Need trap gun recommendation please....

[TERRYGER]

It does not need to be an Over Under, but it needs to be a Trap gun if that is how you intend to use it. I shot thousands of birds and lost my handicap while shooting a Remington 1100TB trap on the USAF team. They also make 870 trap guns that are fine........But a trap gun sights differently than a field or a skeet gun. It will need to be fitted to you but any gun can have that done. I shoot a Krieghoff these days and not as well as I shot my 1100 (mostly because of aging eyesight) I owned and shot many different trap guns through the years, The BT99 and other single barrel guns had terrible recoil compared to a heavier gun (You are going to shoot hundred of rounds a day if you are serious, small increases in recoil make a lot of difference), the Beretta's shot loose with heavy use, I don't like Japanese guns (Citori) but the Browning Belgian Superposed I owned was very fine. (cost nearly the same as a Citori these days) Winchester M12 pumps have made great classic trap guns. I bought my wife a 11-87 trap that after we have fitter she will love. Good quality trap guns stay clean and shoot well forever, Ithaca Single barrel trap guns are still being used after 80 years, They are really fine. I would not buy a new gun, there are a lot of great used guns around that can be bought at a discount. Trap shooters are generally traditionalists, People will appreciate a fine older gun more than a fancy new one. Good luck and welcome to the sport. Look for a good reloader.

EXCELLENT ADVICE!

all i would add is as you get more experinced you may what to shoot doubles and the bt-99 and other single shots like pumps means you need another gun. and just like any of the pumps you will never make 3 days in a row of 100 rounds. they will beat you to death.

if you like o/u (I don't thought i shot the heck out of a 682 silver pigeon) baretta is hard to beat in that price range. it will beat you too!

if you get with some serious trap shooters you can pick up some really nice used stuff(browning, barretta, etc) as they move up.

like this poster, i shot a rem 1100 Trap for many years and even though i shot more expensive guns i never shot one that was any better other than the $74k kreighoff i shot a round with that was pretty inpressive but get real!

a s-a will always treat you better and they are reliable for millions of rounds with proper care. as this poster says, serious trap shooters don't use field guns and don't worry about "breaking 25"

when i shot it was 5-600 rounds a week and 3-4 rounds of 100 for weekend comp. add doubles comp and it was brutal.

i was a double a shooter.

i would look for a used 1100 trap or maybe and 11-87 though i think the 1100 is superior. they have upgraded wood, monte carlo or english stocks, longer specialized trap barrels, higher ribs, trap chambers and can be had for around $600-800. if they don't look like new skip it and look for another.

[shrap]

You might want to avoid autoloaders like the 1100 for shooting trap, some folks get annoyed when sprayed with empty hulls.

[bubbapug1]

Buy the one that fits...no matter what brand it is. If it doesn't fit you, its worthless. Close your eyes and bring the gun into position...open your eyes...are the two beads in alignment and is your head not lowered to the sotck?? If it fits thats half the battle in trap and skeet.

[Chris M]

I shoot trap with my 870 Express and my Mossberg Silver Reserve (cheap O/U). Both of them break targets consistently enough for me...the 870 more so than the Mossberg...maybe due to sight picture...maybe due to having a longer barrel. I dunno.

A single-shot shotgun will do just fine, since trap is typically played as 'singles', not 'doubles'.

[foxtrotuniformlima]

Any of the Browning or Beretta "trap" models are fine guns.

I have a Browning BT99 for singles and handicap and an Beretta 686 I use for doubles.

[BMC]

To the OP, here's the deal. For most people who start out shooting trap, usually just an occasional thing, the gun they use has very little bearing on how successful they are at breaking targets. Most of the time the missing or lost targets are generally due to the person not being familiar with the discipline as well as not being familiar with how their gun shoots. I know a ton of trapshooters who will tell you they broke their first 25 straight with either an 870 or a model 12. Largely because the guys who have been doing it for decades did so in an era where 870s and Model 12s were the norm in such events. I broke my first 25 straight with an 870 express gun that I hunted with. But it wasn't the gun that broke the 25 straight. It was the guy behind the gun who practiced hard for three months straight before becoming fit with the gun both physically and mentally. There is a HUGE difference between shooting a 23 or 24 and shooting a 25. Anyone who has shot a 25 more than once will tell you the same. As stated by a poster above, trapshooters who are dedicated to the game (more than just a recreational thing they do once in a while for fun) don't shoot for 25s, they shoot for 100s. And only a very small portion of those who do focus on the long haul actually shoot 100 straight. To shoot on that kind of level the gun must fit right, the shooter must develop a consistent shooting form, and most important they must be able to excerise a focused level of confident ability. None of these haven anything to do with the brand or model of gun you shoot as it pertains to the quality of that firearm.

