So I know I started a thread before looking for a .38, but one thing I'm also thinking of is I have to go through the deal of getting a P2P again if I want to get one.

 

One of the other things I was thinking of trying out is trap shooting, and getting a shotgun means I wouldn't need a P2P.

 

So I guess I should ask (since I don't know much about shotguns): Where do I begin? Looks like most trap shooting is done with 12 Gauge, right? Anyone know of a cheap shotgun that would be good for this? Should I go for a longer barrel length (28" or 30")? I think I'm leaning toward pump action, rather than over and under or semi-auto.

 

Thanks in advance for help & suggestions.

I'd let the people who shoot this chime in for a better answer, but I have a pair of 870's that do ok, 1 in 12ga and the other in 20ga.

12ga is reccomended. You can easily download a 12ga if for some reason its too much for you or your spouse, but its much harder to upload a smaller round!

 

Barrel length effects your swing, and recoil. The longer barrel will kick less, will swing a little slower, the shorter barrel will point slightly easier and will be faster.

 

However, since you are talking a mere 2" difference and since you are not a seasoned pro shooter you will not notice the difference. Go with the shorter tube.

 

The ultimate all around shotgun is a pump. The ultimate clay gun is an over under. Pick your poisen, the o/u will make doubles easier and will also be easier shooting trap since you wont have to pick up/catch your hulls. Also, over/unders have shorter overall length for any given barrel length so they tend to point & balance better and are more compact.

 

Whichever you chose, make sure to buy some chokes for it as well

Glenn,

 

And of course the age of question regarding that thing that runs the world ...

 

How much is a decent pump shotgun with a choke going to put me back?

Just get a mossberg 500. You can get a combo with a rifled barrel and a field barrel with chokes. Like this http://www.basspro.com/Mossberg-500-Dual-Comb-Combo-12-Gauge-w/24-Rifled-and-28-Vent-Rib-Barrel-Shotgun/product/10218032/146137

 

You can also get a 18.5" barrel for HD, if you so desire. Once you start shooting trap, you'll decide pretty quickly if you want to get an over under, and if you do, the 500 can be the bump in the night gun. Getting an Over under first before you decide if it's something you want to do isn't cost effective. If you don't like it, the O/U isn't as suitable as a HD gun, so you would likely be buying the pump anyway.

You need to decide whether or not you intend to pursue the sport on a regular basis and make your gun decision from there. Remington offers a wingmaster classic trap gun witch is equiped with a 30 inch barrel. All trap guns are expensive. So it is probably best to go out meet guys who trap shoot and see what they recommend.

 

Eric

For pump you should get to start either the mossberg 500 (yuck) or remington 870 (yess!), both run around $300-400

 

Chokes run anywhere between ~$20 and ~$100 each depending. Any shotgun will come with at least one (or two with an over under). IMHO at a bare minimum you need cylinder, IC, mod, & full. Improved mod is another nice one to have kickin' around. So figgure 3 extra chokes, somewhere south of $100 more. Not an absolute requirement, but would be good...

 

For O/U I would avoid the stoegers, mossbergs, rugers, and go for at minimum the CZ lineup. They are the best bang for the buck followed by the brownings. From there it gets crazy expensive crazy fast. Expect to spend ~$700 for a CZ O/U and north of $1k for the low end brownings.

I shot clays with my $200 50 year old ted williams and do just fine.

 

You don't need anything fancy and if this is your only shogun i reccomend a pump or semi for versatility.

 

If you can find a winchester 1200/1300 I highly reccomend that action. if not a mossberg 500 will be fine and they can be had at walmart for >$250 generally.

I have a friend who usually breaks 20's with his $350 pump shotgun. Little rough on the shoulder if you are shooting more than four rounds a day without a good recoil pad on it.

 

The gun doesn't make the shooter, the shooter makes the shooter.

 

Do the Mossberg with a long barrel. If you find you like the sport you can always buy a better gun later. I can break 23 with the wifes Rem 870, my Rem 1100, or my Browning O/U. Needless to say, there is no comparison in price between the Rem's and the Browning, but the Browning can be shot all day long without beating me up!

