Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Utility shotgun for skeet?

Do you take your utility styled shotgun out to the clay range?

Continuing our spring and summer of self isolation, I've been giving my Marine Magnum Tac14 as good of a workout as I can muster....lately it's found itself in my hands while seeking practice on the skeet range - I thought I would share in the hopes it motivates others to take their utility shotguns give them a skeet workout:

https://youtu.be/9jGvKTmDV9w

Would love to read about your adventures at the clay range with your utility styled gun!

Thanks for watching,

Best wishes,

Brobee

While I've never taken a tactical shotgun to the skeet range, I have taken everything else in my accumulation from my target gun to my Beretta SXS 10 gauge with light spreader loads. I shoot my old 870 as well as a lot of my O/U's. It's fun to use field guns for skeet, sporting clays and trap. I don't see why one shouldn't shoot whatever shotguns he or she likes at the games of their choice.

its a safety issue mart. on a bonified skeet range, time and trends have shown that those with short bbls and pistol grips tend to swing or carry wild behind the squad. they sling them, keep them loaded lay them across their elbows, turn with muzzles aimed at others, etc...and its has become a rule now not to allow them after numerous injuries over the sports history.
many require fixed stocks as a minimum. as do I at my range.
im a small range so I can keep a close eye on them.
im on dial up so the link wont load. can someone tell me if he was?

as to a riot gun on a skeet range, hey, if you don't mind getting bruised, go for it. but those riot guns weren't meant for 100 rounds straight with skeet loads, as the real game requires. thus why you don't see many. I had a guest shooting a CHIMCOM 870 a few years back. he let me go a round and it rocked my world. every shot I got pushed back on my heals. went 23, but no thanks. it had slug sights and it wasn't shooting where it was aiming.

im sticking to the right shoe for the right dance.

Don't really know how one takes a short barreled riot gun especially equipped with rifle sights to shoot well on skeet anything less than 26" doesn't work for me they swing to fast. Last marine magnum I saw had a bead maybe that would work, but btdt on the too short barrel bs. My advice would be simple find a 26" Rem choke barrel put it on and run 20 flats thru the gun using the low gun mount everytime and build your skills, the scores will take care of them selves. Yup the low gun mount will piss off all the gamer f**ks but if you really want to learn how to make a pump gun sing it's the ONLY WAY. The reason I say this is because shooting with the gun already mounted gives you too much time to let your brain override your instincts and screw the shot. Low gun makes you profect your gun mount and moves you to shoot instinctively. This is the way to fly and shoot well as fast and accurately as possible. It will piss off all the 2 barrel aristocrats and gamer turds whose goal is 25 and 100 straights, but you are the one who said you wanted to learn a to use a riot gun. Do it enough and you will look like the hand of god guiding your efforts. MB

I’d have to respectfully disagree on the safety aspect of short barreled shotguns on the skeet range. I’ve been a tactical shotgun instructor for 20 years and skeet shooter for 30. I’ve looked down the muzzle of a lot more skeet shooters than I ever have tactical shooters. Out of a few hundred tactical shooters over 20 years, I’ve looked down the muzzle of two guns. The number of skeet shooter muzzles I’ve ended up peering down is easily five times that.

Most professionals (LEO, security, corrections) who shoot just need to be made to understand the expectations; muzzles up and down range, no team slings, only loaded gun is the one on whichever post is being shot. All others stay empty until on post.

I would much rather shoot skeet than shoot a tactical shotgun course. I am rather ambivalent toward it. Yes, I’ve taught it for two decades and am good at it. But skeet is way more fun to me.

I don’t have much patience with the weekend warrior, tacticool crowd. When I know I’m going to have some those type in a class I do my best look like Elmer Fudd just to mess with their minds a little. Or show up straight from the office in dress slacks and dress shirt. Sometimes even a tie. Tweaks their little 511 minds.

Shoot what you like on the skeet range as far as I’m concerned. Exercise good muzzle discipline and keep it unloaded till you’re on post.

you can disagree all you want.
but the majority of people bringing riot guns to traditional skeet ranges normally don't know the details of the game that can put others at risk unaware.
the vast majority of club bylaws will have written in them that any shotgun on the range must be of a minimum length barrel (normally 22-24") and that any folding stock must be used folded out.
its just a fact.
and as I stated, I (knew my guests) and I knew they were safe. I also knew I was safe and the people around me knew I was safe. (afterall I wrote the rules)
the issue is.....if its done at a public range, no one knows each others backgrounds or gun education... the squad goes out mixed. some diehard skeet shooters who are trying to practice become distracted by those who don't know the range rules or even worse, endanger others let alone themselves. it doesn't make for a pleasant day.

im not an advocate for anti riot guns at a range. im just saying the vast majority of the times it occurs, there is always an extra level of survival awareness that prevails.

let me just say this in a nice way. you must remember....if you take your riot gun on to a skeet range.....YOU are in the skeet shooters space. it doesn't become yours. its suppose to be 5 people shooting skeet with shotguns adapted for skeet.
same goes for a skeet shooter going to a riot gun match and demanding rights. wouldn't he be out of place? and wouldn't a riot gun squad offer a riot gun to a skeet shooter to aid in his enjoyment? I would.

its just not good sportsmanship to think (or assume) that a squad of skeet shooters on a skeet field have an obligation to endure a riot gun shooters gun handling habits in their domain.

so, with that said, if the range allows the gun design, and as long as the gun passes the range rules and the owner demonstrates safe handling, I can assure you the skeet squad will know.....and fun will prevail.........safely.

