Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns need inexpensive trap gun for daughter

My daughter is interested in shooting trap on her highschool team next year. Problem is she has never really shot a shotgun. She sometimes shoots a remington 870 .410 at cans, but has never actually tried anything in the air. I have no idea how good she may be or how much she may like shooting, so I don't want to go overboard on a gun right now. Something under $1000.

Rules allow any action in 20 or 12 gauge. Only single clays are shot, no doubles. Weight and recoil will be an issue. She is 16 but only about 5 feet tall. A light 20ga would be good to hold but not fun to shoot. A youth model might fit, but I don't think it would be best for as many rounds as she will be putting in it.

Is there a good semiauto 20ga set up for trap that can be made to fit her without breaking the bank? Any better options than a semi?

The only shotguns I currently have that she could use are a 12ga Citori and a 12ga Win model 12.

1100 12 ga. 1 ounce loads.

Beretta 391 Urika or Technys if going semi auto, but I would be looking for an SKB, Browning BT99 or the like single barrel trap gun. 1k opens a fair amount of doors on a new semi auto or clean lightly used single barrel trap gun.

Also as I'm sure you know but don't go too light. Gun weight soaks up recoil and helps to ensure smooth follow through after the shot.

Have some experience on this topic...

Key is weight of the gun, fit and light/target ammo. These are nice weight to recoil results from my experience. Simple to use, last forever and don't break the bank account.

The youth shooters in our club have 870 12g shotguns. Use a stock mod or full choke.

Another option is a 870 wingmaster trap 12g single shot with the recoil system in the mag tube.

How about this:

http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_i...;osCsid=4249e5414295768f72e0a88b0c4e80c2

Scott

x2 on the 1100. You can pick up a nice one with history anywhere from $350-$550, depending on where you live.
I own and shoot 1100's in .410, 20g, and 12ga. In fact, I have 2 of the 20's and 2 of the 12's, one standard and one magnum for each.
Another clean option is the Franchi, also a nice buy. There are the older, mechanical semi-automatics or the newer, gas franchi semi's. These have more "push" on your shoulder than pop.
For what it is worth, my 10 year old has shot and hit 25% his second outing with the 20g 1100. This was after unsuccessfully shooting .410 mossberg, which he didn't like at all. I literally had to convince him the 20 was going to be entirely different. He now loves the 1100.

I agree it would be hard to beat an 1100 for your situation. Try both a 20 and a 12 to find the proper weight/recoil compromise.

Part of this will depend on the arm reach she has now (when considering a std. or youth model).. At sixteen she's more than likely nearing the end of her growth in height..

Anyway - between the 870 or the 1100 I'd suggest the 870 every time (for a starting shooter).. The 870 is not load-specific so you can load a 20ga with 3/4-7/8 oz of shot and keep speeds to 1050-1100. The recoil will be very manageable and, by obtaining a wood-stocked shotgun, one can easily shorten it slightly to fit her reach instead of going to the youth model which can be TOO short for many..

I had my son start trap at 8 years old with an 1100 20 ga. youth. He quickly outgrew it and changed up to a 12. The issue with 1100s is two-fold; first is loads - they must provide enough energy to cycle the action and eject the shell. Loading them down to the level of the 870 above might not allow it to function.

Second, those little 20 ga 1100s REALLY toss them empties!! Ergo, you'll need a shell catcher or eliminate the barrel seal, but then she'll have to extract/eject the shell by hand.. A PITA, IYAM..

An 20 ga 870 Wingmaster with vent rib and 28" barrel would be my first recommendation..

Glad she's interested.. Now, once she starts hitting a few birds she'll be hooked. It's a great sport..

Kodiakisland,
I would stay with a 12 gauge for trap/target shooting.
With light loads and a little extra weight on the gun the recoil won't be that bad, and it will shoot a better/larger pattern for easier hits to help build confidence.
A semiauto will recoil a little less.
Remington 1100, Remington 870 pump would probably do well, and are easy to find stocks for. This would allow you to get a buttstock fit to length for her and still be able to put the full length stock back on later & use for a hunting gun if she quits, etc.
Browning makes a nice pump Trap gun called the BPS Trap model.
It used to be available in a scaled down version for smaller people - a nice gun that won't break the bank.
Any of these models will make good hunting guns down the road if she loses interest - a single shot type gun not so much.
Get a gun with a good soft recoil pad and a magna-ported barrel to help tame the recoil.
Good luck,
Ted

Here's a franchi for sale. Light and smooth.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...onew/1/FRANCHI_AFFINITY_20_GA_F_S#UNREAD

.

Would highly recommend a used Browning BT-99 single-shot trap gun over any repeater for a starter.

Solid used BT-99's can be found for between $600 and $800.

The simpler the gun is to operate the better for any beginner.

Let the beginner focus on their shooting and less on the complex operation of a gun.

And while a Remington 870 or 1100 is simple for us who have been shooting for years, that is not true for a beginner.

My youngsters routinely used Benelli semiautos for pheasant hunting, but definitely preferred the single-shot BT-99 for trap.

They quickly worked their way to shooting 25 Straights with the BT-99.


.

Keep in mind this is a petite lady... A BT is going to be heavier, more barrel heavy than an 870..



An 870 is complicated?

Only thing I'd add between the two is an 870 is dang reliable - as is the BT. But repairs, if needed between the two is cheaper on the 870 by far..

But "fit" is one thing missing here.. Some people (and I'm one of 'em) simply cannot get down on the stock of a BT far enough to hit anything with it.. All I see is rib. 870s shoot pretty flat - what's nice about that is the shotgun can then be used for waterfowl or other game birds IF the owner wants to hunt.. A BT is mostly worthless for that..

