Shooting a sporting clays shoot with a Benelli M2

brandt9913 · May 13, 2013

No. Just use your improved cylinder for sporting clays. You should be fine. The only reason I was using light modified is because I don't have an IC for my M2. LM is what I normally use for 3 gun. Lead everything 2 feet and you will do ok.

brandt9913 · May 13, 2013

TroyDB said:
It was the silver course. Maybe I just really suck.

With as few as I hit, I couldn't find any rhyme or reason as to why I would hit some and not others.

Don't feel too bad. I don't think Jesse hit that many at the Boomer Shooter sporting clays event a couple years ago. His score card sort of disappeared when it was time for awards.

Troy · May 13, 2013

brandt9913 said:
No. Just use your improved cylinder for sporting clays. You should be fine. The only reason I was using light modified is because I don't have an IC for my M2. LM is what I normally use for 3 gun. Lead everything 2 feet and you will do ok.

Thanks, I'm not really taking this thing too serious so I wasn't planning on spending any money on one day.

Ksmirk · May 13, 2013

Maybe for skeet but they are shooting sporting clays, totally different animal. The several times I've been out I had the best scores shooting a full choke, I don't have the big pattern as say a LM or IC but some of those birds are out there a ways. I've shot the range with IC, LM, M, F and I admit I'm far from the guru of sporting clays I just know I had more I's than O's with a full choke. Later,

Kirk

Spiff · May 13, 2013

I hit 65/100 on my first sporting clays shoot ever last weekend with my 21" M1. I had no idea what I was doing, and I shot LM w/ 1 1/8 oz @ 1250 and 1300 fps shells for all except one stage, and on that one I changed to IM. A couple of guys that I ran into there that looked like they knew what they were doing said they used LM for almost everything.

dennishoddy · May 13, 2013

"I thought you use a skeet choke for skeet. "

Or quail.

Ksmirk · May 13, 2013

There are many different forms of killing little clay birds, might hit the ol' Google to get an idea what game is being talked about.

Austin that extra 1/8oz shot is a big help I have found out! get more shot in the air better chances. I know it's about time for my yearly sporting clays trip lol I just need to quit playing on the RZR a weekend and find a weekend Dennis is off work

Later,

Kirk

The Antichrome · May 13, 2013

I used to shoot 4-6 Sporting Clays matches per month. We have a very nice private 'shotgun only' club here in town.
While we also have skeet, trap, and 5-stand...I only use the Sporting Clays course.
We have a weekly league match on wednesday evenings with cash payback.

I shoot just about everything with I/C in both barrels. A long distance shot may make me put in a L/M. But more often than not, I end up pulling out a choke and shooting threads at a really close bird.

I'm more than happy to take anyone out for a round of clays.

Corey · May 14, 2013

brandt9913 said:
No. Just use your improved cylinder for sporting clays. You should be fine. The only reason I was using light modified is because I don't have an IC for my M2. LM is what I normally use for 3 gun. Lead everything 2 feet and you will do ok.

When I shot with Brandt no matter what the course he looked at the setup, thought about it and said I would lead by two feet.
I lead by two feet and got 27 out of 50 with I/C that
was first time I had shot sporting clays. Brandt clearly out shot WillR & myself that day.
I shot trap years ago but those 70 year old guys at the Anadarko trap club just refused to miss.

dennishoddy · May 14, 2013

Kirk Smith (ksmirk) said:
There are many different forms of killing little clay birds, might hit the ol' Google to get an idea what game is being talked about.

Austin that extra 1/8oz shot is a big help I have found out! get more shot in the air better chances. I know it's about time for my yearly sporting clays trip lol I just need to quit playing on the RZR a weekend and find a weekend Dennis is off work :wink: Later,

Kirk

After this weekend, name the day. I'll be there.

oldglock · May 15, 2013

Well, the choke depends on the station. Take all your chokes, change them before shooting the station if required.
Most on the Silver course last time I was out would be perfect for skeet/imp Cyl on an OU. A couple would perhaps have required modified Generally, the more open the choke, the more targets you will hit(within range of course)
In clays tournaments, targets are generally much tougher, and frequently longer sometimes requiring full choke.
If I were going to acquire another choke for a repeater, it would be skeet or even cylinder bore. A more open choke would also seem ideal for the 3 gun clays I have seen.
And in sporting clays, try to shoot the going away and crossing targets as soon as possible. As a target slows, it drops also compounding lead/hold over problem.

Corey · May 16, 2013

dennishoddy said:
After this weekend, name the day. I'll be there.

