Anyone shoot at the little flying clay targets?

[Plainsman]

I want to get into skeet, or some other clay sport. Does anyone here shoot? I'm looking for some advice or where to get it. Anything from what equipment to tips on shooting are appreciated.

I sure would love a Browning Citori, but will have to make do with my Beretta AL390. Any opinions on this gun?

Thanks.

 

[Drcrimson]

I shoot clay’s occasionally. I use to go all the time to a great place in Delaware (it was high end sporting clay courses).

Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center - DNREC

The Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center offers trap and skeet shooting, rifle and pistol shooting, archery, and more.

dnrec.delaware.gov

I have a clay thrower I bought a few years ago we use some at the gun range we shoot at in Blount county.

I’ve heard there are some places in N Alabama but haven’t made it to one yet. Would love to get back into it. I do use a browning Citori and wouldn’t trade it for any others. Although my son favors a browning auto 5 with a skeet barrel modification I bought several years ago. It doesn’t look as pretty as my browning O/U but it is hard to beat.

 

[Plainsman]

Thanks for the reply. Is your Citori a field model, or one specifically for clay targets?

I am fortunate to have CMP range close to me, so I will try them out first.

 

[Drcrimson]

It’s a field model I picked up quite a while back.

 

[kenny1773]

I have shot sporting clays, trap and skeet a few times and I did 5 stand once. I am not great at it. I want to get better, but I do not want to compete, just shoot for fun

The CMP is an excellent place to shoot anything. Their sporting clays course is a lot of fun

What I have learned so far is that I need to practice more. How to stand, where to put feet, where to hold the gun, where is the ideal place to shoot and break the clay. I am sloppy on all the above. There are a bunch of youtube videos that explain in detail

I have mostly shot either with a 26" barrel pump (yes that can get challenging) or a 28" barrel semi-auto (absolutely easier for sporting clays with pairs).

I just picked up a low end over under with a 30" barrel because I want to shoot a lot more clays in 2024. I have not shot it at anything other than soda cans so far, but it points well and it fits me.

I need to make time to practice more now

 

[Plainsman]

Thanks Kenny and Dr. I guess it's off to youtube I go.

 

[kenny1773]

Most experience shooters tell me not to worry about the gun the choke or the shotshell specs too much
get a good average for what you are trying to shoot and work on YOU and YOUR skills
You can fine tune the gun later

I can't link youtube videos, but there is one for example that shows some skilled shooters breaking a clay at 50-60 yards with a skeet choke
I am sure you can search for it

TGS Outdoors




When I shoot sporting clays, I have been using an Improved Cylinder with 7.5 shot 3dr and 1 /18 oz, this gets me in a good range for the majority of shots I am going to take with the understanding that the really far out shots I am most likely going to miss (and I am ok with that).

Skeet is another story, shoot a skeet choke and shoot lighter loads, all the shots are close

Trap is more on you and how quick you break the clay out of the trap house, quick shooters will not shoot as far of a distance, slow shooters will shoot further. I think they say average is around 32-35 yards from shooter to where the clay is when broken.

 

[Plainsman]

Good info. Even though you say the gun is not the most important thing, I think I'll order a skeet choke for my Beretta. Thanks.

 

[kenny1773]

What choke tubes do you already have?

If you already have an improved cylinder, you can use that for skeet and it will work fine

If you want to spend money, go for it

What I am saying is until you get better skills, being one choke tube off isn't going to matter. I would not go extreme and shoot skeet with a full choke, but one tube off is no big deal for a beginner

 

[v2comp]

Most experience shooters tell me not to worry about the gun the choke or the shotshell specs too much
get a good average for what you are trying to shoot and work on YOU and YOUR skills
You can fine tune the gun later

I can't link youtube videos, but there is one for example that shows some skilled shooters breaking a clay at 50-60 yards with a skeet choke
I am sure you can search for it

TGS Outdoors

View attachment 12742


When I shoot sporting clays, I have been using an Improved Cylinder with 7.5 shot 3dr and 1 /18 oz, this gets me in a good range for the majority of shots I am going to take with the understanding that the really far out shots I am most likely going to miss (and I am ok with that).

Skeet is another story, shoot a skeet choke and shoot lighter loads, all the shots are close

Trap is more on you and how quick you break the clay out of the trap house, quick shooters will not shoot as far of a distance, slow shooters will shoot further. I think they say average is around 32-35 yards from shooter to where the clay is when broken.

Plus one on the IC or a newer clay specific choke tubes.

 

[Plainsman]

Thanks guys. I have modified and IC at the moment, so I guess I'm good.

 

[v2comp]

You're fine, I won a Benneli SBE III 20ga at a Ducks Unlimited shoot in Auburn a couple years ago and had never shot sporting clays before that day. Since then I've been like 10 times and have gotten much better.

 

[Oz82]

My youngest son has an uncanny talent with guns. He got invited to an informal trap shooting event but only had a break action single shot at the time. He borrowed my turkshit pump with a barely legal length cylinder bore barrel and broke nearly as many as his more experienced buddy who was running a custom Benelli.

So sometimes it's more about the shooter than the shoot stick.

 

[Plainsman]

My youngest son has an uncanny talent with guns. He got invited to an informal trap shooting event but only had a break action single shot at the time. He borrowed my turkshit pump with a barely legal length cylinder bore barrel and broke nearly as many as his more experienced buddy who was running a custom Benelli.

So sometimes it's more about the shooter than the shoot stick.

I've been looking on youtube and it seems my shotgunning techniques will need much improvement. Especially the way the hands move and when to actually mount the gun to my shoulder.

 

[rmsl05]

For me, it helps to understand the pattern of my shotgun at different distances so I can gauge how much lead I need. I shoot with a semi-auto shotgun as well.

 

[bronicabill]

An IC choke will work quite well, and so will the AL390. I used to shoot skeet with an AL391 and it was a great gun to start out with, and I'm sure would have been good for years more after that.

Unfortunately my access to a skeet range at that time went away and I ended up selling the Beretta... one of my #1 regrets in my gun world!!! Recently picked up one of those cheap Turkish-made O/U shotguns and it does fine for the task, what little I get to shoot anymore, but still miss that Beretta!

 

[Beastmaker]

Anyone shoot at the little flying clay targets?

That's exactly what I do when I go. I have a thrower and me and my son's will go out and fling a few. We use pump guns with mod chokes, nothing fancy. I did get a belt shell holder and shoulder pad, after 100 rounds your feeling it.

Shiloh Clays - Google Search

I've been here ^ to Shiloh Clay's in Calera a couple times and it's a great place for sporting clays

 

[Plainsman]

For me, it helps to understand the pattern of my shotgun at different distances so I can gauge how much lead I need. I shoot with a semi-auto shotgun as well.

Thanks rms. I do need to pattern this gun since I've not really shot it.

 

[Plainsman]

An IC choke will work quite well, and so will the AL390. I used to shoot skeet with an AL391 and it was a great gun to start out with, and I'm sure would have been good for years more after that.

Unfortunately my access to a skeet range at that time went away and I ended up selling the Beretta... one of my #1 regrets in my gun world!!! Recently picked up one of those cheap Turkish-made O/U shotguns and it does fine for the task, what little I get to shoot anymore, but still miss that Beretta!

Thanks for sharing. I have decided to never sell a few of my guns. I hope I stick to it. I had a Remington 1100 in the early 1980s. It was my main shotgun. It got stolen in a move and I never replaced it. That was a mistake. Used ones in pretty rough condition are going for 700 dollars. It hurts!