Shooting Skeet

[E150GT]

I use my Remington 870 synthetic express el cheapo 12 gauge to occasionally shoot some trap. After 17 rounds I am done. Cant take it any more.

[The Annoyed Man]

I use my Remington 870 synthetic express el cheapo 12 gauge to occasionally shoot some trap. After 17 rounds I am done. Cant take it any more.

I can imagine. I've been blessed to have had a fairly nice o/u shotgun from the get go, and it seems to be well suited to clays. But my observation is that people who try to shoot clays with el cheapo shotguns generally have a frustrating experience. I would compare it to trying shoot centerfire rifles at 500 yards and beyond with an el cheapo bolt rifle and a $100 scope compared to doing it with a rifle properly designed for the task with good optics on board. You'll hit sometimes with the cheap setup, but it is bound to be an exercise in frustration.

I once tried that exercise, comparing a lightweight Ruger M77 MkII sporter in .308 topped with a cheap Bushnell scope to a Remington 700 fat barreled .308 topped with a Leupold Mk4 Tactical, shot at a steel deer silhouette at 750 yards at a California shooting range. The ammo was identitical - Federal Gold Match 168 grain SMK BTHP.

I was able to hit the target about 3 out of 5 rounds with the Ruger, but I couldn't guarantee where I would hit it. I was able to hit the target in the head about 9 out of 10 rounds with the Remington. The Ruger was a perfectly capable rifle. It was just never intended for that task, so it didn't perform well at it, and it was a frustrating experience.

That is what I would compare to trying to shoot some kind of game of clays with a shotgun designed for home defense.