If you guys plan a day shoot me a text Kirt

brandt9913 · May 16, 2013

oldglock said:
Well, the choke depends on the station. Take all your chokes, change them before shooting the station if required.
Most on the Silver course last time I was out would be perfect for skeet/imp Cyl on an OU. A couple would perhaps have required modified Generally, the more open the choke, the more targets you will hit(within range of course)
In clays tournaments, targets are generally much tougher, and frequently longer sometimes requiring full choke.
If I were going to acquire another choke for a repeater, it would be skeet or even cylinder bore. A more open choke would also seem ideal for the 3 gun clays I have seen.
And in sporting clays, try to shoot the going away and crossing targets as soon as possible. As a target slows, it drops also compounding lead/hold over problem.

I hit 43/50 today using only a light modified in my benelli M2 setup for 3gun on the silver course. Choke tubes are going to widen the margin for error slightly, but changing at every station is not necessary.

Troy · May 18, 2013

brandt9913 said:
I hit 43/50 today using only a light modified in my benelli M2 setup for 3gun on the silver course. Choke tubes are going to widen the margin for error slightly, but changing at every station is not necessary.

Oh crap!! Maybe I shouldn't say what I was going to say, but I will anyway. I went from shooting14/50 last Saturday on the Silver course with the modified, and with the advice I got here, I shot 51/100 with the IC yesterday. I guess it's not a major improvement, but I'll take it.

Last week when we were practicing for our first time, one of the guys working the course came along on our first stage and kind of started teasing me about my shell caddies I was strapping on. One of they guys I was shooting with mentioned that when I got up to shoot, that guy said, "I was giving him a hard time about those, but those are pretty cool". Another guys mentioned something about and I'm sure I got some looks from others.

All in all it was a good time with people I work with, and while I might not have the most hits, I know I had the fastest time.

Wall · May 18, 2013

TroyDB said:
I went from shooting14/50 last Saturday on the Silver course with the modified, and with the advice I got here, I shot 51/100 with the IC yesterday. I guess it's not a major improvement, but I'll take it.

I'd call a jump from 28% to 51% a major improvement.

TroyDB said:
while I might not have the most hits, I know I had the fastest time.

LOL, nice!!!!!

boomer mooner · May 27, 2013

I've shot alot of sporting clays over the years and about 98% of the time you could shoot the whole course with an IC choke. That said, I was in a slump a couple of years ago and started shooting full choke at the advisement of a buddy that's very,very good shooting sporting clays with a 28 gauge. What it did for me was make me concentrate more since I knew I had a tighter pattern...aim small, miss small. I would also use good high velocity shotgun shells. They kick more more but you'll also break more birds with them. I like the Winchester AA SuperSport at 1300 fps.

Bob Sanders · May 27, 2013

I've only shot clays at home with one of those hand throwers. But on my way home from the hotter than donut grease girlfriends house Saturday, I happened upon a clays shooting range. And, as I so happen to have a brand new Mossberg JM Pro, I thought I would give it a go. It was the neatest thing. The guy there took me to a place he called trap, told me to load 2 up, yell "pull" into this speaker thing and shoot at the clay that comes out of this little house, then move to the next spot and do it again. After he saw I had the idea, he left me alone to my business. Well, as you know, the JM Pro holds 9+1. So, I figured to make it interesting, I would load up, start at one end and take off running and yell "pull" into all the speakers and blast away. Appearantly, this is frowned upon.

boomer mooner · May 27, 2013

Yes, most of the shotgun sports require you to use no more than 2 shells at a time. 3-gun is the only game I know of that lets you unleash the full fun potential from a scatter gun.

dennishoddy · May 27, 2013

BobS761 said:
I've only shot clays at home with one of those hand throwers. But on my way home from the hotter than donut grease girlfriends house Saturday, I happened upon a clays shooting range. And, as I so happen to have a brand new Mossberg JM Pro, I thought I would give it a go. It was the neatest thing. The guy there took me to a place he called trap, told me to load 2 up, yell "pull" into this speaker thing and shoot at the clay that comes out of this little house, then move to the next spot and do it again. After he saw I had the idea, he left me alone to my business. Well, as you know, the JM Pro holds 9+1. So, I figured to make it interesting, I would load up, start at one end and take off running and yell "pull" into all the speakers and blast away. Appearantly, this is frowned upon.

HAHA!!
Yes it is frowned upon. I'll bet they came running pretty quick to see WTF!

Ksmirk · May 27, 2013

I'm trying to find a weekend to get out! thought maybe next weekend but I got a call from my folks and they will be up to visit next weekend, go visit my buddy in McAlister the weekend after, might be on a river run the weekend after sheesh I used to work weekends and now that I have them off seems I'm all over the place. I wonder if my guns have rust on them yet :-O Later,

Kirk