Skeet/Trap Shotgun recommendations

[TD2K]

Looking to get into skeet/trap for fun, I need a good shotgun. I have NO desire to hunt and already have home defense shotguns, so this gun will be solely for clays.

I shot my friend's Browning Citori over/under and liked it. Also shot a Benelli semi-auto, not sure of the model, it was pretty smooth too.

I'm 5'9" and can easily handle a 12 gauge, so don't give me any wimpy recommendations.

They won't let me use the Saiga with a 20 round drum. dang.

Thanks in advance.

[Bawanna]

You really need to just hold and shoulder every suitable shotgun you can find to see what feels best to you.

Year's ago myself and two friends were where you are now. We ended up with three different guns. I ended up with a Valmet (now Tikka) over / under. I've put a jillion rounds through it back in the day but not much in many years, would love to get it out some more.

For Skeet and Trap I much prefer a Over/Under. Downfall to the Over/Under and semi auto's is you shoot them alot more. When you go back to your pump you will forget to pump.

I took my pump one time just for grins, it was embarrassing. I'd shoot and everyone would start yelling pump, pump, pump. I forgot.

I really liked what we call Duck Tower, I think it's called 5 stand now. You got two shots per bird but they were fast and hard to hit.

Like everything else there are a ton of good choices out there from reasonable to more than the car I drive. Have fun on your search.

[CJB]

Keep in mind that trap, skeet and clays are totally different games, and demand different shotguns if a specialized gun is sought. The best trap guns are terrible for skeet. A clays gun is yet another breed of smoothbore.

If you like an O/U try not to get something too long, if you want to shoot skeet. Something more like 26" is better than 28" or 30".

Something more to consider is you can fake your way through trap or clays with a shorter gun, helping your swing with extended choke tubes, which have the effect of adding that little extra weight the longer barrels give, which helps with their respective niches.

I've always done better with a 28" and extra full choke at trap, and 26" skeet choke for skeet. Clays, I just slip the modified/modified tubes into the 28" gun.

As B-man said - try a lot of guns, see what works for you.

[Bawanna]

I got fairly decent at Trap and 5 Stand but I always sucked at Skeet, I just never could get the hang of that.

First couple times I tried was with my trusty ole Mossberg 500 with a 28"?? barrel, couldn't hit for beans.
A friend of a friend happened to be with us and wanted to look at my gun, I didn't know he was a wizard at anything shotgun.

He only missed I think one bird using my gun and get this, holding it upside down. I'll never forget that if I live to be 61.

I wondered whey the heck he wanted me to hold it for him upside down while he looked down it. He was determining the hold over. That old boy could shoot.

[Salty]

Skeet rewards the quick and light. Trap the slow, smooth and long barrels. An o/u Citori or older Ruger would be good for you to look at. I would error towards a lighter weight skeet gun w/26 " barrels and removable chokes as you can shoot trap with it but hard to do the other way around. I shoot older Browning Superposeds - http://www.chuckhawks.com/browning_s...d_shotguns.htm - but then I am pretty old school.

[Springer]

Greetings; For Skeet/Trap/Clays I like an O/U. I have this one for sale that you may be interested in. It's a Win101 12ga but is roll stamped Ted Williams for Sears. Never had a bird or clay care be able to read or care what it was stamped. Barrels are 28", comes with Briley screw in chokes ($300+), 14 1/4" pull.I am asking $750. The bad news is I will be away from the computer for a week, the good news is I will be through Norman,OK @ about 6:00am Sat morning, heading to Texas for vacation. Here are some pics

[muggsy]

I see nothing wrong with the Browning for both games provided that the gun comes with screw in choke tubes. You'll probably want IC and mod. for skeet and mod and full for trap. Skeet is a faster game but it's shot at shorter distances and the targets always fly the same path. Trap is unpredictable and shot at greater distances under a handicap system. If you really want to have fun try sporting clays. That's my favorite game. BTW. According to Jocko them skeets don't taste very good unless you smoke 'em.

[certified106]

Find a really nice sporting clay course and you will be hooked! It's a blast!

[TD2K]

Our gun club has a super nice course. It has a high house and low house with 7 stations for skeet, and a trap house with 5 stations. We will have 2 of these complete set-ups soon, the 2nd is under construction. We also have 2 manual thrower stations.

As I've already realized, I know NOTHING about either, just wanna go have some fun.

We're going to the NRA conf next weekend, I plan to shoulder as many as I can while there and talk to several manufacturers.

[Planedude]

If your looking for the best manufacturer to go with, then it has to be Beretta. For new shooters I feel the gas operated semi-auto is the best bet. The barrels have screw in chokes and will do both games well enough
Look at the Baretta 391 Urika. It is manufactured in quite a number of models and is the 10/22 of the shotgun world for aftermarket stuff.
Remember that a wood stocked gun can be modified to fit you rather easy (not always cheaply...) and there is a traveling band of stocksmiths that travel to the big money Trap shoots. They can custom fit you and do a great job in a day or two if you'll see them on the Thursday before a big shoot.
I shoot old school with a Remington 1100 B grade Trap (30in fixed Full choke) and a matched 1100 B grade Skeet (26in fixed Skeet choke). The wife picked out a Remington 1187 premire "lady stocked" (short length of pull) and a remchoked 26in light contour barrel. She shoots both games with it well enough to be very happy. Kind of blows my theory about barrel lengths (long Trap/short Skeet) out of the water.
Funny thing, I don't shoot Skeet as well as I do Trap, but after doing $400 of tricks to my old Skeet gun, I shoot the game best with my old Beretta 390 field gun and a Skeet choke. Shrug, don't know why but I do.
You can drop ALOT of cash on an over & under but you tend to need two for both the games and the one truth in shotgunning is it is less the gun and more the shooter...
Get a vest with pockets and pads and a nice shell holder/empty bag and a simple web belt with a quick latching buckle. For Trap shooting I recomend a shell catcher as it will give your mind and hands something to do between shots. If you keep watching how the birds are flying for the other shooters you will anticipate where your bird will fly and it will fool ya!
You will start shotgunning for the shooting and stay for the great people. Enjoy!