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Thread: Skeet Shooting Sucks!

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    Team Gunsnet Platinum 06/2016 ltorlo64's Avatar

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    Skeet Shooting Sucks!

    Went to the local, Parks and Recreation owned and operated, shotgun range today. It was a great place with trap, wobble trap, skeet, 5 stand, and sporting clays. I have always shot trap and don't do too bad at it (normally hit somewhere around 80% of the targets) so today I thought I would try skeet. The guys I was shooting with have been doing this for a while and were very kind (didn't laugh at me and were very encouraging) and gave some great coaching.

    There are two big differences between trap and skeet. First, trap is always one round and one target, you never have more than one round in your shotgun. In skeet, about half the targets are doubles. When you say pull one trap fires then a little less than a second latter the second trap fires. The second difference is angle. In trap the targets fly away from you at varying directions and at varying angles, but they all come from the center house. In skeet there are two houses, one on either side of the range you are shooting on. One house throws the target high, the other low, but they are always the same trajectory with the only variable being how the wind effects the target. You start in skeet under the high house and work around to the low house, with the last round being shot right in the center of the range. This means that the first shots are one target going away and the other target coming towards you. Then they are all crossing until you get to the other side for the away and towards shots again. Much harder than trap. In skeet today I hit 3 of 24 targets and one didn't really count because I hit it out of order. On the double target throws you have to shoot the target that gets thrown first, first. I didn't.

    The guys recommended I try wobble trap which is like a hybrid of skeet and trap. In wobble trap your first round at each station is a single shot. The next two rounds are each doubles where you call pull and the first target is thrown. As soon as you fire the second target is thrown. For trap you stand 10-25 yards (if I remember right) in back of the house. For wobble trap you are standing right above the target thrower. The targets come out at varying heights and angles from you, so they are all still away shots. I did much better there hitting 18 of 25.

    I was using my new double barrel my wife bought me. I have never shot multiple shots from any gun except a pump. I tried to pump my shotgun on the first double. It had to look very awkward, but no one laughed. I am going to do some more skeet shooting. It is much harder than trap or wobble trap. It is good to be challenged, I just have to remember how challenging it is and not get disappointed as I learn how to do skeet.
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    Senior Member Full Otto's Avatar

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    Ever try crazy quail?
    You stand out in front of the house and they come over your head usually more than one thrower as fast as they can get them out there.
    You just keep shooting with a partner for a total score after like 100 clays are thrown
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    Team Gunsnet Platinum 06/2016 ltorlo64's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Full Otto View Post
    Ever try crazy quail?
    You stand out in front of the house and they come over your head usually more than one thrower as fast as they can get them out there.
    You just keep shooting with a partner for a total score after like 100 clays are thrown
    Never heard of that one. Sounds harder than trap but not as bad as skeet. The hard thing about that one is in reloading. I would definitely be using my 870 for that one. I think a double would put you at a disadvantage.
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    Senior Member Full Otto's Avatar

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    Ive not tried skeet yet.
    I've heard there are specific guns to use for that. It seemed to have lost appeal for a while but more houses are showing up again.
    I guess if you get the hang of it it gets a little monotonous but not having tried it I guess I can't really say.
    870 yeah I would like one of those for sporting clays that's a fun game

    How about killer rounds in trap? I love that game
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    Team Gunsnet Platinum 06/2016 ltorlo64's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Full Otto View Post
    Ive not tried skeet yet.
    I've heard there are specific guns to use for that. It seemed to have lost appeal for a while but more houses are showing up again.
    I guess if you get the hang of it it gets a little monotonous but not having tried it I guess I can't really say.
    870 yeah I would like one of those for sporting clays that's a fun game

    How about killer rounds in trap? I love that game
    Most of the people shooting today were using 20 ga double barrels. Nothing special about them. One guy had a 28 ga skeet gun with adjustable butt stock and cheek piece and the rest had 12 ga hunting shotguns. One was a pump and the others were semi-autos. I think if you wanted to compete you would want a special made shotgun, but just to go out and use it for practice, any gun will work.

