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how far can a double barrel shotgun shoot
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- Summary of article content: Articles about how far can a double barrel shotgun shoot Most break-action shotguns have a single or double barrel. Opening the gun also cocks the firing pins inse the receiver (unless the … …
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Double Barrel Shotgun: Loading and Unloading a Side-by-Side – Cowboy Action Shooting – YouTube
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Double Barrel Shotgun: Loading and Unloading a Side-by-Side – Cowboy Action Shooting – YouTube Learn from World Champion Cowboy Action Shooter Jim “Long Hunter” Finch how to load and unload a double barrel se-by-se shotgun. …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Double Barrel Shotgun: Loading and Unloading a Side-by-Side – Cowboy Action Shooting – YouTube Learn from World Champion Cowboy Action Shooter Jim “Long Hunter” Finch how to load and unload a double barrel se-by-se shotgun. Learn from World Champion Cowboy Action Shooter Jim “Long Hunter” Finch how to load and unload a double barrel side-by-side shotgun.Excerpt from, “One on One…Double-barreled Shotgun, Long Hunter, NSSF, #Hunting, #NSSF, Shooting Sport (Sport), Shooting Sports, #LetsGoShooting, Shooting, Firearm Training, Cowboy Action Shooting (Sport), National Shooting Sports Foundation (Organization), precision sports, shotguns for beginners, shotgun basics, How to use a shotgun, how to shoot a shotgun
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Error 403 (Forbidden) Birdshot is typically used within 50 yards. Rifled slugs in a rifled barrel are good to 100 yards, but modern sabot slugs can be effective up to 200. Buckshot … …
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how far can a double barrel shotgun shoot
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- Summary of article content: Articles about how far can a double barrel shotgun shoot Had the shot landed an inch higher he would have been blinded in one eye, or even killed. This accent was caused because a hunter dn’t realize that his … …
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SC Wildlife Magazine
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- Summary of article content: Articles about SC Wildlife Magazine Vintage shotgun aficionado Heyward Horton offers helpful tips in selecting a double gun, and sound advice for all gun owners. I appreciate the beauty of a well- … …
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how far can a double barrel shotgun shoot
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- Summary of article content: Articles about how far can a double barrel shotgun shoot Shotgun Course and Rifle Muzzleloader Course have been combined into one all inclusive Firearms Course. Firearms Course now covers. – Shotgun shooting. – Rifle … …
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Clay Pigeon Shooting Basic Guide | Adventure Sports
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Clay Pigeon Shooting Basic Guide | Adventure Sports Clay Shooting Guns. Shotguns are used to shoot clay pigeons. Each shot from a shotgun contains hundreds of small metal balls (usually lead shot) that spread out … …
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The Clay Pigeon
Clay Pigeon Traps
Clay Shooting Guns
Cartridges
Clay Shooting Disciplines
Safety
Who Can Shoot
Gun Licensing
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Buying an over/under shotgun | AP News
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Buying an over/under shotgun | AP News Since I am not as tall as many folks, I like the fact that stack-barrel shotguns, with their break open mechanism, allows me to shoot the same … …
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SC Wildlife Magazine
Vintage shotgun aficionado Heyward Horton offers helpful tips in selecting a double gun, and sound advice for all gun owners.
I appreciate the beauty of a well-made, vintage, side-by-side shotgun, and I know others who feel the same way about the elegant lines and performance often associated with these treasures. On a one-to-ten scale of appreciation, I probably fall somewhere around an eight, with a ten representing one who would as soon throw rocks rather than to shoot something other than their beloved side-by-side. Of course, I know more than one gentleman who comes in as a solid ten.
