Shotguns For Clays
 

Now that the weather is warming up, we are seeing more people coming out to shoot skeet/trap, or sporting clays. If you are new to clays, and especially new to shotguns, don't go out and buy a new shotgun. Go to a club and many club members will let you try their guns, so you can see which shotguns fit you, and which are actually suitable for high volume clays shooting. And if you go to a larger facility, they may even have shotguns to rent. Shotgun fit is very important to shoot well, and many people buy shotguns without any real understanding of shotgun fit. We had a new shooter show up a couple of weeks ago with new lightweight O/U that didn't have enough drop at comb, and he did very poorly breaking only 3/50 at skeet. The worst part, is that he was starting to get sore after one round, and after two rounds, he was too beat up to shoot another round. The following week , we convinced him to try some other shotguns, with much better results. I brought a gas operated semi auto along, that fit him better, and that he found comfortable to shoot. Then he tried another guys Citori skeet gun that had even more drop at comb, and he broke even more targets. Then to confirm that it wasn't just him improving, he switched back to his own gun to finish, and the pain returned, and he stopped breaking targets.
Now he knows what fits him, and what is comfortable to shoot, but he is stuck with a gun that is pretty much useless to him, so he will lose money selling or trading it.

Great point elkhunter11

Also a good reminder for other members to let new shooters or people interested in the sport try your guns for a round or two, the more people involved the better clubs run.

We have an excellent group of people, willing to let a new shooter try their shotguns. When people ask about shooting with us, I recommend that they purchase some 12 gauge target loads, and show up at the range as my guest, and we try to help them as much as possible. It's a very casual, easy going bunch of shooters, and most people don't feel at all intimidated ,being a new shooter.

Not a big deal ,if he really wants to keep that gun , a file , rasp , sandpaper and finish and reduce the comb to properly fit .

I shoot skeet and trap with my hunting guns , especially skeet, to keep me in tune during the off season.
Cat

I explained that to him, or install an adjustable comb, which will remove material and allow some cast, but it is an aluminum framed field gun, that will still be way too light to be comfortable for volume shooting. We had another fellow that also showed up with an O/U that didn't fit, but in his case, he needed to change the cast, and after trying a few guns, he purchased a Citori CX with adjustable comb, and shot his 25 straight the first day, after averaging 15-16 for a few months, with his previous gun..

I shoot some skeet with my lightweight SxS guns before each hunting season, and the 28 gauge doesn't bother me, but even two rounds with the wood buttstock 16 are enough for me.

I use a set of Briley 28 gauge sidekicks in my 12 gayge hammer gun , andighter loads in my 20 gauge hammer gun.
They run close to the same speed as my hunting g loads however .
Cat

One thing that I have noticed, is that many of the new shooters don't hunt at all, and have no interest in hunting, and they don't have hunting shotguns. So most just look online, see that most clays shooters use O/U shotguns, so they run out and buy a low priced O/U, with little to no knowledge of shotguns, let alone shotgun fit.

I’ve been loving my 16ga sxs. It fits and points so quick. So found another sxs in 12ga and it happened to be same manufacture. Both Spanish guns. Since I’ve basically given up waterfowl, I’m really wanting to shoot my Sxs’s more. But I’m wondering if these guns are really made to shoot multiple rounds on the range. Anyone have any experience with these Spanish Sxs’s? I’d really like to find another in 20ga for more range use.

Yeah, if i wasn't using skeet for just hunting practise , I woukd likely have a dedicated skeet or trap gun, different scenario for sure.
I put far more money and time into my long range irons riflrs than I do my shotguns , but that is my main shooting discipline
Cat

If you want to shoot ,many rounds on clays, I would be looking for a Browning BSS, they aren't light, but they do stand up to a lot of rounds. I use lightweight Grulla SxS shotguns for my upland hunting, and I wouldn't want to put several thousand rounds through them every year.

My thoughts exactly, my round count is getting up there on my W.R, so I am using my 20 a bit more this year.
Cat

In the perfect world ,it would be nice if a guy could just go to a gun range on any weekend and rent a shot gun or try some on skeets with out being a member . But its not a perfect world around Edmonton that I know of .
My hart feels for this young guy that just went out and bought a shotgun Chances are he went into a store and they just sold him one that fit his budget.

