WB
The Trap-fest was fun. I still performed poorly
Thursday, November 07, 2024, 09:17

to my standards. Best of the 5 guys in my group though. A guy with an express 870 20 was close to me. I only had one remark about my Franken-870-12, "nice Mag-pul furniture, lol". It shoots as good as anything out there. The stocks cost more than I paid for the gun. They have a rule of no guns allowed under 26" barrel. I'm fortunate no one was running around with a tape, I would have come up a little short!(23"). My back up Turkey Mossberg I had along is also 24" or so. Roman used the 1100 20 ga. std. 28". Both guns used full chokes. That's what classic trap guns run, I think I might have done better with a IC or Mod. but my other buddies ran them and thought they need FC as they thought the patterns got thin and allowed clays through. I shot 24/50 and Roman 30/50. He had never done it before. Top shooters tied for 43/50. A guy right across the table from me won the $1000 raffle!. This was a state Engineering excellence organization sponsored event. Our consulting firm invited us as we spend several million with them quite often. So we get a steak dinner or shoot event ever once in a while. lol

The AR State facility is really nice with Trap and Skeet both. It costs $9 to go here and shoot (25) targets. It's open to the public. You have to use ear and eye protection and pay supply your own shells. They have guns you can use for free by signing them out using your driver's license. (they hold it while you shoot).

Shotgunning is so psychological. Many shots I knew I was going to miss before it went bang. I hate that and want to work on it. Several I noted swinging past and stopping, not following thorough. Typical mistakes. You need to hit it as quick as possible. If you wait the falling bird is very difficult to hit, the time delay, lead is complicated. Plus you just over think. If I react, I usually smoke the target. I also caught myself not holding the aiming rib flat, like Gary's targets probably going high. Need to work on that too.

I had a positive experience and got to take my son. I learned a lot too. Something you might want to look into for yourself. I know several guys are basically Pro level shotgunners, but this is a perspective from a beginner. I just had fun.

About half the room. Half P.E's, and half Water guys. Safety briefing, no BS tolerated on the range. They will make you leave.

The range had this wild looking sheets up that stopped the shot. You can see your pattern hit it. But at that range it's about 10-15' diameter.

Nice large meeting area and clubhouse.

Roman far left just before busting a bird from position one. You shoot (5) them everyone moves over a position to change angles.

A gun rack pic. This bunch all used semi-autos. The pretty Maple stocked Remington, then a extended mag Browning, Another Remington 11-87?, and a Benelli? Roman was holding his old 1970's 1100 not in the pic. I saw about 25% O/U and probably 50% pumps. Mostly Remingtons with some Benelli Nova's that are increasingly popular.