leftnose

NSCA (sporting clays) shoot lookup: http://www.nssa-nsca.org/index.php/nsca-sporting-clays-shooting/find-a-shoot/shoot-search/ NSSA (skeet) shoot lookup: http://www.nssa-nsca.org/index.php/nssa-skeet-shooting/find-a-shoot/shoot-search/ Pretty good resource for clays club scouting: http://www.claytargetsonline.com/list.php/ID AFAIK, the ATA (trap) doesn't have a shoot lookup by state.

I don't intend at all to be mean-spirited but this makes me laugh. In a good way. It's great to see enthusiasm right off the bat! The farthest box (in ATA regulation Trap) is the 27 yard line. And the "little building" is called the house. Check out trapshooters.com it's the best trap shooting forum on the web.

Oh, my friend. You've got a way to go! Next, you've got to try sub-gauge clays. And, of course, you're going to need someway to shoot that. Maybe a tube set? A barrel set? A gun in each gauge? Maybe all of the above! But then you're going to need a backup gun for when you start shooting tournaments. And then a rain gun! Next, you're going to take days off work to shoot tournaments out of state. Then you're going to start taking lessons from the pros. Get out now while you can! It's a never ending process! /joking! In all seriousness, it's great fun. I shoot a ton of clays, though I have slowed down a bit in the last couple of years. There was a time when I was taking 10 days vacation a year to shoot tournaments. I made master class and I can't compete there on a national level so I don't have much to accomplish anymore. Now it's gotten back to be all about the fun! Don't lose sight of that! We're in this for the fun.

Shell pouch: http://mpcsports.com/dividedpouchwbelt419t.aspx Spending more than that will only get you fancy materials, not additional utility. A pump gun is just fine for skeet and, once you get used to it, is no handicap at all for doubles. Wayne Mayes, one of the greatest Skeet shooters of all time, started his career with a Winchester 1200 pump. That gun is now in the NSSA hall of fame because he shot so many 100-straights with it. FWIW, all recent 870s are "Magnums." The only difference is the location of the ejector. The magnum ejector is in a different place so that the 3" shells won't get kicked out too early. BUT! You have to pay attention to the barrel. It has to have a 3" chamber to be able to shoot them (a 3" gun is good for 2-3/4" as well). There are Super Magnums as well. They're chambered for 3.5" shells. That's a different gun. For shells, get the lightest most powder puff shells you can get your hands on. No reason to break your shoulder and develop a flinch for close range Skeet targets. 2-3/4" 2-3/4" dram/1200 FPS 1 oz (or 1-1/8 oz. if you can't get 1 oz). 7.5, 8, 8.5, or 9 shot.

Don't buy a 'cheap' O/U. You'll have problems. Guaranteed. More than just paying for the name, there's a reason why Berettas and Brownings are more than twice the price of even a CZ. Either buy a used Beretta or Browning for ~$1,000 or go for a Beretta auto. Don't go for a Benelli auto for clays. They're great guns for hunting and practical shooting but they're not right for clays despite what Benelli's marketing department might want you to believe.

Get a 28" Beretta A300 and call it a day. The A300 is basically the same as the now discontinued 391. The 391 is still the semi auto to use for targets even though it has been replaced by the A400. For whatever reason, probably aesthetic, the A400 has not proven to be as popular as the 391. There are a lot of truly top flight shooters who use 391s. It, and the 300, are great guns that can take you to the top levels of the game. if you're shooting trap, though, get a shell catcher so you're not ejecting empties on the shooter next to you.

