I'm not an autoloader guy. On a skeet field with an 1100 what's proper/safest loading procedure for doubles?
Drop a shell into the ejection port, let the bolt go, and then load one into the mag? Something about loading the second shell with one already in the chamber seems less than perfect safety to me.
Why's that? Just don't snag the trigger with your pinky and it won't go boom. Even if it does, it's pointed downrange and you have firm control with a your grip on the forend.
Most of us drop one in the port, then push the carrier latch in with the nose of the second shell while it's being fed into the mag.
I prefer to do this with the ejection port facing up while the gun is controlled with the left hand on the forend.
I'm not real impressed with guys who need to have the magazine facing up to load the thing, and then spin it around rightside up after it's loaded.
In the field, if you load your auto to full capacity, you'll have to run a shell into the chamber before you can top off the magazine anyway. No different for pumps, either. As Mr. Jones says, if you are doing everything the right way safety-wise, there's nothing wrong with running the shell into the chamber before loading one in the mag. Make sure the safety is on if that makes you feel better...
Thanks.
"Why's that?" I'm inexperienced.
The process of performing a loading task to a gun that's loaded isn't familiar to me. I don't do it with semi-auto pistols or rifles (chamber a round then insert the mag) but it's clearly SOP with repeating shottys, and I wanted some clarification.
Guess I understood that, Yeti. My response was poorly worded and I didn't mean to be critical or sound like a smart ass at all. "Why's that?" should have read "That's normal".
It is very rare that someone uses a safety on the skeet field unless you have an auto safety.
You can close the gun, load and then pull the handle back and close it to load the shell in the mag but it is a pain.
What you are doing is safe but it does seem strange to a sxs guy. Just make sure you point it in the right direction as I am sure you already do.
I love my 20 gauge. It has proven to be reliable, trouble free and real soft on the shoulder. It handles surprisingly well and I take it hunting when I'm afraid I might mess up my doubles. I use the inexpensive 1 oz. Remingtons and it is lethal.
Enjoy it,
Milt
Shotgunjones,
No offense taken at all! I needed some advice on something that's very basic, and I do thank you. My response was so terse it looked like I was miffed, but I'm not.
A friend has a brandy new 1100, and wants me to teach him how to shoot it! (In the valley of the blind...) I read the manual last night, thought about the process, remembered seeing many folks load it that way and wondered if it's The Way.
There nothing wrong with loading the chamber first. It may even be the safest way as otherwise you would have the possiblity of more shells being involved in any unintended firing accident. Just be very aware of muzzle control when you chamber that round. Automatics, which are worn or with a finger that just might have some contact with the trigger, have been known to "slam fire" as the round is chambered. I am aware of one person at our skeet range having shot very near to his feet resulting in some bounce back pellets striking another shooter. Fortunately no serious injury. I am not convinced it was the gun's fault, shooter may have had a finger in the trigger guard - but he loudly protests otherwise. (Didn't take the gun in for repair though.)
OK, Yeti... as long as we're all on the same page. The great pitfall with this e-mail and internet stuff is that tone of voice is missing.
You might like the 1100. It's a natural pointer, and most people shoot one well.
You guys are all so nice. I like that.
Drop a shell into the gun. Hit the latch to close. Shoot the single. Repeat for the second bird. Load two for doubles only. Take each shot as a seperate shot and do not miss.
Why load two shells when shooting singles? Load one and shoot one at a time.
Personally, I do not care how many you load at a time as long as you keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. A week does not go by that I do not see a shooter turning or starting to point a gun in a direction that is not down range. Many of them are well experienced shooter who know better but have become casual about things because they have shot for years and never ahd a problem. Novice shooters need a mild warning, old farts need a swift kick in the a--.
I shoot single targets single load even with a double. I don't object to loading two, I just started doing that because it forces me to be more deliberate. Can't tell you how many times I missed the option target because I repeated the mistake! I need the brief time it takes to reload to reboot my brain.
About once a year someone will ask why I do it that way. My pace when on the station is otherwise quite fast, and even with the reload I'm almost always the fastest shooter on the squad.
ANY firearm that can be loaded with the safety on - SHOULD BE LOADED WITH THE SAFETY ON. Think of the sad "situations" this practice can prevent.
Just prior to calling for your target or when a bird flushes, simply disengage the safety.
My $0.02 FWIW.
(FWIW in this case could be a whole bunch!!)
Except... nobody uses or is required to use a safety on a target range. It's not required for the simple and generally accepted reason that the guns are ALWAYS unloaded with the action open until just prior to calling for and shooting the target(s).
The problems only start if the gun fails to go boom, like for instance if the safety was on.
Ian, the question was about procedure on the skeet field. If you engage the safety on the skeet field I'd suggest you've never shot skeet or trap. As Jones said, nobody uses the safety when shooting target games, other than maybe on a quail walk, where the shooter might be moving. As to whether you engage the safety before or after loading, in the field, the important thing is that you engage it before you move. Before or during loading, it won't fire anyway. Keeping it pointed in a safe direction at all times is the important factor. And of course, re-engage the safety before you start to move away, or as soon as it is loaded again.