Why one person prefers a double gun, rather than a firearm sporting a single barrel, is akin to the old adage “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Both guns are capable of doing the job of breaking clays or putting game in the bag. However, people often speak of one configuration feeling awkward versus the other. Well, I suspect it has to do with what a person becomes accustomed to shooting. So, I asked a few men and women what it is about a side-by-side that is important. One swears that a side-by-side means a quick second shot if such is necessary, and it is true that hunters of dangerous game trust their lives to the side-by-side double rifle. Not only is a follow-up shot swift, but there is reliability in that there are most often two triggers and always separate locks that fire each barrel. There is no redundancy with a single lock mechanism. Another friend said, on a more humorous note, “You can’t have a shotgun wedding without a double-barreled shotgun.” I suppose it’s true that I’ve never seen a shotgun wedding scene characterized in the movies with anything but an old side-by-side.
Sometimes choice of gun can be a statement on tradition. About two decades ago, I had the chance to shoot sporting clays with a business group at the Brays Island course. When I pulled out my side-by-side, the shooting grounds manager, who happened to be from the United Kingdom, commented, “finally someone with a proper gun.” Yes, everyone else was shooting an auto-loader or a pump gun. Even earlier than that, I was fortunate enough to be invited to shoot driven birds in Scotland. I was advised by my host to abide by two principles of driven hunts in the U.K. One, do not bring camouflage clothing, and, two, do not bring a pump or semi-automatic shotgun.
However, important to me is the utility to have two triggers and, thus, to have the ability to select which barrel I wish to shoot. Virtually all double guns are arranged with the forward trigger firing the right barrel and the rear trigger firing the left. Left barrels are usually choked tighter, assuming a more distant follow-up or second shot, and right barrels are usually choked more open. In the dove field, I like using either my Parker GH Grade, made in 1900, or an Arrieta, made in 1957. The Parker is choked modified left barrel and improved cylinder for the right, and the Arrieta is choked full for the left barrel and improved cylinder for the right barrel. Both guns have double triggers. So, in the field, I can select choke without having to first think about flipping a selector switch or having to push a selector button, or in the case of screw-in chokes, remembering which barrel has what choke. I can simply pull the rear trigger on a far bird versus choosing the forward trigger for a nearer bird.
As an aside, I have seen double guns choked the opposite way where the left barrel is more open than the right. I suppose these guns are designed for driven game shooting or perhaps decoying incoming birds. Think about incoming pheasant that overfly the shooter. This reverse choke arrangement takes any thought out of the process since you’ll almost always pull the forward trigger first to throw a tight pattern for distance. I have a couple of guns choked full and full. One is a Parker DHE Grade and the other is an L.C. Smith Ideal Grade, and both throw very good patterns at forty yards with number 1 buckshot. These are a joy to take to the deer stand on driven deer hunts. Do note that you should pattern your gun for the game you wish to hunt. I was with a friend last July as he patterned his Churchill for deer drives. It turns out that his 1929 vintage gun throws very good forty-yard patterns using single 0 buckshot. Find out what pellet size your gun likes best before going to the woods in pursuit of venison, turkey or some other quarry.
I fall into the camp of those who choose the double gun, a side-by-side. In my case, it simply happens to be what I grew up shooting. My father sent home a few side-by-sides from the European theater of operations during World War II, and we had no other shotguns. Now, that’s not to say that I don’t like the single-barreled guns, as I own a Benelli Super Black Eagle, a couple of John Browning’s A-5s, as well as a handsomely engraved over-and-under Remington Model 32 and a delightful over-and-under .410 Browning Citori. The latter two are arguably double guns that shoot as a single-barrel since the barrels are stacked vertically. However, I find that the side-by-side is the gun for me. It is truly elegant in form and style, seasoned with a taste for nostalgia. A well-balanced side-by-side, that reasonably fits its shooter, is more than just a gun of wood and steel; it becomes part of the shooter as if to be an essential part of their body. The lines of such a gun are beautiful to behold. Think of the A.B. Frost sporting artwork. Many of his prized works feature a sportsman with his double gun swinging on flushed snipe, quail, rails, grouse and the like.
