Son is starting on the HS shooting team
So my 15 year old is starting on his high schools shooting team. Right now he is strictly doing trap, but they have Bunker, skeet, sporting clays, 5 stand, and international disciplines available. I had bought him an 870 a couple years ago for hunting purposes and that is what hes been using. I spoke with one of the coaches last night and asked him if that will serve him well or should we be looking to upgrade. He said that "yes you need to start shopping now. That 870 will not hold up to what the kids put the guns through."
Now, keep in mind, he is just starting out, never shot trap before 3 weeks ago. I asked what would be a good gun thinking, 1100, 11-87, SX4, or along those lines.. Nope... Benelli, Beretta, Browning... of course the most expensive on the shelf.
Now, I know that trap guys can get a little elitist with their weapons, I have been around enough ranges to know that its much like who can have the fanciest car they pull up in. What recommendations do any of you have for a good mid level Semi or O/U that won't put me in the poor house.. keeping in mind, I don't know if this is something he's going to stick with long term.
Thank you in advance!
Now, keep in mind, he is just starting out, never shot trap before 3 weeks ago. I asked what would be a good gun thinking, 1100, 11-87, SX4, or along those lines.. Nope... Benelli, Beretta, Browning... of course the most expensive on the shelf.
Now, I know that trap guys can get a little elitist with their weapons, I have been around enough ranges to know that its much like who can have the fanciest car they pull up in. What recommendations do any of you have for a good mid level Semi or O/U that won't put me in the poor house.. keeping in mind, I don't know if this is something he's going to stick with long term.
Thank you in advance!
0
-
Look at a Franchi, they are the same as a Benelli except for the placement of the recoil spring. I think I would go with a nice semi-auto. 3 -
Im kinda partial to the BT99 or BT100 for trap or the O/U for a bit more virsatality. 3 -
mossburg makes a new O/U that is in the $450-500 range, take him to a gunshow and let him shoulder a few, semi's, O/U's and see what he likes or fits him first, then look for deal on the one that fits him best....... 3 -
Provided he shoots it well, the 870 will do fine until he knows he will stick with it. From there, if he keeps shooting, fit will be much more important than brand or action type. Some of the members here shoot these sports a lot and will be very helpful I'm sure. 6 -
This is what wife and I were discussing. At this point, dropping 900+ on a gun is not what I am wanting to do just yet. I don't even have a shotgun that expensive!SCOUT5 said:Provided he shoots it well, the 870 will do fine until he knows he will stick with it. From there, if he keeps shooting, fit will be much more important than brand or action type. Some of the members here shoot these sports a lot and will be very helpful I'm sure.0 -
In an earlier post I mentioned our high school team started this week. After quite a few years of Judy and I being involved in the SCTP shooting program I think SCOUT5 is spot on. To be honest I think he would have a hard time wearing out an 870. I still have a 870 competition that I bought for trap 30 or so years ago. If he sticks with shooting stay away from bargain guns like the $500 dollar over/unders, they are meant for occasional hunters and in my opinion disposable. I am not a fan of semis on the trap line because you throw empties at or in front of the shooter next to you. If you decide on a semi make sure there is a shell catcher available for it. My opinion would be to look for a good used Browning Citori or BT99. If he is going to shoot doubles he will need the Citori. Lastly, if his 870 is a normal field gun it shoots flat. A trap gun is normally set up to shoot high, meaning more of his pattern is above his point of aim. This is because trap targets are rising and move up to meet your shot pattern. Regardless, I hope he has fun and does well. I really like seeing that school shooting programs are surviving our PC culture. BobSCOUT5 said:Provided he shoots it well, the 870 will do fine until he knows he will stick with it. From there, if he keeps shooting, fit will be much more important than brand or action type. Some of the members here shoot these sports a lot and will be very helpful I'm sure.3 -
He is doing really well IMO for being a really green shooter. I know of many 870s with tons of rounds that do well still. Not looking to start any wars but like any sport, it seems that there are the "elite" participants that unless you shoot the best and most expensive.. its junk. I see it in my archery shooting as well. My dad has offered up a potential trade for his Ruger Redlabel.. but as I said.. I want to make sure this sticks and isnt just the newest "thing". Thank you for your input!BobJudy said:
In an earlier post I mentioned our high school team started this week. After quite a few years of Judy and I being involved in the SCTP shooting program I think SCOUT5 is spot on. To be honest I think he would have a hard time wearing out an 870. I still have a 870 competition that I bought for trap 30 or so years ago. If he sticks with shooting stay away from bargain guns like the $500 dollar over/unders, they are meant for occasional hunters and in my opinion disposable. I am not a fan of semis on the trap line because you throw empties at or in front of the shooter next to you. If you decide on a semi make sure there is a shell catcher available for it. My opinion would be to look for a good used Browning Citori or BT99. If he is going to shoot doubles he will need the Citori. Lastly, if his 870 is a normal field gun it shoots flat. A trap gun is normally set up to shoot high, meaning more of his pattern is above his point of aim. This is because trap targets are rising and move up to meet your shot pattern. Regardless, I hope he has fun and does well. I really like seeing that school shooting programs are surviving our PC culture. BobSCOUT5 said:Provided he shoots it well, the 870 will do fine until he knows he will stick with it. From there, if he keeps shooting, fit will be much more important than brand or action type. Some of the members here shoot these sports a lot and will be very helpful I'm sure.