And I think one can pick up an 870 for less bux than any BT.. Maybe I'm wrong.. Depends on the area of the country probably.. But 870s here run about $350-400 while BTS are something over $750++

JMHO..

Have to agree with redneck. BT-99 is a one job tool. Nothing complicated about an 870. The 870 can be used pretty much in any application.

It all depends on the shooter, hard to generalize. We (4-H) would start with a club 20 ga 1100 youth model or a 28 ga. 870 which has slightly longer pull and have her shoot a round and adjust from there. Regardless of size some people are very recoil shy and some are amazingly impervious to it. If pull wasn't too long and recoil isn't a problem, sometimes it isn't after a few rounds with a smaller gauge, we'd move to a club 1100 in 12 gauge. Pull a little short is much better than too long and isn't a handicap at beginner levels - they have much to learn before it is.

We shoot whatever shells are the cheapest when we buy in bulk at the beginning of the season. Never had a problem with the 1100's either with function or shells ejecting. Nor have we wanted to move to a lighter shot charge. Shells flying might be a nuisance with the regular trap league but we have some grumpy old farts. Doesn't bother the kids at all.

Nice thing about the 1100 is the combination of weight, even the youth model, and gas action really soften recoil. We like that the action locks open for safety after the shot.

Repairs after well over 7 years of club shooting (5 1100's) has been limited to O-ring replacement every year or two and a braze failure at the gas ring which the dealer and Remington took care of. They gave us a new barrel. You do have to keep them clean. And one chipped extractor replaced which I almost forgot about.

(The 11-87 is a good option if you plan on her using it for hunting too. The club has two and they function just fine with the promo shells.)

1100 all the way. Mine handles the 1 oz lite trap loads just fine and the recoil absorption will be appreciated. I would probably get one and cut the stock for decelerator pad and you s/b good to go for less than $400-$500.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm really not a shotgunner and a bit lost when it comes to things like trap and skeet.

As far as action type, I've always heard the semiauto had quite a bit less recoil than the others when the weight was the same. I am interested in 1100 for that reason, but many have recommended the 870. Is there really much difference in semiautos verse others? Keep in mind this is a petit girl.

Also, the guns I've seen specifically for trap have a higher check or monte carlo stock. How important is this for a beginning trap shooter? I'm wondering if a standard 1100 in 20ga wouldn't be a good place to start.

I know a lot of petit woman that shoot 12ga no problem. But with that said everyone is different in what is hard hitting and what isn't. My opinion if your going to spring for an 1100 why not buy a used 391? Even better find a 391 Parallel Target.

Was thinking I should be able to find a decent used 1100 in the $500-600 range. If she likes shooting trap then I would look at upgrading a year down the road. Also, I bought my son a Citori in November, so the gun budget has been a bit high lately.

Recoil is the same for pump and semi-auto, felt recoil is different. The 1100 transmits recoil in three pulses as parts of the action reach their limits, the greatest pulse around 50% of the total recoil IIRC. So instead of getting whacked all at once you get three lesser whacks in quick succession. Feels more like a push than an impact.

BUT perceived recoil depends very much on the individual. Two years ago a girl younger and slighter than your daughter moved up to my line and would happily shoot three rounds with a 20 with no reaction to recoil. After that fatigue would set in and you'd see a bit of a flinch. On the other hand we had an older, rather husky boy that was all done after 5 rounds with a 20, couldn't manage the recoil.

Those are close to the extreme edge of reactions but the point is you can't tell how someone will react to recoil just by looking at them.

For a beginner with pretty much normal proportions a standard stock that's a reasonably close fit is fine. The tricked out stocks may get you an extra bird or two but that comes long after learning the basics. One of my shooters went 50 straight and damned near 75 with a factory stock. A perfect stock might have gotten him the ones he missed.

For length of pull beginners adapt well to a stock that's a little short. More than a little long and nobody adapts, it's almost as painful to watch someone shoot that way as it is for them to shoot it. So err on the sort side if you have to. Beyond that it doesn't really matter for a beginner so long as it's fun! That is the most important part by far.

Do not forget to check eye dominance before settling on anything.

Lots of good suggestions, but I would definitely stick with a 12-gauge, not only because that's what everyone that shoots trap uses, but also because of recoil. If you spend much time shooting the 2, a light 20-gauge has more recoil than most 12-gauges do because the smaller 20-gauge framed guns are lighter. Now, also keeping in mind that your daughter is smaller, she can't handle a 9-10 pound trap gun like all the short fat guys with no necks at your local trap club can (I shot trap competitively for a long time and still have never seen so many people with that physique at any other sport/hobby). So, I think the best gun you could get her is a Betetta 391 12-gauge. Depending on what model you get, you should be able to find a good used one for $500-$900, which is also in your budget. As said above, semi's mitigate perceived recoil with their action, which is great for a younger shooter. As far as being "complicated," they're no more difficult to shoot than any other action, cleaning is different, but that's what dads are for! Plus I'm sure you could teach her with little problems. As far as reliability, if she really likes shooting trap, by the time the 391 would break down on her, she will probably be on her 3rd or 4th trapgun.

You also asked about trapguns having a higher comb, yes, they do, because that puts your eye higher in relation to the rib, which makes the gun shoot higher, as all trap targets are shot while they are raising, and with a higher POI, you can still keep the barrel below the target (so you can see it), without blocking the target out to break it. A lot of the newer trapguns are coming with higher ribs so people can have a more heads up stance when shooting (which doesn't make sense to me with the no neck thing), as well as letting them hold a higher gun in relation to the trap house and letting them see the target quicker. If you have any other questions or anything, please feel free to PM me, I used to teach people how to shoot shotguns, and I shot trap for a long time, let me know if I can be of any assistance.