Getting back into Trapshooting.... shotgun recommendations

[bobinpa]

I shot clays years ago. In my prime I was better than average I was shooting B class scores. I just got burnt out on both Skeet and Trap .
Last year I joined a new to me private club . You had to participate in three club functions as a requirement. I decided hey let's give a try at a round of trap . It was a enjoyable round and the shotgun felt good but the desire isn't there .
I had a Krieghoff Monte Carlo grade K 32 . Guy out of Lumberton NC wanted it more than me .

Correction ,
Lincolnton NC
View attachment 1542007

Monte Carlos are rare and hard to find these days. That's a pretty one for sure! Mine is a combo and I doubt I'll ever sell it...

 

[22turborimfire]

Monte Carlos are rare and hard to find these days. That's a pretty one for sure! Mine is a combo and I doubt I'll ever sell it...

Bob , yes it was a rare bird for sure. I didn't enjoy shooting it always worried about bumping it or scratching it up. Plus everyone that knew wanted to handle it . It was a very nice gun . I had just gotten it back from K international when I sold it for a complete rebuild. It was like new . Great snag on your end.
JW

 

[ronsatspokane]

I'm located in Eastern WA.

There are still a few trap shoots in the general area, but participation and # of registered shoots in the area are way down from the 90's, based on conversations at a club trap shoot this weekend that I worked at.

Several of the larger clubs have closed. (Spokane, Lewiston). They held the biggest competitions in my area, and several throughout the year.

There do seem to be a lot of Ljutic mono guns for sale online... I shot a friends this weekend and my scores were better than with my 870 field. LOP was a little short though. I may just have to travel to a shoot as suggested and look at for sale items. I certainly want to try before I buy.... and a combo set would be nice.

Which rifles to sell.... real world problems right.....

Appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!

The former club at Liberty Lake is sitting on multiple millions of dollars after selling that property to the school district and in theory will be starting a new facility. If they ever find land and if they get off the dime and get going before they piss it all away. They were going to open a facility out past the Airforce base but they got sued by a resident. They sold that property for a profit. Have not heard what they are doing with the money recently or what the current plans are.

The Spokane Rifle Club has two trap stations and I hear CDA has a nice facility with trap, skeet and five stand. Nothing around that quite matches what Liberty Lake had. I've been shooting Sporting Clays out at Landt farms. I shoot trap on occasion at the Rifle Club but I really like Sporting Clays. Been using 28 gauge mostly since those sub gauges are so much fun and I'm reloading which brings the cost below 12 gauge. I also shoot a couple of 12 gauge guns and one of those may be going on the market. A Caesar Guerini Summit Impact with 30 inch barrels, adjustable comb, adjustable high rib and a set of Muller chokes in addition to the Caesar chokes. Let me know if something like that interests you.

 

[bsekf]

Look for an older Krieghoff, they are warrantied forever and can be rebuilt.

Good luck and hope you have deep pockets and a place to shoot.

 

[DIBBS]

Sadly, I definitely don't have deep pockets. I do, however, have a small local club a few miles from the house.

 

[DRK]

I shoot clays & hunt with an old Browning Superposed, choked full over mod. You can find the 12 GA varieties well under $2k, sometimes between $1k-1.5k.

Mine has some honest wear on it, works as intended, and should out live me!

 

[c2a4r3l]

Look at Dawsons in massillon ohio. Great people nothing but trap guns

Welcome To DAWSON ENTERPRISES

 

[perazziguy]

Check out Terry's Gun Vault. You can try the website or you can give him a call, really good to talk with and wheel and deal. He has many trap guns on hand and really nice pistols too.

 

[bobinpa]

I don't understand why everyone thinks trap shooting is so expensive.... I don't think it costs more to shoot trap than anything else.

Used trap shotgun can be had for less than 2k. Most rifle shooters spend almost that much on just a scope and typically a lot more. Then you have to add the cost of a rifle and a rest...

Premium bullets start at $.40 each and go up... Target shotgun shells at $10.00 box cost the same.
Go to a local club and shoot a round of trap for $5.00 - $8.00, total cost is less than $20.00 for 25 targets.

If you want to travel the country and shoot registered ATA, it's a different story but it's a different story for competitive rifle shooting too.

 

[Dos XX]

I don't understand why everyone thinks trap shooting is so expensive.... I don't think it costs more to shoot trap than anything else.

Used trap shotgun can be had for less than 2k. Most rifle shooters spend almost that much on just a scope and typically a lot more. Then you have to add the cost of a rifle and a rest...

Premium bullets start at $.40 each and go up... Target shotgun shells at $10.00 box cost the same.
Go to a local club and shoot a round of trap for $5.00 - $8.00, total cost is less than $20.00 for 25 targets.

If you want to travel the country and shoot registered ATA, it's a different story but it's a different story for competitive rifle shooting too.

You can have Federal Top Gun trap loads delivered to you house for $97.00 a case, which is a little under .38 cents a round. Just a .30 cal bullet for an F Class FTR load costs .61 cents each, plus shipping. Then you need brass, powder, primer, and time to reload them. Even higher end trap loads like Rem STS can be delivered for .48 cents a round.

 

[KMart]

My Beretta 390 has over 85,000 rounds through it

That is roughly 28 rifle barrels shot out.

 

[majohnson]

To be and stay competitive in ATA, along with holding a high year long state average requires lots of time and cases of Federal Papers. Along with late nights at the reloading bench for practice. Leaf trigger springs, along with plenty of Teco tools for cleaning the barrels.

 

[Lucky Shooter]

If you don't consider shooting doubles, the old
M12 3" Magnum Duck Gun can be made into a good
trap gun.

The Duck Gun seems to have heavier receiver and barrel
extension and IMO makes a possibly better trap gun than the 2 3/4"
version.

I've had one of the Duck Guns going on 50 years and laid'er
aside when the steel shot rule came along. Later on I bought a
relatively inexpensive Sile stock-----the easiest gun I've used for trap.


This gun started out as plain Duck Gun with field grade wood and 30"
full choke barel. Someone had a Simmons rib installed and I eventually
added the Sile stock.

Going this route won't be cheap but produces a good trap singles gun .

There numerous other improvements available if one wants it tricked up
a bit more.

A. Weldy

 

[Nealm66]

Sadly, I definitely don't have deep pockets. I do, however, have a small local club a few miles from the house.

I picked up the 32” weatherby Orion on sale for less than $1000. Think it was 899. I’ve been on the line with some crazy expensive looking shotguns but haven’t seen them shoot the difference and more than a couple times have experienced them not performing as well as mine. I did buy some different chokes than the ones that came stock but wouldn’t swear they improved anything over the stock ones. I will say the recoil is worthy of one of those shoulder pad things. When I was researching what shotgun to buy I read that Adam Weatherby likes shooting trap and designed the Orion. I haven’t seen a browning shooting next to me I’d trade mine for other than the looks