0 -
Sounds like another question for his coach...and maybe a good used one would be perfect at this stage. Good luck to you and your son!!! 0 -
Trap shooting is addictive. I have used a Stevens 311, Beretta O/U, 1100 all with success but my favorite is a used Mossberg 500 that I had. I say use the 870 if he's comfortable with it and grow from there. If it wears out (not likely) and he is still interested then you can find a more dedicated gun. My daughter tried many different guns when she first started and settled on an 1100. Started with a LT20 that I put a shorter stock on and wound up with a 12GA. 3 -
I have a 311A myself Mark.. love it! 0 -
Perazzi. It will outlast even the Brownings. In one year I went through almost 40,000 rounds. Replaced just the hammer spring in 5 minutes. 0 -
Way back in roughly 1986 my father and I obtained special order Remington model 870 competition trap guns...
A limited edition variant went through the Remington custom shop a special order only cataloged gun - Remington made such limited forays into this performance niche - never quite entering the top grade class of upper echelon pieces but still way more advanced than folks expect.
Custom shop trigger assembly - custom shop hand select / matching reserved wood - recoil reducers - special raised vent rib - at the dealer they brought out a device to measure the best OAL and LOP ...
These are very nicely made guns - for some reason the idea gets kicked around and every 8-12 years that produce a run of guns that strictly adhere to the core concept
Even though they are damn near bespoke custom shop guns they command little interest and retain little value.
A pro wants a perazzi or lutjic and the duffer will bring whatever he has that fits the course of fire...
These 870 unicorns fall into the trap shooter snobbery donut hole
If I was starting over again I would pick up a nice clean vintage SXS with my desired bbl length and choke setting - or pick up a new but lower priced SXS that has choke tubes...
But don't overlook the 870 TC or CT variants cause sometimes they go check and unrecognized - they are quality sleepers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADRdHovguEkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBEI9ScbSNMMike
0 -
My .02 as a guy who shot alot of trap and still I am a very active competitive shooter.
I take alot of peanut-gallery opinions because I shoot a lowly Glock 34 up against guns costing 5x or more as much as mine.
The day I am so proficient and so skilled that the gun is actually holding me back, that is when I will actually move away from Glock.
Does a Limcat or an Infinity have an advantage on me? Probably so. Can the guy running it get more out of his gun than I can get out of mine on any given day?
That is the actual question to answer.
His foot position & body are critical, keep the gun moving - critical, mental focus- critical. None of those things are defined by the name of the gun.
Can you make that 870 serve him better?
Yes- Have it fitted for him. Install a raised vent rib & clean up or replace the trigger with a Timney.
If he is just shooting Trap singles the 870 can get it done.
If he is going to get into other shotgunning sports as you mentioned- the 870 does put him at a disadvantage as he has to do additional movement to get multiple shots off.
Maybe its a gradual thing as this is his 1st year and you lay out a plan to move to a Citori or something similar by his Sr. Year.
if he really will shoot the others I believe to be competitive at minimum an Remington 1100 with a few extra barrels (skeet 26”) Trap with rib 30” sporting clays adjustable chokes 28-30”
I do recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their performance.
Keep us posted on his journey!
