!!Skeet shooting!! Recommend a shotgun

[morinj]

Looking for recommendations on a shotgun mainly for skeet shooting, I was looking at some Benelli’s but hearing mixed reviews, as the ones I’m looking at are designed to cycle 3.5” shells, and light loads may cause failure to feed, any suggestions? What are you using !!!

[pikergolf]

Are you really talking skeet, or talking trap shooting or shooting clay birds that you throw by hand. They are all different. You certainly don't need a 3.5" chamber for any of those activities. The only way I would buy a 3.5" gun is if I did a "lot" of goose hunting. A "lot".

[elkhunter11]

For actual skeet , I would go with either an O/U or a gas operated semi auto, for more reliable operation with light target loads.

[curtz]

The wife and I were planning on getting back into goose hunting a number of years ago so we bought a couple of browning silver hunter semi autos. We never did get out goose hunting but we absolutely love them for skeet shooting. I bought skeet chokes and they are very accurate and beautiful to shoot.

[morinj]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Are you really talking skeet, or talking trap shooting or shooting clay birds that you throw by hand. They are all different. You certainly don't need a 3.5" chamber for any of those activities. The only way I would buy a 3.5" gun is if I did a "lot" of goose hunting. A "lot".

3-1/2 shells being too much is essentially why I asked for the recommendation as I stated in my post, and would one really use a different shotgun for skeet as they would if they were shooting clay pigeons, or trap shooting! Could there be one that would be great for of the above.

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by morinj

3-1/2 shells being too much is essentially why I asked for the recommendation as I stated in my post, and would one really use a different shotgun for skeet as they would if they were shooting clay pigeons, or trap shooting! Could there be one that would be great for of the above.

There are actually a couple, the beretta A400 excel sporting comes to mind, handles light target loads and 3" mag loads interchangeably, shoots about 60/40 making it good for skeet, sporting clays or trap. Beretta also has a number of o/u's as does browning that would fit the bill.
The remington 1100 competition will do the same save for the fact it only comes with a 2 3/4" chamber.
If you attend a registered shoot you will see 100 guys and 50 different guns, and you will get 50 different opinions on why they work, bottom line is if the gun fits you properly most likely you will shoot it good...... if you practice

[saskbooknut]

Yes, the optimal gun for Skeet is a different gun than a Trap gun. Skeet is a game of quick reflexes on doubles and predictable flight paths for fast moving clays.
Trap guns are usually set up for a significantly high point of impact compared to point of aim. Trap at a serious level, is a 12 gauge game.

Most people that I know would choose an over/under for Skeet shooting over a semi-auto. Lots of competitors in Skeet are shooting 20 gauge in the 12 gauge events these days. Skeet is a multi-gauge game, with events for 12, 20, 28 gauge and .410. You won't go wrong with a Browning or Beretta over/under shotgun for quality and durability over many, many thousands of rounds.

Choose a shotgun that fits you well. Generally, if a Browning fits you, a Beretta will not fit so well. The only way to find out which shotgun to buy is to try out the candidate guns. Some clubs have rental guns. Most clubs have generous member who will let you try out their guns to find out how it feels to you.

Target shooting makes a heavier gun more desirable to soak up recoil. Recoil effect is cumulative. Shooting 100 or 200 rounds in a session, you really want to reduce fatigue and the flinch factor.

Pasture Trap - casual shoot clay birds out back of the barn, is a bring what you got kind of fun. Most pasture Trap shooting is pretty easy shooting unless you set up more difficult targets like those in Sporting Clays/5 stand. You can also buy an oscillator for some home Trap machines that makes more variable targets, like on a real Trap field.

I do a bit of waterfowl hunting over decoys and have no use for 3 1/2 inch shells. I am not saying that no one needs 3 1/2 inch for pass shooting waterfowl, but for any target use, all that you need a 2 3/4" chamber gun.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by morinj

3-1/2 shells being too much is essentially why I asked for the recommendation as I stated in my post, and would one really use a different shotgun for skeet as they would if they were shooting clay pigeons, or trap shooting! Could there be one that would be great for of the above.

