Skeet and Trap shotguns vs. Tactical shotguns.

[stg2ahn]

I was thinking about gettin into skeet and trap shooting
But most the shotguns I like don't have chokes and are 20in. or less.
Would these "tactical" shotguns be workable for shooting skeet?
How about a turkey gun?

[Grantness]

theyd be workable but not the best choice. Turkey guns generally have too tight a choke...and many times they use 3 1/2" shells...which u dont need for trap/skeet (that being said, some 3.5" magnum shotguns will cycle reliably with light skeet loads...but u need to be careful and get a quality gun if its going to be able to do that) . Tacticals often have no choke and their pattern is too wide. Pistol grips could get in the way if u were shooting trap/skeet/sporting clays.

Usually u want an improved cylinder choke and a full length barrel.

The best trap/skeet guns are over/unders...

I have a remington 1100 and 1187. These are autoshotguns, and they are very versatile. Ive found that they work well for just about every application. It will cycle very light trap/skeet load, but also handle 3inch magnums rounds equally as well when I go duck hunting. Really, the only thing u need to do is switch out the chokes. I can even go hog/deer hunting with it. I have an extended rifled sabot slug choke just for hunting. They are extremely reliable, light weight, and rugged. I almost never get a jam (which is a plus if u want to use it for self defense.). This is my go to home defense gun. I keep the FsN in my nightstand and my 1187 in the closet.

[flyingirish04]

Beretta Teknys (sp) guns are great trap guns. SKB or Beretta Over Unders are big. You don't see many trap or skeet guys running anything but Over Unders. Sporting Clays as well, though many are going to Autos. I used to shoot a ton of sporting clays when I was in high school, and I used a worked over Beretta 390AL Auto with extended Skeet or IC chokes. Never used anything tighter, and I was a 89 average (out of 100 clays). You get into Sporting Clays or Trap or even Skeet and FITASC, and it gets expensive quick. My father has a Beretta 682 Gold Sporting Clay gun that has many thousands of dollars invested into it.

Now, if you want to have a good all around shotgun, get a benelli or beretta auto or a Remington 1100 or 1187. They all have adjustable chokes. For home defense, I love the Benelli M3, but for the money a Rem 870 does the trick quite well.

[abatis]

A shotgum I would like to get and it would make a nice Trap and Skeet gun is the Benelli Cordoba. It is very light and is vented to reduce muzzle climb. http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/cordoba.tpl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[flyingirish04]

:agree: The cordoba is a great gun for Trap and Skeet and Sporting Clays, and it is a great upland game, dove, and waterfowl hunting shottie as well. :thumb:

[eagleshotz]

:thumb: Dont no much about skeet and trap shooting, but the name says it all!

[stg2ahn]

that Cordoba would be nice if the magazine tube was as long as the barrel. :thumb:

[abatis]

Okay that is it, I need a Cordoba. I have a first generation Benelli Super Black Eagle, but my youngest son has taken a liking to it. I have been bird hunting with my much favored Laurona O/U 12. I miss that third shot but still love the way the Laurona fits me and shoots. But seeing that video from eagleshotz and the fact I may just keep pissing money away on the stock market makes me think the best investment is the Cordoba.

[Iggimo2]

Ok, inertia driven...sounds like a straight blowback design. Is that not the same as most all auto-loading shotguns? Marketing name only or it a better (new) design?

[abatis]

Ok, inertia driven...sounds like a straight blowback design. Is that not the same as most all auto-loading shotguns? Marketing name only or it a better (new) design?

Many Auotloader run on the piston/gas expansion method such as the Browning design used in the A5s, Siagas etc. I have a Benelli SuperBlack Eagle and have had great reliability and it will even shoot dove loads without issue. I found several Cordobas at my local shop but they are 12s. i was thinking of a 20 for some upland fun.

[stg2ahn]

Wouldn't sticking with 12ga be the most cost effective way to go?
I know 20 ga has less recoil, but 12ga is always on sale and usually cheaper.
Heck, even walmart in CA sells 12ga.

[jmz5]

I shoot trap with a 20ga, less recoil makes for faster follow up shots.

[flyingirish04]

I have a Super Black Eagle as well, and I love the thing. It will shoot any load. Also, if you worried about recoil and follow up shots, Beretta's Teknys has less recoil than a 410.

[69ranchero351c]

i cant say much as i was using my mossberg 500 with a 18.5 inch tube barrel with no choke and a tactical adjustable stock with a pistol grip shooting skeet.i did just as good as my buddies with their 1100's. its all for fun anyways we were deff not professionals. and thats what you have to decide imo.

[69ranchero351c]

oh yeh if you got a mossy or a remington pump, barrels are cheap and stupid easy to change. so you could have the best of both worlds, a tactical barrel and a skeet barrel.

[Grantness]

I'll only use a 12ga. You can do just about anything with it, if you choose the right load/choke combo. The key is finding a gun thats light, can cycle with both light and heavy loads, and has the least recoil. Mind you...finding a light gun with low recoil isnt easy...but well worth the extra cash when u do (cause who want to lug around a heavy gun all day?).

Ive been thinking about getting a rifled barrel to turn my 1187 into a slug gun. I assume I'd need a special kind of rifling if I want to use sabot's right? Anyone ever tried this or shot a gun like this? How far can I expect such a gun to be effective against deer/hog (3" mag)?

[Wollychop]

I find that for bird hunting the 12ga offers little advantage over a twenty.

Actually one of my all time favorite guns to hunt with is my antiquated savage 24S-D, 20 gauge on the botton, 22LR on top. Dove and rabbit at the same time, hard to beat!

[Grantness]

There isnt much difference, but the advantage of the 12ga is that u can use it for all sorts of applications and it is on average going to be superior to the 20ga...and a 12ga is not that much heavier and the recoil is not bad (i have NEVER gotten fatigued from shooting my 1187...so I dont think recoil is really even that much of a factor).

[Wollychop]

Oh yeah I'd agree that overall it would be a bit superior for "wider applications".

As is the solution with most gun problems, buy both

[murphies_finest]

huh huh you said skeet

[emarvets]

oh yeh if you got a mossy or a remington pump, barrels are cheap and stupid easy to change. so you could have the best of both worlds, a tactical barrel and a skeet barrel.

I'm in the process of doing that now. Looking at a Remington 870 Marine Magnum or one of the 870 Police/Tactical/Defense models. Those usually come with a 7 round mag.

Next, adding a 26' Vent Rib for bird and 23' rifled cantilever barrel with a scope mounted to it for sabot/slub rounds.

One shotgun for everything...

[Grouse]

Pick up a good sxs, in skeet 1 and skeet 2 for skeet shooting. And a sxs in mod full for trap and continental



the first shotgun from the left is a B.C. Miroku. (british common wealth import) Miroku made the browning shot guns in japan. Miroku were not generally imported to the us, It went to a british common wealth then made it to the US. I had some champion thinwall chokes installed, So i have skeet 1, skeet2, Improved cylinder, and modified. I do not put full or mod chokes in this one very much.

The second gun is a spanish made mod/full choke (not removable choke) I use it for trap and continental.

In the past, i had a benelli nova with recoil reduction kit and i/c choke. I found it did an okay job at trap and continetal, but was not quick enough on follow up shots for 5 stand or skeet. I then was given a sxs to try and imediately fell in love. I prefer double triggers. I have been hunting with a bloke when his one trigger for his over under broke. that finished his day of hunting. with double triggers it still allows you to hunt.

my two cents in a world of 20 dollar bills.