If the goal is to just shoot some trap and have some fun, then most of what I have said is really not that important. In the end its just about going out and shooting some 44mph flying targets and having fun. When I want to have fun I get out my old Winchester Model 37 single shot hammer gun and wail on them from the 27 yard line. The gun weighs about 6 pounds and will kick the snot out of you. It has no rib, just barrel. Its about one of the furthest away from being a decent trap gun as you can get. They sold these at K-mart in the 70s. But I can shoot it very well even from the back fence. But not because of the gun, but because of the guy who shoots upwards of 10,000 registered event targets annually in a good year. Meaning time spent developing a general mental state of mind to shoot trap confidently is what is breaking the targets. Nothing else.

This is what I suggest to someone who wants to shoot trap and do so more than just once every couple of months for kicks. Get an 870 or 1100 and learn how to keep it clean. Shoot the heck out of it. Put it on a patterning board and learn where it patterns. Then shoot some more. If you hit a rut and can't figure out how to get better results, buy a Phil Kiner video (or equivalent), take some lessons, hang out with some good shooters and ask questions. At some point you if your mind is capable of developing the required level of concentration and you have established a good fit on your gun, you will improve, with the same gun you started with. If you continue to shoot and develop the proper technique you will discover inadequacies in your gun and either have it modified to be able to fine tune it, or you will upgrade to a model that will afford you the opportunity to better dail in the gun to fit, swing and shoot.

This is a fact: more targets are lost from the shooter lifting their head off the stock than because of the brand of gun they are shooting.

I still have my original 870 that I started with. I loved shooting my 1100 competition in singles events. But after going through several guns I found for me an XT Trap with some modifications works well for ME. The same gun won't work well for someone else. I've shot 400 straight in singles with that gun and 200 straight in doubles with the same gun. But that same gun won't do that for you or anyone else on this board. I found one that I shoot well. Everyone has to do the same if they want to shoot for perfection.

Again to the OP, the 870 was made to fit most adult males based on Remington's research. And by and large most 870s adequately fit most people who pick them up and shoot them. The same can pretty much be said for an 1100. For the money you can't beat starting out with one and the great thing is you WILL upgrade as you improve your game. And when you do you have a good gun that everyone should have in the safe while you take your more trap dedicated gun out to shoot.

[BigDogatPlay]

You might want to avoid autoloaders like the 1100 for shooting trap, some folks get annoyed when sprayed with empty hulls.

Thats why you put a shell catcher on .....

One example

[Chasgee]

"You can shoot trap with any shotgun ever made. But if you want a dedicated trap gun, it may not be suited to anything else. (go ahead and ask me why. I dare ya' )"

All right Brad, I'll bite, but only because I enjoy taking trap shooter abuse from you!

Why?

Chuck

[BMC]

Thats why you put a shell catcher on .....

One example

Shell catchers only work for single shot events, not for doubles which was what was being described.

And yes, everyone who shoots trap with an ejector gun should look into getting a shell catcher. They just don't work for doubles or any event which requires a second shot.

[Chasgee]

By the way, to the OP, I started with a BT99 that I found used for $600. It is a fantastic gun and I'm able to shoot with the best of them with it. Of course, it is limited to singles and handicap, but that's all I really shoot anyway. I have also used my Mossberg 500 and my 20 guage 870 Wingmaster. They both work fine as well, but my dedicated trap gun just feels better to me. That is important in trap because feeling good translates to good scores. It's all about concentration and confidence.

I wouldn't spend $2500 out of the gate, but I would spend up to $1000 to get a high quality used trap gun. Once you get into it, there will be plenty of opportunity to spend more money. I'm currently looking at used Ljutics....

Chuck

[ysr_racer]

You might want to avoid autoloaders like the 1100 for shooting trap, some folks get annoyed when sprayed with empty hulls.

Go ahead, ask me again why I don't shoot trap

[five.five-six]

Call me biased, but Winchester Model 12

I just got one of those in 20gauge a while back, haven't taken it out yet... but looking forward to it

[GunDog]

Thanks all for the input and advice.

[slopoke]

I don't shoot doubles so my pump 870 is working for the time being and the five stand operator is pulling the second bird one second after hearing the report not on the report. If I start doubles, sporting clays and five stand with second bird on report, I will get either a semi-auto or over under shotgun.

[randy]

Best gun for the money for Trap is the BT99. That's all you can do with it. After you buy your gun whatever you buy have it fit don't expect off the rack to fit you no matter how much you spend.