New to clays

[Heavy Metal Only]

I joined a skeet leauge once and it seamed to me if you wern't shooting some kind of under/over you were not in the right place. I used my Franchi 12 auto and kicked butt. I tried once with my side by side jc higgens that i cut down to 19 inches. turned it into a stage gun. didnt do so well. It was a fun game to play.

[ryan45kim]

I just wanted to thank everyone for there help in picking a shotgun for clays. I just picked up a lightly used Beretta AL391 Urika. The only thing it did not have was the optima barrel and chokes.

[richardschennberg]

I think if you have the MobileChoke it interchanges with Benelli (standard, not Crio) and Franchi. That could come in handy if you find some Benelli or Franchi chokes on sale, or if you ever chose a Benelli M-1 (not M-2) as a tactical shotgun. Just in case, I would check with someone reliable like George Trulock. He has a forum on http://www.shotgunworld.com/ and a great web site http://www.trulockchokes.com/ that has a choke compatibility chart.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with those web sites.

Edited December 5, 2007 by richardschennberg

[tightloop]

great shotgun, you'll love it..

[Irishlad]

Good pick!

[Hank Ellis]

I just wanted to thank everyone for there help in picking a shotgun for clays. I just picked up a lightly used Beretta AL391 Urika. The only thing it did not have was the optima barrel and chokes.

Put down the gun and step away slowly. Keep you hands where I can see them. Keep backing up. OK. Stop. Turn around.

Walk away now. If you don't you will be hooked into busting those aggravating little clay frisbees. I'm doing this for your own good. Trust me on this. I'm here to help you.

My name is Hank and I'm a trapshooter .......

[TLD]

I just wanted to thank everyone for there help in picking a shotgun for clays. I just picked up a lightly used Beretta AL391 Urika. The only thing it did not have was the optima barrel and chokes.

Yep, you did it now. Splitting your time and money between shotgunning, 3 gun, IPSC. You are not a high power shooter too are you?

[SteveHarris]

Here are some gun tips for trap, skeet and clays

If you reload then a break action gun is great. If you are worried about not having the softer recoil of a semi-auto then find and shoot some Lite 12ga 1oz 8 1/2 loads. The bottom line is a 1 1/8 8 load has 450 pellets and a 1oz 8 1/2 load has 480 pellets. There is no apparent difference in pellet energy and you will get 7% more shot in your pattern with 11% less recoil. I've been shooting that load for trap, skeet and 'club' clays since the early 80's when I was a AA trap shooter. I made a mistake at a big shoot and shot the 1oz 8 1/2 loads from the 22yrd line and broke a 98. I thought I was shooting my 1 1/8 handicap loads and when I finished the round I discovered my 'mistake'. After that I shot the 1oz 8 1/2 loads for everything except for long range clays - where faster 1 1/8 of 8 Sporting Clays loads at about 1,350fps lessened lead errors with a little more breaking energy at the longer ranges.

While many trap and skeet ranges allow you to leave your empties on the ground, clays courses usually require that you clean up your hulls. Another case for a break action gun.

The stock dimensions for a field, skeet or sporting clays gun are the same. That allows shooting at higher angles than a trap dimensioned stock which would lift your head and change your point of impact. A trap stock has a higher comb and is somewhat parallel to the rib. This favors a trap gun to shoot a little higher for rising targets and minimizes the stock impacting your face and cheek bone.

The accepted good working barrel length for skeet and clays is 30" with a break action and 28" to 30" for a semi-auto or pump gun. Semi-auto and pump guns barrels are farther forward than a break action. Therefore a front bead on a 30” break action is about equal to a 28” barrel on a semi-auto or a pump gun. It you like to shotguns that ‘look over the barrel’ the same then think of the overall length of your guns not just the barrel length.

Other than a trap stock’s comb height about a 30” barrel with screw in cokes, one gun will serve you well for all three clay sports and hunting. The comb height can be changed as needed with an adjustable comb or one stock for trap and another one for field, skeet and clays.

Keep your head down and focus on the target ;-})