First let me say that Trap is primarily a 12ga. sport. And Skeet leans toward a sub ***** sport for the most part.The 12 gives you the advantage of more shot. Can you be proficent with a 20 *****? Absolutely! May take a lot of practice.Can you shoot the 20 for both Trap and skeet? Absolutley. Will you be embarrased? Depends on how much you practice and how well you can shoot.
Trap-20ga
Newbie here. Being a little old guy, can I be proficient at trap, 16 yd. only, using a 20ga. semi, 7/8oz., 8 shot?
Could I use the same for skeet?
I want to shoot for fun but I also don't want to be embarrassed. Thanks guys
Could I use the same for skeet?
I want to shoot for fun but I also don't want to be embarrassed. Thanks guys
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
well,for me i started out on a 410 semi. shooting trap(home rap,same thing bu at home) and a'm very good. i also use a 20ga but its limited to one target cause it's a single shot. but if i were you i would start small and work up,like i did. once you get comfortable with the smaller gauges then go up the ladder.
josh
josh
I shoot with a guy that uses his 20ga almost all the time to practice trap at 16yds. He has even shot in Annie Oakley's at 27yds with it. He is rather profliecent with his 20 and shoots his 12 even better.
I myself use a 12 with 7/8 oz loads for practice at 16yds. Do I miss targets because of the lighter loads. NO. I miss because I miss.
As far as being embarassed about shooting a 20ga at trap depends alot on how big ones EGO is. Alot of us started out shooting trap with what ever gun we had on hand. and then when the ego took over we had to buy something nicer to impress the rest of the squad. Don't get me wrong we also buy better guns because of the balance and fit to become better shooters but for me it started out as an ego trip and probably still is.
I myself use a 12 with 7/8 oz loads for practice at 16yds. Do I miss targets because of the lighter loads. NO. I miss because I miss.
As far as being embarassed about shooting a 20ga at trap depends alot on how big ones EGO is. Alot of us started out shooting trap with what ever gun we had on hand. and then when the ego took over we had to buy something nicer to impress the rest of the squad. Don't get me wrong we also buy better guns because of the balance and fit to become better shooters but for me it started out as an ego trip and probably still is.
With trap you're better off bringing the 12ga to have the best over all results in a sport dominated by the gauge. You are only handicapping yourself otherwise. In skeet there is specific sub-gauge events where sub-gauge enthusiasts compete so your not handicapping yourself.
How is it that many trapshooters now espouse the "marvelous" 1oz. and 7/8oz. 12ga loads, yet some of the same guys say a shooter is handicapping himself greatly by shooting 7/8oz out of a 20 gauge??
Explain that.
Shoot the twenty, bobbydee, you'll have fun and, as 53139 said, if you miss it won't be because you're shooting 7/8 oz. shot. You'll have a great skeet gun and a fun trap gun.
(I've shot one of my twenties at the 27 and it broke a surprising number of targets; I nearly equaled my best 12ga scores.)
Explain that.
Shoot the twenty, bobbydee, you'll have fun and, as 53139 said, if you miss it won't be because you're shooting 7/8 oz. shot. You'll have a great skeet gun and a fun trap gun.
(I've shot one of my twenties at the 27 and it broke a surprising number of targets; I nearly equaled my best 12ga scores.)
Bobbydee, shoot that 20 ga auto at trap with #8s and then come right on over to the skeet range and shoot skeet with the same load. If you can, change chokes from a mod or light full for trap to a skeet choke for skeet. If you have fixed choke, come anyway; you will like to see how the skeet targets turn to dust. Take your trap targets early, at 32-35 yards from the 16 yard station, and that 20 will do fine. Further, if it is a gas-operated auto, the recoil will be less than in a light double in 12 ga. Have fun. Shoot often and well. If you have a field gun with quite a bit of drop at the comb, you may want to build it up for trap and skeet. Learn to mount the gun properly. Then,when you mount it properly with your eyes closed and open your eyes your shooting eye will be looking right down the center of the rib or bbl. Floyd in Vienna
Good advice, Vie, except for the one statement.Vie said:If you have a field gun with quite a bit of drop at the comb, you may want to build it up for trap and skeet.
You don't need a high-shooting gun to hit flying targets. Billions of deceased duck, dove, quail, pheasant, Blue Rocks, White Flyers, etc. can attest to that.
Skeet, especially, lends itself to flat-shooting guns. Trap is shot every day with flat-shooting guns. A field gun makes a good skeet and trap gun. A trap gun does not make a good skeet gun, nor does it make a good field gun.
We mustn't make the mistake of thinking that a flying bird made of pitch or starch requires a high comb to hit.
A 12 gauge will pattern differently than the same weight of charge in a 20 gauge. This has been extensively tested, and trap shooters would have changed a long time ago, if there weren't an advantage with the 12 gauge. There are any number of 20 gauge loads which handle 7/8 and 1 oz. loads. Yet, none of the top shooters use 20 gauge guns.
