Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best personal use clay target thrower ?

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What is the best electrically-powered oscillating clay target thrower for personal use in shotgun practice ?

Guess this would include a wobbler device and voice-activation.

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When you said best I took it to mean that price is way down on the list and best is the term that matters. One of the 2002 woble machines and a wireless voice activator should handle it. But if cost is an issue a good 13 year old baseball prospect from the neighborhood and a box of targets with a pair of hand throwers is OK too.


http://www.howellshootingsupplies.com/1019452.html

http://www.howellshootingsupplies.com/357810.html

Please define "personal use"








Small turd in a big pile.

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"Personal use" implies that the clay target thrower will stand up to the amount of use that an amateur clay target shooter and his family may put through it (say 500 clays per week) but is not required to stand up to the amount of use seen in a week at the Grand American year after year.


Also, "personal use" implies that a normal family would not consider it in the same price range as their house or car. Cost less than a Winchester Model 21 in very good condition. The personal use clay target throwing machine would sell complete under $1,500 or $2,000.

Have the hand target throwers, the ones that require an assistant to operate while another person shoots, and the ones that require manual reset between each target.

Am looking for something that I can use without an assistant -- now that the kids have acquired other interests. Want one that I can load fifty clays in, move back 16 yards, and voice-activate to produce random direction targets like they have at the local range (which is only open on Sundays).


Wouldn't mind paying the major league baseball prospect to throw targets, but out in the boonies where I am, I could look a long time and drive a long distance to fetch him to and fro. And cowboys don't want to do anything that expects them to step off their horse -- even if there is a beautiful woman involved.

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My father is rather happy with his Promatic. I believe it's a Ranger model. He has a foot switch for solo use.

Hammer,
good point. If you have the room to throw targets in the back yard you prob. dont have a bunch of neighbors with kids looking to throw targets all afternoon.
I would give the folks at Howell a call. They have just about all the trap brands under their company and I bet if you give them a budget they can get you a machine and a remote release. The cost of the wobble is a good bit more as it is another motor usually. Radio remote is very nice to have compared to stringing wire every time you set it up. Be sure to ask about temperature sensitivity for your area if winter time use is a factor. Our skeet machines need lower weight oil in the gear bath or the motor overheats trying to get the machine up to temperature on cold days.

If price is king, you will have to go used to get a good bit off retail pricing but those are hard to find if you know what I mean.

Auto-sporter from clay-tech industries out of Calgary, Alberta is a good one although slightly higher than $1500. Even more if you want wobble capability. For hard use the best you can afford is the cheapest and least aggravation.

Although they may have been bought up by someone other than the original owner, he was much like Melvin Forbes of Nula. Call the company and you talked to the owner.

Words to consider. If you use it enough, you will need repairs or parts replacement eventually. Whichever you may buy, talk with the rep. and have commonly needed replacement parts on hand so that eventual downtime is at a minimum.

As mentioned Pro-matic is another good trap.

Have you tried canvassing shooting clubs, sporting clays courses, etc. for used machines that have been removed from service for one reason or another?