Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns questions for the better informed?

this reminds me wifey is going to some women show tomorrow and if I can get done spreading clover seed soon enough I will be unsupervised....

Short barrels are popular here because they make them heavier-thicker-than needed. Make them longer, with the same thickness and they wouldn't balance all that well. Especially O/U and SxS. The Europeans have proof houses that certify their safety with lighter and longer barrels. A good shooter can make both work, however light and longer will usually balance better.

shorter bbls will be best if you find yourself in brush and you duck and dodge scrubs a lot.

and all here that know me know, my primary gun for skeet is 26" and trap is 28" to this day. thats both 12 and 20.

Again, this Wea came with 30 inch. The choke tubes add nearly two inches to that. Though I have not put a tape on it.

Choke tubes hide under the rib. They do nothing for sighting plane. Your sighting plane will end with the bead. And usually little for balance, being they are out on the very end.

Nothing wrong with a 30 inch Weatherbey, but it isn’t the same as a 32 inch because of chokes.

They just add a little mass at the end of the barrel, and a lot of ugly.

It is a common thread pattern. I will be on the look out for chokes which fit mostly internal.

Same style as Win choke, Mossberg acu choke, and Browning invector.

The old Mossberg had a set with about 1/4 inch knurled exterior to the barrel.

It is really not that big of a deal, however if you want flush chokes, then Briley will most likely have them.

If you are a choke changer, then external are a definite advantage.

just curious, after all this advice, which gun are you leaning towards?

He bought one already.

Pictured above.

I’ve learned a lot the past year or so watching TGS Outdoors on YouTube. They cover clays and driven shooting, and also discuss and review and shoot a LOT of shotguns, old and new. Weight, balance, and length all affect how a gun swings, and your style dictates whether you shoot better with a “fast” gun, or one that needs to be “pushed” or “driven” somewhat. Those guys shoot a bunch, and often have experts like Ed Solomons on with tips. Too late to help to you select a gun, but I’ll bet you can pick up some helpful info.

I ended up with a 26” Browning 725 when the 28” I ordered failed to show. I don’t think I shoot it any better than the 30” A5 it replaced, but I enjoy it a bit more overall. You should do fine with your 30”. A gun with tubes, especially extended ones is generally a little heavier out front than a fixed gun, and should help keep you from stopping your swing. No doubt longer barrels are an advantage on clays, but 30s are about all I’d want to carry afield. My 725 was gently used, and came with some extended DS tubes in addition to the standard ones, which add about an inch. I liked them, so picked up a couple more.

Enjoy your new toy.

Thanks Pappy, I will look for the channel.

Anxious for ammo to show up. We have a manual clay thrower on hand to get started with.

ah...ok.

if you were my guest at my range and you walked in with that nice gun of yours, id say this....

1. choose what ammo youd be mostly using.
2. buy more than one brand. (shotguns are like 22's. they like certain ammo)
3. pattern gun at distance youll most likely be engaging your objective with all ammo.
4.. adjust gun.
5. reshoot.
6. try on moving target from a thrower.

hand flingers and string pull el cheapo tossers are normally positioned next to the shooter, causing the shooter to engage the target too close.
they are best suited to simulate shots, flushing birds close by your stroll.
if youre going to shoot clays on bonafied ranges, test the gun on a bonafied range where yardage will be more exact.

good luck! too bad youre not near s.central mo. id be glad to help you out but todays world uses utube. old shooters looking over shoulders seems to be a thing of the past, but is still the best quality for zeroing in.
shoot well.

Take a little trip to Rock Creek Sporting Clays, go see Nick Berry for some instruction. He’s a nice guy, a fine shot and instructor.

https://www.rockcreekshooting.com/

I don’t know this instructor, but this is probably the best advice by far. We love gear but technique and skill trump all.

Congrats on the new shotgun!

Thank you very much. I had no idea this facility was here. It is about twenty minutes from my home.

I will definitely go see them.

Rock Creek is a bit tougher to get to from this side of the valley than I realized. Momma and I drove past a while back. It was a long drive over a steep mountain on Pearl Road in six inches of snow. Fun drive, but not one I want to do every week.

I did find that Caldwell has a clays course, 20 miles away by freeway. I walked it today, burned up a box of #7 1/2 trap loads, and maybe had a 30% success rate breaking birds.

Not bad for forty years since I actually hunted with a shotgun.

Caldwell has a pro, who also coaches a High School club. I have an appointment with him to help me set up the gun properly, and give me a few pointers in a couple weeks.

If I can get a couple of the grandkids to shoot with me, I will be looking for a twin to this gun in 12 ga. If for nothing else, ease of ammo acquisition. 20 ga is as tough to find today as 28 ga was in my youth.

Status report:

I have about 500 rounds downrange now. And I have worked with the aforementioned pro. He gave lots of great pointers on form and yes, gun mounting.

"Hey, you're handling that thing like a rifle. It is not a rifle, it is a shotgun." He helped me set the adjustable comb which placed my face in a much more favorable position.

I am hoping his instructions help me achieve 50% hit rates vs 30%. I will not ever be a competitive shooter. But it is a great way to get out and have a walk in the sunshine.

I will not be joining any league. But still the other shooters are all great, pleasant, polite, and quick to offer help if asked.

And ammo: I found three cases of #8 Win A-A at Midway. The gun patterns them perfectly at 30 yds with modified and IM choke tubes. Both barrels hit exactly to point of aim.