Rob99VMI04

Depensds on your budget as well as what your going to be shooting.

There are alot of good copies of high end guns that are right for the money. I would check outs MOSSBERGS new O/U those seem to be real nice and right for the money. If wasn't shooting my Browning Citori I would get that.

Charles Daly/ and Miroku guns are identical to brownings but the prices are different.

Semi Autos I like the Berettas and I shoot a borrowed one for when I do Trap.
The 1100 seem to break down after a while and get real finicky.


If your shooting Skeet I prefer a shorter barrel gun and not a pump for a beginner. I shoot a 28 inch citori grade one, chokes Skeet and Skeet in both barrels. I know a couple of skeet shooters who shoot skeet and Imporved Cylinder but in skeet you want to shoot a fairly open choke because the birds are relatively close.

For Medium range games I would shoot a Modified.

For any distance shoot a full.

If your shooting Trap a pump gun is fine for singles; doubles maybe tough. Most trap shooters who start out are running a MOD in their guns. For experienced shooters who want to Turn targets into powder and leave no air molecules behind their shooting full choked guns.

Some problems newer shotgun shooters have in shooting is keeping their head married to the comb of the gun, which causes them to pull there head off the gun causing you to shoot right over the bird. In shotgun YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE TARGET, NOT YOUR FRONT BEAD. Focus on a piece of the target and that bird becomes a flying Trash can lid, or if you see it rotating your in the air thats another good trick to make it easier to hit.

Leads on a skeet field. (Key HH=High House, LH=LH)
Station 1HH let it land on the top part of the bead pull trigger, imagine shooting a dollar bill that the bird is carrying in its legs. KEEP THE GUN MOVING AFTER YOU PULL TRIGGER
Station 1 LH 1 foot lead imagine the thing has a beak and shoot blow it off. KEEP THE GUN MOVING AFTER YOU PULL TRIGGER
Station 2/6 2 foot leads KEEP THE GUN MOVING AFTER YOU PULL TRIGGER
station 3/4/5 4 foot leads some guys say station 5 is a 4.5 foot lead I use a 4 foot and just shot a 97/100 on tuesday on the skeet field. KEEP THE GUN MOVING AFTER YOU PULL TRIGGER

Station 7 reverse station 1
Station 8 swing through target pull trigger when bead covers bird. KEEP THE GUN MOVING AFTER YOU PULL TRIGGER.......thats why its called a swing through.

If you don't know how to deterimine what the leads look like, and you have a trap house on your skeet field. Most trap houses are 8 feet across. If stand at station 4 and point your gun at the middle of trap house the corner to the left or right would be a 4 foot lead. The 2 foot lead you could probably figure out.


Also body postioning comes into play; Problem a lot of new shooters have is they set their bodies up to where the bird is appearing from and not for where their actually going to shoot at it and break this cause contortions and bringing your head off the comb which has already been discussed before. When I teach beginners the skeet game For RH shooters (eye dominance right assumed) I have them point their belly buttons at the low House window when shooting stations 1-6 and 8 low. Station 7 they stand perpandicular to the High house and same thing with 8 High.

Left Handers Stations 2-7 Belly button points directly at High house window, station1 belly button points straight out or perpandicular to the Low house. Station 8 High directly at the High window, 8 low perpandicular to the Low house window.

A Lot of people don't know where to set up there guns either when your standing on a differn't station.

I use the 1/3 half field principle on stations 2-6 If you start your gun 1/3 the distance from the house on these stations with the top of your bead below the window you'll pick up the bird, able to establish a good sustained lead and have a high success. If you start high on the window chances of the bird sneaking under your barrel is greater thus increasing you having to play catch up and not get a good sustained lead, thus having to use a swing through lead.

stations 1/7 point the gun at the center pole and wait for the bird to land on your bead.

I know trap calls for some weird feet angle, however I find it easy to shoot trap similar to a supported rifle stance. I don't shoot alot of trap, wabble or SC.

NO MATTER WHAT GAME YOUR SHOOTING, CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THE BROKEN TARGET TO THE GROUND. THIS WILL BURN FOLLOW THROUGH INTO YOU!!!

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"When seconds count.....Cops Respond in Minutes"

SIXTO

Nice post Rob!

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Rob99VMI04

Sorry for off topic. But if its a multy utility shotgun for hunting and games chokes wise heres the Basics.

Cylinder choke(CYL)=WIDE OPEN or NO CHOKE (MOST TACTICAL SCARRY BLACK SHOTGUNS use cylinder chokes) THIS IS THE ONLY CHOKE YOU SHOULD RUN SLUGS THROUGH

Improved Cylinder (IC)- slightly wider pattern alot of guys use for Skeet if you don't have a Skeet choke.

Modified (MOD) I treat this like a fail safe if I don't know what distance I'm shooting targets at I'll drop this in its medium. Most trap shooters are running MODs.

Improved Mod- in btween Mod and Full. I asked my very experienced Trap friend who shoots everyday hes not sure why this was invented!

Full Choke-Shooting Targets that are way out there if you use this for skeet your only making the game harder same with trap. Unless your practicing with a 12 gauge mimicking a smaller gauge like a 20 gauge or a 28 gauge. Good for Turkey Hunting, or shooting Teals on a 5 stand course set up 40 Yards from you. Experienced Trap shooters Shoot full a lot.


My Browning is stictly devoted for Skeet I use a Skeet and Skeet for both barrels on my O/U.

Theres other chokes out there however, for new people I would get to caught up in like xtra full or xtra xtra full or the one imbetween modified and full. I would focus on these basic chokes.

__________________
"You may find me one day dead in a ditch somewhere. But by God, you'll find me in a pile of brass." - Trooper M. Padgett

"When seconds count.....Cops Respond in Minutes"

remingtondude58

I recommend a Mossberg 500. My first gun was a Mossberg 500 field/s lug combo. I used the slug barrel for deer. I then realized i wanted a scope to take longer shots. After putting on the scope I had to leave it on so i could no longer use the smooth barrel without resighting my slug barrel. I then bought another 500. THEY ARE GREAT GUNS!!! The action is very smooth and it hold 6 rounds while the 870 holds 4. If you are a lefty like me the 500 is great because it has a top ambidextrous safety. Field and Stream rated the Mossberg #23 in there top 50 shotguns (870 was #2).

crzy4guns

+1 on the mossberg 500.

SIXTO

Except you probably will end up buying another shotgun after your first shooting season.

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In a land of sheep, even a toothless wolf is king.

Wake Up! The zombie invasion has begun years ago.

socuban

Chuck R.

For a strictly clays gun I prefer a 30" barrel length, not so much for the sight radius, but for the weight up front which I find helps with follow through.

While it's true that with modern powders you're going to get about all there is to get with about a 26" barrel, some of the steel loads do a little better with a longer barrel. I also really like a longer barrel for a waterfowl gun. Again, it helps with the swing, but also the longer barrels have a little less noise for me and the dog and it makes muzzle control that much easier.

IF you really think your going to shoot either skeet or sporting clays, skip the pump. About the only guys I see shooting pumps now are either brand new and they'll switch if they stick with it, or on the trap range.


Chuck

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