The difference in bore is huge, and this has a real effect on the pattern needed to break trap targets between 16 and 27 yards.
You can have a lot of fun using a field or skeet type gun on the trap range. Just don't expect to win a lot of shoots against guys who shoot dedicated trap guns. I looked at the top 100 trap shooters equipment, and they all use the 12 gauge.
There are also any number of recoil reducers which assist the trap shooter, either spring-loaded, hydraulic, or mercury types. They are sold by the thousands, and they do the job.
Best,
Dennis
The difference in bore is huge, and this has a real effect on the pattern needed to break trap targets between 16 and 27 yards.
You can have a lot of fun using a field or skeet type gun on the trap range. Just don't expect to win a lot of shoots against guys who shoot dedicated trap guns. I looked at the top 100 trap shooters equipment, and they all use the 12 gauge.
There are also any number of recoil reducers which assist the trap shooter, either spring-loaded, hydraulic, or mercury types. They are sold by the thousands, and they do the job.
Best,
Dennis
and best to you, as wellpendennis said:A 12 gauge will pattern differently than the same weight of charge in a 20 gauge. This was true in the days previous to shotcups and hard shot. It's not true today. Pattern 10 examples of 7/8oz 20ga. loads and compare them to 10 examples of 7/8oz 12ga. loads, shot from the same choke, and you'll have a hard time seeing a consistent difference.
This has been extensively tested, and trap shooters would have changed a long time ago, if there weren't an advantage with the 12 gauge. The advantage in the 12ga. has always been its ability to handle 1 1/8oz trap loads, which were and are the standard (maximum) allowable trap load. As an aside, trap shooters have no commercially-available 1oz or 1 1/8oz trap loads in 20ga. There are no BT-99's, 682's, XT's, etc, made in 20ga., either. I'm fairly certain this plays a part in the lack of 20ga. shooters on the trap ranges.
There are any number of 20 gauge loads which handle 7/8 and 1 oz. loads. Yet, none of the top shooters use 20 gauge guns.
Again, non-availability of suitable trap loads or guns, in 20ga, plays a major part in this.
The difference in bore is huge, and this has a real effect on the pattern needed to break trap targets between 16 and 27 yards.
Again, today's ammunition technology has pretty much evened the field, and a 20 will pattern 7/8oz loads as well as a 12....skeet scores attest to this.
You can have a lot of fun using a field or skeet type gun on the trap range. Just don't expect to win a lot of shoots against guys who shoot dedicated trap guns. What Dennis meant to say is "Just don't expect to win a lot of shoots against guys who are better shots than you." :wink:
I looked at the top 100 trap shooters equipment, and they all use the 12 gauge. No available 20ga. trap loads, no trap guns available in 20ga, have more to do with this than perceived inferior 20ga. patterns. Believe me.
There are also any number of recoil reducers which assist the trap shooter, either spring-loaded, hydraulic, or mercury types. They are sold by the thousands, and they do the job.Right you are.
Best,
Dennis
7/8 oz of #8 is enough shot to break all the targets at the 16 yard line. My first 50 straight came shooting a 7/8 oz load in my 12 ga.bobbydee said:Newbie here. Being a little old guy, can I be proficient at trap, 16 yd. only, using a 20ga. semi, 7/8oz., 8 shot?
Could I use the same for skeet?
I want to shoot for fun but I also don't want to be embarrassed. Thanks guys
You can use the same gun for skeet and trap, as long as you've got choke tubes. IM or Full for trap, Cylinder, Skeet or IC for skeet.
As other's have mentioned, you may want to adjust the gun so it shoot higher for trap, but you can shoot good scores with a flat shooting gun too. It all comes down to knowing where your gun shoots, and sticking to good technique.
~Michael
Because there are no dedicated 20 ga. trap guns (nor is there a reason for such an animal).pendennis said:There are any number of 20 gauge loads which handle 7/8 and 1 oz. loads. Yet, none of the top shooters use 20 gauge guns.
~Michael
Thanks a ton guys for all of your valuable info.
Once again I am old, small, 135 lbs., and because of some health issues, not too strong. Thus the 20 ga. semi. I would love to get a BT99 or OU but am afraid of the weight and perhaps the felt recoil. Thus the 20 ga. semi and I prefer trap.
When I mentioned 'embarrassed', the trap and skeet facility I will attend here in Florida unfortunately the trap shooters there have big egos, are unfriendly for the most part, have cliques, and don't want to associate with anyone that doesn't have an expensive O/U. Screw em!! On the other hand, the skeet shooters are the nicest people you would ever want to know.
At this point I'm leaning towards a 391 Urika, 20 ga., 28 in. barrel. Sure wish I could go with a O/U.
