Skeet question

[rico903]

I haven't done any shot gunning in several years, so when did long barrels become the new trend for skeet. In the past it was always shorter, open choked barrels. Now it seems people are using trap length barrels for skeet.

 

[Aamdskeetshooter]

Once people started using sustained lead longer barrels became more popular. The extra weight and sight plane are additional benefits. I've been shooting a tubed 30" Beretta 682 for 25 years or so. The guns also weigh a lot more nowadays. Most top shooter shoot a gun over 10 pounds with tubes. The latest trend is high ribs and Monte Carlo stocks like trap guns. Your head is more upright, vision is better which in turn means you don't lift your head off the stock. For a casual shooter it's not a big deal. Fundamentals are much more important. If you're going to spend big bucks on a competition rig you probably know what you want/like.


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[Pinecone]

Even in the short barrel days, many shooters put weights on the barrel.

The idea is that heavier mass out front, smooths the swing. The downside, it takes more to get the swing up to speed.

 

[Kevp]

I think it's coincided with the rise in popularity of sporting clays. 30-32" barrels are the standard in sporting clays, and I think you see it because guys are using the same guns for both sports.

 

[rtse4me]

I agree with everything said. I started seeing longer barrels in the early 90s. Nothing wrong with 28" barrels for skeet some international shooters like them because they are a bit quicker. Also, you can find some good deals on shorter barrel o/u.
I could never shoot a heavy gun, tried a friend's K80 with tubes once for giggles.

 

[rico903]

I always thought skeet was to simulate actual filed hunting for birds so the couple of times I did it I used either a 26" or 28" barrel. Either my 16ga model 12 or a Wingmaster 26" I have used 28" and 30" for trap and don't really notice a difference. I guess having 1 gun for all disciplines makes sense but I sure wouldn't want to carry a 30 -32" barrel in the field for pheasants and grouse.

 

[Pinecone]

All the clay target games were originally designed to simulate shooting live birds in the field.

Trap started with throwing glass balls to simulate flushed birds over a dog. Then they developed the clay target. Then skeet came along, as Trap only simulated some birds and situations so Skeet provided crossing and incoming type targets.

Except that Trap and Skeet are too locked down in the presentations.

Sporting clays is the only one the offers virtually ANY presentation of targets, and non-standard targets themselves.

 

[possumman]

3 bird shoot this Saturday at Hopewell--- www.hopewellfg2.com there you will see some presentations you can shoot with or without a partner .

 

[JoeRinMD]

Trap started with throwing glass balls to simulate flushed birds over a dog. Then they developed the clay target.

I believe the origins of trap are from England where a live bird was held in a "trap" until the shooter called "pull" and the cord was pulled to release the bird. Only much later did the glass balls and clay pigeons get developed.

Here's a citation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_shooting#History

Joe

 

[Pinecone]

Actually, I had forgotten that.

And there are still live pigeon shoots that work that way. The birds are in cages in the middle of a large circle, shooter on the outside. Has to drop the bird into the circle to be scored.

I understand that some BIG money changes hands at these shoots.

There was a company that had a system that simulated live pigeon shoots. The targets were plastic with blades. The launchers spun them and then released them like the old pull string helicopter toy. The center was a replaceable disk, and if the disk lands in the circle, it is scored as a kill.

 

[Boom Boom]

I occasionally see people shoot sporting clays with a 26" O/U. Those people tend to switch to 28"-32" not long after they try somebody else's shotgun while trying to figure out why other people consistently score higher.

 

[Rebelwon]

Geez! I guess I will date myself - in the 80 s I always used a 26" barrel with skeet choke (no tubes) in both 20 ga and 12 ga for pure skeet, and a 30" full choke barrel for trap. I thought any weight advantage you could get was the way to go for skeet. Since I have never shot sporting clays (which I guess combine skeet and trap), I cannot really comment on what is best; guess it all depends on what kind of hunting one does - may need the versatility of a mid-length Harrell for mixed, but I found the shorter barrel good for pass-shooting, particularly ducks.