(as to my background) I do this for a living all over the nation and i own my own range. ive been doing this for over 35 years. ive seen it all. forgive me if I appear to be tooting a horn. its all based on life history of range involvement. hope it helps.

This place never fails.

I personally found Brobee’s knowledge on target techniques and his acquired skill level with that shotgun impressive. I doubt I would have a problem shooting alongside him.

However, then another informs me that if you shoot skeet seriously for score, you are a two barrel aristocrat and gammer turd. Then I discover all you have to do is shoot gun down and your mount will be perfect. With nothing mentioned about leading hand, insertion, correct visual pickup. Just shoot gun down, and you will shoot with the hand of God guiding your efforts.

Always something new to learn and so little time.

Last night on you tube I watched some skeet shooters shooting doubles while qualifying for international gold. They seemed more than adequate when it came to being “fast and accurate”. Wonder if they know as much as they appeared to, since they were shooting gun up?

Probably not battue they was just gamers. No need to get bent not everyone shoots skeet for the same reasons. I like low gun ( toe below the elbow) same way I shoot sporting clays . I also like low gun for field practice seems more beneficial to me . And no you don't t have to like it. Doing what I told him to do will build his skill level with his riot gun not make him a skeet shooter and that is what he said he wants ,to build his skill level with skeet targets using a riot gun pretty damn simple I'd say. MB

Your professional attitude and how skeet shooting needs to be performed is just one of the reasons skeet is a dying shooting sport even serious trapshooters have more tolerance for people who want to tune their wingshooting skills in front of hunting season. Brobee just wants to be able to creditilby use his riot gun on moving targets

Bent? Hardly...I could care less how you shoot....until I see you are not willing to do the same with others who do it differently..I.E. those you call gammer turds and two barrel aristocrats....


I only shoot skeet for sporting practice, sometime gun up and sometimes down. As far as Brobee needing advice from me or you, you should pay attention to his videos. He needs little of our advice. And if you read his post, he wasn’t asking for your advice on how to do it, didn’t ask for advice on improving his skill level and obviously doesn’t need it. He was trying to encourage others to give those particular type of shotguns a go.

It was that damn simple. Get it????

Brobee,
Good on you man. Shooting that Tac14 that well is impressive.

Yeah well, I got 2 o/u's myself but I don't use them very much.I'd rather shoot my 870 Express 20 ga and kick those aristocrats asses off the planet when the hits and misses are totaled with a 230. Dollar Remington. It really bothers their concentration. Or maybe it's station 7 where I ask fo 2 pair of doubles as fast as machines will cycle then get them all. The bottom line is I like to build my shooting skills not just shoot the same spot in the sky every time. You do it any way you want and if your choice is regulation American skeet fine. You have a good note. MB

Watched it battue, it was damned fine shooting with a buttless shotgun and yeah regular skeet shooter would have a [bleep] attack if someone showed up with that. I assumed he meant using a riot gun with a butt .If I had watched his video first maybe I wouldn't have given you the same reply. It is just that damn simple. MB

Will Brobee was kind enough to put together a video of his skills, rather than just tell us about them. Perhaps you can do the same? Sounds like you have some impressive skills of your own. Would like to see you kicking those aristocratic asses.

Addition: well know we know how simple it can be. With a minimum of effort.

I recognize there are some skeet fields where I’d never be welcome with either my “baby alligator” (pistol grip only marine mag) or a plain-Jane-18”-cylinder-bored-barreled-870, and as sad as I think that is it’s also ok. I’ll simply respect their rules and stay away.

But if enough of the utility shotgun crowd find a place they can learn to safely navigate a skeet field as well as the fundamentals of wing shooting, I think they’d eventually organize such there are more places where this is also possible, as well as probably eventually procure guns that are more traditionally used for skeet.

And with respect to beating folks with my “inferior” gun? I would hope they shoot well such that there’s lots I can learn from them, and in fact there’s a great many where that’s true. Part of my journey of discovery is to try to identify two things from everyone I shoot with, regardless of their skill level: what do they struggle with that I also see in myself (and how do they approach improving this that I could maybe adapt for myself?), and what works really well for them that I could also try?

battue and mart: I hope our paths cross some day on either a skeet or sporting layout! Cheers.

bobski: will make sure if I ever find myself at your range that the riot gun stays at home, and in the interim while I am on my 870 utility gun kick, that I stay away.

Thanks for your comments folks, and thanks for watching!

Best,

Brobee

That was some good shooting Brobee. I'd share a skeet field with you any day.

God forbid that some new shooters looking to try their hand at a new shotgun game with perhaps the only guns they have, would interrupt or distract some serious skeet shooters. It would be a terrible to expect some serious shooters to invest a little of themselves in some new shooters and maybe actually draw some new talent to the sport.

Brobee,

I’m sure we would have a fun time shooting clays, and if you happen to have that shorty, it will not be a problem.

to prove im not bias towards riot guns on a skeet range..........here I am shooting that chicom 870 with rifle sights and ext mag.
I was practicing shooting flying targets in case the perp in my living room was flying thru the air at 50mph towards me. gotta practice that lead ya know......lol!:>





can it be done? yes. is it done? yes. is it safe? sure. do some frown upon certain aspects of it? yes.
I will just add and be done..........safety manuals are written in blood. if there wasn't an issue, it would be a moot point at all ranges. but its not.
btw, good shooting.