trap vs. field
OK, I have been hunting and shooting for a long time, but never shot trap. I have agreed to shoot in a trap league this year, and all the guys are telling me that I need a trap specific gun. Do I? What is the difference between a field and trap gun? Will shooting a trap gun screw up my shooting for hunting? HELP!!! Thanks.
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Trap guns are generally stocked differently, and some have different height/width ribs. These modifications are designed to help the trap shooter acquire and stay on target, given the fairly regimented course of fire.
As long as your shotgun fits you and you shoot it well, use it. See if you like the game before you spend the bucks.
FFL Dealer, Class 07/02 Mfg0 -
With a field gun you generally cover up the target with the bead...trap gun usually have two beads, one at the muzzle and another about in the center of the barrel. To sight a trap gun you would align the rear sight-front sight-target in snowman fashion...one stacked on top of the other, with the target being the head of the snowman. Trap guns usually have longer barrels and sometimes wider ribs.
Personaly, I can't shoot as well switching from trap to a field gun...just something about getting use to shouldering the gun up to the same point each time...and seeing a different sighting alignment.0 -
Additionally, you look down along a trap rib. Your head positioned higher. If you look at trap and skeet O/U guns, they are usually built on a heavier frame than the field guns from the same manufacturer. A trap or field gun can in one year go through a lifetime worth of shells for the average field gun. When I was in it, I was shooting five rounds a day three times a week for around 50 weeks a year. That is around 19,000 rounds a year I estimate I was shooting.
If you plan on doing this, you may want to consider getting a reloader if you don't have one. It will turn out the shells will cost you more in the long run than the shotgun.0 -
Many years ago my brother-in-law was going down to the "little local trap range" on a Sunday afternoon for a merchandise shoot (a won round won some sort of grocery item,ect.). He had a very nice Winchester 101 o/u. Most of the group was shooting something similiar
including some Browning special trap. I watched as 5 stepped up including one older farmer in his best overalls. The four of the
five had o/u's but the farmer stepped up with an old, well used
Model 12 Winchester, I would imagine in standard full choke. The farmer was also the only one who started with the butt of the gun at his thigh not mounted on his shoulder. Needless to say, he cleaned their clock that day, and my inlaw..........well let's just say he shot a lot of rounds and spent a lot of money to get a couple cans of beans. I seem to remember something about "damn ol' farmers" under his breath.
Back before the '70's the model 12 and even quite a few Remington 870's were the gun of choice for trap. I found out that the gun down position was the standard years ago.
It still comes down to what you are comfortable shooting and what you shoot well. A trap dedicated shotgun generally is sighted as the others have said, for a climbing target. If you choose to pick another sport such as sporting clays, it really doesn't work at all.
I've seen a lot of money spent on guns (done it myself) to break targets, when it would be better spent on ammo and a reloader and a good, solid workhorse gun that works for you and your budget. And shooting!0 -
That is true. I have seen a lot of field guns being used successfully on the trap and skeet ranges and I would not suggest buying a specialized gun for either unless it was something you really wanted to pursue.
I started with a Browning Citori field and decided I liked trap enough to get a Citori trap. I decided I liked skeet better, sold the trap gun and got a Citori skeet. Then I discovered the marvelous 28 guage, sold the Citori skeet and bought an all guage Citori skeet.
Fortunately I bought used and broke even on all the buys and sells.
But like cars and motorcycles, while you can race your family car and canyon run your basic motorcycle, sometimes you want something more suited for the purpose.
Good luck.0
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