Most basically, trap guns shoot a high POI and skeet guns shoot flatter. Think 6 o'clock hold instead of "through the dots." This is because trap targets are always rising when shot whereas skeet targets aren't. The high POI builds in some of the lead and allows the shooter to "float" the target over the gun and keep it in sight. With a flat shooting gun, one has to sweep up and through the target and cover it before pulling the trigger. It's not ideal but it can be done. It just brings an element of timing into the game. In practice though, there are more differences. Trap guns tend to have higher stocks (which is what causes the high shooting) and higher ribs. The high ribs lets the shooter see the target come out of the house sooner as the barrel is lower in the line of sight and not causing an obstruction. Skeet guns tend to have stock dimensions that are a bit lower to keep them shooting flat but high ribs are starting to become the rage in that game as well for the same reason of visibility. Almost without exception, a "serious" trap or skeet gun will be break action. Since trap has a few different games, singles, handicap, and doubles, the "best" trap guns tend to be combo sets with a long single barrel that's used for singles and handicap, and an O/U barrel used for doubles. The single barrel, again, allows for better visibility and quicker acquisition of the target. A 34" single barrel with 32" O/U barrels are probably the most common combo. Skeet guns tend to be a bit shorter with 30" probably the most common length now. Serious shooters all use O/Us with fitted subgauge sets that allow all the events to be shot with one gun. It's even very common to shoot the 12ga and doubles events with the 20ga tubes installed so that the gun always feels the same. So, trap guns: long barrels, shoots high, break action, two barrel sets. skeet guns: shorter barrels, shoots flat, break action, subgauge tubes. At the end of the day, though, you can shoot any gun at any game and still have a blast. It's only if you want to be very truly serious that you need to take a closer look at the equipment used.

Meh, that's a bit high for a used standard grade depending on date of manufacture and barrel config. A flat rib standard grade with a 10-6 rib and Ti chokes should go for about $8K max. Pro sporter a bit more and the Parcours is too new yet to have an established value on the used market.

I'm a bit late to this party but all the powder companies have their reloading data online. Going straight to the horse's mouth is always better than relying on third party information. All the 7/8 oz. e3 data, straight from Alliant: http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/powderlist.aspx?type=2&powderid=20&gauge=12 Just filter by primer and then look at the different loads combinations published for 7/8oz

The Golden Clays is exactly the same as the base model 625 in terms of mechanical durability. It's just got some stuff on the receiver and nicer wood. In no particular order: Browning, Beretta, Blaser, Guerini, Perazzi, Krieghoff, Kolar Those are the brands to stick to and you won't go wrong. Pick the one that fits you best, fits your budget and you like. Don't be afraid to look at a used gun. Or better yet, take the money you would spend and buy targets and ammo instead. That'll do more to improve your shooting than a new gun.

The 3901 has been replaced by the 300. The 3901 is basically the same as a 390 but made in the US instead of Italy. The 300 is basically the same as a 391 but made in the US instead of Italy. They "retire" the old model when replaced and bring the tooling here to build "budget" guns,. Either a 3901 or 300 would be a great choice.

Well, if you have fitted subgauge tubes, you'll have to get two tubes that are the same as what are in the gun now as the tubes won't fit if the chokes are different. Assuming the gun is choked SK/SK now, you'll have to get two SK chokes. Why do you want a full choke? Are you planning on shooting 25+ yard handicap trap? I don't honestly see a need for a full choke for clays for any other reason. I get the steel-proof chokes "just in case." I only shoot lead through those guns but "you never know." The only difference is the tube itself so you can always buy steel-proof choke tubes later. I also prefer extended chokes for ease of use but, again, I just think Briley's standard extended thinwalls look dumb because the extended portion is so long. This may not bother you. I just ask for the "short" extension.

I've had Briley thread two guns for me. There's no one else in the US that I would use for this but PUT YOUR ORDER TO THEM IN WRITING. Both times the gun came back with tubes different than what I ordered. It all got straightened out in the end but I'm glad I had the written order to fall back on. The work they do is great and they do things that no one else does (steel proof thinwalls). Again, I wouldn't send a gun to anyone else for this service. As for choke choice, it really depends on what you want to do with the gun. I shoot mainly sporting clays and I'm a proponent of the close/middle/far school of choking so I generally go with .005/.015/.025 (SK/LM/IM) but it really comes down to a matter of personal preference. Beware that the standard extended thinwalls have a very long extended section which looks kind of stupid to me. They have an optional "short" extended which is what I would go with. Talk to them about it if you want to go extended and choose the one you prefer. Just be aware that there are choices. I tend to go with Black Oxide as well, again, for aesthetics. Any other questions?

No, barrel length has no effect on pattern.

