I am a pretty good recreational shooter, entering tournaments once in awhile but mostly shooting with friends.

Champions tell me they never change guns.

My Sporting Clays gun is a 12 gauge with 32 inch barrels, and an adjustable comb set properly for me. Lately, though, I've shot a couple of rounds with a 28 gauge field gun with 28 inch barrels. It does not have an adjustable comb. The length of pull is almost as long as my Sporting Clays gun but it's obviously lighter and swings differently.

I cheat mount and notice I often shoot high with the 28 gauge.

My question: If I practice mounting and tracking with the 28 gauge in my basement (which I've done a lot with my 12 gauge) will get to where I can shoot the 28 gauge almost as well, and be able to switch guns at will?

I shoot three times a week, and change guns often seeing how I have over a dozen old SxSs. But I've got the same LOP on all the guns and have bent the stocks so they're all close enough. I also shoot " gun down. " The only gun different is my 870 and 410 Dickinson SxS. The 870 has about the same stock dimensions but that little 410 is really different. It gives me problems so I shoot it just out of the shoulder and face [ cheat mount ? ]. For me at least, when guns are different I have problems shooting them. If you're shooting higher, it sounds like the stock is higher. Good luck.

More learning to do, shooting two guns that obviously are quite different. Depends upon whether you like hitting clays, or learning to hit clays.

Good luck, garrisonjoe

Let's see ? Q I.

1. gun much lighter
2. doesn't fit the same

WELL -- the answer is NO. This is why dedicated small gauge shooters set of their baby guns to be as close as is possible to the 12g guns.

QII.

who cares. You said you're a rec shooter. Go shooting have fun don;t dwell on scores.

If you want to be consistent shooting clays, try to stick to one clays gun. We all go out and play with other toys. I shoot a o/u 32" for sporting, skeet and trap.
When I started out, I had a skeet gun [short barrels] and a trap gun [long barrel], plus two of every choke made. Have fun shooting.

Consistency demands one shotgun.

Fun demands many.

Unless of course your definition of fun requires consistency, mine doesn’t.

My 1100 trap and 870 TB are identical, I can honestly not tell the difference when I shoot them.

Except for that cha-chink between the first and second bird.

Good question and one I have wrestled with.

I am a recreational shooter; I go every weekend and shoot 100 sporting clays. When I want to really work on my scores, technique, get better, etc..... I take the same gun over and over. No doubt I am better with it.

However, I do this for fun; so I actually enjoy the sport more by taking different guns, different gauges, try different loads, O/U vs SA, etc. I finally decided this is a hobby so I shoot for fun and prefer mixing it up to keep from getting bored with it.

Yeah, well there is that.

In my opinion and because I have recently wanted to change shotguns and tried it......If the shotguns are similar and they fit you well it probably won't take long.....probably 4 - 5,000 rounds to be completely comfortable. I have pretty well proved that by shooting a 16 gauge 1100 almost as well as I shoot my Benelli SS. Within a target or two on a 5 Stand course.

If it is a big departure, you might never get back to the level that you are with your current shotgun and it will probably take longer to get really comfortable and effective.

In my situation, going from a Benelli SS w/30" barrel to a 16 ga. Citori Lightning with 28" barrels was just more than I wanted to take on. I wanted to use the same gun to hunt with that I shoot clays with. If my ego could take the hit with my ability to break targets, I might have been able to pull it off......being patient and willing to shoot like crap for awhile has never been my strong suit.

For the foreseeable future it looks like I will stay with my Benelli for clays and my 1100 for hunting.

Unlike McFarmer, having fun for me does require a good dose of consistency

I have 1100s in five bore sizes. Some are weighted to match that of the 12 ga and they all feel pretty much the same to me as they should. I can switch among them with ease and shoot them pretty much the same.

If you say its lighter, different LOP, different comb/stock, different barrel length and you want to switch between the two of them answer is no but if your just shooting for fun then it does not matter. If your shooting Nationals and trying to win then yes it would matter and this is why carrier barrels with tubes were invented. The whole point of having a carrier barrel and tubes is to be able to shoot your same gun but 4 gauges and have everything the exact same. Or you can also go down the multiple barrels option, I think Blaser has done a very good job with this. Owning both tubed guns with carrier barrels and multiple barrels I personally I like carrier barrels and tubes better.

Just as bad as changing wives, only more fun and MUCH cheaper.