Casual Trap Shooting O/U Shotgun?

[Defense Initiative]

Utter nonsense. I've seen plenty of people shoot trap with a pump or semi auto and they do just fine. I've seen a guy with an 870 pump with a 24" barrel smoke everyone else on the line.
Sorry, this sounds like classic trap snobbery.
It's not the gun, it's the shooter.
Besides if someone only has a auto shotgun to shoot trap with, nobody else should be getting pissed. They make shell catchers for them.
The idea that you have to have an over/under or a dedicated trap gun to go shoot maybe 40 rounds of trap a year is BS.

I've also seen a few get lucky. The shooter makes all the difference, but the firearm makes them all the better.

A round of American Trap is 25 targets. Matches can be 50, 100, or 200 targets. However, the OP suggested 1,000 - 1,500 a year, not 40.

 

[Aamdskeetshooter]

In my first foray into civilian shooting I had an 870 Wingmaster (blued, longer barrel/center post/prettier wood) pump for trap and a Browning Citori o/u for skeet.

Trap is slower and more relaxing. I’d like to get back into it.

Skeet with a pump gun is challenging!

I'm not sure how trap is slower and more relaxing. A good trap squad shoots a round in like 15 minutes. That's what I didn't like about it when I started as a kid. I always felt rushed shooting it. And the 1 1/8 ounce shells didn't help either.

My buddy has run a hundred straight in skeet using a pump gun. He's the best pump gun shooter I've ever seen. The first 400 straight (100 straight in 12, 20, 28, and .410) in skeet was shot with 3 model 12's and a model 42. The 42 is really just a model 12 in .410. Ken Barnes had an "advantage" back then in that the .410 was shot first and the 12 was last. Now it's backwards with the .410 last. Shooting a hundred straight with a .410 is challenging especially when you're 300 straight.

 

[RFBfromDE]

I'm not sure how trap is slower and more relaxing. A good trap squad shoots a round in like 15 minutes.

Only one clay is thrown at a time.

I have never shot on a trap squad. Only with myself or one or two others that were not in a hurry.

 

[Aamdskeetshooter]

OP, you said up stream that you don't know what you don't know. That's why you should wait. All of us experienced shotgunners have seen this over and over through the years. New shooter wants an O/U because all the better shooters are shooting one so that must be what I need to shoot better. But they don't want to spend the money on a name brand model that's been proven over years so they buy a budget O/U since it'll be fine. I don't plan to shoot a lot or shoot competition, etc. They still end up regretting the purchase in a large percentage of cases. We understand it's hard for casual shooters to justify $2000, $5000, $10,000 for a shotgun. It's unfortunate that they cost that much but they do. I've been shooting my used Beretta that I paid $1000 for 30+ years ago . It's been rebuilt not because of the rounds I put through it but because of the rounds the Olympic shooter that owned it before me put through it. It cost me $100 for the rebuild a long time ago. I would have no problem selling that gun tomorrow because it's a Beretta. I would've liked to upgrade from the Beretta to a fancier Beretta, Kreighoff, or Kolar but I couldn't justify the expense. I actually stopped shooting competition because it was hard to compete against other shooters that had unlimited funds to devote to the sport. When I did win. 9 times out of 10 my gun was cheaper and uglier than my competitors. LOL.

 

[rbird7282]

I've also seen a few get lucky. The shooter makes all the difference, but the firearm makes them all the better.

A round of American Trap is 25 targets. Matches can be 50, 100, or 200 targets. However, the OP suggested 1,000 - 1,500 a year, not 40.

Yes I know what a round of American trap is.

25 targets per round.
40 x 25= 1,000

The OP was taking about 1,000-1,500 shells through the gun in a year not 1,000 rounds of trap a year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Aamdskeetshooter]

Only one clay is thrown at a time.

I have never shot on a trap squad. Only with myself or one or two others that were not in a hurry.

 

[possumman]

Sheesh guys--let him buy his gun! I have a $400 Khan O/U I bought years ago when I first decided I wanted an O/U and it shoots just fine-- and is now my "guest" gun if someone wants to try it out or I have some family going along. Subsequently I bought a nice used Beretta 391--a 32" 725 and even a Mossberg 930 Sporting. If he gets hooked on Sporting clays or any of the others besides trap there is plenty of time to get another gun---I probably use the 725 at least 90% of the time but they all get used--my 40 year old kid really likes the Mossberg 930!

 

[Biggfoot44]

Only one clay is thrown at a time.

I have never shot on a trap squad. Only with myself or one or two others that were not in a hurry.

I hear you . And even at a trap range when it's all other casual shooters , it's relaxed . But a squad of serious shooters have a rhythm of Pull , Boom , Pull, Boon, etc .

 

[trickg]

Here's an update.

