We will be attending a beginners course to TRAP shooting in a couple of evenings. I'm excited as I tried to interest her in the past without much luck. Santa arrived early to place a youth model 870 20 gauge under the tree. Should be a good evening.

~JM~

that is FANTASTIC!

You are starting her at a disadvantage with 20 gague if she is going to participate in competitive matches. 12 gague with target loads don't recoil very much. Handicap targets will be quite a challenge with the small bore gun. Not being a smart alex, she will want you to be proud of her. Try to find a used Remington 1100 trap gun.

She's on the very petite side & can't physically handle a full sized shotgun. I realize that if she takes a shine to it I will have to upgrade her equipment. I don't think there is a youth sized 1100 like the 870 offers.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/compact/shotguns/model-870/model-870-express...

Thanks
~JM~

cabelas, midway etc sell them. I cut down the stock on my wife's 1100 LT20. there is just a bit of room because of the main spring but it helps. She isn't very competitive with her 20 gauge, but she really enjoys shooting it at clay birds.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

I was always of the belief that 12 ga. was far superior, but I've been bird hunting with people using 20 ga. that did very well. I've hunted pheasant with my cousin and him carrying a 28 gauge, and he hit what he shot at.

I was looking at ammunition on the net and find that Winchester AA for instance in 12 ga. have loads ranging from 7/8oz to 1 1/8oz of shot. In 20 ga. they have up to 1 oz. of shot. It seems that 1oz in the 20 gauge would be close to 1oz in the 12 gauge.

If she shoots from the 16 yard line then there is probably less difference between 12 and 20 than there would be if she has a 22 yard handicap. IIRC doubles are shot from the 16 yard line too.

It seems that there are some guns available that are lighter than the 1100, although I've also read that the newer Remingtons such as the 11-87 are heavier than the 1100 and some people favor the 1100 for that reason.

I know in skeet you can shoot whatever gauge you feel like and compete with like shooters. What about sporting clays, is there a gauge preference there?

We went last night to a beginers course & now she's hooked. She had never fired a shotgun before, but still managed to bust 7 before the cold weather & fatigue started to set in. It was damn near freezing out & one of the other beginners wasn't able to finish the course due to the weather. All in all it was a good beginning & a great evening.

Thanks
~JM~

nm

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Of the Troops & For the Troops