Skeet/Trap/Sporting Clays Shooters - Laser Training

[BytorJr]

Well, there wasn't a good place in the 'marksmanship' area for this. Simple question and it does even apply to pistol as well.

Has anybody ever tried one of these and if so, does it work? https://robertlouisco.com/shotgun-laser-practice

Any alternatives?

Skeet ranges around here are well..not here basically; so I'd like to brush up on shotgunning skills for bird hunting, clay pidgeons & clay wabbits.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Darryle]

Practice on live targets trumps anything else. The closest I have been was using a BB gun in a clinic using small targets and a low gun mount. The instructor had the majority of us hitting stationary asprins and bottle caps tossed out in front of us.

Clays are cheap and sporting clays courses setup to mimic field conditions have worked for a lot of us.

 

[BytorJr]

Practice on live targets trumps anything else. The closest I have been was using a BB gun in a clinic using small targets and a low gun mount. The instructor had the majority of us hitting stationary asprins and bottle caps tossed out in front of us.

Clays are cheap and sporting clays courses setup to mimic field conditions have worked for a lot of us.

Clays themselves are indeed inexpensive. But ammo, is decidedly becoming expensive now. And time...even moreso since I think I'd have to drive 2 hours or so. Granted, I should get my skills back - maybe even down at the Orvis academy.

As for the BB gun thing, I used to do that as a teen; but my HOA gets pissed at BB anything....little do they know I knock out the vermin that has moved in thanks to massive clearcuts for more HOAs .

 

[Darryle]

You'd be surprised how a weekend shooting a sporting clays course will improve your abilities.

 

[BytorJr]

You'd be surprised how a weekend shooting a sporting clays course will improve your abilities.

No disagreement. Just nothing close by. Having looked more at that system above, that’s definitely a no go. Heck, I could do as well shooting an air soft at a frisbee . I got spoiled as a kid, we’d just set up in the back yard.

 

[Jgault]

You'd be surprised how a weekend shooting a sporting clays course will improve your abilities.

Pretty much this, the laser game was fun but didn’t improve anything, and going to a place with a 2 launchers throwing the same pattern isn’t nearly as challenging as a clay ranch. The one I go two has three different courses, over 30 stands each with 2 launchers throwing every way they can think to set them up, you learn to get good in a hurry or do the walk of shame to the next stand.

 

[n2ishun]

You have to lead your target with a shotty doing clays (or live birds).

A laser will record your lead as a miss.......unless they have gotten way better than the shit ones they kept trying to sell me when I ran an upland bird lodge.

I say they suck, are junk, probably made in chiwanistan by real pakiwannis with a skinny ass ethiopian thrown in because those skin and bone fuckers are easy to throw......in there.

 

[Darryle]

No disagreement. Just nothing close by. Having looked more at that system above, that’s definitely a no go. Heck, I could do as well shooting an air soft at a frisbee . I got spoiled as a kid, we’d just set up in the back yard.

Clay throwers with wobblers are getting reasonable, 2 pieces of plywood to block sight of the wobblers and you will get about as close to a field setup as you can.

Stagnant, repetitive presentations suck. 5 stand, super sporting and FITASC courses are challenging and usually come with varying degrees of difficulty on leisure courses. The low difficulty, green courses are for those wanting to improve and have fun, if it's work, you'll leave frustrated. You will imprint more on brain when it's relaxed and enjoying the process, once you turn it into an exercise, you concentrate on the next bird and forget what you just learned.

Have fun, you save money buying shells from gun clubs and drop ship retailers. I agree the day of sub $30, even $50 cases of ammo are gone. Single stage MEC presses are reasonable. I load 28ga TSS for ducks, buying components in 1000rd lots and bulk shot, it cost about $1.65 a shell to load, lead is even cheaper.

 

[Oryx]

You have to lead your target with a shotty doing clays (or live birds).

A laser will record your lead as a miss.......unless they have gotten way better than the shit ones they kept trying to sell me when I ran an upland bird lodge.

I say they suck, are junk, probably made in chiwanistan by real pakiwannis with a skinny ass ethiopian thrown in because those skin and bone fuckers are easy to throw......in there.

This isn't the Bear Pit....

 

[ggmanning]

That looks like a good way to develop the bad habit of aiming the bead. That opinion comes from a position of no shortage of places to shoot. If its all you have it's got to be better than nothing.

 

[BytorJr]

You have to lead your target with a shotty doing clays (or live birds).

A laser will record your lead as a miss.......unless they have gotten way better than the shit ones they kept trying to sell me when I ran an upland bird lodge.

I say they suck, are junk, probably made in chiwanistan by real pakiwannis with a skinny ass ethiopian thrown in because those skin and bone fuckers are easy to throw......in there.

