Hi all ..May your Easter be full of hope. The guys at my Church are starting a skeet club…So I am asking for some help, tips from the vast knowledge that is out in IDO land. Also I will be needing to purchase a shotgun. ALL help and thoughts will be graciously accepted. Thanks Wil
SKEET is a lot of fun and I miss shooting a while back when I was closer to a full gun club that also had 3 skeet ranges.
You can use a pump, but for skeet I’d say you would do better with a decent quality over and under (24-26″ barrels for skeet, probably 28″ for trap). There are quite a few doubles in skeet and with the O/U you just pull the trigger twice on doubles, no pumping in a second round.
That just in itself will make you better.
I’d also recomment a 12ga over a 20ga, but each will do the job.
and if you get serious, it was always fun to reload my own shells. A single stage MEC loader is all that you need, and can probably find a good used one. IF you really end up shooting alot, then get a progressive loader; a new shell for each pull of the handle, but more money outlay for the progressive. Loading cases- use Win AA ONLY, very slick to load, crimp easy, and you can get 15 reloads or more, just reload them til the crimp or top of plastic near the crimp starts cracking.
good luck
Jack 
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Loading cases- use Win AA ONLY, very slick to load, crimp easy, and you can get 15 reloads or more, just reload them til the crimp or top of plastic near the crimp starts cracking.
good luck
Jack
I completely disagree here… since AA went to the 2piece hull they are CRAP. Just wait until a basewad comes loose and bulges your barrel. Not to mention the crap plastic they use on them now. 4 or 5 reloads is all guys are getting (those who actually reload them anymore)
Right now REMINGTON is the hull of choice, unless you happen to have a stash of 20 year old AACF. With Rems you have no chance of busting a $600 barrel because the basewad comes loose and lodges in the barrel.
If you want information on reloading, check out shotgunworld.com in the reloading section. All the info you will ever need and plenty of guys to help you out.
If you are going to join a skeet club, reloading would be a very good step. If you go to the club once a week and shoot 4 boxes that is 5200 shells a year (. I shoot between 5,000 and 10,000 during the season (late spring to sept), it definitely pays to reload if you shoot that much. You are looking at $1,000 a year in store bought, vs $700-800 reloading.
As for gun, you are going to be shooting quite a bit if you are joining a club (wouldnt make it worth the fees to not shoot a lot) so you will be needing a comfortable gun. Head to a few local shops and just see what feels best. Then come home and research the guns you looked at to see if they are good buys and what their reputations are. I would suggest an over/under or a good quality semi-auto over a pump.
I should add if you are looking for a good reliable gun that has been proven at the skeet range for 40+ years, look into a Remington 1100. That gun will hold its value very well, and will also be a good gun if you ever get into hunting. It will handle everything from small game, to waterfowl, to turkey, to deer. It is the best all around gun, and a VERY nice skeet/trap/SC gun. I am shooting a 1968 rem 1100 skeet-grade 20ga currently, been on a 20 gauge kick for a while now. That gun will shoot everything from light 3/4oz skeet loads to 1 1/8oz magnum buffered hunting loads. I also have two 11-87 that also visit the range quite a bit. All very nice guns if you like semi-autos.
If you want an over/under, I cant help you much. The ones I shoot have been off the market for quite some time (american arms silver I and II).
Remington hulls are the way to go if you want to reload. I reload the Remington STS and also the discount Gun Clubs…several thousand a year, good hulls. I have a winchester 101 skeet in 20 gauge for sale, if your interested in a great over/under shotgun just pm me, I love to talk shotguns!!………..B
When I used to shoot I reloaded every hull but about 5 reloads is all I could get until the edges started breaking. Back then I loaded 700-X, a very fast powder with 7/8th oz. in 7 1/2 shot. Chouce of hull is all up to the shooter, I liked federal hulls the best and got the best burning time. I used an 870 pump and worked it to the point where I bent the hull ejector spring but that was the only malfunction. Loading your own hulls is the best way to go and alot of fun. Me and another guy I shot with never went to the range with less then 300 rounds and up to 500, we had a ball. Wait till deer season if you hunt deer with a shotgun, you won’t miss because of your reaction time, it goes way up. We had a ball shooting.
Check this place out!
http://www.metrogunclub.com/index.php
And Rick, the owner, loves to fish.
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SKEET is a lot of fun and I miss shooting a while back when I was closer to a full gun club that also had 3 skeet ranges.
If you are still in Apple Valley why not run down to the MPLS Gun Club on the border of Prior Lake and Lakeville? They have 8 or 9 skeet/trap ranges along with two 5 stand ranges. I used to shoot skeet out there almost every day they were open. Now I can’t afford both fishing and shooting so I had to make the decision, fishing or shooting, I had to choose fishing, but do miss Skeet.
As for the OP’s question, practice, practice, PRACTICE!! When you first get started, make friends with a couple of the “regulars” at the range and just start asking them questions. They are always willing to talk shooting and most will give you a TON of pointers. Even ask them to shoot a couple rounds, watch what they do, and the good guys will usually give you pointers while going around the course.
A great video that will get you ahead of the curve is by Todd Bender, “Winning with the Fundamentals in Skeet”. It was recommended to me when I first started shooting and helped tremendously. I watched it before each time I went to the range until I was able to repeat everything he said. He is a great teacher.
Don’t get caught up in the reloading game just yet, with the hike in price of lead, primers, wads, and powder, if you are going to shoot 12 gauge the cost difference is about the same as the cheaper 12 gauge factory loads. If you start getting serious, a good MEC 9000G will get you started, with the amount of shooting you do in skeet a single stage is just a waste of time.
Started with a Rugar Red Label. Ended up shooting all 4 gauges. With sporting clays I was shooting 6 or 7 days a week year round. If you need some equipment or questions drop me a line.
Thanks olisfloyd . Used to shoot out there a lot.. any places to purchase a good used gun. Wil
Hi Drew. Yes I would like help with buying a good used gun. Preferrably a semi auto. Or an over under. Would a pump be good for a beginner . I know they ate less costly. Thanks Wil
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Hi Drew. Yes I would like help with buying a good used gun. Preferrably a semi auto. Or an over under. Would a pump be good for a beginner . I know they ate less costly. Thanks Wil
What’s your budget? And a pump will work but makes it considerably more difficult on the doubles.
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Right now REMINGTON is the hull of choice, unless you happen to have a stash of 20 year old AACF
B BK
I admit I”m a little out of touch for current reloading. All I’ve got and have ever used have been the older 1 piece plastic AA hull. Those were GREAT to use. I didn’t even know they went to 2 piece.
So good to keep us old guys updated.
Quess I better hold onto my AA cases.
Jack
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Right now REMINGTON is the hull of choice, unless you happen to have a stash of 20 year old AACF
B BK
I admit I”m a little out of touch for current reloading. All I’ve got and have ever used have been the older 1 piece plastic AA hull. Those were GREAT to use. I didn’t even know they went to 2 piece.
So good to keep us old guys updated.
Quess I better hold onto my AA cases.
Jack
I have not shot in years and I too am going to hold onto my old AA cases after reading about the change in cases. I must have around 2,000
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