The double gun and the beauty of its lines are one thing, but such guns are often the “canvas” for the artist to ply their works. Fine woodwork, inlays and metal engravings add not only to the attractiveness of the firearm, but such treatments also enhance the value in the marketplace. I tend to be attracted to guns crafted by A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith and Parker Brothers, all made in the United States during the early half of last century. The metal engravings on graded guns of these makes usually involve scroll work surrounding simple game scenes. The higher grades from each of these gun companies sport upgraded wood so that the stocks and forends have wonderful figure in the wood grain. More compact checkering and border patterns adorn the grips at the wrist and forend, and a little better wood-to-metal fit can be expected on these higher-grade guns. However, other than the aforementioned attributes, these guns are virtually the same, mechanically, as their basic field grade cousins.
In the marketplace, these factory engravings do add value, but the real value escalator has more to do with rarity. Thus, it stands to reason that since higher-grade guns cost more in the day when they were new, there were fewer of them made. Today, they are rarer, and the prices reflect this.
If you are considering a double gun purchase and don’t know where to start, here are some helpful tips. First, for what purpose is the gun being purchased? Is the primary use for flushed game birds, shot at fifteen to thirty yards? If so, one may consider a sub-gauge, maybe a 20- or 28-gauge gun, with more open chokes between, say, modified and skeet. Perhaps your interest is to shoot passing ducks, wild turkey or driven deer at thirty to forty-plus yards. For such application, I’d go with a heavier gun, choked full and full or full and modified. Bear in mind that steel shot, waterfowl loads, should not be put through the bores of older guns. I have had good results with the bismuth non-toxic waterfowl loads, and there are a couple of other types of non-toxic loads available for older guns. Check the length of the chambers too. Many older guns have chamber lengths other than the standard 2.75 inches. Companies, such as RST and Game Bore, still make 2-inch and 2.5-inch shotgun shells.
Condition is fairly subjective, and a good place to start is with the amount of case hardening colors that remain on the receiver. These case colors are a result of the bone-charcoal firing process to harden the receiver metal, and this process leaves behind a lovely mottled rainbow of varying shades of rich blues, auburns and purples. These colors wear off with regular handling afield and can be used as a gauge of overall wear. Another condition factor to consider is alignment of screw slots. High-end guns typically have the screw slots indexed in alignment with the barrels, and screw slot condition should be scrutinized.
Another important factor has to do with loose fit where the barrels meet the face of the receiver. Barrels that are on face will show no gap and produce a confident, metallic snick sound when the barrels are gently closed. Hold the gun up to a light source and look to see if you can discern any light between the barrels and the face.
Oh yes, and has the gun undergone any refinishing, chamber lengthening or choke modification? As with antique furniture, refinishing and alteration often reduces value to the collector. I don’t fancy myself as a real collector, since I don’t mind a well-executed refinishing, and if case colors are worn from the receiver entirely, leaving behind a silvery-gray patina, I can then see the engraving more clearly. I am, however, a stickler about the barrels. In fact, I read once that when buying a vintage double gun, you’re really buying the barrels. I am careful to look for dents, ripples, bulges and internal pitting. An easy test for quality of the rib joining is to hear if the barrels ring. To test, hold the barrels by the hook that holds the receiver hinge pin. I rest this hook on my index finger, then thump the barrels. If the barrel set yields a flat tone or thud, I steer clear, or at least I know that I will be adding the expense to have the barrels rejoined to the rib. As some gun aficionados say, “They should ring like church bells.” A good pair of barrels rings nicely.
Almost all condition flaws may be fixed; stocks may be steamed and bent for better fit, and wood cracks and splits may be mended. I have bought doubles knowing that my next stop would be a visit to the gunsmith. One just has to know the costs for repairs in contrast to the price paid for purchase. For some years now, I have had the experts at Darlington Gun Works perform all kinds of repairs. The only condition flaws that I won’t tolerate are barrel dents, internal pits and bulges. There are methods to repair even these flaws, but to me, barrel integrity is all-important as a safety issue.
This brings to mind my personal feelings regarding Damascus steel barrels and the importance of involving an expert before buying or testing. Some double gun enthusiasts believe that Damascus barrels, if in good condition, are perfectly safe to shoot. I think the Damascus patterns are beautiful, and sleeving the bores can make them safe. Sleeving aside, minute voids may occur in the intricate metal-folding process to make the Damascus steel. Gun experts advise that these voids may cause internal corrosion that is not visible, which over many years can result in a barrel burst. I like my fingers too much to risk injury.
