Shot skeet for first time. I'm hooked!

[jvanvorst]

What a thrill. Now I will have to find a good but inexpensive shotgun to get started. I was at an event at the Indiana Gun Club on Tues and had a blast. The pros there were incredibly helpful. I didn't shoot too badly. Scored 39 out of 50. BooyAh. Got some pointers from Bob Self before I started. Thanks Bob to you and the rest of the staff there for a great day.

 

[Leo]

39 out of 50 the first time is not bad. Since each target presentation is exactly the same every time, and the distance only 20 yards, split second timing is the name of the game. I actually do as well with a 20 gauge as with a 12. I like trap because there are an infinite amount of angles as the trap oscillates. Next is sporting clays.

Any of the clay games are designed around an o/u, but a semi auto like the Beretta 391 works really well. The old timers used to be able to pull it off with pump guns. That was easier before companies started putting in trigger disconnector links.

Believe it or not, a used Beretta o/u or one of the japanese brownings will be cheaper even though they cost $1000 to $1500 for a used one. That is because it will be worth that much at trade in time also. The $500 o/u's are mostly from turkey, spain or russia, will not hold together for the 10's of thousands of shots a serious shooter will shoot and they are worth very little as trade-ins.

 

[paperboy]

I will get together with a friend and he has an elec. thrower. I use a Charles Daly 20ga auto and it is an awesome shotgun, nice and light and it fits me good.

 

[printcraft]

Anybody have a good recipe for skeet?

They came out kind of tough and gamey last time I cooked them.
Maybe I should soak them in salt water overnight to help take out some of the gaminess???

 

[GoDawgs]

I'm in your spot right as well. Started shooting skeet this summer, got hooked, and I'm looking into upgrading from my 30in 870 to something more fitting. I wanted to go inexpensive (500ish), but the more research I do, the more I think something like a Beretta semi-auto or a used mid-range O/U would be my best bet. It's tough for me to justify putting down 1,000-1,500 for a gun, but I want the right tool for the job and I know it will hold up better over time than buying a cheaper shotgun.

Good luck with your new hobby and have fun!

 

[Lancem]

Got a Daly O/U skeet/skeet looking for a new home...

 

[Zoub]

A used Beretta 303 with a 26" barrel would be a good gun to look for and should be priced closer to $500 then $1000. Spin in a Skeet choke and you are an overnight gamer! Same goes for an 1100.

If you buy an O/U and want cheap, buy older and higher quality. You don't need 3" chambers and you really don't even need choke tubes but tubes give any gun more versatility.

In the end, a used, well priced, quality semi is fairly easy to find and a bit more versatile if you start to shoot clays, trap or hunt with it.

That goes for 12 or 20 gauge. My GF shoots everything with 20 gauge. Not because of recoil, but because she needs the lighter gun due to an injury in her weakhand forearm. You don't give up much, just less chance for slop shots at longer distances.

I like the people at Indiana Gun Club, that is a good palce to get started.

 

[indykid]

Anybody have a good recipe for skeet?

They came out kind of tough and gamey last time I cooked them.
Maybe I should soak them in salt water overnight to help take out some of the gaminess???

I just grind them up and use them as a steak seasoning. Just make sure to remove any embedded pellets that might have gotten stuck in the "bird".


I used to live a couple of miles north of the Indiana Gun Club but I had a trap thrower installed in my back porch, and after my wife got home from work we would spend about an hour each day "unwinding". I thought about putting pictures of certain people on the clay birds, but figured most people don't have my sense of humor. We used a Remington 1100, late 1970s vintage and it was a great clay killer!

 

[twostepadin]

kinda miss skeet, i feel like i should call some friends up and get some clays. glad ya had fun with it!

 

[hf3787]

The next thing to try is sporting clays

 

[trailrider]

I shoot clays with my buddies about once a month. pretty cheap fun!

 

[sharkey]

If you mean the CDW/EMC event, that was sporting clays, not skeet. Still, a great time was had, I was out there too.

And you beat me, I shot a 37.

 

[jvanvorst]

Hey Sharkey yes I was at the CDW/EMC event. That club is a great place and I had alot of fun. Now I know what sporting clays are lol. Gotta find me a shotgun now.

 

[BJones]

39 out of 50 is great for the first time. I am not sure I hit over 10 my first time out several years ago.

I am hooked on skeet and shoot a couple times a week at Indiana Gun Club. Your gun budget will go way up very soon. Lots of good tools out there to make the game even more fun.

Indiana gun club is a nice place to shoot and Phil has a good selection of Guns and reloading supplies. I find his prices pretty good, and he is always helpful if you have questions.

Enjoy your new sport!!

 

[Tsigos]

First time at Indiana Gun Club this weekend. Great facility and I can't imagine there is a better trainer out there than Bob Self.

 

[zinx]

I took a lesson from Bob is weekend and it was very helpful. My goal is to get into the 90s this year on any sporting clays course (other than IGC).

 

[dyerwatcher]

I picked up a Belguim Browning three weeks ago. Can't wait to shoot it