What should I expect?

Doc

The gun club is holding a "sporting clays" match next weekend and I may go. I have heard this term before but have no idea of what it actually involves. Any tips on what to expect, what kind of ammo to take, etc?

I'm not really a "shotgunner" and only own three. A short SxS for CASS matches, a 20" Mossberg 500 with rifle sights for social work and another 500 with 20" and 24" VR barrels for sporting use. I also have a stock of 2.75" shells in #6 and #8.

Are there going to be guys there with $10,000 imported shotguns? What does the course of fire look like? Is the Mossberg a total joke? I like shorter barrels and that's why I ave the 20 and 24. Any requirement on barrel length to compete? Any advantage to one over the other in this type of shooting? Is there some special ammo that is favored?

Thanks for the help.

Horse Plains Drifter

Saxon, from what I've heard $10k will be on the low end for the shotguns that will show up.

scottm21166

taking a mossberg to this event will no doubt bring you many chuckles
.....from well heeled gentlemen. it would be like taking francis the talking mule to the kentucky derby....a toyota cressida to the concours d'elegance....your cal 29 to the americas cup....spritz the wonder dog (lab cross)to the westminster kennel club championship...don't do it. If you can't afford at least a Perrazzi
stick to throwing and shooting cans at the local gravel pit

hughbetcha

Sporting Clays is a lot of fun, but it can be embarrassing the first couple of times you try it. Sproting Clays makes skeet and trap shooting look easy. Compared to either, you have just a fraction of the time to get on target, and the targets will be spinning across the ground, flying through bushes and branches etc at comepletely unexpected angles.

Although most sportsmen like to show off their shotguns for trap skeet or Sporting Clays, any upland-type shotgun with mod or imp choke works fine. More than any shotgun event, this one is not about the shotgun, its about the shooter.

third_shot_flyer

On the other hand, if you can take your Mossy out there and smoke the guys with the high-end shotguns, it might prove a valuable point.

select-fire

You need to locate a 28" min. or 30" sporting clays gun. Something that you can change chokes in easily. All sporting clay ranges are different. Most time it is long range shooting. All my short barrel upland guns are useless. Find you an 870 remington with a 28" barrel with chokes and show them snooty 10K guys what to do. No 8's on the shells.

hughbetcha

I've used my Winchester 1300 and my Browning B-26 O/U to equal effect, that is, I didnt shoot any better with one vs. the other. I can break 25/25 with my 1300 and mod. choke. A friend of mine shoots really well with his 50 year old Win. Modl 12.

Sporting Clays takes so much skill that you're better off practicing a lot with whatever shotgun you have before trying to find some specialized gun that will make any great difference in your shooting.

scottm21166

quote:Originally posted by hughbetcha
Sporting Clays takes so much skill that you're better off practicing a lot with whatever shotgun you have before trying to find some specialized gun that will make any great difference in your shooting.

you guys are no fun.....GOT MERKLE?

cowdoc

whats really fun is when you spankem shooting an old beat up winchester mod 1200 or ect[:D][:D]....btdt ...shooting trap[:D]

fishermanben

The people who are into it spend 3X the money a professional golfer does on gear. It is truly becoming the "affluent gentleman's sport".

When I went, the people were more than nice, helpful, and fun. It's not a snobby sport, from what I gathered.

Take the shotgun you're most comfortable with, and prepare to get schooled, and frustrated.

Ben

select-fire

The range I TRIED it at.. the birds came out so far away they looked like dots.WTH, I didn't even try to shoot they were so far away. Told them, If it were real my dog wouldn't be wore out retrieving[:o)]. Now skeet that is another issue.

MVP

I have found the clubs around here to be more then helpfull with newbies, rather then a bunch of condencending snobs like you would think.
They will even let you shoot their 10,000.00/50,000.00 shotguns.

Mossbergboogie

Where is this i ll bring my mossberg that way you dont look so bad. And if your used to shooting that gun you dont need a 10K gun to break targets. ive heard of guys going to those just for fun with an old winchester and whooping everyone else. its the shooter not the gun that #6 should be perfect #8 is more of a trap load.

temblor

Saxon : Of the guns you've mentioned that you have, the 24" M. 500 with vent rib will fair the best. Hopefully it has choke tubes, and if not a Imp cyl. or modified fixed will get you by on most stations. You need to go at least once just to get a good feel for what you need.
The thing with sporting clays is that all the stations are different and present different type shots. When shooting two at a time it's sometimes better to have two bbls with different chokes for close and long type shots. That's why the O/U guns are so popular. With semi-autos it's best to be able to change chokes on stations for the best compromise, but really good shots can get it done with a fixed chokes too.
You'll see all kinds of guns from very expensive to other guys like you that just showed up with what they had to try it. -- Don't let the snobs bother you. Everyone has to get a start somewhere. Just go and have fun.
Some thing with a longer bbl that swings and points better and has a longer sight radius will give you best results. I'd say a 28" to 30" bbl is about right for most people.
A pump action is a bit of a disadvantage for the average shooter because of the speed needed to get on the second shot, but some guys can do it.
#8 shot will get you by on most stuff. Some of the longer stuff at some places you might be better off with something a little heavier. Just depends on the course and the station. You might have a close one flying one direction and a long one doing a crossing shot, or two closer shots,etc.. That's why double guns are popular. Some guys will load up #8s or #9s with an open choke for a close one and heavier shot with a tigher choke for a longer shot,etc..
If you ever do get a double gun for this purpose, make sure if it has fixed chokes it has a bbl selector option on it. I had a friend who bought a O/U with the fixed chokes and no bbl selector. It was modified and full choked and always fired the modified bbl first. Some of the stations at the course he was shooting at would present the first shot needing the tigher choke first, but he had to use the modified choke first,etc. and it put him at a disadvantage. Food for thought.
If I were you, I'd just go with what I had ( the 24" bbl gun )and take loads with about 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2 or 8 shot( whatever I had on hand )and do the best I could and have some fun. Then the next time you'll know better what to expect, and being your first time it won't make that much difference which ammo you're using in all reality.
Good Luck..........[^]

goldslammer

I like Sporting Clays a hell of a lot more than shooting trap or skeet. I've shot with an 870 pump and with my Browning O/U. Only handicap you have is on doubles(two clays launch at the same time, in different directions), and I can miss a double with a pump just as easily as with an over/under [:D]

Don't expect to break 50, or even 40, but I bet if you're a decent shot on birds and rabbits, you'll break 35 with ease.

And don't let anybody tell you 30 or 35 out of 50 isn't good, a lot of people with $10,000 guns will be right around the same score as you! and one more thing, expect to have fun!

Tailgunner1954

In skeet and trap the name of the game is "break all the targets". The pullers do their best to make it as easy as possable for the shooters.
In sporting clays it's "break as many as you can, and have fun doing it". On the course I set up (in another lifetime) I used to tell the pullers that their job was to make the shooters miss.
On that course our "trap pro's" used to whine that the course was to tough (???), and that they should be scoring a lot higher than they did because "I know I'm the best shot around, and if I can't go streight than the course is not right" BTW, we held the #1 state shooter to his average, so the problem wasn't the course but that our "trap pro's" wasn't as good as they thought they were.
Clay courses are a lot like golf courses, each one is different and a good shooter/player can shoot their average on most courses. One course had a squirrel (target rolled down a log, than "hopped" a small clearing) I don't ever think I hit that one [:I].