With Winning in Mind 3rd. Ed.: Lanny Bassham: 9781934324264: Amazon.com: Books
With Winning in Mind 3rd. Ed. [Lanny Bassham] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Be wary of the people no one wants on their team, the ones who are too small, too slow and not very capable. The unwanted have a built-in motivation to do whatever it takes to succeed that those who are picked first do not have. This is a story of such a person and what he did to find his place at the top of the world in his sport. I'm that person and this book is an introduction to what I've learned. I believe there is a mental system that when used will speed up the process of getting to the winner's circle. I am well aware that there are many fine self-improvement books available. Psychologists3 -
Old school.. get an O/U. These shoot very well and lock up tight. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/858360922 0 -
select-fire said:Old school.. get an O/U. These shoot very well and lock up tight. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/858360922
I still have a couple of 3200s and shoot them well. The reason the one you show is going cheap is that it doesn't appear to have been back to Remington for modifications. The first couple of years they had some problems and Remington stood behind their product and made the mods at no charge. When they did this they put a period in front of the serial number indicating mods had been done. Remington no longer does this and there is only one real 3200 repair center left, a place called Laibs. While I love the 3200 I would not touch an older unmodified one. Bob
0 -
I lot of good suggestions, but I dont think you buy a Perazzi for a first year High Shool kid unless you have a money chitter. 3 -
BobJudy said:select-fire said:Old school.. get an O/U. These shoot very well and lock up tight. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/858360922
I still have a couple of 3200s and shoot them well. The reason the one you show is going cheap is that it doesn't appear to have been back to Remington for modifications. The first couple of years they had some problems and Remington stood behind their product and made the mods at no charge. When they did this they put a period in front of the serial number indicating mods had been done. Remington no longer does this and there is only one real 3200 repair center left, a place called Laibs. While I love the 3200 I would not touch an older unmodified one. Bob
This one is cheaper ... https://www.gunbroker.com/item/8585270520 -
select-fire said:BobJudy said:select-fire said:Old school.. get an O/U. These shoot very well and lock up tight. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/858360922
I still have a couple of 3200s and shoot them well. The reason the one you show is going cheap is that it doesn't appear to have been back to Remington for modifications. The first couple of years they had some problems and Remington stood behind their product and made the mods at no charge. When they did this they put a period in front of the serial number indicating mods had been done. Remington no longer does this and there is only one real 3200 repair center left, a place called Laibs. While I love the 3200 I would not touch an older unmodified one. Bob
This one is cheaper ... https://www.gunbroker.com/item/858527052
That one has been updated as noted by the dot before the serial number and would be a good buy. But remember if you ever need parts they are getting scarce because the gun has been out of production for a long time. I've owned 5 or 6 3200s and think they were the best American competition shotgun ever made. Bob
0 -
I don't know about the new 870's but I doubt he could wear out an older one.
I don't shoot trap, skeet or clays very often but break more than I miss with a hand held 870 express, much to the surprise of those with the $5,000 trick gun.0 -
I've been shooting an 870 for 50 years and it's still in fine condition. You can wait several years before needing to upgrade to a "better" class of gun. By that time, the kid may have decided he no longer wants to shoot trap. That said, using a semi-auto field grade gun for trap shooting can ruin a decent gun in a couple of years by wearing the bolt stop prematurely. 3 -
Mobuck and charlie are right. One of the best shots in our trap club shoots an 870 and has for many years. 0 -
There are still HS shooting teams? Amazing 3 -
Those are the guys I used to love to shoot against with my beater 1200 duck gun! I used to shoot a lot of trap and it was fun to bust 24 or 25 with that old 1200 and then listen to the guys with the expensive custom guns grumble.SteveM74 said:
He is doing really well IMO for being a really green shooter. I know of many 870s with tons of rounds that do well still. Not looking to start any wars but like any sport, it seems that there are the "elite" participants that unless you shoot the best and most expensive.. its junk. I see it in my archery shooting as well. My dad has offered up a potential trade for his Ruger Redlabel.. but as I said.. I want to make sure this sticks and isnt just the newest "thing". Thank you for your input!BobJudy said:
In an earlier post I mentioned our high school team started this week. After quite a few years of Judy and I being involved in the SCTP shooting program I think SCOUT5 is spot on. To be honest I think he would have a hard time wearing out an 870. I still have a 870 competition that I bought for trap 30 or so years ago. If he sticks with shooting stay away from bargain guns like the $500 dollar over/unders, they are meant for occasional hunters and in my opinion disposable. I am not a fan of semis on the trap line because you throw empties at or in front of the shooter next to you. If you decide on a semi make sure there is a shell catcher available for it. My opinion would be to look for a good used Browning Citori or BT99. If he is going to shoot doubles he will need the Citori. Lastly, if his 870 is a normal field gun it shoots flat. A trap gun is normally set up to shoot high, meaning more of his pattern is above his point of aim. This is because trap targets are rising and move up to meet your shot pattern. Regardless, I hope he has fun and does well. I really like seeing that school shooting programs are surviving our PC culture. BobSCOUT5 said:Provided he shoots it well, the 870 will do fine until he knows he will stick with it. From there, if he keeps shooting, fit will be much more important than brand or action type. Some of the members here shoot these sports a lot and will be very helpful I'm sure.
One time I took an old Champion Bicycle Works single shot out and had 3 consecutive runs of 25. One cranky old putz told me I shouldn't be shooting the gun because it just wasn't safe. LOL!
If he keeps shooting that 870 he'll do just fine.3
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
23 comments