[CrackerJim]

Myself, my two sons, and two long time friends and one of their sons have recently gotten into shotguns sports (one friend has done some hunting). We've got two do all traps (sit on full cock) from wally world.

There are no ranges in our area so our shot presentation is limited. We'll be going on a trip to the big city in a couple of weeks and will stop in at a range on the way. We won't have enough time to try sporting clays (which is the way we're all heading eventually). They do have trap, skeet and five stand.

I'm thinking for newbies in our situation, trap would be the best to try since it will look the most like what we're doing now. (I'd go for five stand if my decision but know we wouldn't be able to hit much and want it to be fun for everyone with some clay bustin' going on!).

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[TonyG]

Go online and look up http://www.claytargetsonline.com And see what shotgun shooting facilities are in or close to your area. Remember that all the shotgun sports will help mprove your success in hunting if that is your aim. Then you might like one of the sports and get more involved. Welcome to the Shotgun Shooting Fraternaty. V/R TonyG

 

[Burnt Powder]

Jim;

Yup, IF you indeed do want to get involved in Sporting Clays eventualy, I'd say be SURE to take in the 5-stand. It can be humbling to say the least, but it is hard to imagine more fun with a shotgun in your hands and you pants still on! :wink: Trap may or may not be the most easialy "aquired" shooting skill. It is probably the MOST participated in. But, If you have time for more than one round of something or other, get the 5-stand in at least. Heck, I'd do all 3, it can't take that long!

BP

 

[TexasTon]

They do have trap, skeet and five stand.

I'd start with skeet, if their 5 stand is setup tough, you could come away with no desire in returning when all you needed was some time to get aquainted.

With your traps, you are really only limited by your imagination and surroundings/terrain as to what presentations you can throw, just be safe about it, an almost endless list of targets awaits you.

 

[CrackerJim]

Thanks for the replies. So skeet better to start with than trap? We will probably only have time for two rounds. Maybe if we hit enough at skeet, I can get them to go for the 5 stand.

We're terrain limited right now for our home brew shooting. All the old "edge of town" shooting spots have been over run by development. For now we're shooting on a near-future road construction project (long and narrow). We have to confine our shots to down the cleared roadway as dirt bikes and four wheelers are in the adjacent woods.

After the construction starts, we will have no shooting area in town. Nearest ranges are an hour and a half away (and one of the three at this distance is only shotgun one day a month). Hopefully, will get to go shoot 2-3 times a month.

I'm used to practicing 2-3 times a week when involved in a sport so not sure how this is going to work out! :shock: However, it's so much fun that I'll just have to take what I can get..... :? .

Jim

 

[theshootingdoctor]

Shoot the Skeet field ,but if you believe your interest is in sporting, shoot the field for practice but not the game of skeet. I recomend the following use to my students:

Shoot all the quartering angles from position 1-3
and in between.Make it interesting by having the
trapper do following & report pairs(from same and
opposite trap) Rotate shooters and the lead off
chooses what will happen at each new spot.

Shoot it all gun down starting position.

Next go to positions 4-7 and in between and do
the same program as above.

It is very important to concentate on improving this quartering
target part of your skills since so much of sporting is about quartering shots.It is just fine to shoot 25 on just one side and the next 25 on the other side of the center line.

The ability to do this on a skeet club field is usally easier later in the day(mid to late afternooon).Be sure to explain to the trapper, if there is one ,what you want to work on.If a pure skeet shooter approaches you to join up explain to them that you are sporting shooters trying to work on some specific things and usally they will leave you to do just that.

Finally look in Backs Wing and Clay as well as the above mentioned resource but look at the game preserve section as well as clays portion as many game preserves have sporting available.

 

[astomb]

Interesting question and there is no set answer. I agree with much of what has been said. I prefer skeet and a gun up start and then learning the proper gun mount, and grooving the mount before going to gun down.

Consider taking the hunter education course as a group as soon as you can so you will learn safety.

I think that a group lesson with a good intructor with a lots of experience with novice shoooters would be the best first step. Starting off doing things right is very important. You cannot expect a person who has hunted a little to be your instructor.

See if you can get the kids into the 4H Shooting sports program or a scholastic targets program. Many shooting grounds and ranges have clinics for kids. Sportsmen's clubs often have programs too.

On the planned trip to the range, call ahead and let them know that you are coming with a group that has not shot much, and ask about some introductory assistance with shooting.

Exciting times--- enjoy it!

Safety first!

 

[AAand88]

For a beginner who wants to learn all the games without actually mastering them, I think that the easiest progression would be to shoot trap, then skeet and then sporting. Between trap and skeet, trap is easier to learn, but harder to master, while skeet is the opposite. Once these two games are shot with some degree of proficiency, then you will be ready for sporting, more or less. Of course, none of this is going to happen with one or two trips to a range.

 

[CrackerJim]

Thanks for the help. Sounds like skeet or trap to start. I'll let my friend and son decide when we go up there.

None of us expect to be proficient after a couple of visits. I just want them to be able to have a chance to break a few clays.

My project at work is delayed so I took off last Friday and drove the 1 1/2 hrs to the range. I gave the 5 stand a try, was fun but couldn't hit much. Even the more standard looking shots were tougher as they were farther out and the bird was moving faster than off our trap (they were large electric traps). So I was just guessing at the lead but did better towards the end of the round.

The range has 4 trap, 2 skeet and 1 - 5 stand. I noticed the 5 stand was the easiest to get on (and this was a weekday). We'll see what the wait is like to get on the trap or skeet on a Saturday when we're heading that way. Hopefully, we'll get a couple of rounds in before we have to continue the trip.