While our club does not allow non members to shoot

skeet as regular members, we do allow people to come
out and try skeet as our guest if they contact myself, or
our treasurer. You can't just show up at the range without contacting us, as we have an electronic gate, and have to let you in. We don't have rental shotguns, but we can usually arrange to have a shotgun available. Just don't refer to the clay targets as skeets, and you will fit in.:sHa_sarcasticlol:
As for our new shooter, he is a university student that went online and searched reviews for shotguns, but he had no idea of gun fit, or the difference between a hunting shotgun or a clays shotgun. And that is why, when someone approaches me about trying skeet, I advise them to come out and try skeet, before they purchase a special shotgun.

best clays gun i ever had was a 70's win 101 20ga with broomstik wood. I shot skeet loads with m/f set up to 20 yds...about 30K rounds b4 i moved along to guy that had to have it more than me at the time.... fit / fit / fit is everything and the only thing ... convinced a perazzi owner when he asked to sell it and try a browning with all the stocks adjusters ... he went from about a 19 average to 24... most improved shooter at a couple of comps ... currently run a CX that has the same fit / fit / fit ... and the last thing you, still gotta be able to shoot...some are more natural than others at this

Do you remember which shot gun he bought ?

It was a new Weatherby O/U, purchased at Cabelas, as he had no idea where else to shop.I believe he paid around $1300.

Did he buy the field model or the sporting one with adjustable comb. I looked at them also and the field one just did not fit me . Just did not like the non pistol grip on it .
Which range do you shoot at .Maybe I will take you up on your offer next summer if around Edmonton .

He bought the field model, no adjustable comb. It is a typical Turkish made O/U for that price range, he wasn't aware that Weatherby doesn't make their own shotguns, and that they have contracted multiple manufacturers to build their shotguns, and the quality varies with the manufacturer. We shoot at Camrose.

The most popular shotgun that I see at skeet or sporting clays is the 725, but the CX is getting more popular as prices keep climbing. The SX-3/4 is the most popular semi auto.

yup thats sad that Weatherby o/u are all made in turkey .
And he should of bought the sporting one for $200 more , at least it had the adjustable comb and ported barrels . . I think Cabelas has them on for $1500.

I learned this lesson along the way as well.

A friend of my father's gave me a Franchi O/U when I was about 16. It was nice and light to carry, absolutely beautiful, and a treasured gift. I loved it. The problem was, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. I was a pretty darn good shot with my trusty old 870 Wingmaster, but I could not shoot that Franchi, and I spent A LOT of time with it trying to "learn" the gun. I eventually got to being "OK", but never good.

I was out at a sporting clays event about 10 years later with a buddy of mine, and really struggling. About half way through the round he told me the problem was my gun and handed me his Citori. I went from shooting 4/10 to 8/10 instantly. I knew I struggled with the Franchi, but that was pretty mind blowing for me. I took my gun to a couple of well known gunsmiths in Calgary and they both basically told me the same thing - either spend big $$$ cutting up the Franchi and customizing it, or just sell it and buy a gun that fits. I couldn't do either, so it's collecting dust in my safe lol.

I talked my buddy into selling me his Citori, and I've never looked back. That gun just fits me perfectly. I shoot better with it than any other shotgun I've tried, including some really pricey specialized trap/skeet guns (granted they weren't custom fit to me). I don't know why.

I'd never heard of a shotgun "fitting" before, but it really opened my eyes. It is 100% critical.

I'm impressed that your club members will give their time and loan their shotguns to other shooters to try. That's a very generous thing to do, and one of the biggest benefits you could give to any new shooter. Kudos.

I was about to buy a 725 ,but they just don't fit me or come up as well as the older 725 built in the 80s. I'm still looking for a good field gun for upland

The 725 has less drop at comb that the older Citori models.

Thats good to know. I think the forearm feels like a 2 x4 more also on the newer 725 .

I shoot Belgian made Superposed Browings well, but cannot hit a barn with a Jap made Winchester 101!
The best gun for fit that I ever shot was a Tikka 412s, tremendous shotgun for me.
Cat

Its all about fit ,when it comes to shotguns .

Unfortunately, many people don't understand that, they have no idea what drop at comb and cast are. Many come out, close an eye, and try to aim using the beads as sights, like a rifle.

Absolutely, that is why whenever I got a new to me shotgun in the past or a new one, I eother changed the stock to match my Westley Richards or ordered as close to the same specs as I could get.
Cat

I'm sorry but if some random person came up to me at the range and asked to use my shotgun for a few rounds, the answer would be a solid no. Just like I would not let a stranger shoot over my dogs.