I just this minute stepped in from returning from the trap club. Warm windy day in the desert. Shot a round of skeet and clays. I brought two guns, a Remington Model 11 in 20 gauge with a Polychoke and my Fox Sterlingworth, F&M. Set the Polychoke one knotch from ImpCyl and broke 23! Which is good for me. Hit all of my doubles, so my swing was working. I'm also getting it down where to place my gun when I call for the bird. That little 20 gauge doesn't kick a bit and it balances well, being all steel. Since it is a recoil gun it jumps a little, but it doesn't bother me and I acutally like that lump out there on the muzzle. I point with it. I was pleased with my score and the little Remington has graduated to being my "Skeet Gun" for a whle.
I found clays interesting and confusing. I'm so deaf that I can't hear a thing and I wear plugs and muffs. I can hear the report of the other guys' guns, but I can't tell where the noice is coming from so I have to pay close attention so I don't miss my turn or screw up the flow. Even tho the traps were numbered and there was a schedule at each of the five firing positions, I usually wasn't sure where to look for the bird. I held the gun low to see better. One of the double stations has a bird coming directly in and high and another that shoots directly out. It took me a bit to see the incoming bird and I broke it. By the time I saw the outgoing bird it must have been fifty yards away and heading for the horizon. I took aim, moved my finger to the rear trigger and let that old Fox gun bark, and darn if I didn't break it. The other guys laughed. Must have been 70+ yds! That gun must have a very tight full choke or it maybe it was the mythical Golden BB.
The Fox hit me pretty hard. A sharp, short kick. It didn't bother me, but if I had shot more birds it would have. I think I need to have the forcing cones looked at. It is a 1929 gun. I've been shooting a lot of autos, which only give you a push, but my SC doesn't bother me a bit. I can feel that Fox as I write this.
One of the members is an old fellow, he must be 6'6. He shoots a lot of guns. He was in the skeet group I shot with. He was shooting a pristine Model 12 full choked gun. He did well with it too, pumping away. Each bird he hit, he smoked. Some of the members are constantly messing with chokes, opening a box with a dozen, removing one and screwing in another. Other guys just shoot the gun they brung at everything. I liked my Polychoked 20 gauge. I was told today, that they throw erratic patterns at the tighter chokes, but are okay with the open chokes. I don't know, but the little Remington did fine for me today.
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