There are many choices out there. You can spend anywhere from $300 to $6000 on a trap shooter. I use a Franchi Alcione Sport which I got for a little under a grand. It's a good gun which seems to fit me well, but people have different tastes.
If your 870 does the job and you feel comfortable with it, why change?
You didn't say what price range you needed, simply that you couldn't afford $2K. I bought a Ruger Red Label for trap in high school, I think I paid $1255 or something on those lines (I've raised and traded horses and cattle all my life, I didn't sell drugs in case you're wondering how a high school kid could afford that much).
Your 870 is plenty capable of keeping up until you get more serious about the game. I shot either an 870 or an old J.C. Higgins Model 20 for clay games until I decided I needed something better to match my ability-->which took quite some time to reach. If you get good enough, the weight, slow fire rate, and odd balance of a pump will hold you back. There are some guys out there that do well with them, more that do well with autoloaders, but typically, the O/U rules the roost.
I've also used a few SxS shotguns for clay games, I'm much more natural with a SxS, but I certainly got some odd looks when I brought them to the line.
If you're interested in a "budget" double shotgun, you might look at Stoeger. A Stoeger Condor can be had for around $300-400 in most places, and they're good quality shotguns. A little action work by a good gunsmith and you've got a pretty fast clay shooter.
I'd recommend trying on some of the more experienced guy's guns at your matches. Most guys are willing to at least let you hold it, if they won't let you try a round with it. It's like taking a woman shoe shopping, if they try every shoe on, they'll still want them all, but they'll find at least one pair that fits just right, and no two size 5's are the same. You'll get a better idea of what you'd want that way, moreso than simply picking one by price and living with it.
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"When you tell a fellow to go to hell, you had better be sure you can get him there."--LBJ
Bet yur a nice young man,let this old man who's a money winning trapshooter give his advice.Shoot that 870 for a yr. Try some other guns,you'll end up with a break open single I bet.A break open is better because you can concentrate on shootin rather than loadin and catchin shells plus it's safer.
A good used gun single barrel trap gun is about 2000 but there's plenty of guys at trap clubs that will deal with you. I don't like Browning,alot of good guns but that Perazzi TMX is like holding a beautiful woman in your arms.
My price concerns are really just that I don't know how much I am going to get into shooting trap.........if I know myself it will be head over heels like everything else I do.......I rarely do anything half way
I have no problem spending a few grand on a gun if I am gonna use it frequently. I just thought about a middle of the road gun first......so I don't end up with a beautiful gun that just sits in the safe because I don't use it.
let this old man who's a money winning trapshooter give his advice.Shoot that 870 for a yr. Try some other guns,you'll end up with a break open single I bet.A break open is better because you can concentrate on shootin rather than loadin and catchin shells plus it's safer.
That was my plan...........what choke would you recommend for trap in my 870??
I have IMP CYL and MOD
Quote:
A good used gun single barrel trap gun is about 2000 but there's plenty of guys at trap clubs that will deal with you. I don't like Browning,alot of good guns but that Perazzi TMX is like holding a beautiful woman in your arms.
all the best,
lizzzard
Thanks for the advice...........I really apprciate it. I'm no Browning fan myself. I'm sure my options will be plentiful with all the guys at the shooting clubs.
what choke would you recommend for trap in my 870??
A skeet choke if you want to pump you want to break alot. But I use Modified cause I am there work on my duck skills some. So I figure if I can't break a clay with a modified, I couldn't get that duck.
I am going thru the same dilemma. Only thing I have learned is get a good adjustable recoil pad and cheek. You can adjust any gun to do well. ONly problem I see if you might not want to invest in a stock like that.
One thing you will find, is no shortage of advise from people when you start shooting. You will see what some like, some don't. And in the end, you will better about your choice. I still use a 1187.
My Browning BPS is the best fitting gun I've ever shot for trap. When I could still afford to trap shoot I would very often beat the guys out there with their fancy, custom built, $2000+ special purpose trap guns. While I never bragged, I always would chuckle softly to myself when the read the scores off, and I beat three other guys with their custom guns, red glasses, horse blinders, and the full get-up on, with my $375 BPS, a ball cap, and cheapo WalMart special sunglasses.
One thing I learned from the really good trap shooters (the ones I COULDN'T beat), is that the best choke to use is full choke on the trap range, and from my experience it's true. I started using modified, but there were many times that a clay would get out there a ways before I swung through it and I'd swear I should have broke it, but didn't. Probably because the pattern was so thin that the clay literally flew through the pattern untouched. With full choke this doesn't happen nearly as often. Granted, full choke means a smaller overall pattern, but that can be remedied by having patience simply letting the clay get out there a little farther before you shoot it. Also, I found that by having the option/need to let the clays get out farther, especially from the 16 yard line, it gives you more time to swing smoothly, rather than trying to snap shoot the clay while it's still in range. Another trick to using full choke is that you can accurately read your breaks and see where the bulk of the pattern was on a hit that barily broke the clay. Basically, whichever direction the smallest pieces go is the where the pattern was and the direction you almost missed it. Let's you know if you're over/under leading (shooting too late or too soon), or shooting over/under the bird. Obviously if you break it into a lot of small pieces that disburse into an even pattern, or better yet dust it, then you know you're dead on in the center of the pattern.
Man, talking about it makes me realize how much I miss it.
I know how you feel Driftrider ,I love shooting trap and since i moved to the country we don't even have trap range anywhere close . Used to shoot every week before . Hal
Good Trap Gun??
Thank you.
