[Claydust]

Last Sunday, I took my 1976 870TB out to the club. It was my main gun from 1977 to 2005, but it has been a while.

A week ago today, I attended an event at a club 1 1/2 hour's drive from here.

They had some company rep.'s there with guns to try (no Remingtons, though ). You could buy tickets for 10 shells for $2.00 and take whatever they had out on the trap or sheet fields. The club volunteers did an excellent job and it was well run. We usually don't get this type of oportunity here and I was eager to go and was not dissappointed.

I learned a number of things;

I mostly like what I have, of what was there, I liked the Browning XT the best; but then I have a 1984 Citori Grade I Trap.

Sporting clays o/u's, from $2,000.00 to $6,000.00;

- While some people shoot them well on trap, they don't suit me for the game.

- Shooting at least some them on trap started me off on getting one of my migranes.

- They do work on the skeet field for me.

A new bottom ejecting autoloader, made for international trap; I shot it well enough but the recoil was "stiffer" than my 1100CT and I did not care for the materials of construction on a $3,000.00+ gun or the loading routine.

Now, back to the 870TB;

I thought I'd give it a run while the demo shoot was fresh in my memory, so I took it to the club on Aug. 9th.

Only got two rounds in between gully-washing t'storms (same ones that flooded parts of NY State near Buffalo :shock: ).

Ergnomics suited me, no surprise, by some accident, the Remington montecarlo trap stock fit me out of the box like they are custom made for me. Then there is the 33 years of familiarization :wink:

Recoil, very manageable for me, more comfortable than anything I shot at the demo on Aug. 8th. I was surprised at the lack of recoil issues, given that I have shot my 1100CT a lot since I bought it in Dec. 2005.

The scores were OK, considering the layoff; 25 and 24 (keep your head on the stock).

For me, it was an interesting re-education as to what seems to suit me.

 

[Virginian]

Deja vu. I had a similar experience last year. After a bout with cancer and while recovering from surgery afterwards, I'm thinking I need a new gun. At the same time my wife asks me what is she going to do with a bunch of guns when I do finally kick the bucket. In the meantime I've been going all around trying out new guns without finding anything that really rung my bell. So, I started thinking. I don't shoot nearly as much as I used to. And switching guns all the time had probably contributed to not shooting as well when I do shoot, either. So I decided to sell off a bunch of guns, and buy an 1100 Magnum and convert my '63 back to original after nearly 30 years of hard servitude, and buy an 1100 in 28 gauge, and try one more time to replace that dear departed Wingmaster Magnum I never should have sold in the first place.
I had fun shopping and when I got thru I was many thousands of dollars to the good as well. I was going to the range with my step son teaching him before last dove season, and one day he says "How come you hardly ever miss?" Well, his statement wasn't quite accurate, but my hit percentage had improved dramatically. And when the season opened the doves fell almost like I was 30 years younger and ****** (censored) pounds lighter. And the real thrill came when we went to Manitoba waterfowl hunting, with an old friend I used to hunt a lot with, but had not seen in 12 years, and I was really cooking. He commented that it looked like I had regained some of my old form.
I might have thought I was better equipped with several thousand dollars of gun on my arm, but I may as well face it, I shoot a heck of a lot better with a Remington repeater. Maybe I can remember that the rest of the way.

 

[Claydust]

I might have thought I was better equipped with several thousand dollars of gun on my arm, but I may as well face it, I shoot a heck of a lot better with a Remington repeater.

Yeah, that seems to be my situation, too.

Its not that I have "cheap gun syndrome". I have been around the clay target games more than long enough to not really care what someone else is shooting. I don't revel in stories of "I saw a guy with a K80 get beaten by a ________ ", just doesn't mean much to me. IMHO, people should shoot what they like and can afford, whatever that may be.

I started into trap 40 years ago when the use of repeating guns in compedative shooting was still quite common and I am pretty resistant to peer pressure and the latest advertizing.

In regards to peer pressure, I know if I show up at a larger ATA event with an 870 or 1100, I will be one of a VERY few that do. If the gun fits me well, works well and I can shoot it consistantly better than anything I own, that doesn't bother me a bit.

Through some combination of stock dimensions, weight distribution, general ergonomics and likely 30+ years with them, these guns do fit and function well for me.

It is expensive trying other guns, basically, you buy them, try them, maybe modify them and over a period of time, you may find they work with you, maybe not. When they don't, then it usually means selling them at a cost below what was paid for them (the voice of experience :lol: )

At least I know, for me, a Remington repeater will work, its like pressing "Reset" for my shooting :wink:

 

[Claysmoke27]

Great to hear both your accounts. I love those 870 and 1100 trap guns.

 

[A5guy]

Two great posts, guys. It is unfortunate that standard Remingtons, in general, do not fit me. I still buy the occasional Custom Shop Remingtons, though.

 

[HoosierBob]

Claydust, Virginian:

Just want to say I always look forward to your posts.
This is the perfect example as to why.

Your are both alright in my book.
Thanks for the education and smiles you both have provided.

Look forward to the futhure and every once in a while a look back at the past.

Gentlemen.......with my respect.

B.

 

[Dove Hunter]

+1, good thread, I've learned some stuff here too.

I've been shooting 1100s since 1981 and picked up a nice used 1187 SC a few years ago. I've also got an older 28 Sporting with the 25" barrel, a LT-20 and a 1981 1100.

Function and assembly and disassembly are about as automatic as it gets. I've tried the "B" guns and owned one for a while. Nothing wrong with them but I didn't shoot them any better or in some cases as well as my Remingtons. The "B" gun I owned was no more reliable, I got tired of having to think about the differences in the newer gun and didn't see any advantage in getting used to it. On top of that I like the looks of the 1100/1187s.

When it comes to sem-autos I'm staying with what I've got. It's kind of nice when I outshoot someone using the new tech, foreign made stuff with my American made 1963 design shotgun. Some days geezerdom's not so bad.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for the posts. I had a 1978 TB that was my first serious trap gun. A friend has it now and loves it.

I took Frankenstein to the range last week instead of the Beretta O/U I use for clays and shot some wobble. As I recall, the last time I had shot it was last fall. 2 shots, two geese. This day, I shot 75 shots and busted 71 clays. Not bad for a junkyard mutt of an 870.

 

[Claydust]

Actually, today, I started entertaining thoughts of trading a certain sbt in on a new 870 Classic Trap. :wink:

I'll sit on that one a while and see how far that thought goes.