Mike_M Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 While I enjoy shooting anything with a trigger, something I like about clays is I can go to the gun club with nothing but my gun and shells. I walk up to the cage and start blasting birds. Any other range I visit at the club (rifle, pistol, action range, etc) I have to call or wait for a cease fire, go set up targets, walk back to the line, wait for others, etc. Then I have to wait for the next cease fire to collect the targets. Then I have to spend half my time picking up brass! Shotgun is just so convenient! Show up, shoot, and go home. I can rip through 2 boxes of shells in what seems like only a few minutes. I'm back in the car and on with my weekend chores and ready for another week. It's therapy for me! Anyway, my name is Mike and I'm addicted to shooting clays... -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Congratulations !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
practical_man Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Great news. Clays are a great diversion. Sign up for a league and have a great time meeting new shooters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftnose Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_M Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 HA! I'm sure I won't get THAT into it! :-) But crap they're fun! Looking forward to Daylight savings so maybe I can get a round in after work some night... Hey, you guys know Daylight Savings is coming this Saturday night, right?! -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZ Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Clays isn't a diversion for me...it has become my primary shooting sport. I shoot sporting clays, skeet, trap, wobble trap and 5-stand. I enjoy all of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I believe I'm getting addicted as well! Really enjoying the convenience of not setting up targets, taping targets, picking up brass, ect,ect and several clubs within a hours drive. Got a wheelybird for xmas for my own private practice sessions. Good times! ccL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomerhc9 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I've been shooting uspsa, steel challenge, and idpa pistol matches for 4 years now. I had my eye on an intriguing used auto loader shotty for 2 months, and finally bought it. Shot it by myself a couple times, loved it, but put it away for 6 months. Fast forward to January. My friend from steel challenge takes my to shoot trap and a round of skeet. I loved it instantly, did only 10 misses my first round of trap, and sucked horribly at skeet. Every weekend after that, went to shoot 2 rounds of trap, and missed progressively fewer shots each round. February, I shot 2 rounds in a row only missing to 2 of the 27 clays. That day a guy watching me shoot gave me the number of some local guy that takes teams to matches across the country. I might try to join. Lately though, I've been getting ready for the first local shotgun match. I still shoot pistols, but seeing those clays explode is just so satisfying. Next month, I'm going to try standing in the farthest box from the little building the clay flies out of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftnose Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Next month, I'm going to try standing in the farthest box from the little building the clay flies out of. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_M Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Cool! Sounds like I'm not the only one! I think the other thing that kind of drove me to the clay sports the past year or so is the availability of shells. I can walk into pretty much any store that sells ammo of any kind and I can ALWAYS walk out with some boxes of shotgun shells. Try doing that with .22 ammo, or anything else really. For some reason, the target loads of shotgun shells never seemed to get "horded" like everything else... So do any of you guys reload shotgun? I'd consider doing it, but I'm not sure it pencils out? Can I reload a box of 12 ga for much less than $6 (not counting the equipment to get into reloading for shotgun)? -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hello: I reload shotgun shells. The biggest problem right now is getting powder. I am reloading 12 gauge 3/4oz loads for about $4 a box of 25. I use Claybuster CB-0175 wads, Winchester W209's, Alliant Extra-Lite powder and Remington Gun Club hulls. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Gaines Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hello: I reload shotgun shells. The biggest problem right now is getting powder. I am reloading 12 gauge 3/4oz loads for about $4 a box of 25. I use Claybuster CB-0175 wads, Winchester W209's, Alliant Extra-Lite powder and Remington Gun Club hulls. Thanks, Eric If you get too addicted to shooting clays, you will be buying shotgun shells by the pallet. : P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Sean: I won't be buying shotgun shells by the pallet but maybe shot by the ton! I will also be buying some more Briley chokes from you as well. The Briley choke wrench I got from you is great. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 You have much more trigger time shooting SC. Not only that go to a registered match get out of the car shoot go for a cold one. No setup or tear down or pasting targets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTN Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I love shooting sporting clays and skeet. I think trap is kinda boring. 