The REAL question, for the one man who can "answer all our questions" is: do you let the 1100 bolt "slam" forward, unretarded, or sneak it quietly and gently closed, while holding the bolt handle. Now, that's some important stuff!
JL
I always let the bolt slam forward on my tournament Trap 1100 because by the sound and feel of it I can tell whether or not the gun needs a good cleaning. Like a dog who gets excited over the sound of car keys 'cause he knows he's going out, I now get a kick out of the sound because I know what's coming next...
He was just joshing. It's a long story.
Pump or autoloader, if you were loading in the field with the plug in, you'd either chamber thru the ejection port and two in the mag tube or two in the mag tube, chamber one, and top up tube. So even with just two required for skeet, it's pretty natural to just throw the first one in the chamber.
jack
Course you can always get a I37 and have it your way.
jack
And I don't think we should use the words "slam forward" as this sort of abusive language is a red flag to our resident neuresthenic. What we're doing is "releasing the bolt on its own recognizance".
:p
jack
Hey Jack... you do know that you can chamber load a I-37? It takes finesse... and at first about three hands, but it can be done.
"I'm not an autoloader guy. On a skeet field with an 1100 what's the proper/safest loading for doubles?"
Yes, the question deals with loading for doubles on a skeet field. It also deals with loading a Remington 1100.
However, Yeti states he is not an autoloader guy, and asks for the proper/SAFEST way to load for doubles.
Most teachers would likely advise loading the first shell into the action and sending the action forward, chambering the shell. Then the second shell is inserted into the magazine. For a shooter who is "not an autoloader guy" getting that round into the mag can be difficult until he becomes practiced at it. With an 1100 on the line, I've seen fumbling and bumbling and dropped shells when trying to load the mag. When the newbie Rem 1100 shooter bent over to pick up the shell several of us moved quickly away from the "no longer pointing downrange muzzle". I suspect I'm not the only one who has seen this event on a skeet range. Haven't seen it recently as the Rem 1100 seems to have been replaced by O/Us on the skeet range these days.
The fact that most autoloader shooters on a skeet field don't engage the safety first just means they are practiced and experienced shooters who have established a routine and know their gun. For those that don't, applying the safety first is the "safest" method of loading for doubles.
Even for THOSE THAT DO, applying the safety first is still the safest way loading for doubles. (IMHO).
SGJ:
I'm not that proficient but the only 37 I have is a slug gun so I probably don't feel the need. I can get the shells into the mag tube of an 870 from underneath but I have one heck of a time with the m12 so I turn it over so I can see where the lifter sits. Forgive me!
jack
Trust me, Ian. If you really have been on a skeet field and engaged your safety before loading the chamber, you are the ONLY one in the world. We have all seen many dumb things that can be done on a skeet field. However, in about 50 years of skeet shooting, I have never seen anyone manually engage the safety before loading their gun. While you're in the full grip of terminal paranoia, why not do the same with your O/U? Next time you engage in the behavior described above listen carefully for the sound of 4 other guys snickering. Another hobby might really be better for you.
JL
Jim, it appears I have a claim to fame and am unique in the world!!
I was taught skeet (Remington 1100)in 1975 by a pretty cool gent whom I expect has long gone to his reward. It wasn't until a number of years later I fully appreciated the "apply the safety first" technique.
I don't know if you've been swept on the line by a shooter with a loaded 1100 with the safety off - I and several others were - and we were not happy about it in the least. Your attitude might change when it happens to you.
Being in the "full grip of terminal paranoia", I can't say that I ever remember being "snickered" at by others on the line. Might be they appreciated my interest in THEIR safety.
Safety is a habit which doesn't include painting folks with muzzles in any situation with any gun. My wife and I spectated the sporting final at Vintagers/Millbrook walking the course with one or two squads of shooters who were also walking. We left the station and were at the next before the shooters had collected their scorecards and gear and moved on. So we're standing there when up walks our familiar crew and this old boy who's dressed like he owns most of what Trump used to has his doublegun closed and crooked over his left elbow. He stops even with me on line and I guess he is semi-conscientious at least about the habit of safety because when I turn slowly and give him the questioning look, he turns away and drops the barrels without removing the gun from the crook of his arm. I managed to walk two of the preliminary events with my gun broken all the time except when over the rail and pointed thru the window or sitting in a rack. When I pick it up, the barrels stay skyward while I break it. As for shells dropped on the ground, they'll still be there after the shots are taken and the chambers cleared. Even a habitual safety protocol is not failsafe; all the more reason to have one because it reduces the possibility of sad old situations!
jack
Ian, there is absolutely no difference between being "swept" by a closed shotgun that is empty, loaded, or safety on or safety off. It is all the same, and these guys are giving you the straight information. There is no need or use for a safety on the clay target field. Those who choose to manipulate their safeties are watched like hawks by their fellow shooters because they are obviously inexperienced or have been instructed by someone not familiar with clay target protocol.
Keep the barrel down range when loading and no one will complain.