This. I have a set of Teague thinwalls in a Perazzi that I gray market imported from the UK. The tapered wrench works very well. Do your chokes come loose if you only finger-tighten them? No real need for a wrench as long as you can get the chokes in tight enough to stay tight.

I don't shoot without a choke for three reasons: 1.) Barrel wall thickness is quite thin without the choke installed. Sure, you all may have shot thousands of rounds without issue but it only takes one round for something to go bad and split the barrel where it's thin. 2.) Sort of 1b, actually. I worry about smacking the muzzle against something and denting it because it is thinner. Especially when you're climbing in and out of shooting cages, it isn't that hard to smack the muzzle on something, 3.) You're going to get gunk in the threads and against the edge of the counter bore for the choke tube. Either powder residue or plastic reside from the wad. Both of these add up over time and you may think you've got your choke tube all the way back in but it's not and zing, out it flies. I've seen a choke go flying out of a barrel. The choke was forever lost, launched way down range and the threads in the barrel were ruined. Y'all can take any chance with your own gun that you want. Me? I'll always shoot with a choke tube installed. Of course, my newest clays gun is fixed choke so this has become a non-issue for me.

If you're shooting two different chokes, put the more open choke in the bottom and just use the selector to shoot top or bottom barrel first depending on the target presentations you see. I personally put two of the same chokes in both barrels and always shoot bottom barrel first. I put LMs or Mods in both barrels but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that to a beginning shooter starting with softer targets. Depending on target presentation and distance, SK, IC, LM, or Mod would be the most appropriate chokes for sporting clays. For my O/Us, I have three pairs of chokes: close, middle, and far. (SK/SK, LM/LM, and IM/IM). I might put in the IMs once or twice a year when I'm shooting FITASC but otherwise, I stick to the LMs. I almost never put in the SKs as those are targets which a LM will break anyway and I don't feel handicapped. If I buy aftermarket chokes, I generally get extended Brileys. Don't fall into the trap of ported chokes. They don't do anything except take longer to clean and make your wallet lighter. HOWEVER, do not get caught up in the game of choke changing and buying flavor-of-the-month chokes. Use that money to buy ammo and targets and practice. That will make you a far better shooter. Buying chokes won't buy you a higher score. Focus on the target and what it's doing so that you can break it. Spending that time to decide if you should use an IC or a LM isn't the way to go. If you want extended chokes for the convenience, that's fine, but don't do it thinking your score will go up.

Nope. Say you have a 32" O/U barrel that weighs 3.5 lbs and that weight is evenly distributed along its whole length. It will have a certain measurable moment of inertia. Take that same weight of 3.5 lbs but put it in a 21" barrel and mag extension but not evenly distributed because of gas systems, recoil springs, lugs to support the magazine, magazine spring and follower, etc. and you will get a very different moment of inertia. Even if you get the two setups to balance statically at the same point, say 4" in front of the trigger, once they start moving, they will feel quite different. Even if you had a 32" O/U barrel and a 21" O/U barrel that weighed the same, they would feel quite different because, again, they would have different moments of inertia. The amount of weight and the distance it is from the axis of rotation determines moment of inertia and the 32" barrels will have a greater amount of weight farther from the axis of rotation which is what gives them the feel that clay shooters like. In the end, the feeling of that 32" O/U will be better for clays and moving targets. Plus, especially if you shoot low gun, the sight picture of the longer O/U is also more favorable. No, you don't ever look at the barrel when shooting clays but you have to have an awareness of it and the longer barrels is better for this.

Is there a specific reason why you are looking for that gun? Or do you just want a two-barrel sub-gauge set? If just the sub-gauge set, lots of manufacturers do that/ Joel Etchen speical orders sets from Beretta: http://www.joeletche...chencustom.html Browning makes them every so often in limited runs so just keep your eyes open Guerini makes such a combo in a couple of different grades. Here's one: http://www.guerinius.../SummitSp.shtml SKB's version: http://www.skbshotgu...d-comb-sets.php (but, for me, this would be a very distant last choice). And, if your budget is big enough, Krieghoff can do it for you on either a K-80 or K-20 frame. Perazzi can also do it on either a 12- or 20-ga frame. Blaser also makes sub-gauge barrels but they only have a 12-ga frame. If you specifically want that Franchi, sorry, I can't help you. The big auction sites like GunBroker or GunsAmerica are probably your best bet but buyer beware.