Jim

 

[NewtoClay]

These other guys must have been shooting too long to remember: I started shooting about 2 1/2 years ago and I started with trap. After a year and several 25s in trap THEN I finally tried skeet.

Let's think about this...you're going to visit a range for the first time and maybe have time for two rounds. Do you want to hit some targets and have fun or do you want waste a bunch of ammo missing crossers going 50 mph? If the former, put your money down on the trap. If the latter, try skeet.

I guarantee you that you will not learn much in two rounds so you might as well have fun and, to me, fun is hitting targets. If you've never really shot at a range before, trap will be the way to go. Once you get that down, then try skeet.

As I said, I've been shooting two - three times a week at a range for nearly three years now and I still don't think that I'm quite ready for a GOOD sporting clays course.

 

[copterdrvr]

What newtoclay said.

If you've never shot skeet and you're not a hunter, the odds of you hitting even half of the targets are pretty slim-unless of course you're a natural deadeye. :wink:

That's not the way to start out this new adventure.

Copterdrvr

 

[shell shucker]

When I take new shooters to the range I start them out on (skeet) station 7. I get them used to HITTING low 7, this builds confidence. They may need to shoot this shot 10-12 times in a row. Next I get them used to hitting high 7. After they can hit both birds we move to station 6. Start with the low bird "you will be WAY behind the bird, catch it, pass it, pull the trigger". Next we learn to hit high 6. Move to 5 and learn it. Finally try a round of skeet. High 1 gives trouble but the other presentations are variations of shots they have learned to HIT. Station 8 has enough WOW (that was fast!) factor that missing does not seem to discourage them.

I believe that the skeet FIELD offers the easiest opportunity to teach new shooters how to shoot a variety of presentations. Low 7 mimics the shot most home (pasture) shooters have done before and builds confedence with HITS. It's simple to teach crossing shots one baby step at a time. I don't think that just jumping in and shooting a formal round of skeet is nearly as effective of a teaching tool as is starting with the easiest shot, building confidence and taking baby steps learning to hit different shots one at a time. These skills transfer to other games.

 

[theshootingdoctor]

Its a shame when people try to scare you off with numbers.At the max both American trap and skeet trargets go 30 mph right off the trap machine and then they lose speed from there on.The best target to give someone as their first try is a high slow incoming target that peaks 15 yards in front of them and they can break by just pointing the gun at the bottom of the target.Unfortunately, except for a few facilities that realize that this is a crucial presentation for which a machine should be devoted, the vast majority of facilities will not provide you with a great success ratio first time out.Your best investment is to try a few things with very low expectation in mind beyound seeing what is there.Spend your money more effectively when your local instructor(is there only one?) returns and can give you proper instruction.

 

[KD7xxx]

trap. because its a man's game.

but seriously, what does your club do most of? shotguns sports can be very social, so you might want to find ways of participating apres-shooting. my club has a wednesday night trap league, with an open bar afterwards, and a weekly poker game.

 

[winders]

At the max both American trap and skeet trargets go 30 mph right off the trap machine and then they lose speed from there on.

ATA Singles and Handicap targets are set at about 42 MPH just out of the house. NSSA targets are about 44 MPH a few feet out of the house.

That's 40 to 47 percent faster than you claimed.....a big difference.

Trap is easier to learn and easier to start breaking targets at so it is a great game to start people on.

Scott

 

[TOM-M]

Trap is easier to learn and easier to start breaking targets at so it is a great game to start people on.

I'd agree completely...at least that's been my experience working with new, 4-H, shooters...I didn't catch how old the youngsters are.

I'd also agree that low 7 is a great introduction target, but most new shooters get bored quickly, want to try all the other stations, and loose focus.

The first thing I'd do upon arrival at the range, is ask for help...a few minutes with somebody that works there or just one of the "regulars" (and you'd be surprised how helpful these can be if asked) will familiarize you with range safety, how the machine controls operate, and maybe give you some pointers on bustin' some targets...all will make for a safe and fun experience.

 

[Lefty Bill]

All good advice. Trap and Skeet are both good to start. My personal opinion is that the Skeet field is the best place to learn. You can shoot just about any angle of target, from easier ones to hard, just by moving around or even in between the stations.

Though I prefer Skeet for this, I would not recommend shooting "rounds" of Skeet. For a beginner, there could be a whole lot of missing / frustration in trying to hit all of the various shots.

If you have access to a skeet field that you can have to yourselves for a while, that is perfect. You can park yourselves wherever is safe on the field and create a whole bunch of shots that are reasonable.

If you didn't have this kind of access and your only option was shooting "structured" Skeet, I would head immediately to the Trap field.

Good luck and remember, there really are ton of nice people in all of these disciplines that want to help.

 

[theshootingdoctor]

My appoligy for the speed error. Those are target speeds at mid flight( from a radar gun )that have lost speed down to about 30 -35 mph.They are certainly not 50 mph where they are shot by beginners.

 

[aiken]

skeet is a good beginner game because the targets are always the same.. not in trap because of the oscilating base... and the targets in skeet are much closer. Start at stations 1 and 7 and then slowly add in 2 and 6. after you get more comfortable do the whole round.. it is great fun.. and you can talk to each other while you do it... not so in trap because of the voice activated call boxes and everyone is shooting one after another.. in skeet you take turns.

 

[Rem396]

I think the skeet field is best for beginning as you get a lot of angles. Learning the skeet game is not the goal in the beginning but how to hit the targets.
I think many people want to start off at trap because they are shooting going away targets with their do-all at home and have seen moderate success due to aiming the gun.