 

[rico903]

Geez! I guess I will date myself - in the 80 s I always used a 26" barrel with skeet choke (no tubes) in both 20 ga and 12 ga for pure skeet, and a 30" full choke barrel for trap. I thought any weight advantage you could get was the way to go for skeet. Since I have never shot sporting clays (which I guess combine skeet and trap), I cannot really comment on what is best; guess it all depends on what kind of hunting one does - may need the versatility of a mid-length Harrell for mixed, but I found the shorter barrel good for pass-shooting, particularly ducks.

This was exactly my experience in the 70"s and 80"s.

 

[STeveZ]

This is just my opinion but, for me, a 26" O/U is too short for any game or any quarry. I'm not saying it won't work. I'm not saying you can't hit with it. I'm just saying it's not the best tool for the job. Even for the "quickest" shooting I do (grouse & woodcock) I've found a 28" O/U works better.

Yes, there are hundreds of thousands of 26" O/U out there in the world. Yes, your Uncle Clem won the club championship with one. No, the clay doesn't know what barrel length broke it. (As an aside, the clay is an inanimate so it doesn't know anything)

IMHO a 26" double is best suited to a shooter of small stature or one who is looking for a bargain (since 28" is the minimum length that a large segment of shotgunners will consider). I like 30" barrels for skeet and 32's for clays, with 2" +/- not a serious handicap.

 

[fabsroman]

This is just my opinion but, for me, a 26" O/U is too short for any game or any quarry. I'm not saying it won't work. I'm not saying you can't hit with it. I'm just saying it's not the best tool for the job. Even for the "quickest" shooting I do (grouse & woodcock) I've found a 28" O/U works better.

Yes, there are hundreds of thousands of 26" O/U out there in the world. Yes, your Uncle Clem won the club championship with one. No, the clay doesn't know what barrel length broke it. (As an aside, the clay is in animate so it doesn't know anything)

IMHO a 26" double is best suited to a shooter of small stature or one who is looking for a bargain (since 28" is the minimum length that a large segment of shotgunners will consider). I like 30" barrels for skeet and 32's for clays, with 2" +/- not a serious handicap.

And then they make some turkey and waterfowling semi's with a 24" barrel. I guess the extra 3" receiver adds to the sighting plane, so it is alright.

Did not see it mentioned, but the additional length of the barrels adds weight to the gun. Additional weight reduces felt recoil. Felt recoil after 100+ rounds can bother some people.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

 

[Pinecone]

(As an aside, the clay is an inanimate so it doesn't know anything)

This is B**L S**T.

I KNOW that clays laugh at you when you miss.

 

[Pinecone]

Since I have never shot sporting clays (which I guess combine skeet and trap),

Not exactly. Sporting clays is whatever the course designer wants it to be.

I had shot crossing targets that were launched from 300 feet off the ground from a tower. Teals are throw pretty much straight up. Rabbits are rolled along the ground and hop. Squirrels are thrown up an inclined ramp. I have shot target crossing about 50 feet directly below me (off a platform off the side of a vertical wall). I have shot targets that appeared to be aimed at my head. Targets that float in from out of sight and settle into a clearing. Every angle from downhill to straight up. And every angle of the compass.

Then add in Midi targets (90mm versus 110mm for standard), or Minis (60mm, look like lfying aspirin tablets), Bateau (very thin). In all sorts of colors - orange, yellow, white, black, green, etc.

The ONLY sure thing about sporting clays is, you will have targets thrown, and they mostly can be hit.

 

[Mack C-85]

I shoot a 30" O/U for all the shotgun games, just change out the chokes depending on target distance.

Skeet: Skeet/Imp.Cly.
16 yd Trap: Mod
Handicap Trap: Imp.Mod.
Sporting: Anything and everything I have in the box depending on the presentation. Like Pinecone said targets in Sporting are only limited by available ground, designers imagination (and level of Sadism) and safety.

Never felt handicapped by barrell length. However,I have a 26" 20 ga O/U. Too light and too whippy for a target gun, very hard to maintain a smooth swing.

 

[possumman]

Dont forget poison birds where they throw 3- 2 one color and 1 different---cant shoot the odd one, tough when they are flying 3 feet apart in formation. it is the variety that makes sporting such fun- that and if you miss a few, thats expected - in trap you better hit them all.