FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO SHOOT THEIR TRAP OFF

[victor]

The Tuesday Night Trap League is firing up at my gun club and with alittle nudging I may join up.Some of these guys take it serious but I'm only looking for some fun and laughs.I've never shot in a organized league,but have tossed some clay birds with those spring loaded throwers.

Now,the only shotgun I own should get some stares.I have a LEVER-ACTION break open design Ithaca M-66 SuperSingle shotgun.If anyone could post a pic of it I'd appreciate it.It is a single shot w/ a 35.5 in. barrel and 3"chamber. Not your typical trap gun for sure.FIL bought it for me when I
was teen.Should be fun,we'll see.

[JimT]

[abcollector]

That right there is a strange looking shotgun! Yea, I bet you'll get some looks!

Is the receiver steel or aluminum? Long barrel too, hey. Neat though, thanks for posting it.

[LeverBob]

Howdy Pard!

Hope the bug doesn't bite you too hard...shooting clays can get REAL expensive. Hope you do well with your Ithaca...and don't listen to the jerks who shoot in the 80's shooting Perazzi's & K-80's. Try to shoot with a practice squad that shoots 870's. They are usually down to earth people.

Just go & have a ton of fun pard!

LeverBob

[hfcable]

the first shotgun i ever personally owned was the ithaca 66in 12 ga. shot all sorts of things, including, deer, ducks, quail, doves,etc. wish i had never sold it,thanks for the memories....one of the best patterning guns with slugs or buckshot that i have ever owned!

[1894]

That looks like fun
Our local range has practice day for both trap and skeet on Saturday . I'm getting tempted to give it a shot.

[Mich Hunter]

Its not the price or type of shotgun that hits clay birds, its the shooter. Not to brag, but I have out shot quite a few people on trap and sporting clays with a 1970's Rem 870 and a 1926 vintage Model 1912 win. Do I have nicer more exspensive shotguns??? Yes I do, but the look on their face is priceless when its done with a old fashioned pump gun. I was on an Air force local league a couple years back and loved it. Its allot of fun and not as boring as golf!!

[Cliff]

Sounds like it might work out. Back in my trap shooting days I was lucky to have five different trap ranges to go to. Each range had at least one day a week for practice shoots. I could go Monday through Friday and shoot every day. At the time I was a patrol deputy of my county, our sheriff determined we would all have double barrel Stevens 311R (20 inch barrel) police shotguns for duty use. I was able to do a fair amount of shooting with these shotguns, in addition to my own. I found if I was careful and held my mouth right I could make a respectful appearance at the ranges. A few times I used #4 Buckshot and was also able to break 18 or so birds. Always got a lot of encouragement from some of the shooters. It is a great sport. Used to also use an old winchester M-97 with Black Powder loads during evening hours, that was an attention getter, really slowed things down while we waited for the smoke to clear so the next shooter could try his smokeless loads. Most of the time it was good for laughs, but you always have some snobbery show up and complain. Enjoy the shooting.

[Slick13]

Its not the price or type of shotgun that hits clay birds, its the shooter.

Yeah, but gun durability, fit, weight, and balance will make a difference over the course of thousands of birds, and in a game totally about perfect scores, every little bit helps.

~Michael (who finally shot his first 100 straight over the weekend)

[SJPrice]

My first shotgun was a Christmas gift from my Mom & Dad when I was 11. It was an Ithica 66 20 gauge with a 30 inch barrel and a full choke. I shot a lot of game with that gun, including my first white tail with a 20 gauge slug. Man did that thing kick with slugs or 3 inch magnum duck loads. It was and is a great single shot shotgun. I still have it in the gun safe although it has been out on loan several times for two nephews and a niece to learn to wing shoot. One day soon it will again be pressed into service for my grandson and granddaughter. If my math is correct it is 43 years old this year.

[Slick13]

A few times I used #4 Buckshot and was also able to break 18 or so birds. Always got a lot of encouragement from some of the shooters. It is a great sport. Used to also use an old winchester M-97 with Black Powder loads during evening hours, that was an attention getter, really slowed things down while we waited for the smoke to clear so the next shooter could try his smokeless loads. Most of the time it was good for laughs, but you always have some snobbery show up and complain. Enjoy the shooting.

#1, Buckshot is not safe on a trap field unless you've been given permission to shoot it (and then why would you want to? It's expensive, and recoil will be heavy). There's a reason why ATA rules limit you to size #7 1/2 shot, and some clubs limit you to size #8. What goes up, must come down, and some clubs work with a very limited drop zone. The bigger/heavier the shot size, the further it's going to go.

#2, Someone complaining about you shooting black powder isn't snobbery. They paid their money for targets and ammo so they could shoot trap, not have a smoke pole going off like a cannon next to them, clouding things up so they can't see, and throwing off the rythem of the squad. Your "fun" is being obnoxious and rude.

Also, black powder is against the ATA's rules (for the reasons listed above), and most clubs tend to follow the ATA's rules.

~Michael

[Slick13]

The Tuesday Night Trap League is firing up at my gun club and with alittle nudging I may join up.Some of these guys take it serious but I'm only looking for some fun and laughs.I've never shot in a organized league,but have tossed some clay birds with those spring loaded throwers.

Now,the only shotgun I own should get some stares.I have a LEVER-ACTION break open design Ithaca M-66 SuperSingle shotgun.If anyone could post a pic of it I'd appreciate it.It is a single shot w/ a 35.5 in. barrel and 3"chamber. Not your typical trap gun for sure.FIL bought it for me when I
was teen.Should be fun,we'll see.

Yes, you will get some stares, maybe even rude comments (I did the first time I ever shot and I brought what I had, a Steven's 311). Be polite, watch a few rounds being shot so you understand what is going on, ask questions so you know what's going on before you step to the line, be quiet and still on the line, make sure you've got your eye and ears on, a bag to carry your shells at your waist, and a box of target loads (no game loads!). Oh, and make sure your gun is in good working order. And make sure your action is alway open when you aren't on the line so people can see your gun is empty and safe.

Do these things, and people won't care what you're shooting, and you'll be welcome at any club.

~Michael

[victor]

JimT,thanks for posting pic.thats her but my wood is awhole lot darker.

abcollector,receiver is steel.

thanks for the input guys!

[Hobie]

I can say from personal experience that those Ithaca 66s are good quail killers. My friend Perry F_____ had one when we were stationed at Goodfellow AFB in 1974 and we went quail hunting out near Lake Nasworthy.

[Hobie]

I used to shoot SKEET with a fellow who used only his Browning Auto-5 choked modified. He shot for practice and could hit the low 8 from the hip. My dad shot skeet in the late 1940s with his (now mine) Savage/Springfield/Stevens 311 16 ga. choked modified and full. IME shooters don't care what you shoot and if you really get into it you'll get a specific purpose built gun. There are those only there for stylin' and profilin' in any sport. Ignore them (unless their wives are good cooks)...