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As said here before, I'm just a grouse hunter. Friends want me to join the sporting clay gang. I don't know. They have sporting clay guns and a pockful of chokes, lessons, etc. I've got a 16 gauge grouse gun. Do I need to stay home, go watch, or give it a shot?

John, although hunting is probably the first reason I own a shotgun, there is a much broader world waiting for you. Be it skeet, trap, sporting clays, 5 stand, riverside skeet, quail walk, or any of the many shotgun games, its all good.

Consider, we only hunt part of the year and usually get only a limited number of shots on gamebirds. Taking a shotgun out after the season and having some fun and friendly competition with your pals will open doors for you. Sure, you might end up buying a good target gun. So what's wrong with that? You will shoot more, make friends, and will add another facate to your life. So what's wrong with that? You might join a shooting club, make even more friends, and find other venues of interest. So what's wrong with that? All in all, your life will be broadened, enriched and you will probably end up being a much more savvy and accomplished shot. So what's wrong with that?

The water is only as deep as you dare it to be. Jump in and have some fun. Isn't that what life is supposed to be?

Try to find a like-minded buddy or 3 who want to use their bird guns and shoot clay targets for fun and to be a better wingshot. Try not to get in a group of the obsessively competitive, choke tube whirling, latest super perettaini shooting, covered with logo types pushing a shopping cart filled with 'must have' accouterments Rolling Eyes

Also, find a course set up for legitimate bird shots rather than 'gimmick' shots set up for the pros.
SC can be great fun and you will become a better shot.

Well, you are probably right. I do like to shoot and I can sure improve but these guys are real serious . I feel like the guy that's been invited over to be taught how to play poker!

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

Just do it. Take the gun you like for hunting. Shoot low gun and don't worry about your score. Your not going to be there to compete with anyone. Just have fun and dont count the broken targets.

Consider it to be like a hunting trip, if a guy you hunt with kills more birds than you does it make it a bad day? Hell no.

And besides, you may surprise yourself and do pretty well, especially on the closer stations where your grouse honed reaction time is an advantage.

Let us know how it goes!

Jeff

One of the best pieces of equipment I own is an "open mind", I try to bring it everywhere.

Go check it out, break some clay, have fun - if they get too serious have them base a handicap on the number of game birds in thier freezers...

I'd rather got ohfertwo on wild birds than 25/25 on clay.

Don't go knocking choke tube whiling unless you've tried it there Drew. You haven't lived until you've whirled a choke tube or two. What?...he's refering to shooting?... Never mind. Rolling Eyes

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Really John, I would not let anyone intimidate you from shooting the game your way. Just keep an open mind and just go to have some fun. Don't worry about your performance or your equipment at this point. We all suck at something new. So what. Its part of the learning curve. You will get a feel for whether its for you only after several tries. Who knows, you might end up having more fun than you think.

Any type of game will attract its share of "jocks." These types prey on the lesser skilled shooters to build themselves up only in their own minds. Most of the decent folks and really good shooters in any shotgun game will make room for a newbie at a local club, and most are very willing to help you get started.

You'll learn about the jocks soon enough. Just do what any smart shooter does. Smile and ignore the BS. If you concentrate on your own shooting, you'll eventually be passing these guys by. Then they'll resent you for your skill. Why care about what such shallow peoples' opinions. Most of them don't have the smarts enough to realize what A holes they really are. Folks like that don't really count for much. Just ignore them, have fun, and gravitate towards the folks you will meet that you do like. Good luck newbie. Very Happy

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Don't be intimidated by all the other's equipment-Sporting clays is their passion.These folks have spent serious money and time on their game.I recommend you use different shells to make up for distances at various stations---i.e. a light loads of 9's for closer stations and 1 1/8 oz of 71/2"s(the largest size allowed } for longer shots.

Unlike a lot of you folks, I starting shooting trap and sporting clays before hunting. My dad gave me a shotgun and I took it to the trap range. That led to some rounds of sporting clays. Most of the guys I met are hunters and they all talked me into bird hunting.

Last week, I took my father in law to a sporting clay range and he loved it. This guy hasn't hunted or really shot at anything in about 35 years. It so revitalized him and he had so much fun that we're going on a hunt tomorrow. Suddenly he remembers how much fun the whole thing is and a round of sporting clays kinda reminded him of it.

We didn't have very good scores but it was a real nice day and the new experience was great for him. He asked one of his old hunting buddies, another guy who probably hasn't shot in years, to join us for another outing and now that guy is all excited.

Bottom line, it's a challenge and it's fun and it doesn't cost a whole lot. Hope you enjoy it. Score doesn't matter. You're probably better than you think.