12 ga barrel length?

**CartBone69** · November 9th, 2013, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by Pete D.

Slightly off topic.... But ....
what exactly does "shoot clays " mean here?
I have noticed that we don't all mean the same things even when we use the same words. To me, "shooting clays" means shooting 16 yard ATA Trap singles.
What does it mean here, I wonder
Pete

When i shoot clays this is what i mean http://www.lvsclays.com/

**wrangler1120** · November 12th, 2013, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by CartBone69

Do you really shoot clays with a 18.5" barrel? I just picked up a 930 SPX 18.5" barrel and im toying with the idea of trying to shoot sporting clays with it. Ive shot them before with a group of people using their hunting shotguns, in a group of 8 people shooting i came in 3rd, i switched of and on between my friends dad Remington 1100 and a Beretta O/U that was a rental. The thing im a little concerned about would be it having a ghost ring sight, that ive never used before.

Yeah, no ghost rings though only the bead improvement sight (night sight). My setup is a mossberg 500, pistol grip and pistol grip forend. Depending on how you shoot clays (see below for how we do it) you need to be quick. Once they get out 40 yards from you, your chances of a hit drop dramatically with the IC + 18.5" barrel.

Originally Posted by Pete D.

Slightly off topic.... But ....
what exactly does "shoot clays " mean here?
I have noticed that we don't all mean the same things even when we use the same words. To me, "shooting clays" means shooting 16 yard ATA Trap singles.
What does it mean here, I wonder
Pete

We shoot from a combination of a wobbler and handheld throwers. We don't use the word ready, since we do this as practice for hunting (guns down, safeties on, looking ahead, thrower will not throw if anyone is looking at him). We do not have stations, and shoot an assortment of birds (minis, doves, rabbits, etc)

**CartBone69** · November 12th, 2013, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by wrangler1120

Yeah, no ghost rings though only the bead improvement sight (night sight). My setup is a mossberg 500, pistol grip and pistol grip forend. Depending on how you shoot clays (see below for how we do it) you need to be quick. Once they get out 40 yards from you, your chances of a hit drop dramatically with the IC + 18.5" barrel.

We shoot from a combination of a wobbler and handheld throwers. We don't use the word ready, since we do this as practice for hunting (guns down, safeties on, looking ahead, thrower will not throw if anyone is looking at him). We do not have stations, and shoot an assortment of birds (minis, doves, rabbits, etc)

Gotcha, yea im gonna give it a shot once i get my back sight in the mail. We do stations and yell pull and do one at a time, if worse comes to worse, ill just use my friends gun to finish the round if im having trouble. Im also looking into just getting a 28" barrel for the gun so i can just swap it out.

**Hawk** · November 13th, 2013, 10:18 AM

Sporting clays is usually shot with more open chokes. IC or Light mod. So a typical tactical 18" shotgun with IC would suffice. Just use #8 for close targets and #7.5 for more distant targets.

As for Peep/Ghost Ring sights on shotguns. Unless you plan on shooting slugs they are really not needed. Matter of fact, a bead is in many ways superior in most shotgun applications.

Trying to break birds using a shotgun with peep sights is problematic, it severely limits your field of view while attempting to track the birds path. Because shotguns have a very limited range of effectiveness, you don't aim a shotgun, you point it. The reason for not aiming is that the time it takes to aim will delay the shot, any delay in firing the shot will typically permit a moving target to gain distance towards a less than effective, or ineffective shotgun range.

Of course turkey hunting with a shotgun is a different story. In that application you are using a very tight choke and aiming at a stationary target (more like a rifle).

**Jim8300** · November 13th, 2013, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by wrangler1120

26" is fine all around. I shoot clays with a pistol grip shotty (18.5" barrel) now. Really makes folks who cant hit them with their 28" barrel shotguns mad.

Did you shoot sporting clays at LVSC with only 18 1/2" pistol grip shotgun? Their rules now require: "All guns must be field shotguns ie: no pistol grips or collapsible stocks; 24" barrel minimum."

http://www.lvsclays.com/default.aspx?pageid=22

A friend of mine used his coach gun there with black powder shells, he was told not to do it again. No black powder shells or less than 24" barrels.

I have used a borrowed Browning with 30 or 32" barrels for sporting clays. Picked up a Beretta field gun with 28" barrels. Want to try it at LVSC sometime to see if I can hit as many as with the Browning. I have used the Beretta for trap, I am satisfied with the results. I am not a 45-50's trap shooter either, but it works for me.

Your 26" shotgun should be fine until the bug bites if you want to enter a league and shoot for $ prizes. Shoot it and have fun.

**wrangler1120** · November 13th, 2013, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jim8300

Did you shoot sporting clays at LVSC with only 18 1/2" pistol grip shotgun? Their rules now require: "All guns must be field shotguns ie: no pistol grips or collapsible stocks; 24" barrel minimum."

http://www.lvsclays.com/default.aspx?pageid=22

No, we shoot on private land. However, my pistol grip shotty is my field gun. I've been taking this for squirrel, rabbit, and pheasant lately. I just had to make a long plug for the tube (used PVC pipe that just fit in the spring).

**CartBone69** · November 13th, 2013, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Jim8300

Did you shoot sporting clays at LVSC with only 18 1/2" pistol grip shotgun? Their rules now require: "All guns must be field shotguns ie: no pistol grips or collapsible stocks; 24" barrel minimum."

http://www.lvsclays.com/default.aspx?pageid=22

A friend of mine used his coach gun there with black powder shells, he was told not to do it again. No black powder shells or less than 24" barrels.

I have used a borrowed Browning with 30 or 32" barrels for sporting clays. Picked up a Beretta field gun with 28" barrels. Want to try it at LVSC sometime to see if I can hit as many as with the Browning. I have used the Beretta for trap, I am satisfied with the results. I am not a 45-50's trap shooter either, but it works for me.

Your 26" shotgun should be fine until the bug bites if you want to enter a league and shoot for $ prizes. Shoot it and have fun.

Im the one that brought up Lehigh valley sporting clays, did know about the rule. I still might try though.

**Jim8300** · November 13th, 2013, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by CartBone69

Im the one that brought up Lehigh valley sporting clays, did know about the rule. I still might try though.

I was told that the length restriction was for safety. Longer barrels would not allow the shooter to swing the gun past the uprights in the shooters station, on some stations.

If you try a short barrel shotgun, don't take any black powder, they can hear that over in the clubhouse.

I was told that the black powder shell report scared some other shooters, they perceived the loud sound to be a higher power shell and thought the shot would travel great distances and could hit shooters on the other side of the course. A 3 dram black powder load would equal about 1200 FPS.