If you are going to shoot skeet, you want a gun that shoots around 50/50 or 60/40 , which represents the percentage of pattern above and beyond the point of aim. For patterning, I do actually use the beads, which I ignore for actual wingshooting. For trap, many shooters like a gun that has a higher point of impact. If I had to shoot both trap and skeet with one gun, I would go with a skeet or sporting clays gun, or even a heavier field gun. You mentioned Benelli, and one gun that I would avoid, is the SBE3, because for some reason, the rib was designed to provide a very high point of impact.
The way many people choose a skeet gun, is to go out to a club, and ask to try other members guns, to get an idea of what fits you. Skeet shooters are for the most part very willing to let other shooters try their guns for a round, or at least shoulder their guns. I shot my first round with an old Remington 1100, but after trying a few guns, I settled on a Citori skeet gun, it fit perfectly, and I liked the balance, and I don't like picking up hulls after shooting. I shot the Citori shotguns for over 20 years, and they are very solid guns, that last a long time with heavy volume shooting.
Skeet guns have changed over the years, the old guns had heavy fore ends, and shorter barrels, while the newer skeet guns tend to have longer barrels and slimmer fore ends. The normal barrel length used to be 26-28" for an O/U, and 26" for a semi auto, but it is now 30-32" for an O/U, and 28-30" for a semi auto.
The actual target guns tend to have 2-3/4" or 3" chambers, and they often have higher ribs. Heavier guns swing smoother, and produce less felt recoil, which is a good thing if you shoot 200 rounds or more in a day. If you want one gun for all clays games, a 12 gauge is the most versatile, but as someone else mentioned. some competitive skeet shooters actually use a 20 gauge in the 12 gauge event. I actually shoot the 28 and 410 for most of my skeet shooting, but I haven't competed in many years, so the highest score isn't as important to me these days. And when it comes right down to it, the difference in scores between the12 and 28 is quite small. The 410 is another matter, it can be frustrating , if you are slightly off.
I don't know where you live, or I would invite you out when our skeet field reopens after the virus restrictions are lifted.

[morinj]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If you are going to shoot skeet, you want a gun that shoots around 50/50 or 60/40 , which represents the percentage of pattern above and beyond the point of aim. For patterning, I do actually use the beads, which I ignore for actual wingshooting. For trap, many shooters like a gun that has a higher point of impact. If I had to shoot both trap and skeet with one gun, I would go with a skeet or sporting clays gun, or even a heavier field gun. You mentioned Benelli, and one gun that I would avoid, is the SBE3, because for some reason, the rib was designed to provide a very high point of impact.
The way many people choose a skeet gun, is to go out to a club, and ask to try other members guns, to get an idea of what fits you. Skeet shooters are for the most part very willing to let other shooters try their guns for a round, or at least shoulder their guns. I shot my first round with an old Remington 1100, but after trying a few guns, I settled on a Citori skeet gun, it fit perfectly, and I liked the balance, and I don't like picking up hulls after shooting. I shot the Citori shotguns for over 20 years, and they are very solid guns, that last a long time with heavy volume shooting.
Skeet guns have changed over the years, the old guns had heavy fore ends, and shorter barrels, while the newer skeet guns tend to have longer barrels and slimmer fore ends. The normal barrel length used to be 26-28" for an O/U, and 26" for a semi auto, but it is now 30-32" for an O/U, and 28-30" for a semi auto.
The actual target guns tend to have 2-3/4" or 3" chambers, and they often have higher ribs. Heavier guns swing smoother, and produce less felt recoil, which is a good thing if you shoot 200 rounds or more in a day. If you want one gun for all clays games, a 12 gauge is the most versatile, but as someone else mentioned. some competitive skeet shooters actually use a 20 gauge in the 12 gauge event. I actually shoot the 28 and 410 for most of my skeet shooting, but I haven't competed in many years, so the highest score isn't as important to me these days. And when it comes right down to it, the difference in scores between the12 and 28 is quite small. The 410 is another matter, it can be frustrating , if you are slightly off.
I don't know where you live, or I would invite you out when our skeet field reopens after the virus restrictions are lifted.

