Flipper Clays: When/where Are You Engaging Them?

[Religious Shooter]

I was being a wuss (along with 90% of my squad) at the recent SMM3G and shot the clays on the flipper pairs (stage 1 and 7) at their apex after hitting their respective popper (e.g. popper#1 then clay#1@apex then popper#2 then clay#2@apex).

I know I should have at least done "popper popper and then clay clay" as those poppers fell pretty slowly.

Anyways, looking for a better way. Any tricks in shooting these things faster?

If you shoot them on the rise... how do you go about doing that?

Do you track them or do you ambush them?

How do you determine when to shoot pairs as: "popper popper clay clay" vs. "popper clay popper clay?"

[George]

I have stopped shooting popper, wait, shoot clay. Now I always take at least one more target of opportunity before turning to the clay(s) no matter what it is.

I additionally always try and catch them as they slow to a stop. I then just treat them as a high angle stationary target ;-) If I trigger two in a row, I have to remember to shoot the clays from the respective poppers in the same order as I shot the poppers to get to them when each clay is in it's slow zone.

I like to watch someone else shoot them on a stage if at all possible. I do a one mississippi, two mississippi count as the popper is hit until I see the clay apex. Do this a couple times and you pretty much know how much time you have to do other stuff and then come back to the stationary, high angle clay(s).

Best I have managed in a match has been 3 poppers in a row and then the 3 clays. It wound up being six shots as fast as I could index and shoot and IMHO was the envelope of my ability. It was a sweet setup, otherwise I will never attempt more than two up if I have to be sure of getting the clays (hard penalty match scoring).

Hope this helps.

[Bronco]

Each COF is different so it depends how far apart they are, how high they go and the penalty/reward for a hit/miss. 3 at a time are very doable if they are side by side and go up 15 to 20 ft. Take your tactical shotgun to the sporting clays range, ignore all the snide remarks and shoot a couple of rounds ( 50/round ) flippers won't bother you again. They are just like any other gimmick prop, you just have to get used to them so the intimidation factor is gone.

[Jim Norman]

One thing I have noticed about the flippers is that they are not 100% consistant, I have had birds come nearly straight at me as well as fly off at different angles.

This said, if there is a row of three not too widely spaced, I go for PPP-CCC. Generally they are bonus points so getting the three poppers gets you the soild base as fast as possible, the clays are great, but wasting too much time makes them worth too little.

Jim

[BillL223]

I agree with Jim, hit all the activators, go back to the birds. The first has probably already peaked and started to fall, just shoot a little under each bird as it is dropping, don't stop swinging the gun as you shoot. I've taken my tactical shotgun to the trap and sporting clays fields more then once. At first glance, they look just like short barreled over-unders.

[Chuck Anderson]

For me it would depend on the type of match. If it was a typical USPSA match and they were only bonus type targets or didn't mean a great deal, I'd go for all the poppers first. If it was like SMM3G which is what this question was about I'd definitely think twice. Each unhit pigeon there was a 10 second penalty.

On stage one I shot popper, static target nearby then pigeon on both flippers. On stage 7 I took the close poppers PP-CC. On the ones that were more of a swing I did PC PC

[SinistralRifleman]

Flippers seem so inconsistent as to where they will put the birds, I am reluctant to shoot one then another target then go for the birds. At least 50% of the time I see people do this they miss one or more of the birds.

This past weekend a flipper that had launched clays about 12-14 feet in the air for everyone else, launched one only about 2-3 feet off the ground towards me. I tagged it...but it was pretty funny.

If the birds are bonus targets, I usually do not shoot them as the -5 seconds bonus isn't worth the time it takes to engage the target and then load another shell to me anyway.

[caspian38]

If at all possible go for it ...( two pp and then two birds) ... other wise you have to ask this question and wonder if you could have done it.

I played it safe the first time and wondered if i could hit them both for weeks mentally its worth the risk (to me ) and usually it is very doable.

good shooting

C-38

[StealthyBlagga]

I also question the wisdom of being too smart on such targets... shotgun stages are VERY unforgiving of misses, both from the penalty perspective (+10secs) and the time to load extra shells if you need a make-up shot. In my experience, for most stages, the time gain is dwarfed by other factors - high risk, low reward.

[kurtm]

Wisdom comes from experience. I'm happy wacking 4 in a row and then engaging the clays, as someone said "very doable". Being timid on these types of targets just wastes the time it would have taken to just shot them. Flippers are just about the easiest target there is for a "scattergun". Now on stage 7 I shot the two poppers and then the 2 clays and then swung for the second set, the swing was just too wide to do all 4. I have done 5 and 5 but that was not in the bounds of a "limited legal" shotgun. As for time to load a shell, that is just a practice thing, and missing just means you get to practice loading more KURTM

[Les Snyder]

Wisdom comes from experience. I'm happy wacking 4 in a row and then engaging the clays, as someone said "very doable". Being timid on these types of targets just wastes the time it would have taken to just shot them. Flippers are just about the easiest target there is for a "scattergun". Now on stage 7 I shot the two poppers and then the 2 clays and then swung for the second set, the swing was just too wide to do all 4. I have done 5 and 5 but that was not in the bounds of a "limited legal" shotgun. As for time to load a shell, that is just a practice thing, and missing just means you get to practice loading more KURTM

before the stage, you must bow your head and repeat the Mantra... "the teal is your friend" three times.... regards Les

[Topmaul]

Of course each stage is different, but I game it a little, watch the shooter in front of you if the poppers are catibulting the clays high then you want to shoot several poppers then the clays.

One thing is make sure your topped off before engaging the poppers. I usually slap a new mag into my shotgun before

[mike.45]

watch the shooter in front of you if the poppers are catibulting the clays high then you want to shoot several poppers then the clays.

This is not always a fool proof way of determing what hight the clays will go for for you, if you hit the poppers square they get smacked back good and hard and they send the clays pretty high, if you only clip the popper with a few pellets and it falls, then it is falling mostly under gravity and hence the clay will fly lower than with a good hit on the steel.

More than once I have only clipped the popper and come back to find the clay only went up a few feet as compared to the 15 feet I was hoping for !

[George]

More than once I have only clipped the popper and come back to find the clay only went up a few feet as compared to the 15 feet I was hoping for

Yes, I have been there, ya' gotta' hit them poppers square, or the clays will barely make it into the air ;-)

[Topmaul]

Some times the flippers at my gun club throw them high and some times they don't so I plan my shooting accordingly. Of course you do need a good solid hit or the popper may not fall at all, once it begins to fall gravity takes over.

Generally if the poppers are throwing the clays nice and high I will take the poppers then the clays.

Which ever techniquie you use I think we can all agree that you want to have your mag topped off, running out of ammo with four clays in the air sucks.

[ERIC]

Flippers seem so inconsistent as to where they will put the birds, I am reluctant to shoot one then another target then go for the birds. At least 50% of the time I see people do this they miss one or more of the birds.

This past weekend a flipper that had launched clays about 12-14 feet in the air for everyone else, launched one only about 2-3 feet off the ground towards me. I tagged it...but it was pretty funny.

If the birds are bonus targets, I usually do not shoot them as the -5 seconds bonus isn't worth the time it takes to engage the target and then load another shell to me anyway.

On that same stage, the 1st clay went 10' up. I was able to hit 2 plates off the texas star before engaging the clay. The second clay only went up 3' and torwards me. It ended up landing 5' in front of me. I only hit 1 plate from the star before I saw what happened and I tried to hit the clay. By that time, it was too close and too low. My pattern was too small at that close range. I got a shot off but didn't hit it. It's a gamble. You win some and lose some.