Yeah, that's the part I couldn't figure out . Shooting at a dot moving is NOT the same as you stated. It's the lead that's critical. I doubt I'll ever recapture the "eye" I had in my teens and 20s. I went from shotgunning to pistol/rifle. Since wing shooting is definitely perishible I'd be shooting quite a bit to get my eye back. Hence my inquirey. But, if none of these really emulate a lead and target speed, then they are worthless. I'd hoped I'd stumbled upon something good here - like a MANTIS for pistol (which I also have never used, but seems to work as dryfire tool).

 

[fpgt72]

I have a feeling that club two hours away has several crusty old dudes for hire to help you out. You likely just need the rust knocked off.

Second move the hell out of the HOA.

 

[eddie102870]

i shoot with a bunch of friends every thursday night. im mediocre at best but have been improving every week.

 

[BytorJr]

Clay throwers with wobblers are getting reasonable, 2 pieces of plywood to block sight of the wobblers and you will get about as close to a field setup as you can.

Stagnant, repetitive presentations suck. 5 stand, super sporting and FITASC courses are challenging and usually come with varying degrees of difficulty on leisure courses. The low difficulty, green courses are for those wanting to improve and have fun, if it's work, you'll leave frustrated. You will imprint more on brain when it's relaxed and enjoying the process, once you turn it into an exercise, you concentrate on the next bird and forget what you just learned.

Have fun, you save money buying shells from gun clubs and drop ship retailers. I agree the day of sub $30, even $50 cases of ammo are gone. Single stage MEC presses are reasonable. I load 28ga TSS for ducks, buying components in 1000rd lots and bulk shot, it cost about $1.65 a shell to load, lead is even cheaper.

28ga for duck....my dream . I have killed way many more ducks with 20ga than 12. Of course, back then 20ga was $4-#6 lead and 12 was the early steel which sucked. Always over decoys and let them cup those wings and then the reason I'm deaf in that frequency is sounded like WW2 was taking place.

Some great points here guys. Thinking about it, I could clay bird shooting weekly for way less than the cost of a single season of a duck club now days.

 

[BytorJr]

I have a feeling that club two hours away has several crusty old dudes for hire to help you out. You likely just need the rust knocked off.

Second move the hell out of the HOA.

LOL....don't remind me about the HOA - many a fight with them. Such as, cutting down shitty bradford pears that were falling down every storm (idiots planted them, not me) and being called on the table even though I had "permission" for cutting them down and blocking traffic while they loaded the wood. There are 2 ways in and out, and one of those two ways has two ways to get there!!! I HATE HOA... I guess they'd rather have the 4 bradford's than the oh....8 hardwoods and 40 arbovitae I put up. You're getting me stirred up @fgpt72 .

Sadly, the south has become clearcut woods or take over agri-fields and put massive subdivisions in. I hate it. And, when I retire, I'll retire where there is no HOA.

 

[Darryle]

28ga for duck....my dream . I have killed way many more ducks with 20ga than 12. Of course, back then 20ga was $4-#6 lead and 12 was the early steel which sucked. Always over decoys and let them cup those wings and then the reason I'm deaf in that frequency is sounded like WW2 was taking place.

Some great points here guys. Thinking about it, I could clay bird shooting weekly for way less than the cost of a single season of a duck club now days.

There are guys in my group using a 410 for ducks, I am going that direction one day.

 

[ggmanning]

I am too cheap for for sub guage ducks. Got to use the TSS, Hevi, Bismuth for those to be effective. I am stll getting through some cases of cheap Kent Fasteel so 12 it is for a good while. I do miss the days of lead when I was young.

 

[BytorJr]

There are guys in my group using a 410 for ducks, I am going that direction one day.

I dropped a few with .410....as a child of 6-9 or so (wasn't long enough armed to shoot a 20). That was before we had a lease "in the field" and it was a little pothole in the flooded timber maybe 100 feet diameter; though ducks were scarce when we hunted there (Canada Geese had been placed on no-season) it's still brings back my most fond memories of hunting with my father and grandfather. ps...yes...I'm old.

 

[BytorJr]

I am too cheap for for sub guage ducks. Got to use the TSS, Hevi, Bismuth for those to be effective. I am stll getting through some cases of cheap Kent Fasteel so 12 it is for a good while. I do miss the days of lead when I was young.

I scored some Kent Tungsten a while back in 2019 or so. Still scary expensive; but hell in Bayou Meto if you go "public" you can only carry like 10 shells anyway. (granted, that's like 35 bucks of Kent). I still have a ton of old #4 lead; which I guess I should use to go pheasant hunting before everybody bans lead for that.

 

[BytorJr]

Whoa....the closest place to me with sporting clays is about 1 hour away. 50 cents a bird? But only $15 to shoot the round. I guess that's about right. roughly 50 stations, so 40 bucks....