Geeze Elk that is great info, I am in the Edmonton area, if am ever in your area I would love to check out your skeet field, really appreciate the info!! Thank you, and thank you to the others with useful info!

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by morinj

Geeze Elk that is great info, I am in the Edmonton area, if am ever in your area I would love to check out your skeet field, really appreciate the info!! Thank you, and thank you to the others with useful info!

I am curious, if you are in the Edmonton area, where do you intend to shoot skeet? Other than the skeet field at Beaverhill Sporting Clays, we have the nearest skeet field to Edmonton. And if you are going to Beaverhill, you might as well shoot sporting clays for the same price.

[morinj]

I have friends and acquaintances that have large pieces of land, and that’s were we would go out, and yes sporting clays is what we would be shooting, I am a novice and really don’t know much about the sport, including the difference between, skeet’s and clays! Perhaps you could shed some light! Thank you !

[Twisted Canuck]

A friend got me into skeet shooting, and we also do some sporting clays on occasion as well at the Wapiti Shooters club here. I was/am a complete neophyte, no experience whatsoever. I was able to try a few different guns, and ended up buying the Beretta A400 Unico. It just seemed to fit me right, and I enjoy going out and banging away. It has functioned flawlessly for a couple thousand rounds or more. Nothing more satisfying than hitting your high low double....I ended up also buying my daughter a 20g Remington 1100 LW (lightweight) from the 70s, and she comes along and schools me now, usually beats me.

I can't add anything else, but I learned a few things reading elks post for sure.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by morinj

I have friends and acquaintances that have large pieces of land, and that’s were we would go out, and yes sporting clays is what we would be shooting, I am a novice and really don’t know much about the sport, including the difference between, skeet’s and clays! Perhaps you could shed some light! Thank you !

I highly doubt you guys are doing sporting clays.
I wager it’s just a bunch of guys just informally shooting clays.(clays not skeet’s)

Look here:
https://www.nrablog.com/articles/201...porting-clays/

[catnthehat]

It was interesting to watch the trap and skeet shotgun styles change over the years .
Longer barrels, different shaped forearms, adjustable stocks, screw in chokes instead of switching barrels or guns , it is endless.

people are teaching completely different techniques as well, but the one constant that has remained is gun fit, that has NEVER changed!
If the danged thing does not fit your or you cannot swing it, you are lost.
I once looked at a beautiful 12 gauge skeet gun that one of the guys had for sale at our club. He had won numerous Canadian Championships with it.

I couldn't hit with it as well as my SxS simply because it didn't fit me well and was quite a bit heavier than I was used to shooting.
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by morinj

I have friends and acquaintances that have large pieces of land, and that’s were we would go out, and yes sporting clays is what we would be shooting, I am a novice and really don’t know much about the sport, including the difference between, skeet’s and clays! Perhaps you could shed some light! Thank you !

Skeet is a specific game, trap is a specific game, and there are American and international variations of both. Sporting clays refers to a few other games, including five stand. There is no such thing as "skeets" that is just people that don't understand what skeet is, referring to the clay targets as skeets. That is like someone referring to the rubber disc used in the game of hockey, as a "hockey". There are more trap fields around, trap being a game where you use one target thrower,and stand in five different positions to shoot a round. In skeet, you need two target throwers, and you shoot from eight different positions, to shoot a round. Sporting clays has no standard configuration, it is pretty much like golf with a shotgun, as you travel from station to station and shoot at targets thrown from two or more throwers per station. Five stand is a similar game, where you shoot from five stations, at targets thrown from multiple throwers. Trap targets are all going away from you, skeet targets can be coming, going or perpendicular, sporting clays can be coming and going, and from above and below, as well as targets that roll and bounce along the ground.
Many people that claim to have been shooting skeet, have simply been out in a field shooting at targets thrown by hand or with a portable thrower. The targets thrown by hand are usually much slower than the targets thrown out of a regulation trap or skeet machine, , and especially out of some sporting clays or international machines, where the targets may be launched up to 60mph, or even a bit more. Sporting clays also uses smaller targets on some stations, that can be difficult to see, and you can't actually see some of the throwers on a sporting clays field.
Most people start with trap shooting, which is the easiest to lean, because the targets are all going away at one speed, and at one trajectory, unless you shoot wobble trap. Skeet is a bit tougher to learn, because of the targets coming and going, and especially the doubles, but the targets are all thrown at one speed and one trajectory. Wind can make either trap or skeet more difficult. because it changes the trajectories and speeds. Sporting clays has no standard trajectories or speeds, or distances, so it is by far the most challenging.
Many people coming out to shoot actual skeet or sporting clays , are surprised at how much more challenging it is than shooting targets thrown out of a portable thrower. Some that claim to shoot 80-90% in their field with their thrower, don't break 50% on a regulation skeet field. A good eye opener, is shooting a fun shoot at a sporting clays field, you will soon see just how good you really are at wind shooting.Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and others put on shoots at Beaverhill Sporting clays, and that is a great way to get out and see what sporting clays is all about.
Regardless of which game you shoot, if you get to where you shoot 80-90% at the actual game, you will do very well shooting birds in the field.

