Thread: Trap Gun selection

Hi to all the clay bird exponents.

Having spent a morning locally, at a Sporting Clays shoot recently, I'm wanting some advice on the most important parts/principles in choosing a suitable Trap/Sporting Clays shotgun.

To continue with funding the purchase of a suitable shotgun/s, I'm in the process of selling my CF reloading gear.
Everything else - rifles, brass, powder, bullets, dies, loaded rounds - reload and factory, has been sold.
I've got a few old scopes of various types left to go as well.

Don't be afraid to make brand/operating system recommends - only WHY you think your nominated shotgun will be the bee's knees for me.

Cheers
Wally

I used a SKB 5700 U/O for my years through high school. Fixed chokes, low rib, i had an adjustable cheek riser fitted to get a consistent cheek weld. It shot really well and snagged me a few trophies

What i would say i took from my trap shooting experience was money doesnt buy skill. A miroku or SKB will go well.

Any shotgun will do it as long as it fits you and shoulders good. For ease a u/o but semi will work. If doing only dtl get a trap gun otherwise a sporter with multi chokes will let you shoot everything from skeet to 5stand etc. An adjustable comb can help refine the fit to you to. As for brand you get what you pay for there are some good second hand ones around. Then practice making sure your foot work is right and the gun consistently shoulders the same

I've shot some really expensive guns, and some really cheap ones.

Personally I think anything over $2-3k you're not getting much value for money.

I have an Akkar Trap U/O Trap gun with adjustable comb and it runs flawlessly, it cost me $1500 and I've won a few comps with it against $10k+ guns. I'm selling it soon to up grade to my father in laws Browning B725 Trap, it's worth 4-5 times as much but it certainly isn't 5 times as good, he just offered it to me for a price I can't refuse. I recommend having a go with an Akkar if you can.

I don't use any of the fancy gear, I just wear sunglasses and have a molle pouch on my belt, I'm normally wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

I think the adjustable combs are essential.

However I've only done DTL, I love it, I find it very intuitive, just hard on the family.

Despite the fact that there are some very nice specialist trap, skeet and sporting shotguns I think there is a universal truth about shotguns and that is that no matter which type of gun you have, if you use it frequently enough you will “learn the gun” and shoot well with it. I have an old Antonio Zoli U/O that I brought second hand for five eighths of fuck all and I shoot DTL with it very well

Originally Posted by Rushy

Despite the fact that there are some very nice specialist trap, skeet and sporting shotguns I think there is a universal truth about shotguns and that is that no matter which type of gun you have, if you use it frequently enough you will “learn the gun” and shoot well with it. I have an old Antonio Zoli U/O that I brought second hand for five eighths of fuck all and I shoot DTL with it very well

Exactly what he said

Back in the UK I could clear a round of skeet and then go and smash 25/25 on the dtl at our old club witha Benelli supernova pump. Use to raise a few eyebrows from the old buggers with their kreighoffs. All comes down to putting lead/steel down the barrels often.

Grew up on a farm where a mate of the family runs a shooting school in the UK. Gent that runs it is great at helping people with this sort of question and his advice is always 'try, try and then try again'.

My opinion grew from his advice and it is that price is immaterial - if it fits you and you get on with it then that is the one you should have.

Savage pretty well sums it up getting gun that fits is foremost
I have an akkar sporting gun and do well with it.
A friend has a mirouku mk 70 trap and I shoot no better with it.
It's really all about the Indian not the arrow after a certain point.

I know Guncity is a dirty word for some people but the do have a good range of second hand shotguns.

There seems to be alot of SKBs which make good target guns and there is bound to be one or two that fit.

Dont pay the ticket price and ask for the best price they can do on one you like.

Best bet is to try a few different ones out, Most clubs will have Club guns so ask around.
I have a Berreta 686 sporter that gets the most use.
Yildiz are the best of the cheaper guns IMO.

Cheers everyone .
Thanks for the advice of your experiences .
I'll go prowl the gunshops/gun clubs now, to try out some of the ideas you've suggested.

A lifetime ago I was an a grade shooter a d also chased the sporting simulated.
Ran brownings and the best of all was a gti.
Try different guns and find the one that fits best.
Choose an invector plus or similar choking system and you can use the one gun for everything

Originally Posted by Rushy

Despite the fact that there are some very nice specialist trap, skeet and sporting shotguns I think there is a universal truth about shotguns and that is that no matter which type of gun you have, if you use it frequently enough you will “learn the gun” and shoot well with it. I have an old Antonio Zoli U/O that I brought second hand for five eighths of fuck all and I shoot DTL with it very well

100% right.
I started shooting with a 12g SXS AYA when I was 11yrs old. After shooting birds in the family vineyard for the next 7 years every weekend during the grape season and putting thousands of rounds through it I took up clay bird shooting ( Skeet). 1st shoot I attended I shot in C grade and won. A couple of shoots later I was B grade and winning...A mate had a Baikal OU which I bought and very shortly after winning a couple of B grade comps I was classed as A grade. Went to the Nationals at Hamilton and thought I would try my hand at trap......Borrowed a Winchester 6500 trap gun from another competitor and won the double rise shooting in C grade.........and because I shot 49/50 I ended up winning the High Gun Double rise trophy.......Walked straight down to Chris Zeislers tent and bought the brand new Winchester 6500 that he had on the rack. Gave up trap and skeet shooting about 25yrs ago............but give me any shotgun and throw a couple of targets so I can get used to it and I will start breaking clays with it....

Not boasting, but, (while the muscles may be getting slower) the muscle memory I developed over a lifetime of shooting shotguns, still sits there waiting........

More thanks to you all for the heartfelt advice.
An update - I should have let you all know that I hadn't shot clay birds since 1988 in Western Australia.
Sold everything I had back then, Lanber U/O 1/2-Full choke, Benelli semi-auto fixed 3/4 choke which sat in the safe 99% of the time, to make a house deposit.
Yesterday, shot sporting clays again, with a Beretta A400 Camo.
Once again, a gun I'd never shot with before.
However, my metal shoulder really enjoyed the less violent recoil impulse.
So much so, I scored one more bird that my previous attempt - don't ask what it was but marginally better than half of the target total .
Depending on how much funds I get for disposing of all my CF gear, will then start looking seriously, using the advice given freely above.
Thanks guys - much appreciated .

Fitting the gun to YOUR body is the key.

I pretty much went through the same process couple years ago. Ended up buying an economical 2nd hand OU off here, and then spend the same as the purchase price on getting the stock bent to fit me. Best $ I ever spent.

Some of the new "plastic" semi autos are quite good for sporting, and a lot of them come with shims and spacers that allows you to achieve a better fit.