Briefly touching on care for these treasured guns, I have only a few recommendations. I like to clean my gun immediately after use. It’s nice to be able to put my gun away when I get home. When storing a side-by-side, place it in the safe, or wherever you store your guns, with barrels facing down. As with many things, oils tend to migrate downward with gravity. If the barrels face downward, this will keep oils from building up in the wood where the stock meets the receiver, causing a weakness over time. When you use a bore solvent, which should be done with some regularity, mop it through the bores generously and let it sit for at least fifteen minutes, more if convenient, so that it may begin to break down fouling and get beneath any plastic film, especially in the chambers. Use a bronze bristle brush to further clean out the fouling, followed by a couple of runs with a clean, dry patch (I like to use a piece of folded paper towel). Now the gun is ready for a light coating of oil on the metal parts. Lastly, never slam the barrels to the receiver to close it, and caution anyone who wishes to hold your gun to be gentle in this regard.
Above all other means of acquiring a vintage gun, perhaps the most meaningful is being gifted one by a parent or grandparent. If you have an old double gun, take good care of it, and it will certainly outlast you. Pass it on to a family member. As a teenager, I shot my first gobbler with a German 16-gauge double, with hammers — one that my father sent home from World War II. I still take it afield periodically and enjoy holding it and looking at it and thinking about my dad and the unknown line of owners before him. It’s no Invincible Grade Parker by any stretch, but its provenance is special to me.
Clay Pigeon Shooting Basic Guide
The sport of Clay Pigeon Shooting involves using a shotgun to shoot at and break a circular flying target made from a fragile material.
Clay Shooting still retains many phrases from its historical “Live Bird Shooting” past when real birds, such as pigeons, where released from a trap positioned in front of a shooter (records date back to 1831). This practice developed into shooting Glass Balls filled with powder or feathers in an attempt to equalise the standard of targets and make the competition uniform.
The glass balls were eventually replaced by disks made from clay that allowed a truer flying target and longer, flatter trajectories closer to an actual bird flying.
Clay Pigeon Shooting has evolved into a sport enjoyed by a wide range of ages (often from ten years and upwards) at all levels from novice to Olympic competition. Safety is a priority at all shooting grounds with a firm set of safety rules being applied by all those involved.
The following guide provides information about the basic principles of clay pigeon shooting and provides details about the following:
Clay Pigeons
Clay Pigeon Traps
Shotguns
Cartridges
Clay Pigeon Shooting Disciplines
Safety
Who Can Shoot
The Clay Pigeon
A Standard clay pigeon is an upside-down saucer shaped disk, 110 mm in diameter and made from a mixture of Calcium Carbonate (Limestone) and Pitch. Clays come in several shapes, sizes and colours to allow a wide variety of targets to be thrown against both light and dark backgrounds.
For example a Standard Blaze (painted bright orange) clay could be used to produce a medium speed clay passing in front of dark undergrowth.
A Mini Black (an unpainted clay is black in colour) clay (similar shape to a Standard but only 60mm in diameter) may be used to produce a deceptive overhead target. The clay can be black as it will be silhouetted against the sky and deceptive because a mini will leave the trap at a high speed but loose its speed rapidly – this makes it difficult to judge how much lead to give. The small size of the clay also makes it appear to be much higher in the air (shooters assume it is a Standard size clay) making it difficult to judge lead.
Rabbit clays are similar in size to a Standard Clay but made with thicker walls. Rabbits are rolled along the ground, at speed by a purpose built Rabbit trap. The rabbit clay will frequently jump into the air to produce a random and challenging target.
Clay Pigeon Traps
Clay pigeons are thrown into the air to produce a flying target by a machine known as a trap. A trap can fling a clay out to a distance of up to 120 metres. Most modern shooting grounds use automatic traps (fully automated, electrical powered machines that will throw a clay pigeon every time a remote button is pressed or acoustic sensor is operated) to produce consistent targets, allow greater target flexibility and increase operator safety.