[ward]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

A friend got me into skeet shooting, and we also do some sporting clays on occasion as well at the Wapiti Shooters club here. I was/am a complete neophyte, no experience whatsoever. I was able to try a few different guns, and ended up buying the Beretta A400 Unico. It just seemed to fit me right, and I enjoy going out and banging away. It has functioned flawlessly for a couple thousand rounds or more. Nothing more satisfying than hitting your high low double....I ended up also buying my daughter a 20g Remington 1100 LW (lightweight) from the 70s, and she comes along and schools me now, usually beats me.

I can't add anything else, but I learned a few things reading elks post for sure.

You made a good choice. Hard to argue against a good autoloader as a starter gun. They are easier to adjust for fit and initial price is usually lower when new.

[Twisted Canuck]

I will also say that the most important piece of equipment when shooting skeet, is your safety glasses and a hat. I have been hit with broken pieces of clays a few times, usually shooting from the low house position. When the high house clay is coming over you can get peppered pretty good. My unico actually has a 'battle scar' on the stock from taking a jagged chunk. My friend got a piece in the head, not wearing a hat, and it drew blood. Strange but true.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

I will also say that the most important piece of equipment when shooting skeet, is your safety glasses and a hat. I have been hit with broken pieces of clays a few times, usually shooting from the low house position. When the high house clay is coming over you can get peppered pretty good. My unico actually has a 'battle scar' on the stock from taking a jagged chunk. My friend got a piece in the head, not wearing a hat, and it drew blood. Strange but true.

Nobody is allowed to shoot skeet on our range without safety glasses, and the broken clays are not the only threat, I have been struck by pellets, that hit hard enough to leave a mark. One pellet actually left a mark in the lens of my shooting glasses. It's hard to believe until you experience it, but pellets can come back 180 degrees. The theory that makes the most sense to me, is that a pellet can strike the inside of the clay at the right angle, and run around the rim and come back the way it came. I was also at a sporting clays shoot , where the owner was standing beside us 25 yards away from where the target was broken, and a pellet that ricocheted drew blood on his arm. And yet some people show up to shoot without safety glasses, or show up with dark sunglasses, and then take them off, because they are too dark to see the clays. One shooter refused to wear safety glasses, until he was given the option of wearing them or leaving. And it's not just the shooters that are at risk, if someone comes along to watch, they should also be wearing eye protection.

[catnthehat]

Yup " spin arounds", Busted piece of clays are pretty darned dangerous as well.
George Ford had a piece of clay bird stuck in the forend of his 101!
Cat

[Twisted Canuck]

Absolutely a must at our range as well. I always cringe when I see people wearing eyewear that really isn't that safety oriented ( ie doesn't wrap around to fully protect eyes), I've been hit in the face just under my glasses once and left a good scratch.

I've never heard of being hit with pellets like that though (as I said, I'm pretty new to skeet), but that's a real wake up call too! Getting hit in your glasses must really drive the lesson home.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Absolutely a must at our range as well. I always cringe when I see people wearing eyewear that really isn't that safety oriented ( ie doesn't wrap around to fully protect eyes), I've been hit in the face just under my glasses once and left a good scratch.