Nothing but a marketing ploy released by Briley so they could have something "newer, brighter, whiter!" to compete with Muller chokes.

Hate to be that guy but you didn't "dust" the targets, you "smoked" them. When you "dust" a target, you just barely hit it with 1-2 pellets so that it doesn't break but dust comes off the target. This is more apparent with biodegradeable targets as they are made of a white material that is very visible when it dusts. Dusted targets aren't counted as kills. "Smoking" a target is when you hit it so hard there's nothing left but a puff of smoke. So smoke = good, dust = frustrating because you missed it by that much. I know there's a saying "nothing but dust" but we clay target shooters have our own lingo! But sounds like you had fund and, in the end, that's all that matters.

Your first conclusion is partially correct. Long barrels are easier to swing smoothly and consistently. But, I don't care who you are, you will over power a 24" auto and swing it like crazy. It takes real concentration to keep a gun like that swinging smoothly. A heavier gun (longer barrels) takes out that part of the equation so you can concentrate on the target instead of your swing. You are right that barrel length has no impact on ballistics or pattern, either. Shotgun powders are pretty well burned up in the first 16-18" and choke is what changes the pattern, not barrel length. However, longer barrels are NOT a crutch and there's more to it than just smoothing out your swing. Sporting Clays is my game. I'm in NSCA Master class (the highest--yay for me ) and I shoot a lot of competition, both on a national and international level. The highest level of shooters only use 30" autos or 32" O/Us. More rarely, you'll see 34" O/Us as well. For those who are truly serious about the game, you just don't see anything else. The longer barrel gives you more awareness of the gun. Yes, the absolute worst thing you can do with a shotgun is look at the barrel while shooting. That's a guaranteed miss. You want all your focus on the bird. Longer barrels help you do this. They have greater presence in your peripheral vision so you will just know where the gun is. There is also a feeling that longer barrels also allow for less perceived lead. I'm not sure what I think about this but there are those who claim that you "see" less lead with longer barrels. There is, however, a fine balance. Long barrels are heavier and it can get to a point that they are heavy enough that you can't move the gun well enough. Trap and skeet are one thing with birds that require little gun movement (trap) or move on a predetermined path (skeet). With the variety of birds you get in sporting, especially when you factor in pairs, you need to be able to move the gun between targets. If barrels get too heavy, you loose this ability. It's a balance and you have to figure out what works for you. I shot a Perazzi with very light 32" barrels for many years and switched to a Kreighoff with heavy 32" barrels at the beginning of 2011. The heavier barrels work better for me as I tended to overpower the light barrels and whip them all over the place. I needed the extra weight of the Kreighoff to smooth out my swing and it was the gun I used to punch into Master class.

If you're just shooting for fun, shoot any gun you want; it doesn't matter. If you really decide to get serious, I would suggest at least a Beretta A400 Sporting model if you want to buy new. Otherwise, look for a 391 Sporting in good shape. As far as my equipment, I started with a Browning Citori, changed to a Perazzi MX-2000, flirted with a 391, and I've now settled on a Krieghoff K-80. If I'd had any brains, I should have gone to the 391 and stuck with it. Does your 24" barrel accept choke tubes? If so, buy an IC or LM, screw it in and go have fun!

FWIW, the best case for flying is the Pelican. Cut out the middle layer of foam to fit your gun and you're good to go! If you just want something nice to go back and forth to the club, an Americase is hard to beat but I wouldn't fly with one.

You might get some strange looks but shoot for a while with the Benelli to make sure you like the game before throwing down any serious amount of money on a sporting clays gun. In the long run, though, you'll probably want something other than a short-ish barreled (I assume) Benelli for Sporting Clays. If you look around at any big shoot, you'll most people using 32" O/Us or 30" Beretta autos. If you decide you like the game, beg/borrow/steal as many different guns as you can to figure out what you like and what works best for you.