18 months ago I said no way not me. I won't be 1 of those gun club snobs. Well so much for that theory. Now I have a Beretta semi-auto and over/under. I shoot clays 2x a week and I'm getting good. Consistent low 40s out of. 50. I do still try to get out for some defensive pistol an shotgun a couple times a month but I've fallin off the deep end for clays Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supermoto Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Same thing happened to me. Never thought I would be interested in clays. Now I can't get enough of it. I think it's because I'm not very good, but I am learning quickly and make big strides in improving. My local range isn't a shotgun range, but we have a field that I can shoot it. So I got my own auto thrower and can spend a good amount of time working on different presentations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I've always enjoyed handgunning but, skeet and sporting have been my primary shooting sport pursuits for decades. I get 4-10 rounds in, per week. I added trap leagues in to the mix several years ago, too. I still prefer skeet and sporting clays, but the challenge of trap has been enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 While I enjoy shooting anything with a trigger, something I like about clays is I can go to the gun club with nothing but my gun and shells. I walk up to the cage and start blasting birds. Any other range I visit at the club (rifle, pistol, action range, etc) I have to call or wait for a cease fire, go set up targets, walk back to the line, wait for others, etc. Then I have to wait for the next cease fire to collect the targets. Then I have to spend half my time picking up brass! Shotgun is just so convenient! Show up, shoot, and go home. I can rip through 2 boxes of shells in what seems like only a few minutes. I'm back in the car and on with my weekend chores and ready for another week. It's therapy for me! Anyway, my name is Mike and I'm addicted to shooting clays... -Mike Mike, Funny the way you put it. At our club we have a 'sort of 5-Stand' and it is easy to show up, sign up and shoot between 9 and 12 then out. There are 4 Trap fields within an hour of home and I've sort of gotten hooked on that, show up, sign up, shoot 3-4 runs and be gone in less than 2 hours. It is quite a learning experience though learning to shoot trap. I have an electric thrower and with that I can hit 80-85%, go to shoot trap and I am down at 60%. It can be very humbling. I do thin k that being able to hit clays on the fly will help with shooting paper, steel and clays whilst running. Just it will be moving instead of the target. Down side is that I can go through a case or more of shotgun ammo a week plus the $5 a run! And if there was a Sporting Clay field closer to home it would get really expensive. $40 a run, gas and of course a decent dinner after! What is good is that I have set up my SL900 and can turn out some really nice AA shells at about the price of Wally Worlds. I am going to re-read the advice here in Brian's house regarding Trap and Skeet (I've not yet shot Skeet, will have to try that sometime) and see if I can get into the 90%+ . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hello: If you like trap I think you will enjoy skeet even more. The crossers is what make it even more fun. I shoot American style and also low gun (international) all for fun. We even have wobble skeet here and it is a blast. I am not very good at wobble skeet but it is fun. Going to shoot 5-stand for the first time here and the short sporting clays coarse with my sons next weekend. I really enjoy pistol shooting but clay shooting is also a blast watching those targets turn to dust. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfl Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Im right there with you, OP. Unfortunately, I've had to quit cold turkey due to my schedule. If only my local range was closer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I can state with all honesty that if tomorrow I could no longer shoot USPSA or 3 Gun I would become an avid Sporting Clays shooter with Trap and 5-Stand close behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastlane604 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 The best thing for high blood pressure is pulling a trigger, whether it is at steel, paper or a clay target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Still learning and with a long way to go, but getting better. I can now usually tell that it is a miss before the bird gets away I did hit a 22, 23 & 20 yesterday in somewhat windy conditions. Out of the gate starting on station #2 I hit 5, 5, 5 and then a 3 and a final 4. I think the three 5's might have spooked me a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docscoutjr Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Yea, been shooting IPSC for almost 20 years and dabbled in other rifle sports and getting a "nice" shotgun to shoot sporting clays was always on my bucket list. I liked the idea in principle, golf with a shotgun and so I sent out my tenticles into the ether and a good 'ol fellow responded to my add for "wanted nice o/u shotgun". He offererd to take me to a little trap range to try out a 525 he had for sale. Gun didn't fit, but I sure had fun and I loved the mental aspect. Who would have thought that such a seemingly boring sport could be so engaging. And yea for some the reasons noted, it sure is an efficiant way to get some trigger time in. No fiddling about with target stands, brass, tape, timer and a heck of a lot easier on the 'ol arthritic joints. Prett soon I had a Win 101 sporting that I was doing "ok" with, but I was quickly realizing that there was a very good reason for the high rib on a dedicated trap gun. Next thing I know I have a Browing XT and discovering that cases of shotgun shells are a lot harder to smuggle into the house undedtected by the wife A round of trap is like shooting 25 one round stages and you have to always shoot an "A" - love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunz720 Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Watching clays turn to dust is amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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