I've never heard of being hit with pellets like that though (as I said, I'm pretty new to skeet), but that's a real wake up call too! Getting hit in your glasses must really drive the lesson home.

I have only been hit with pellets twice, in about 25 years of shooting skeet, so it isn't common, but it does happen. And you are correct about poor shooting glasses as well, some people show up with flimsy sunglasses that are not made to withstand an impact, but as long as they have some type of eye protection, we do allow them to shoot. Personally, I wear actual shooting glasses, that are designed for impacts.

[morinj]

I see there’s a lot more to this then meets the eye, what we’re doing is shooting clays in a field, I know that onoway gun range has a launcher also, but has me wondering what the application is, I was told it’s a skeet launcher but as has been stated people often times use is in the wrong context!

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by morinj

I see there’s a lot more to this then meets the eye, what we’re doing is shooting clays in a field, I know that onoway gun range has a launcher also, but has me wondering what the application is, I was told it’s a skeet launcher but as has been stated people often times use is in the wrong context!

Sherwood Park also has a couple of manual launchers for people to bring their own targets to throw . They are good for teaching a beginner the very basics, but you have to throw from one position only, so all of the targets being identical, would soon get boring. If the goal is becoming a better shot on birds in the field, sporting clays produces targets that match pretty much any situation that you might encounter in the field. However, sporting clays is much more expensive than skeet, so skeet is a more affordable alternative. Trap also helps, but with all targets rising away from the shooter, it really doesn't help with oncoming birds, pass shooting at overhead birds, or shooting at birds dropping into decoys. But when it comes right down to it, any wingshooting is better than none. And as far as shotguns go, you can shoot all of the clays games with your hunting shotgun, as long as it handles suitable target loads. I always shoot a few rounds of skeet with all of my hunting guns, before the season opens.

[wwbirds]

People should probably phrase "shooting clay birds" instead of describing shooting skeet or trap which invokes a certain set up in experienced shooters.
As elk stated trap is shooting clay birds primarily thrown away from the shooter from one station or thrower whereas skeet is a variety of stations in a semi circle between 2 clay bird launching houses one throwing high birds and one throwing low birds. Ideally skeet guns are designed to break clay at 22 yards while trap birds are frequently broken at considerably longer distances and often require tighter chokes. Sporting clays is often a combination of both and additional challenges such as rolling rabbits, mini clays etc.
Shooting clays in a field is great practice for wing shooting and some throwers even can throw doubles for more experienced shooters but cant really compare to trap skeet or sporting clays which have formalized rules and set ups.

[iplum4u]

I own 2 Benelli Super Sport semi auto shotguns, 1-12guage and 1-20gauge. I absolutly love them. Use them for everything from sporting clays to upland and waterfowl. NEVER had an issue with either one, weather its shooting 3"mags or 2-3/4" trap loads, they always cycle beautifully, and they look sexy!

[Chargerguy]

I just had my first exposure to sporting clays (Beaver Hill) and I’m hooked. I couldn’t bring my shotgun (short barrel length) so I borrowed an 870. I felt I did surprisingly well. But now I’m thinking of a new shotgun I could use for birds and also sporting clays. How do you guys feel about the Benelli M2 Field? The guys running the place said to stay away from an inertia driven gun but I had zero issue with recoil on the pump while I was there. Lots of A400 recommendations and they had an SX3 go down while I was there.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Chargerguy

I just had my first exposure to sporting clays (Beaver Hill) and I’m hooked. I couldn’t bring my shotgun (short barrel length) so I borrowed an 870. I felt I did surprisingly well. But now I’m thinking of a new shotgun I could use for birds and also sporting clays. How do you guys feel about the Benelli M2 Field? The guys running the place said to stay away from an inertia driven gun but I had zero issue with recoil on the pump while I was there. Lots of A400 recommendations and they had an SX3 go down while I was there.

Inertia operated semi autos can be unreliable with lighter target loads. Gas operated semi autos need to be cleaned now and then, but as well as producing less felt recoil, they tend to do better with light target loads. I have seen both SX-3 and A400 shotguns fail to cycle, but the cause was poor maintenance. I have also seen the SBE and Super Vinci fail to cycle, but again, it was a maintenance issue.