Clay Shooting Guns
Shotguns are used to shoot clay pigeons. Each shot from a shotgun contains hundreds of small metal balls (usually lead shot) that spread out to form a cloud of rapidly moving projectiles. This makes it easier to hit a rapidly moving clay target, as it only requires approximately three pieces of lead shot to break a clay pigeon (a scorer has to see at least one piece of clay pigeon break off for a hit to be recorded).
Most clay shooters use Over and Under Double Barrelled Shotguns – a gun with two barrels mounted one above the other, although the more traditional Side by Side Shotgun is also used. Most clay shooters will use a shotgun with a barrel diameter of around 18.5 mm. This is known as a 12 bore or 12-gauge shotgun. Smaller diameter guns are also used (16 or 20 gauge) as these are lighter in weight (often suitable for younger or smaller framed shooters).
The internal diameter of the barrels often reduces at the end. This is known as choking and is used to alter the pattern of shot that fires from the gun. A barrel with parallel sides towards its end will produce a cloud of shot that spreads out more rapidly than a barrel that chokes down at the end.
A fully choked barrel will ensure that 70% of the shot will be delivered within a 30 ” diameter circle at 40 yards. A more open barrel may only keep 50% of the shoot within the circle.
Many shotguns have fixed chokes (often one tighter than the other), others are known as multi-chokes that allow a sleeve to be screwed into the end of the barrel. The sleeves have various diameters to allow different shot patterns to be produced.
The distance the clay target is away from the shooter will often influence the selection of choke. A close target is easier to hit with an open choke as this allows the cloud of shot to spread out faster. A distant target is best shot with a tight choke as this will ensure the shot cloud stays closer together for longer – making it more likely for several pieces of shot to hit the clay and break it.
Cartridges
The cartridge contains lead shot, wad, charge and primer . A plastic case contains the components to allow rapid and easy loading into the shotgun. One end of the cartridge is made from metal and holds the primer. When struck by the shotgun’s firing pin the primer produces a small explosion that ignites the main explosive charge.
The charge in modern cartridges is Nitrocellulose based (far safer and more stable than the historic black powder). The explosion pushes onto a plastic (sometimes made from biodegradable fibre) wad containing the lead shot (usually between 24 and 32 grams of lead). The wad and shot emerge from the barrel of the gun at around 1200 feet per second (400 metres per second). The lighter wad quickly loses its momentum and drops to the floor leaving the lead shot to gently spread out towards to the target.
The diameter of the lead shot is carefully controlled to ensure each cartridge contains shot of a similar size. Larger shot will travel further (better for targets at a longer range) whilst smaller shot will slow down faster. The weight of shot and the size of shot are printed onto the side of a cartridge. A typical clay shooting cartridge would contain 28 grams of 7 ½ size shot. This equates to around 350 pieces of lead shot with a diameter of around 2.4mm.
Certain disciplines (such as Skeet) involve close up targets and are usually shot with smaller shot – for example 28 grams of size 9 shot (580 pieces of 2mm diameter shot). The increased number of smaller sized shot makes it less likely that a clay pigeon will manage to pass through the cloud of shot unscathed.
Using cartridges larger than shot size 7 can be dangerous, as the shot will travel much further. Clay shooting grounds use a 300-metre downrange safety distance – this may be compromised if a larger shot is used (larger shot is used for game shooting).
Clay Shooting Disciplines
There are several different forms of clay pigeon shooting known as disciplines. Each discipline has a different set of rules and can be shot in regulated competition or for leisure. The disciplines can be divided into three categories: Trap, Skeet and Sporting.
Trap Shooting
Trap shooting incorporates a number of disciplines including: Down The Line (DTL), Double Rise, Automatic Ball Trap (ABT), Olympic Trap and Universal Trench. All involve a trap, located 15 metres in front of the shooter, throwing single or double clay targets away from the shooter at varying heights, angles and speeds.