I went to Bass Pro today - they had the CZ Redhead Premier Target on the shelf with a touch of cosmetic damage, so they were willing to knock $150 off the price. So between that, the $100 CZ rebate going on right now, and my military discount, I came in at just over $1100 for a $1479 gun.

However, the NICs system is down, so I wasn't able to do any paperwork - all I did was pay and it has my name on it for when I can go back in.

And now I'm having some serious second thoughts.

On Gun Broker today there's a walnut stocked Browning Cynergy for $1599, so I find myself doing the same thing I did when I was shopping 1911s. My 1911 progression went like this:

1. Springfield Armory Range Officer - it seemed like a nice gun with some nice features
2. Sig STX full size - it had some features I liked such as ambi-safety, checkered front strap, magwell, beaver tail backstrap
3. Springfield TRP - same feature set as the Sig, but internal extractor and standard slide profile
4. Dan Wesson Valor - a step up from the TRP in just about every way and no MIM parts

My progression on this shotgun hunt has been similar:

1. Tristar - that's what the other guys had, so why not?
2. CZ Drake - roughly the same cost, but CZ, so I could get LEO/Mil pricing
3. CZ Redhead Premier - step up from the CZ Drake in just about every way
4. CZ Redhead Premier Target - Monte Carlo stock, 30" barrels and external chokes
5. Browning Cynergy CX....????

Can I justify the cost of the Browning? I can easily reverse this sale at Bass Pro since I have yet to do legal paperwork. I'm not the guy who gets rid of guns, so once I buy it, I'll have it for a long, long time.

My gut is telling me to buy the Browning, but my head is telling me it's too much to spend on a shotgun for such casual use.

 

[Doco Overboard]

What about block and Turkey shoots.
What’s the best gun for them.
Let me guess, one with interchangeable chokes?

This is a serious question.

 

[Sage954]

I was in a similar situation years ago. Started trap shooting and bought a 30 inch barrel for my old 870. Great gun for trap. Decided I wanted an O/U and started researching. Joined Trapshooters.com and started asking questions. All the old timers there said to buy an O/U that starts with B. Whatever fits better. Ended up with a Browning 725 and wouldn’t change a thing. My son has been shooting the 725. Used it to qualify for High School Nationals and took it out to Mason MI last summer.

The 870 is just as capable of breaking clays. Fun to beat guys with a 40 year old pump when they are shooting O/U’s that cost more than my car. Rudy Etchen’s nickname is Mr. 870. He held almost every trap and skeet record with his 870.
worth a trip to joeletchenguns.com If you want to handle all sorts of trap guns.

 

[Sage954]

most trap clubs have a for sale board. lots of deals to be had. Last time I was at PG, a few weeks ago, there was a BT-99 for 950$

 

[trickg]

So....

After sitting here second guessing, I'm going to buy once, cry once - I'll pick up the Browning Cynergy CX. Now I just need to figure out if I want the 28" or 30".

 

[RFBfromDE]

All the cool kids are getting 30s.

That’s why I had 28s.

 

[Doco Overboard]

So....

After sitting here second guessing, I'm going to buy once, cry once - I'll pick up the Browning Cynergy CX. Now I just need to figure out if I want the 28" or 30".

Good for you, you wont be disappointed I bet.
At least I hope not but you'll have a little something at the end of the line for sure.

 

[Sage954]

ideally handle 28 and 30 and see how they swing. All things equal most elite trap shooters are shooting 30 or longer

 

[teratos]

ideally handle 28 and 30 and see how they swing. All things equal most elite trap shooters are shooting 30 or longer

yep.

I’d go 30” if trap is going to be an objective.

 

[AlBeight]

So....

After sitting here second guessing, I'm going to buy once, cry once - I'll pick up the Browning Cynergy CX. Now I just need to figure out if I want the 28" or 30".

Oh no you di’-ent!

 

[atblis]

Definitely nothing shorter than 30”

 

[trickg]

Oh no you di’-ent!

Yep. I did.

I just ordered the Browning Cynergy CX with 30" barrels and walnut stocks from a vendor on Gun Broker.

Yes, it cost a fair bit more than $1,000, but the minute I walked out of Bass Pro today I was second guessing my choice of a pre-damaged CZ Redhead Target, and my wife remarked as we were leaving tonight after undoing the purchase of the CZ that I was smiling, so it was definitely the right choice.

I think part of what really sold me was talking to a friend of mine. I touched base with him to ask him his opinion, and he related how he bought an O/U on the off chance that semi-auto shotguns may one day be banned. His choice, for a gun that really never gets used at all, is a Benelli 828U - a $2700 gun.

It seems like it might be overkill, but I think that I'll enjoy it every time I shoot it, and I seriously doubt if I'll regret buying it.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread - my apologies if I offended anyone at any point.