doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Sporting Clays with a skeet gun?

Leaving it the way it is makes sense, mostly because if you like the swing adding chokes may change that for you.

There's no reason you can't shoot SC with Sk/IC, depending on how good you are at far and rising shots you may miss some more than with tighter chokes. I've seen shooters with automatics and a LM or Mod take more birds than I ever could, close, far, crossers, rising made no difference.

Rocketman has made points above that sound like they were well earned, and I agree with them all with possible the exception of #1, I don't know a serious skeet shooter that uses a DT SxS so your 26" tubes are just fine. I shot my first perfect round with a Browning BPS with 32" tubes and IC :-)

Casual shooters like you and I can and do shoot anything and everything they like including pumps, SxS, DT's and automatics while serious skeet shooters AFAIK use O/U's and tubes tailored to skeet.

Some like me still value skeet as a fun game that can give the casual shooter a leg up on open season in the field.

Please don't put extended tubes on it, ugh. While I have some times convinced myself that I needed more choke, more barrel length, more weight etc etc it is often just my shooting that makes the difference. As an example I finally measured the chokes on a 20 ga that I have hit far far targets with. Lo and behold they are .003 and .008
The revers is I have a 12 ga choked .030 and .040 and shot 22 at skeet.
If you believe in the gun and don't overthink it your gun will do fine at SC

This gun has great dimensions and fits me very well. It had a glued-on rubber pad on the comb for some reason, which I removed prior to refinishing the stock. Maybe the previous owner was using it for trap? I don't know. I was seeing a lot of rib though with the comb riser on. Fits perfect now.

I shot a 24 with it first time out at skeet, so I'm hoping some straights are in the future with it if I do my part. Since all my other guns are double trigger hammer guns, I like that it's not a single trigger gun too, so I don't have to think about that. I've shot dt's so long now, that single trigger guns are awkward for me, initially anyway. I keep reaching for the rear trigger...

Here a couple more pics, just for grins. Since it's not a field gun, I'm considering adding some custom art to it, just to have something fun and interesting to look at.

Mark,
I know what you mean about becoming accustomed to double triggers. I've tried to fire the left barrel more than once on a borrowed gun by trying to pull the trigger guard.
A number of years ago I came upon a Winchester M23 for sale at a gun shop that had the original extended winchokes installed on it. Ugliest SxS I've ever seen.
Karl

All Sporting Clays courses are different. I would not expect the same gun to be "best" for all of them.

I layed up on providing additional comment for a couple days.

Here's the deal.

The bulk of sporting clays courses are not championship level. A Skeet gun is more than adequate for them.
You join the NSSCA and go registered shooting, and two things will happen.

Your scores will be effected, and you'll destroy a beautiful shotgun.

Ask Karl G. He knows that at any one time I have 3 or more SxS's in hospital, because I shoot them regularly at SC's.

There are few SxS's made before SC's became popular that can take regular pounding without damage.

I'm talking 1,000 rds/yr or more through it. That's why they are either re-worked old guns, or a narrow set of modern guns when you see them at a tournament.

Lots of good thoughts. I would say this: shoot it a lot, 1500 rounds or so and see what you think. I have no compunction with installing extended chokes as long as they are unknurled and blued,same diameter as the barrels. If this were a classic American or some nice 1st tier English sidelock, I would say no, but for a relatively obscure Continental sxs like your Husky, no problem, especially one that is already a little out of the game gun classic design with the high vent rib and beavertail. Function over tradition, just know it narrows down the resale market.
JR

True words. Competition is fun, but it puts pressure on you and the gun.
JR

Great thoughts. I doubt I'll ever be a competition shooter, mostly because I'm not good enough, and I don't have the time to be good enough. This gun did initially have a broken ejector rod which I had welded, so your points about high volume guns taking a pounding are well taken.

Old guns sometimes break. Sleek sidelock sxs are somewhat like high end race cars, they are works of art in metal, but the price you pay for that great balance and feel is the parts aren't big beefy things, so parts break. All that being said I have had years where I shot 5000 rounds, which isn't really a lot compared to registered shooters, and had no problem. Almost all my loads were low pressure 7/8 oz 12 ga loads shot in light English or Spanish sxs.