Sporting Clays

[Stepmac]

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.

[ed good]

ver ly in ter res ting....

[Christopher Piercey]

I wish I could get some shells to shoot geese with my Parker...

[Dean Romig]

You can. Try these great folks. This is where I buy all of my Parker ammo. They are good friends of the PGCA.

http://www.rstshells.com/

[Paul Harm]

Don't worry about the forcing cones. What kind of shells you shooting ? We all reload and shoot either 7/8 or 3/4oz in the 12ga. Kept at 1200fps or less and you won't notice any recoil.

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Paul Harm

Don't worry about the forcing cones. What kind of shells you shooting ? We all reload and shoot either 7/8 or 3/4oz in the 12ga. Kept at 1200fps or less and you won't notice any recoil.

I was shooting 1oz Feochi shells. So, I was surprised when the gun gave me a hit. I also shoot these shells in a Miroku O/U and I can't feel a thing. Nor do I feel much recoil when shooting those same shells in my Parker SC. My Fox is light. It sports a Silver's pad. It gave me a sharp hit. Strange, it surprised me.

I would rather not mess with the forcing cones. I don't reload for shotshells because I buy them at my club for $6 a box. What does it cost to reload them?

I'm going to try RST 2.5 inch 1 oz loads and see what happens. Trouble is they are more expensive by about twice than the shells I buy at the club.

However, the Fox Sterlingworth is a very nice gun! It is light, looks nearly new, has a neat ivory bead, fits me pretty well and doesn't have ejectors which I like. I just pluck out the empty and toss it into the box or my pouch.

I may try my I grade Lefever. But I'm seriously looking forward to shooting my GH.

As for breaking clays at five stand? It is a witch with a capitol B. Actually I think I like sheet and trap better, but I'll keep doing it, of course.

I want a Parker that is like my Fox gun. Maybe a Trojan. I'd like a 16. No real reason, I just like being different.

I'm healthy and am going to live here the rest of my life and my trap club is wonderful. I am shooting a lot and you know what? It makes life worth living.

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Paul Harm

Don't worry about the forcing cones. What kind of shells you shooting ? We all reload and shoot either 7/8 or 3/4oz in the 12ga. Kept at 1200fps or less and you won't notice any recoil.

Do you mind telling me a bit more about your reloading? Do you think that you do okay with only 3/4 oz loads?

The thought of reloading paper shells with a roll crimp with felt wads sounds attractive to me. You know, like the old days.

As a matter of fact I'd love to shoot brass shells loaded with BP in my GH. Just for grins.

[Paul Harm]

Under 4$ a box if you buy in quantity and at dealer prices [ our club puts in a order from a wholesaler]. Even at higher prices, if you reload you can tailor your loads to what you want. www.circlefly.com sells felt and fiber wads. www.precisionreloading.com sells good metal roll crimpers- think they're on sale this month. Claybusterwads and Downrange sell 16 gauge wads - and you'll want to reload for 16ga- they're too expensive to buy. Buy a used Mec 600jr to get started reloading. Our reloading forum is helpfull. www.shotgunworld.com also has a very helpfull reloading forum. Alliant and Hodgdon powder companies have web sites for reloading data. For a year or two with myself, wife, daughter, and granddaughter all shooting, I was reloading about 30 boxes a week. Now it's just me and the wife shooting between 16 and 20 boxes a week. I sure couldn't afford it on retirement money. Plus, as I said, I can put togeather the loads I like without having to shop for special loads or pay the high price. I've made 2" to 3" shells, roll or fold crimp, light target to hunting loads, paper wads or plastic, nitro or blackpowder, 10ga to 28ga all right in the basement. Maybe a friend who reloads can help. Have at it, it's fun shooting with loads you made yourself.

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Paul Harm

Under 4$ a box if you buy in quantity and at dealer prices [ our club puts in a order from a wholesaler]. Even at higher prices, if you reload you can tailor your loads to what you want. www.circlefly.com sells felt and fiber wads. www.precisionreloading.com sells good metal roll crimpers- think they're on sale this month. Claybusterwads and Downrange sell 16 gauge wads - and you'll want to reload for 16ga- they're too expensive to buy. Buy a used Mec 600jr to get started reloading. Our reloading forum is helpfull. www.shotgunworld.com also has a very helpfull reloading forum. Alliant and Hodgdon powder companies have web sites for reloading data. For a year or two with myself, wife, daughter, and granddaughter all shooting, I was reloading about 30 boxes a week. Now it's just me and the wife shooting between 16 and 20 boxes a week. I sure couldn't afford it on retirement money. Plus, as I said, I can put togeather the loads I like without having to shop for special loads or pay the high price. I've made 2" to 3" shells, roll or fold crimp, light target to hunting loads, paper wads or plastic, nitro or blackpowder, 10ga to 28ga all right in the basement. Maybe a friend who reloads can help. Have at it, it's fun shooting with loads you made yourself.

I am impressed! I'm going to study shotshell reloading. I reload for rifle/pistol and have for fifty years.

My wife used to be a wonderful shotgun shot, but she stopped shooting about 20 years ago and I'm concerned about her retinas if she takes it up again. She is nearly blind. She loves to shoot tho and we enjoy shooting pine cones with .22s. We are death on pine cones.

I shoot about 20 boxes a month. I'm going to look into it. I'll buy a new 600 Mech if I decide to reload.

[charlie cleveland]

steve just dont decide go for it...reloading is not just about saving a buck its the inner reward thats worth it...you know that feelin you get with reloading a rifle shell and gettin a big buck with well that feelin comes with loading shotgun shells and just shootin tin cans or maybe a pine cone.. charlie