Once again I am old, small, 135 lbs., and because of some health issues, not too strong. Thus the 20 ga. semi. I would love to get a BT99 or OU but am afraid of the weight and perhaps the felt recoil. Thus the 20 ga. semi and I prefer trap.
When I mentioned 'embarrassed', the trap and skeet facility I will attend here in Florida unfortunately the trap shooters there have big egos, are unfriendly for the most part, have cliques, and don't want to associate with anyone that doesn't have an expensive O/U. Screw em!! On the other hand, the skeet shooters are the nicest people you would ever want to know.
At this point I'm leaning towards a 391 Urika, 20 ga., 28 in. barrel. Sure wish I could go with a O/U.
You can. Ruger makes a light, very sweet 20ga Red Label O/U.bobbydee said:Sure wish I could go with a O/U.
My son's girlfriend loves to shoot mine and she's a tiny little thing. I've never noticed the recoil from that gun and, apparently, neither has she.
If you want an O/U, then get a 20ga, put a LimbSaver recoil pad on it, and give it a go. I'm betting you won't have any problems with recoil, especially if you limit yourself to no more than one round an hour....
The Beretta 391 is a good choice. Will make an excellent skeet gun, and will work just fine for shooting trap.bobbydee said:At this point I'm leaning towards a 391 Urika, 20 ga., 28 in. barrel. Sure wish I could go with a O/U.
~Michael
bobbydee, just think how great it would be to line up with those egomaniac and shoot a round and beat 1 or 2 of them with a 20ga. You may not make many friends but what the heck bruising an ego would be well worth it.
bobbydee, If you are looking for opinions I certanly have no trouble sharing mine. I'm not going to claim to be any kind of professional shooter. We as a family do it for fun.
Last year my son came home from school and told me he wanted to join the trap team at school. As far as I was concerned, good deal. First thing on schedule, get him a gun. We went to the local gun dealer (about 60 miles away) and began the selection process. He probally handled 20 different guns. Finally when I saw the smile come on his face I knew he had found it. A Benelli 12 ga Super Nova pump. He paid his half I paid mine and away we went. No doubt the boy got talent.
Well baby girl decided she wanted to shoot also. Eventhough she was not old enough to join the team, I made a deal with her. She could get a gun if she paid for half and she promised to join the team the following year. bobbydee she is now 12 years old and weighs 83 lbs. Her selection of weapons was limited. We chose a 20 ga Charles Daly semi auto youth model. Not an expensive gun by no means. Well she had trouble mounting the gun she was so small.
So here I go, I cut 3/4" of the stock and added 1 1/2 lbs of lead in the stock to move center of balance back to about 1/2" in front of the triger gard thus taking presure off of her left arm so she would not have to fight it. She is consintly hitting 14 out of 20 birds. Some times better sometimes worse.
I shoot both guns. Of course the 12 ga fits me better just because, when I grab hers I feel like I'm getting ready to shoot a young'ns pop gun.
I've always favored a 12 ga, never giving the 20 ga a second look. Feeling it was inferior well I must say I was wrong. The 12 ga or 20 ga shoot the one that fits your needs best.
I mean if my 12 year old 83 lb baby girl can hit with it, should I say more? It takes practice but she is only getting better.
Just shoot and have fun.
Last year my son came home from school and told me he wanted to join the trap team at school. As far as I was concerned, good deal. First thing on schedule, get him a gun. We went to the local gun dealer (about 60 miles away) and began the selection process. He probally handled 20 different guns. Finally when I saw the smile come on his face I knew he had found it. A Benelli 12 ga Super Nova pump. He paid his half I paid mine and away we went. No doubt the boy got talent.
Well baby girl decided she wanted to shoot also. Eventhough she was not old enough to join the team, I made a deal with her. She could get a gun if she paid for half and she promised to join the team the following year. bobbydee she is now 12 years old and weighs 83 lbs. Her selection of weapons was limited. We chose a 20 ga Charles Daly semi auto youth model. Not an expensive gun by no means. Well she had trouble mounting the gun she was so small.
So here I go, I cut 3/4" of the stock and added 1 1/2 lbs of lead in the stock to move center of balance back to about 1/2" in front of the triger gard thus taking presure off of her left arm so she would not have to fight it. She is consintly hitting 14 out of 20 birds. Some times better sometimes worse.
I shoot both guns. Of course the 12 ga fits me better just because, when I grab hers I feel like I'm getting ready to shoot a young'ns pop gun.
I've always favored a 12 ga, never giving the 20 ga a second look. Feeling it was inferior well I must say I was wrong. The 12 ga or 20 ga shoot the one that fits your needs best.
I mean if my 12 year old 83 lb baby girl can hit with it, should I say more? It takes practice but she is only getting better.
Just shoot and have fun.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
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