TODAY'S GUN TIME

[Sigarms]

Guys dumb question...

For shooting clays, is there a particular 12 gauge round I want to look at?

Picking up some ammo for a Christmas party, and I invited my boss. He said to pick up some ammo for the event. I told him we generally have a big clay shoot which I don't usually participate in, and he mentioned he cracked the stock of his old trap gun, and it'll give him an excuse to buy another one (he recently transferred down from NYC LOL).

If I'm looking for 12 gauge ammofor home defense or Turkeys, no problem. However, looking for ammo for shooting clays, I'm lost.

Just get the standard 2-3/4 1-1/8oz #7.5 shot?

Now for the real stupid question... What is the difference between trap, skeet and clay shooting?

 

[paulsharvey]

Sig, I would pick up something of this sort, in #8, or #7.5. If it's informal clay shooting, it will work great.

If it's formal Skeet, Trap, ect; you better start drinking tea with your pinky up; those guys are another bunch (not insulting anyone, but it seems like a very closed, formal, sort of group).

If I'm not mistaken, "Sporting Clays" is where you walk or ride a golf cart to various shoot locations, and the clays fly from lots of positions;

Trap; is where you have multiple standing locations, and shoot behind the bunker, I think

And Skeet; I think, is static shooter location, but you get left and right side clays, if I understood right. I also think they shoot #9 shoot, because the clays 'cross' at closer range?



Edit: I've shot a lot of hand flung clays, with buddy's, but never the formal sports, so maybe I'm a bit biased, or plain wrong...

 

[shooterdon]

Find the cheapest 12 ga 1 1/8 oz loads and they will work fine. I used to shoot a lot of Top Guns and Estate shells, but any of them will do. Most of the bargain shells will be 7 1/2's or 8's. 2 3/4 dram equivalent will recoil less than the 3 dram shells. NOTE. Dram equivalent...NOT inches.

I shot Trap competitively. Got a special knit cover for my pinky. LOL

Anyway, for shooting Trap, start with a modified or improved modified choke. For skeet an open cylinder choke. For Sporting Clays it depends on the target presentation and many folks will change chokes between stations.

 

[Sigarms]

Thanks guys.

It's informal (but a guy brings a pretty nice clay machine or whatever you call those doohickys)

A good friend and customer has this every year. Generally I'll bring some 9MM and 5.56 (needless to say, different range) but this is the first time I'm bringing shotgun ammo.

I just don't want the questioned to be asked "who was the idiot who brought this shotgun ammo?"

 

[scootr]

Sounds like fun. We shot a lot of backyards clays. I reloaded #7. Found 8s occasionally bounced upon late shots long angles. Remington 1100s were my gun choice.

 

[Sigarms]

Sounds like fun. We shot a lot of backyards clays. I reloaded #7. Found 8s occasionally bounced upon late shots long angles. Remington 1100s were my gun choice.

How can this not be fun? (this one had to be taken 4 or 5 years ago).

 

[paulsharvey]

I was mostly joking about the pinky up thing, but, some of the engineering companies around here will do carity Skeet shoots, and those guys are not bring Mossberg pumps to the range. Its mostly $3500+ OHs, and they take their game serious. I think its a lot like golf; you can enjoy it for a few hundred dollars, but some people will definitely look down on you. If you ignore them, you will probably have more fun then them, for 1/10 the price.

 

[sea2summit]

Guys dumb question...

For shooting clays, is there a particular 12 gauge round I want to look at?

Picking up some ammo for a Christmas party, and I invited my boss. He said to pick up some ammo for the event. I told him we generally have a big clay shoot which I don't usually participate in, and he mentioned he cracked the stock of his old trap gun, and it'll give him an excuse to buy another one (he recently transferred down from NYC LOL).

If I'm looking for 12 gauge ammofor home defense or Turkeys, no problem. However, looking for ammo for shooting clays, I'm lost.

Just get the standard 2-3/4 1-1/8oz #7.5 shot?

Now for the real stupid question... What is the difference between trap, skeet and clay shooting?

Standard is 2-3/4 7-8 shot is a great beginner load. If you're really good 0-000 buck is where it's at. Elite level shooters use slugs.

 

[rangerfredbob]

For informal the cheap stuff is fine, I've not found use for #9 shot yet, I try to stick to #6 to 7.5 (6 is my favorite but it's not as common, for general purpose that is, don't shoot clays very often...). The 7/8 oz shells aren't as common anymore, they work fine just screwing around but more shot helps so 1- 1 1/8 oz is preferred...

 

[shooterdon]

Many clubs will not allow larger than 7 1/2’s even for informal use.