Starter shotgun for Skeet/Trap/Sporting Clays

[Shamr0ck]

Mornin -

I'm working my way back into the shooting sports, in no small part due to a recent company event which included a couple turns behind the trigger shooting clays -- had a BLAST....

I have a Moss 500 with a short barrel bought back in the early 90s as a home defense gun and know that it can take a 28" barrel too. Just don't know if the $$ for the 28" barrel would be better served in spending on another shotgun which would be a better option for trap/skeet/sporting clays.

Given that both my birthday and christmas are approaching, I'm looking for suggestions on what "features" i should look for in a shotgun which can split duty between trap/skeet/sporting clays and some (not much) hunting or confirmation that the Moss w/28" be fine.

Will the 28" barrel on the Mossberg get me out of the gates or will I want an autoloader/over-under?

I am also looking for places to shoot. I live out in the Frederick area and know that the AGC has a trap range (and public trap on Sundays). Are there other public options available?

Really keen on trying to get this issue sorted before the Loch Raven Charity event next weekend if possible.

Thanks in advance for the advice/guidance and opinions.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

You will want more expensive shotguns as the cycle goes on.

26" or 28" barrel for your mossberg will work for any clays, just get a barrel that you can screw in chokes.

 

[Shamr0ck]

LGS has the 28" barrel with chokes for just over $200. haven't really shopped the price yet, but seemed reasonable at first blush.

by more expensive, do you mean an autoloader? Like i said, I'm just getting back into the shooting sports and had never shot trap until the company event.

If I went to a trap range/shoot - what would I see the most of in terms of actions/manufacturers?

I guess another way to ask the ? would be - if I wanted to get started in trap/skeet/sporting clays and didn't already have a Mossberg, where should I start in looking for a shotgun? I don't want to go get the 28" for the mossberg and then in short order go purchase a more expensive shotgun. That $200 for the barrel would then feel "lost"...

again - thanks...

 

[bigjohn]

buy a used barrel. there are many places on the net that sell nothing but used shotgun barrels. pawn shops are also a good place to find them. most of the time, its less than $100

 

[pitjeep]

i have a few mossberg 28-30 inch barrels that take choke tubes at around 100.00 . pm me if intersted.

 

[teratos]

If you can find a cheap gun with 2 barrels, that would be ideal. For trap, you would prefer a 30" + with a tight choke (IM, F). For Skeet, shorter barrel that is more open (Skeet, C, IC). Not that that is a necessity. You can get started with anything to get a feel for the game.

by more expensive, do you mean an autoloader? Like i said, I'm just getting back into the shooting sports and had never shot trap until the company event.

If you really get into trap, you can spend a ton of money on a gun. You can see good trap shooters shooting anything from banged up Model 10's to $30,000 works of art. A lot of guys shoot single barrel or O/U. It depends on what you want. You can get into a nice single shot or O/U trap gun for around $1000 (at least that is where I would shop).

 

[RetNavyHD]

get yourself a beretta 391 w/30" barrel and be done with it......take all the bs from different guns out of the equation and shoot the gun...I use mine for all clay target sports and have zero problems shooting any of the skeet/trap or sporting (favorite as it is more challenging)...focus on the target and just shoot!!!!!

 

[Shamr0ck]

Great - thanks for the tips and suggestions. I'll spend some time at the LGS and start pricing the various options. That way I'll know what to put on the birthday/christmas list.

again - many thanks.

 

[xcavater]

Damn, was hoping to get this in before one of the B's came out.
I see people every week that consistently score with a 500. 28" is definitely the shortest to use but you can get a different barrel cheaper than a different gun.
Go shoot it at the event and have fun

 

[Shamr0ck]

one of the B's being Benelli or Berretta ? Those are some SWEET looking Shotguns, but lots more $$ than a spare/extra barrel.... Might just well start with another barrel for the Moss and see how much i like the sport. Given the economy and all the other budget items, it will be a hard sell for me to spend 1K+ on a shotgun (not that I wouldn't want to....)

anyone know if Loch Raven has limits on the ammo used? AGC limits to 3 Dram Equiv, shot size between 7.5 and 9 and no more than 1200 FPS.

