Lady wants to try Wing Shooting

[theroys88]

Hello,
I am currently looking into a shoot with the NRA Ladies programs. One of the shoots is
a peasant/quail shoot. Do you have any suggestions on a proper shotgun for this type of shoot. I would also like to get into skeet. Can the same shotgun be used for both?
I have experience with pistols and a .22 rifle. We have a HD shotgun but it has a 18" barrel.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.
Dawn

[Jakeiscrazy]

Hello,
I am currently looking into a shoot with the NRA Ladies programs. One of the shoots is
a peasant/quail shoot. Do you have any suggestions on a proper shotgun for this type of shoot. I would also like to get into skeet. Can the same shotgun be used for both?
I have experience with pistols and a .22 rifle. We have a HD shotgun but it has a 18" barrel.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.
Dawn

Depending on your HD gun you may be able to buy a longer barrel for shooting skeet and bird. I really don't know much about skeet but this article seems to offer something creditable. http://www.skeetshootingtips.com/how-to ... otgun.html

[allingeneral]

Don't shoot the peasants!

How much are you looking to spend? You could go cheap and pick up a good Remington or Winchester pump, or you could go a little more expensive and get a semi-auto or double barrel.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[gunderwood]

Yes, you can shoot both skeet and fowl with the same shotgun. Depending on your situation and preference you can swap out the chokes and shot sizes to meet your needs, but the basic shotgun stays the same. Generally fowl/skeet shotguns have around 26-28" barrels. You may be able to swap out your HD shotgun barrel for a longer one, but usually isn't the best option IMHO.

Fowl/skeet shotguns aren't my thing, so I'll let someone else provide specific recommendations.

[theroys88]

Oops...didn't mean to shoot at the peasants!
Thanks for the hints.
Dawn

[arkypete]

Dawn

Depending on how much experience you have with shotgunning, your size and stature, your pocket book will determine your choice in shotgun.
A group of us head down to Nicaragua each fall for ducks and doves, for a week. The advantage of Nicaragua is you'll shoot more ducks and doves in that week then you'll shoot in ten years here in Gringo land. Plus the food is great, the beer is delightful, the Coke is made with cane sugar, the rum is cheap and good and you haven't been treated that well since you last visited your Grand mother.
A couple of years ago my Winchester Super X, semi auto, went on the fritz on the last day and one of the other fellows loaned me his spare Remington pump. The recoil difference between the semi auto and the pump was enough that I handed the Remington to my bird guy and let him shoot the last six boxes to shells at the doves. He was a very good shot and brought down 50 or so birds.
The semi auto reduces, or at least lengthens, the recoil impulse to such an extent that shooting 350 to 500 rounds in a day is not a chore.
For wing shooting I'd suggest taking some lessons. There's a gal at Black Forge sporting clays that teachs. And there's Henry Baskerville at Cavalier Rifle and Pistol that also teaches.

Jim

[theroys88]

Jim..great information. We as a family are really interested in joining a range.
We want to be able to shoot more regularly. Skeet shooting and being comfortable with my defensive 38 is a priority as well. Not to mention that we have a 16 yo son that loves anything with guns. Santa brought him a Mosin Nagant and he is dying to try it out.
We have called Black Creek but have been put off by the older gentleman that answers the phone. Is it us or is he angry with everyone??
I will jot down the folks you suggested to aid with lessons. I think that would be a great idea. The shoot with the NRA isn't until March, so I have time to prepare.
Thanks again,
Dawn

[grumpyMSG]

For my .02 worth, I would suggest trying a 20 gauge. The recoil with a twenty is far less than a 12. When my family gets together. My sisters, cousins and nieces all have no problem managing a 20 gauge 870 and for the 9 year old, she loves it every time she hits a clay pigeon.

[arkypete]

Dawn
Don't let the grumpy guy put you off, the shooting world is full of curmugeons. Most of us have hearts of gold and are actually scared of offending the ladies, mainly because we can swear strong enough to make a Marine blush, and the jokes we tell would not make it at the church social.
When I was competing in Bullseye, at every match there was a really neat lady that had been shooting bullseye for 30 some odd years, right next to me, She beat me every single time by a bunch of points. Her Dad was the Virginia's top shooter back in the 30s and 40s.
I tried to convince my daughters they needed to show up at the skeet, trap, sporting clays range and start asking questions. The fellows would fall all over themselves helping. Good place for young ladies in the husband hunting mode to do their hunting.
If I can be of any service send me a PM or smoke signal.

Jim

[gunderwood]

For my .02 worth, I would suggest trying a 20 gauge. The recoil with a twenty is far less than a 12. When my family gets together. My sisters, cousins and nieces all have no problem managing a 20 gauge 870 and for the 9 year old, she loves it every time she hits a clay pigeon.

This is a good idea. For HD I'm biased towards the most powerful thing you can shoot well, even it it bruises you afterwards. For sport shooting of any kind you want to enjoy the experience.

[grumpyMSG]

For my .02 worth, I would suggest trying a 20 gauge. The recoil with a twenty is far less than a 12. When my family gets together. My sisters, cousins and nieces all have no problem managing a 20 gauge 870 and for the 9 year old, she loves it every time she hits a clay pigeon.

This is a good idea. For HD I'm biased towards the most powerful thing you can shoot well, even it it bruises you afterwards. For sport shooting of any kind you want to enjoy the experience.

I would politely disagree with gunderwood concerning HD, using the heaviest you can shoot for home defense might lead you not to practice enough. Practice leads to familiarity, familiarity becomes instinct and instinct means you are focused on your target, not on your weapon. The way around that is if you used the same family weapon in a larger size for HD but used a smaller more manageable gauge for practice, for example, a 12 gauge Remington 870 for HD and a 20 gauge 870 for hunting and the range. The key on that idea is, the controls are in the same place and the guns function the same way. Please whatever you do don't buy one Mossberg and one Remington, the controls will keep you confused between the location of the safeties and the slide releases.

[gunderwood]

For my .02 worth, I would suggest trying a 20 gauge. The recoil with a twenty is far less than a 12. When my family gets together. My sisters, cousins and nieces all have no problem managing a 20 gauge 870 and for the 9 year old, she loves it every time she hits a clay pigeon.

This is a good idea. For HD I'm biased towards the most powerful thing you can shoot well, even it it bruises you afterwards. For sport shooting of any kind you want to enjoy the experience.

I would politely disagree with gunderwood concerning HD, using the heaviest you can shoot for home defense might lead you not to practice enough. Practice leads to familiarity, familiarity becomes instinct and instinct means you are focused on your target, not on your weapon. The way around that is if you used the same family weapon in a larger size for HD but used a smaller more manageable gauge for practice, for example, a 12 gauge Remington 870 for HD and a 20 gauge 870 for hunting and the range. The key on that idea is, the controls are in the same place and the guns function the same way. Please whatever you do don't buy one Mossberg and one Remington, the controls will keep you confused between the location of the safeties and the slide releases.

I understand where you are coming from and I don't think we are that far apart. I rolled a lot into the statement "the most powerful you can shoot well." Certainly if you don't practice you can't shoot it well. There must be a balance and I think it is important to understand that for SD you must take it in order to give it. A SD firearm isn't going to be as pleasant to shoot as a .22LR.

My wife is a red head so she bruises easily, even powderpuff loads will do it if she shoot enough. She can shoot reasonably well though and doesn't mind practicing.