I shoot trap with a Remington 870 Express 26" barrel with an improved modified choke. If I were to start again, I would have bought the 28" barrel instead. I enjoy the shoot and do it every Sunday since early November and have shot all winter. Eventually I will move up to a better gun but I'm still shooting between 15 to 20 clay each round. I waited until I found a sale and bought it at Dicks for $299 and a $30 rebate. I also buy the remington club shoot # 8 2 3/4" and either 1 oz or 1 1/8oz . I buy it when Dicks has it on sale for $5.48 per box and use a $10 coupon so it ends up at $45 per case.

One guy at the club has a 24K gun, but most others have an over/under that can go from $800 to $5,000. It is a very additive sport.

Another thing to keep in mind for the pump vs O/U debate

 

often versatility comes into consideration, as I even mentioned myself!

 

But upon further thinking, I've come to some more conclusions:

 

Usually versatility is guaged by how many different things you can accomplish with one firearm. Typically with a shotgun, the considerations are clays (sport), home defense, and hunting.

 

Lets say that you decide to buy a pump shotgun because you want to bird hunt and use it for home defense in addition to clays. First though is, wow! Lots of things! Pump would be great for this! Well, lets look further into the situation. First off, if you buy a pump gun to use for home defense in addition to anything else, you are going to get tired of changing the barrel before and after every range trip (unless you never shoot ). So right there, no matter what combination of diciplines you engage in, your home defense "versitile" pump gun is PROBABLY going to wind up being a HD-only gun.

 

OK, so now you have basically said well yeah maybe I should get a cheap pump gun and keep it in HD configuration as a HD gun.

 

Now, whats left? Clays and hunting. What can a o/u do and what cant it?

 

Well, it makes a great hunting arm! Great for hunting flying things... so i wouldnt quite count the O/U out for ALL hunting! Infact it is superior to a pump for bird hunting, and clays.

 

There you have it, the pump doesnt seem as versitile does it? Sure its still *more* versitile but considering the O/U can do alot of hunting tasks and considering you will probably get a pump gun for designated HD, the only thing it cant do as well as a pump is deer hunting. Everything else it excels at!

 

 

Also, with two barrels you can run 2 different chokes and chose which one you want to fire first. This makes you better prepared when the clay or bird may be at varying and unpredictable distances. This is especially usefull with sporting clays. With a pump you have to pick one choke and cross your fingers, you are stuck with it! It especially sucks if you are doing a report pair @ a sporting clays range and one clay is really close...and one is really far.

I shot clays with my $200 50 year old ted williams and do just fine.

 

You don't need anything fancy and if this is your only shogun i reccomend a pump or semi for versatility.

 

If you can find a winchester 1200/1300 I highly reccomend that action. if not a mossberg 500 will be fine and they can be had at walmart for >$250 generally.

 

Great post!

 

I've owned a Winchester 1300 Featherweight for close to 30 years. Works really well at dusting clays, especially at Lehigh Valley SC! I have a goobered-on high-vis sight glued on with JB Weld. That shotty fits me and I can blast anything that flies with it. Mike (the Gringo) is spot-on! It's not the gun, it's the Gunner! But shotgun "fit" is very important, no matter what name is on the receiver!

 

If you pick up the gun and mount it smoothly in a single motion and your eye lines-up with the sights on the rib, and the stock fits your arms & face, then the gun fits you. You can shoot a $30K gun that doesn't fit right and hit less birds than you can with a clunker that fits correctly. Looks are seconday, especially when starting-out.

Interesting you guys mention the Winchester 1200 and the Remington 870. I ran over to Efinger and looked at both. The Winchester 1200 was used and went for $280, the Remington 870 was new (synthetic instead of wood) and was going for $370, both 28" barrels. I am leaning toward the Remington because it can take both 2 3/4" and 3" shells. I'll keep looking, but rtquig if you said you can get a Remington 870 at Dicks for $300 I may be running over there tomorrow during lunch.

