Clay Shooting For First Time - Shotgun Modifications?

[CGT80]

raahauges has two practice stations for sporting clays which are easy to shoot, but it costs 50 cents per bird. My brother and I tried a few of the sporting clays stations but didn't hit squat. That was before I took any classes. I would not recommend Raahauges for beginners. I compete in Steel Madness (shooting steel with pistols) at that range all of the time, but that's another story. You might be able to throw your own clays in a private pistol berm at raahauges (you would have to call and ask), but it is still $30 per person for two hours, maybe longer if they aren't busy. Weekends are very busy at that range, and shooting clays in a private berm would cut down on their profit from the clay range and could also be a hazzard, so I wouldn't count on it. If you do go to Raahauges, Hawk is the RO on the weekend (for rifle and pistol berms) and is a great guy to deal with. He is an older white guy with a long gray goatee or beard. I usually shoot the breeze with him while I am out there.

Bjl333 is right about the sights. Stay simple. I have a fancy fiber optic front sight on my Benelli Super Sport, it came that way from the factory. I usually don't even notice the front sight when I shoot. I just look down the rib of the barrel and focus on the target. I did shoot a shotgun fun shoot with a guy that used a tactical style shotgun with a red dot. He was one of the best shooters out there. I went neck to neck with him for a bit, but then he beat me. However, I am guessing he is the exception for clay shooting. I think a simple bead would be easier to learn with. After all, often times you don't aim at the bird, but ahead of it. If you use a red dot, you will be aiming the dot at blue sky.