Down The Line
Down The Line (usually referred to as DTL) is the most common trap discipline. The layout involves five shooting positions set 15 metres behind a single trap. The trap throws targets out to a distance of around 45 metres at a fixed height. The targets are thrown within a 44 degree arc from the traphouse (22 degrees either side of the centre line) but the angle of release randomly alters between each target.
The shooter at stand one will call for a target and attempt to shoot it. The full use of the gun is permitted so two shots are allowed. Three points are awarded for a single barrel kill, two points for a second barrel kill and zero for a loss (25 clays are shot at allowing a maximum score of 75 points). The shooter at stand two then calls for a target. This continues until each shooter (usually five shooters take part in a round) has shot at five targets. The shooters all then circulate around to the next stand and continue until five targets have been taken at each of the five stands.
A scorer is normally used for DTL to release the trap when a shooter calls “Pull”, to decide if the clay has been hit and to record the score. The Scorer allows the round to be shot at a fairly rapid pace and ensures each shooter shoots at the correct number of clays.
Although in theory you will only need 25 cartridges for a round of DTL you will inevitably use more than this due to the following:
Usually each shooter is allowed a single practice bird at their first stand before the round commences.
Two shots are permitted at each target
If a clay breaks when launched from a trap it is considered a “No-Bird” and will be shot again. Shooters will occasionally shoot at the No Bird in error.
Skeet
Skeet originates from America and involves two traps throwing two consistent targets. There are three main types of Skeet: English Skeet, Olympic Skeet and American (NSSA) Skeet. English skeet is the most common in the UK.
English Skeet involves participants shooting at the targets from seven shooting stands set out in a semicircle between the two trap houses. The traps throw the clays to cross each other almost at the centre of the semicircle.
At stands 1, 2, 4, 6 & 7 each shooter has a single clay from high tower (thrown from the high trap house / tower – approximately 2.5 metres from the ground), a single clay from the low tower (thrown from a low tower – approximately one metre from the ground) and a simultaneous pair of both high and low targets. At stands three and five no pair is taken. A single point is awarded for each clay broken. Shooters can take two shots at each of the single targets – a single point is awarded for a first or second barrel kill.
Skeet is usually shot as a squad of up to five people. Each squad member takes their turn at the first stand before the whole group moves onto the second. Squad members will usually take turns to button (release the clays by remote control button) and record the scores when they have had their go at shooting the stand.
Sporting
English Sporting is the most popular clay shooting discipline. It has no set rules regarding target speed, trajectory, angle, distance or elevation and will be different at every shooting ground. Sporting was originally intended to replicate live quarry shooting and appeals to both clay pigeon shooters and game shooters alike.
Sporting layouts tend to be spread around a countryside setting to allow targets to be presented emerging from trees, bushes and banks. A set number of targets will be given from a number of shooting stands throughout an area. Shooting stands / cages are used to ensure guns can only swing through a safe arc of fire.
A stand may involve targets being thrown from one or two traps in varying combinations such as:
Following Pair. Upon the call of “Pull” a single clay is released followed by a second duplicate target as soon as the trap has been reloaded.
Upon the call of “Pull” a single clay is released followed by a second duplicate target as soon as the trap has been reloaded. Pair on Report. Upon the call of “Pull” a single clay is released. As soon as a shot is fired a second target is thrown (from the same trap or a different trap).
Upon the call of “Pull” a single clay is released. As soon as a shot is fired a second target is thrown (from the same trap or a different trap). Simultaneous Pair. Two clays are released at the same time from two separate traps.
Single. Just one clay released at a time (shooter can use both barrels to hit the target)
A round of Sporting may consist of 60 targets spread over eight stands including simultaneous pairs, following pairs and singles. Stands are usually numbered and labelled with the number of targets to be taken and the combination. Most professional shooting grounds only use automatic traps controlled by remote (wired or wireless) release buttons. Sporting tends to be shot in small informal groups who will button for each other and record the scores (it is difficult for an individual to button, shoot and score). Competition shoots will involve a scorer at each stand or a scorer taking a squad around each stand in turn.