 

[xcavater]

one of the B's being Benelli or Berretta ? Those are some SWEET looking Shotguns, but lots more $$ than a spare/extra barrel.... Might just well start with another barrel for the Moss and see how much i like the sport. Given the economy and all the other budget items, it will be a hard sell for me to spend 1K+ on a shotgun (not that I wouldn't want to....)

anyone know if Loch Raven has limits on the ammo used? AGC limits to 3 Dram Equiv, shot size between 7.5 and 9 and no more than 1200 FPS.

Or Browning.
Shoot the shit out of the Mossberg. Watched a guy in my squad break 25 with a field grade Mossberg 500 last time I shot trap. I can tell you that he had as much fun as anyone else shooting.
I shot a 28" Stoeger O/U for trap and loved it. I think it swung faster and gave me more time on the bird.
When I went to a longer barrel gun (yep one of the B's) I felt like I was chasing more birds; I'm still getting used to it though
If your barrel now is a fixed choke, grab one from Pitjeep and have at it.

 

[Martian]

I used an old borrowed Mossberg for years for skeet/trap/sporting clays with great success, and recently purchased a Mossberg 500 auto-loader. They have many different configurations, and it's a LOT cheaper than the B's. Don't get me wrong, I love the Bs, yet this gun does everything I need. Visit the Mossberg site and check out the different guns. Then realize that most places like Gander Mountain, Walmart, etc. sell them much cheaper than list price, and mail order is generally cheaper yet. You may find just a barrel is adequate, or if you have some disposable income, you may want to pick up one of the newer models.

 

[RetNavyHD]

Damn, was hoping to get this in before one of the B's came out.
I see people every week that consistently score with a 500. 28" is definitely the shortest to use but you can get a different barrel cheaper than a different gun.
Go shoot it at the event and have fun

HAHA beat you to the punch....nothing wrong with a 500......but I'd be willing to shoot against anyone on here with my Beretta....so how about a round of trap/skeet and sporting then total the score???? Anyone game????

 

[possumman]

The pump will work ok but drive you crazy shooting pairs at sporting clays,an inexpensive semi auto will work fine til you get serious. My son shoots with me sometimes and he uses a pawn shop Ted Wlliams (Winchester)semi-auto I bought him a couple of years ago, and it works just fine. I had been using a cheap over-under(Turkish Khan) that I have put many many boxes of ammo thru,but I finally succumbed to the lure of the Beretta,can't beat them. Remember you cant have too many guns and its good to have extras to let your buddies or kids try their hand at it. By the way Frederick is not too far from Littlestown Fish and Game-be glad to meet you there some Saturday for a round of clays-check out www.sportingclayandtrap.org -there are other places like Mayberry GPA that has public clays and 5 stand some weekends.

 

[tdt91]

get yourself a beretta 391 w/30" barrel and be done with it......take all the bs from different guns out of the equation and shoot the gun...I use mine for all clay target sports and have zero problems shooting any of the skeet/trap or sporting (favorite as it is more challenging)...focus on the target and just shoot!!!!!

yeah but you don't hit any on them.

 

[RetNavyHD]

yeah but you don't hit any on them.

Loser pays for all rounds and dinner?

 

[mward]

26" barrel on your 500 will be fine.

 

[STeveZ]

I would recommend a Remington 1100/1187 or Beretta 390/391 with a 28" barrel with choke tubes. More versatile, better handling and lower recoil than a pump gun.

 

[Shamr0ck]

Thanks again for all the suggestions - I'll start pricing options and building the gift list. I'm going to try and make the Loch Raven Cancer shoot this weekend and hope to see, first hand, some of the other options. I think they may even have rental options..

 

[mdshooterguy2820]

I just put a down payment on a CZ-USA Canvasback 103d O/U today at Freestate. I was talking to the guys about getting a better starter shotgun for clays and they pulled it out of the back to show me. It was exactly what I had been looking for at a great price. I had just shot trap earlier this year for the first time and used my Maverick 88. I had a great time, but still wasn't sold on if it was something I really wanted to get into. I had been looking for something that was decent quality that didn't require too much investment, but would give me a better offering for shooting clays. They hit the mark when they showed me the CZ.