Skeet trap or clays, what's the difference
Hello to every one and happy holidays. Over the past year or so I had been meting more and more skeet and clay shooters. To start I have no knowledge of nether. Put it this way, typical yellow head. So I would like to ask some of you to explain the rules and equipment usually used for shooting either skeet or trap or sporting clays. In past I had been looking for a good clays shotgun thinking that there is no difference in what I would shoot, and by going to local gun shops I had been getting a sales pitch more than a good advise. I had bought a semi auto 12ga gun made by Traditions just because the gun shop wanted to get rid of it so they sold me out. 30 shots and it broke. I went back to them and requested a refund after learning that it was returned previously. So now I rather ask you for honest advise and then go shopping.
Currently I am thinking to buy a hk fabarm red lion from a fellow shooter from a local skeet club he wants 380 for it what you think
Please fell free to drop your 2 cents in this one. I know that a hand on experience is worth a 1000 pages of a manufactures manual
[:o)]
Currently I am thinking to buy a hk fabarm red lion from a fellow shooter from a local skeet club he wants 380 for it what you think
Please fell free to drop your 2 cents in this one. I know that a hand on experience is worth a 1000 pages of a manufactures manual
[:o)]
0
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Hello marek. Explaining the rules of skeet, trap, (as well as the international versions and doubles) and sporting clays, along with the differnces in eqipment is really beyond the length of even one of my long winded posts. To be specific, skeet and trap really have only three things in common: Each sport uses a shotgun (each totally different in design), each also uses clay birds as targets, and each round involves 25 shots- that is about where it ends! The ranges are laid out differently (although they can be combined into one range), the distances, speeds of the birds, and arcs of travel are all completely different.
I really suggest that you purchase a good book on the subjects. DBI Books (now Krause Books) has a couple on trap and skeet shooting as well as the Shotgun Digest which breaks down the guns by application and provides good info on accessories and the like. If you can't get a book then go out to the range and check out what is going on. Talk to people and see what they are using- and what they are not! I don't shoot sporting clays. My skeet gun is a Remington 3200, 1 of 1000 Skeet with 28" barrels. My trap gun is a Rottweil Model 72 International model with 30" barrels and an extra high rib. Auto loaders are good for beginers (and some experienced shooters actually prefer them), but plan on an over under or single barrel (trap) for serious work as you advance in the sport. Better plan on reloading as well as the costs for a round or two soar pretty fast with facotory loads!
A skeet gun can be used for hunting but trap guns are worthless for anything other than trap...and nothing else is as good for trap shooting as a trap gun. I think the Red Lion was discontinued a few years ago and I am frankly unimpressed by the Fabram line. I think HK just grabed them because they lost Benelli and needed a shotgun product line quickly. These are only my opinions and others may feel differently.
Mark T. Christian0 -
In the begining stages any good field gun will work (if it fits you like your favorate sweatshirt). Once you have picked the game you prefer the most, than select the gun best suited for it. Stocks, point of impact, ribs, porting, loads used, chokes used, etc. vari between the 3, but until you have gotten "bit by the bug" you'll be fine with a good field gun. Now might also be a good time to pick up a MEC "Grabber" or "9000G" loader too, as shooting 4-8 boxes a week can get expensive. (The wife and I would shoot 18-20 boxes a week of 12ga, back when we were into clays)
The basic games are as follows
Trap. 5 stations at 16 yards from the house (as you get better the distance increases to 27 yards), you shoot 5 birds from each station, each shooter fires 1 shot in turn. The birds are launched from a osalating machine to vary the shot angle.
Skeet. 8 stations varing distances and angles (the machines are fixed but you move around them). Stations 1,2,6,7 you fire at 4 birds (single from each house and a double) and 2 singles on stations 3,4,5 and 8 (everyone shoots high 8, than every one shoots low 8. You get to reshoot your first missed bird, or if you don't miss any (go streight) you get to shoot any station/bird for the 25'th shot, most skeeters pick low 8 (and the first time you do this, expect to toss your hat into the air for everyone else to shoot at in celabration/congratulations).
Sporting clays (and 5 stand). are as much like field shooting as it is possiable to do on a set course.
Trap and skeet use 1 box/round (game), SC uses 2 boxes
Trap and skeet are normaly played with the gun on your shoulder when the bird is called, while the rules for SC require that the gun NOT be mounted until after the bird is in sight.
IMHO it's easier to get hits in trap, but you will go streight (no misses) in skeet sooner. SC is a hoot to shoot, esp if your out with your buddies
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
Opps. I shouldn't have put that in there. It's part of the secret "Kabanga-clay Lodge" iniation, and now they'll probably torture me (or worse) for revealing it.
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
I shoot trap, so my comments will be slanted in that direction.
When you choose a shotgun, the best advice will come from those that are shooting that particular sport. Go to a trap match and you will get the best info on what type of shotgn to shoot trap. Likewise on the other clay sports.
In general I would stay away from the off-brand guns and go with a recognized brand. Remington, Browning, Winchester, Beretta all have guns that would suit a new shooter. Once you decide trap is for you, the sky is the limit. Perazzi, Krieghoff, Kolar, Ljutic, and as much money as you want to spend.0 -
You can use a field gun to shoot sporting clays.
You can use a field gun to shoot skeet.
You can use a field gun to shoot trap, but as a rule, you need a gun to shoot the pattern much higher than the other two.
A field gun normally shots a 50\50 pattern.
My trap guns shoot 90\10 patterns.It depends on the speed of the shooter. If you ride the bird (in trap), you can use a lower shooting gun.
A trap gun is the only gun that does not shoot where your looking, it is shooting where the bird is going to be.
My wife and I shot many thousand shells on trap, sporting clays, and sporting clays each year.
I hope this helps you somewhat. Good shooting.
K.J.S.
LOOK TWICE,SHOOT ONCE.0
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