Most Sporting shooting grounds expect shooters to have a look at a target before they shoot it. A degree of wasted targets is accepted as long as it is reasonable.
Variations of English Sporting include: International (FITASC) Sporting, Super Sporting, Sportrap and Compak Sporting.
Sportrap
Sportrap consists of five shooting cages in a line and a series of traps firing targets at different speeds, directions and elevations. Each stand will present a combination of five targets in a set order including a single, following pair and simultaneous pair. Shooters take it in turns to shoot at each cage and are scored out of 25.
A scorer is used for Sportrap to release the combinations of traps and score. The order of targets taken from each cage is shown by a notice in front of / attached to the shooting cage.
Safety
There are a number of potential dangers whilst clay pigeon shooting. The obvious danger involving firearms exists but due to the gun control legislation and the self-imposed safety principles used by shooting grounds this danger is minimal.
Less obvious risks include noise, recoil and falling broken clay.
Noise
All clay shooters should wear hearing protection using either earplugs or earmuffs. The noise from firing a shotgun (approximately 150 decibels) will lead to permanent hearing damage unless suitable hearing protection is used.
Recoil
A 12-gauge shotgun will produce a healthy recoil (28 grams of lead shot coming out the gun at over 400 metres per second produces a fair amount of reactive force – i.e. recoil). Holding the gun correctly and standing correctly are vital if you want to avoid getting a bruised shoulder / cheek. Novice shooters should be taught the correct shooting techniques by qualified instructors using low recoil ammunition. Smaller guns can be useful for smaller shooters, although a smaller gun can produce as much if not more recoil as a normal 12 gauge shotgun (a 20 bore will often still fire 28 grams of lead – producing the same amount of recoil as a 12 gauge but the lighter gun can’t absorb as much recoil as the heavier 12 gauge).
Falling Clays
Although most shooting grounds will ensure pieces of broken clay pigeon fall in a safe area it is sometimes impossible to prevent a rogue piece of clay from landing where shooters are standing. The nature of certain disciplines, such as Sporting, encourages exciting, challenging and varying targets. It is not uncommon for the wind to change direction or strength half way through a shoot resulting in broken clays landing in unexpected areas.
It is advisable for shooters to wear a hat to protect their head, as a piece of broken clay has sharp edges and can fall at great speed! Safety glasses are also important.
Who Can Shoot
Clay Pigeon Shooting can be enjoyed by a wide range of people. There are however limitations on age and gun licensing as described below:
Age limits
Shooters as young as ten can take part in clay shooting, but small children will find a shotgun heavy. Lighter guns, such as a 20 gauge, are available but it is advisable to start all new shooters off with professional tuition. A bad experience with recoil, due to poor gun mount, can leave a young shooter with a bruised shoulder and a reluctance to shoot again.
Upper age limits are irrelevant. As long as you can see the flying clay, control a shotgun throughout and be safe to everyone around you (including yourself) you are welcome to give it a go.
Gun Licensing
You need a shotgun licence to own a shotgun or to buy shotgun ammunition. You do not need a shotgun licence to shoot IF the shooting ground has permission from the Police under Section 11(6) of the Firearms Act 1968.
This will often mean a non-licence holder can shoot under the supervision of a nominated representative. This must be checked with the shooting ground in advance.
Buying an over/under shotgun
About a year ago, I wrote a column in which I stated that there should be no real argument about what gauge shotgun adults should choose as long as it was a 12-gauge.
That column provoked a few responses from people, including one of my close friends who didn’t like me putting down their 16-, 20- and 28-gauge shotguns.
I didn’t think I really put those gauges down as much as I explained the advantages of more shot and the better patterns available with a 12-gauge. Anyway, we had a lively e-mail conversation for a about a week after that column came out.
In this column, I would like to talk about over/under, or stacked barrel shotguns — in 12-gauge, of course.
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To begin, let me preface my opinions with the fact that I really like over/ under barrel shotguns as long as they are well-built, mid-range quality or higher firearms.
