distance I couldn't hit them even though I knew I was dead-on. I am wondering if using a larger shot size than #8 would help hit them out farther.. like 7 or 6 shot.

No, shot size has nothing to do with your ability to break a clay target.

I've never been to range that let you shoot anything bigger then 7.5, so 7 or 6 is not an option.

Of course, I've only been to 40 or 50 different ranges

Once they gained some distance I couldn't hit them even though I knew I was dead-on.

If you were dead-on, you were behind them. You need to shoot where they're going to be, not where they are now. Kind of like a quarterback, he throws the ball where the receiver in going to be.

[ysr_racer]

What would their reasoning be?

Safety? Keep the goof ball gangster wannabe's out?

I'm just guessing.

The golf course that I play at won't let you play in jeans.

[lockpicker70]

You can shoot clays with an 18.5" bbl'd gun . It might take some practice to hit them when they get out there , 30-50 yrds , but you can do it . Buy a thrower and do it in the desert if thats what you like .

I go to Angeles Range and people use the shorter bbls on the throwers all the time . Their hit ratio varies . You can use your 18.5" there but no slugs nor buckshot when you use their machines . their range , their rule .

But as far as Skeet & Trap ranges (clubs ) most will not let you take it on the field . Its their property and it's their rule . Just like most of / ALL ranges do not allow rapid fire . Just double taps . Just as they will not want you to shoot buckshot or slugs when throwing clays .

[pyromensch]

Get the mossberg big 5 combo, it has both 18in and 28in barrels that way you can shoot clays at the range then go home and change barrels and add a pistol grip for HD.

I personally don't like a pg for hd but who cares what others say, you need to be comfortable with what you shoot.

not to mention, comfortable WHEN you shoot it!

[pyromensch]

since skeet is shot at with targets going across, your line of sight, either rit=ght to left, or left to right, you might get away with hitting them with an 18" barrel. trap is shot as targets go away from you, and a tighter pattern is needed, thereby a longer barrel.

i know you have already thanked us for the info twice, but i just got here

[johnrunner89]

I use the 18" barrel on my 870 for clay shooting all the time and I do fine so don't worry about the length, just practice. But like others have said, the Big 5 combo is a good option!

[bambam8d1]

I shoot skeet out in the desert with my 18.5in barrel. does fine. i hang right there if not better than my buddy with a 28in barrel

[BigDogatPlay]

Safety? Keep the goof ball gangster wannabe's out?

I'm just guessing.

The golf course that I play at won't let you play in jeans.

Safety is what the club I go to says. Their rule is nothing under 21 inches. Members told me (could be FUD but could be legit) that they've had issues with short barrels and shooters alongside taking a bunch of blast from guys with short barrels. Keeping out wannabe bangers and such probably does have something to do with it in some places.

[ysr_racer]

I shoot skeet out in the desert with my 18.5in barrel. does fine. i hang right there if not better than my buddy with a 28in barrel

Skeet is a game played on a specific field. You are shooting clay targets, or "clays".

Barrel length has less to do with breaking a target, than skill and choke.