    I think for the everyday shooter, like us, you will never get the hang of this. It has to do with the positions you have to shoot from and how the targets fly given atmospheric conditions. I think a double barrel is better for skeet but a pump will work just fine.

    What are killer rounds in trap? Sounds intriguing.
    "Nothing ever gets so bad that government "help" can't make it worse." Pat Garrett, March 22, 2014

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    Guns Network Lifetime Membership 01/2011 old Grump's Avatar

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    One they shot at my old range once in awhile to keep the Trap/Skeet hotshots humble and give the hunters a chance to win was called Sporting clays, all low angle shots like game flushing, some were supposed to be rabbits other quail or pheasant some were shot on their side and rolled on the ground going whatever path the bumps in the uneven terrain sent them. I wanted to play but they made me put my revolver away and told me to come back with a shotgun. They sure are strict about some things.

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  7. #7
    Senior Member Full Otto's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by ltorlo64 View Post
    What are killer rounds in trap? Sounds intriguing.
    You get as many guys across the back station that will fit all in that row.
    1st shooter pulls if he misses the next guy gets to try if he misses the next guy tries and so on.
    When a guy hits the previous ones that missed are eliminated.
    If someone shoots after a hit he's out or a "double gun", that's what gets a lot of players.
    You can get a little anxious not waiting long enough to make sure of a hit of course if you wait too long that bird is getting away
    The field whittles down till there's one guy left.
    Gets pretty intense with good shooters and a little money riding on it.
    Some may call it "bushwacking" but around here that's played by hitting the pieces of a broken bird after a hit but similar idea of elimination.
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    Team Gunsnet Platinum 06/2016 ltorlo64's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Full Otto View Post
    You get as many guys across the back station that will fit all in that row.
    1st shooter pulls if he misses the next guy gets to try if he misses the next guy tries and so on.
    When a guy hits the previous ones that missed are eliminated.
    If someone shoots after a hit he's out or a "double gun", that's what gets a lot of players.
    You can get a little anxious not waiting long enough to make sure of a hit of course if you wait too long that bird is getting away
    The field whittles down till there's one guy left.
    Gets pretty intense with good shooters and a little money riding on it.
    Some may call it "bushwacking" but around here that's played by hitting the pieces of a broken bird after a hit but similar idea of elimination.
    Ok. I have done that with friends out in the field but never at an actual trap range. I could see that being sort of fun for the shooters, and a cause of some concern for the people with the liability insurance!
    "Nothing ever gets so bad that government "help" can't make it worse." Pat Garrett, March 22, 2014

    "HATE IS GOOD, WHEN ITS DIRECTED AT EVIL." PROBASCO, April 20, 2012

    I tried to push the envelope, but found that it was stationery.

    Have you heard about the new corduroy pillows? They're making head lines!

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  9. #9
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Skeet is much harder than trap IMO, done both. Ultimately I'm a rifle shooter so I don't do either anymore. I did shoot them in High School and a bit in College. I once shot the last station and hit both birds with one shot as they crossed in the air overhead. They had to scratch their heads and think about was it a hit or a miss.

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    Senior Member Infidelski's Avatar

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    5 Stand is quite enjoyable. We shoot it at the local shotgun club near to our office. Most people down here are shooting their semiautomatic 20ga bird guns at the club but I like shooting my very first over-under 12ga a SKB upland bird gun. The japs make a pretty good shotgun. I find any winter practice helps my mojo at a dove hunt we attend each year.

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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    I've never tried skeet, but love shooting trap.

    I did find out that double barrels are no good for trap if you shoot more than 5 times (10 shots) in rapid succession as the barrels heat up and you can't find the clay as the heat rising off the barrels blurs everything in front.
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    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by alismith View Post
    I've never tried skeet, but love shooting trap.

    I did find out that double barrels are no good for trap if you shoot more than 5 times (10 shots) in rapid succession as the barrels heat up and you can't find the clay as the heat rising off the barrels blurs everything in front.
    That is why they put really tall ribs on competition shotys, gets the eyeline up off the mirage coming off the barrels.

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