Another thing to keep in mind for the pump vs O/U debate

 

 

Why has a semi-auto not been brought up? If you are going to shoot a bunch, why not save your poor shoulder from undue pain and suffering? They are more expensive then a pump but ...it's a gun. As long as you take decent care of it it it will hold it's value and you can sell it for what you paid for it if used, and not much less for a new gun. Of course, Perazzi doesn't make semi-auto's so you can't have the most awesome clays gun ever made

I shoot very well with a $150 Sears model 300 12ga semi-auto. It's not the arrow it's the Indian.

I shoot very well with a $150 Sears model 300 12ga semi-auto. It's not the arrow it's the Indian.

 

We have almost the same gun, mine is the model 200 actually not the same at all but hey they're both sears/winchesters

 

I swear the more shotguns I shoot the more I like my old sears special.

 

To the guy who looked at the 870 and the 1200 in the store, If you can rack the action and feel the smoothness of the slide and cleaness of the trigger. Of course Im bias however I think you may find that the old used 1200 might have a little edge on that 870.

If you're only at the stage of considering trap shooting, why not go up to Thunder Mountain in Ringwood once or twice to break some clays without having to make any commitment and see if you like it. That would also give you a chance to try some different guns. I have not done so yet, but I plan on trying it soon. People tell me it's a bit pricey, but if you're only going a few times to check it out, it can't be too bad.

There are plenty of places to try Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays. If you go to a place like Lehigh Sporting Clays you can rent a gun from them. Or go to a range with a friend that owns a shotgun and give it a try. No need to buy one if you aren't sure you will like the sport.

I'm starting to think you guys are right. Outside of trap I have no real use for a shotgun. My friend and I are members at ontelaunee in PA which has a trap range. I'll talk to him and see if he will let me give it a try first. Thanks for the insight all.

Interesting you guys mention the Winchester 1200 and the Remington 870. I ran over to Efinger and looked at both. The Winchester 1200 was used and went for $280, the Remington 870 was new (synthetic instead of wood) and was going for $370, both 28" barrels. I am leaning toward the Remington because it can take both 2 3/4" and 3" shells. I'll keep looking, but rtquig if you said you can get a Remington 870 at Dicks for $300 I may be running over there tomorrow during lunch.

 

 

I would call Dicks and ask their price. I first went to the Stafford store and it was out of stock, but the Brick store had plenty. I've seen Dicks sell them from $329 down to $269 on sale.

I'm starting to think you guys are right. Outside of trap I have no real use for a shotgun.

 

Well there is always HD, a shotty is a great for protection..

I would call Dicks and ask their price. I first went to the Stafford store and it was out of stock, but the Brick store had plenty. I've seen Dicks sell them from $329 down to $269 on sale.

 

Yeah I checked a few days ago, ran over to Dicks. They had the Mossberg 500 combo for $329. Came with a 28" and 24" barrel. I don't think I'd have a use for the 24" barrel. Buds Gun Shop has the Mossberg 500 combo with a 28" and 18.5" barrel for $327. I think I'm going to order that one.

 

hd2000, the 18.5" barrel in the combo would be perfect for HD

 

Edit: Also, if someone has a used Mossberg 500 combo and is looking to sell, PM me. It's this one: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/46907/Mossberg+54169+500+COMBO+12+28AC18CB+PG

So I went last Saturday. Had a blast. We did 4 rounds, I struck 8, 9, 7, and 4 for each round (the 4 was with a home defense shotgun). I'm pretty set on getting the Mossberg 500 combo I had a link for in my previous post, unless someone can talk me out of it. For a good starter shotgun with options I'm pretty happy with what I'd be getting.

 

Thanks for the help all.

Went shooting today with DevsAdvocate @ North Jersey Clay Target Club in Fairfield. Put the new Mossberg 500 to use. Had a good time, and improved upon my scores from last time (10, 9, 10, 8). Great day overall.

 

And what's becoming an awesome custom, we hit up Five Guys afterwards for lunch.

It ain't always about the shootin'........

 

Wait 'till you try Sporting Clays at Lehigh and stop at Grumpys when you're done. You'll find a new passion for PA and shotgun sports!