I like the looks of any high-quality shotgun. They just have a regal look about them that is different than high-quality rifles. Since I am not as tall as many folks, I like the fact that stack-barrel shotguns, with their break open mechanism, allows me to shoot the same 28- and 30-inch barrels as pump or semi-auto action shotguns with a weapon that is shorter overall and seemingly quicker to get on target.
I also like the fact that stack-barrel guns are easy to clean. No breaking down the gun into several parts and removing the action is necessary. Just break it open and the barrels are easy to get to. And everything else is right there where it can be cleaned or dried out if the weather has been rainy or misty.
That is not to say that the gun shouldn’t be taken apart periodically for cleaning. But it isn’t necessary every time the piece is used unless an awful lot of ammo was fired through it.
It is also easy to break open and separate the barrels from the stock and put them in a case for travel to the kids’ home in another state. There, one can reassemble the piece and visit the local range for sporting clays, or trap and skeet shooting.
Since semi-auto firearms are prohibited in many African countries, over/under shotguns in 12-gauge, with number 1 buck or 00 buck, are preferred by many professional hunters there who are required to follow up dangerous game their clients have wounded, such as leopards in the long grass.
Does this mean everyone ought to get at least one over/under barrel, break-open shotgun? No. Over/under barrel shotguns, like anything else, have advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before deciding what kind of shotgun to purchase.
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First of all, no double-barrel shotgun shoots to the same point of aim with each barrel. The higher quality double-barrel shotguns, whether over/under or side-by-side, are regulated to have their patterns converge close to the same point of aim at a given distance, usually 40 yards. Out to that distance the two barrels may be close, but they are still on different planes instead of the single sighting plane of a pump or semi-auto gun.
With shotguns we don’t measure accuracy in the same way we do with rifles since we expect the pattern of shot to cover the target if we can shoot pretty close to it. However, it is preferable to have over/under shotguns regulated to shoot really close to the same point of aim with each barrel.
There is no doubt that a fixed-breech shotgun recoils more than a pump or semi-auto. A 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun, either with stacked barrel or side-by-side, will pound the shoulder harder.
Maybe I’m just so punch drunk from shooting hard recoiling rifles and shotguns that I simply don’t care anymore, but that was not always the case. Many people don’t shoot as many shots downrange each month as I do and don’t like to be belted in the chops or shoulder with close to 30- or 35-foot pounds of energy each time they pull the trigger. For those folks, a pump or semi-auto will be more comfortable to shoot.
Over/under shotguns can be clumsy to use. That certainly goes against the marketing hyperbole that over/under guns are automatically great handling pieces. Most people who use over/under guns had to learn how to handle guns that have to be broken open to load. In a duck blind, it is an art in itself.
Over/under guns can have reliability problems. All firearms wear and require maintenance. Galling wear of an over/under receiver is a certainty without proper lubrication. You may also have a more complicated trigger mechanism and two firing pins that could break instead of one, and repairs on over/under guns are usually more expensive.
Fire power is another consideration. The third shot may not be important in clay games, but most of us use shotguns to hunt various birds and waterfowl where the third shot in a pump or semi-auto gun allows us to drop three birds with three shots if we are good enough to do so.
Good quality over/under shotguns usually weigh 8 pounds or more. Many feel that they are too heavy to carry around for a day of hunting as well as too painful to shoot.
Many who take up clay games shooting have trouble lifting them to the shoulder for more than two or three rounds, where one shoots 25 shots per round.
Cost is another consideration in deciding whether an over/under is for you. Mid-range quality over/under guns can be a little over $1,000, and higher quality guns can be anywhere from $1,800 to $2,300. Many premium-quality guns are $3,000 to over $5,000. A family can be outfitted with 870s and BPSs for a fraction of the cost of even a mid-range quality over/under from Browning, Beretta or Weatherby.
Just make sure if you are going to purchase an over/under shotgun, you know why you want one, that it is at least a mid-range quality gun, and you can justify the cost.
Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He was a member of the faculty of Texas A&M University for 25 years. There he taught orienteering, marksmanship, self-defense, fencing, scuba diving and boxing. He was among the first DPS-certified Texas Concealed Handgun Instructors. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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