Thread: Teach me about Skeet, Trap and Sporting guns, please.

I would like to know about the difference between these types of U/O, I have had a go at skeet lately and really enjoyed it, liked it better than trap shooting.I was just using my Browning semi.
The Akkar Trap Gun Hunting and fishing are selling at the moment has caught my eye, there is one here, it is a nice looking piece of kit.
They do Sporter, Hunting and Trap models, so was wondering if one of these would be a good entry level gun to get into the sport and which one of the types would be the most versitile with a leaning towards Skeet.
Cheers.

Hi Jakewire, I will have a go. Understand there are nearly as many opinions in this game as you would get if you posted the question what is the best deer rifle.

I shoot A grade trap and C grade skeet. To enjoy a days competitive shooting "Which I can once a week" I could shoot Whitianga, Waihi, Te Aroha and Thames. A club shoot usually consists of a round of 25 skeet and three rounds of 25 down the line.

There are various disciplines in the down the line. Ball trap, points score, double rise and numerous others.

So what I am trying to say is that unless I go looking for skeet only events, like everybody else that shoots the club circuit, skeet would make up less than 25% of the birds on offer.

Some folk can afford to have a shotgun suitable for down the line use and a skeet gun. Most make do with a good trap gun and put up with it as a skeet gun. There is no reason you shouldn't bang away with your Browning for a year, I did. By then I really knew what gun I was looking for.

In no other shooting sport is gun fit so critical as clays. Get to the club coach for advice. Or go to a reputable gun shop who will fit a gun to you. Attend a couple the shoots in your local area, most people will give you there gun to try out. Keep your money in your pocket until you have tried as many guns as possible and have a quite wide view of the sport as a whole.

Sporting, Well that's another game altogether

Thankyou Scribe

I love sporting and travel a bit doing it. I have just got back into it after a 3 year break.
I shoot skeet for practice and occasionally shoot mud pies.(DTL)
I use the same gun for everything. A 34" fitted sporting gun.
My skeet and DTL scores are pretty consistent and in the high 90's so having a dicipline dedicated gun is not always required.

Ok cheers, see this is it
I know what skeet is, and presume trap is claybird shooting, so why the different guns, and what is a sporting gun
I was under the impression that a sporter was a hunting gun, but it seems not as a Hunting gun is offered as yet another option

Originally Posted by jakewire

Ok cheers, see this is it
I know what skeet is, and presume trap is claybird shooting, so why the different guns, and what is a sporting gun
I was under the impression that a sporter was a hunting gun, but it seems not as a Hunting gun is offered as yet another option

Skeet and sporting guns generally shoot flat or a 60-40 split. Meaning your eye is parallel to the barrel. Trap, Trench and double trap guns shoot higher as a rule and have your eye above the barrels, not flat so to aid in shooting rising targets.

Cheers R93,
So a trap gun is best for claybirds and a sporter best for skeet
If one gun was to be used for both I guess you would choose the sporter?

Originally Posted by jakewire

Cheers R93,
So a trap gun is best for claybirds and a sporter best for skeet
If one gun was to be used for both I guess you would choose the sporter?

"Trap" is actually technically ISSF trench, but over here in NZ most people refer to trap as DTL (down the line)

If you want to shoot a bit of everything just get a sporter.

Yup sort of. Any dicipline involving rising targets from the trap as a rule require a trap gun. Skeet, sporting and hunting generally require a flat gun (sporter) depending on shooting style and preferences.

Excellent
thanks guys.

I forgot some still use the term field gun, every now and then.
A field (hunting gun) is essentially a sporter that shoots flat.
And normally pretty plain as far as cosmetics go unless you're rich ☺

Well colour me confused. I thought it was all shooting shotguns at flying targets. Hang on Rushy you can't shoot that duck because you only have your pheasant gun and besides it is flying away from you. Simpleton you only have one shotgun and it works on everything you shoot from rabbits to ducks via pukekos, pheasants and clays. Must be one of them all purposemongrel guns.

I'm with you Rushy. I manage everything with a flat gun but if I just shot rising target diciplines I would probably get a dedicated gun.

@jakewire, get a sporter with an adjustable comb if you want a bit of versatility.

That way you can shoot it flat or high.

I shoot 90% trench and DTL with a bit of skeet thrown in here and there so i have a pretty high stock (also have a long neck which doesnt make shooting with a flat gun very comfy)

You wouldn't have a long neck if didn't have to stretch it looking over your barrels just to see targets all day😆

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