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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
My first time skeet shooting I went with a friend and borrowed his 12 G Browning shotgun. He was amazed at how well I did, as was I.
Later I bought my own Remmington 1100 with a modified choke. My skeet shooting went from wow ! to dismal in a second.
How much of this due to barrel length, choke, gun quality?
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Dennis:
You may have had a good day vs: a bad day at the range. That happens allot as a beginner and novice. I have a neighbor that is 91 years old and has several Remington 1100's. Up until last year he could still get 24 out of 24 every time. This year he has been disappointed with missing one or two. He is getting really down on himself.
Your friend's gun probably fit you like a glove. (ie. where your chin contacts the stock, the weight and barrel length and trigger pull but most importantly the choke. Were you using the same ammo?
I'm not a skeet shooter but feel barrel length, length of pull and choke are the key mechanical devices.
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Yooper I was really hot that day that was for sure. I should of went with him and tried that Browning again sometime though but it just never worked out.
The barrel length on the Remmington is longer and the choke narrower (it was a compromise as I was going to use it for Pheasant and possibly duck and some deer hunting ), the Browning did fit like a glove. The Remmington was not as much of a problem with trap shooting of course. I think picking one gun to do many things has its short comings.
I think a wider choke nonetheless might have even been better for the Pheasants as it would be better to have less bird shot in them. As it turns out I enjoyed going out with the Yellow Lab, I had at the time, for birds alot more than deer hunting.
That was some dog, what a nose on her.
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Typically, the skeet barrel should be shorter and have a wide shot pattern. A 12 gauge cylinder is finished to a 0.729" diameter. The basic SKeet choke is .724" (typical), barely constricted from cylinder bore. And a shorter barrel aids in swing and sight picture, 26" used to be most popular.
//greg//
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
The tighter the choke the harder it is to hit skeet targets. Most targets in skeet are broken at 21-22 yards and if you are using too tight of a choke it doesn't give the pattern enough time to open up. You can have your 1100 fitted for screw in chokes or better yet by a new 1187 which has factory screw in chokes. You want to use a skeet choke for this gun.
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
I have an over and under bored out to Skeet&Skeet. I can go dam near 20-25 on most given days. Use my Turkey gun and I would be lucky to get 16. Open up your bore for skeet. Run it a little tighter for clays. Run it tight for turkeys. You can use a 28 ga for quail too.
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Dennis,
I too purchased an 1100 synthetic for the same purpose a few years ago. I can not justify the bucks for a fancy skeet gun so I purchased assorted screw-in chokes. I have one for trap, skeet and coyote. The barrel came from the factory with the screw-in option, I believe they all may have it now.
By the way, your "feel" on any particular day will have a great deal to do with how you shoot. Take it from a real novice.
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Dennis, I use a Browning Citori 4 barrel set for skeet shooting. All of the barrels are skeet chokes which I believe is the legal minimum for shooting skeet or at least NSSA sponsored skeet. The barrel lengths are 28 inch which makes for an easy and rapid swing but I have come to find that a short barrel length is horrible which respect to "follow through" swing qualities which is the most important thing in my opinion. I would recommend a 30 and preferably a 32 inch barrel length and the skeet choke and use # 7 1/2 shot in 1 ounce shot or less shells. A couple of reasons for this. The longer barrel adds MUCH needed weight to the gun to aid in reducing recoil fatigue and significantly aids the gun's and your tendency to continue in the follow through swing on the shot. # 7 1/2 shot is a good compromise between small diameter shot which has less power and looses velocity faster at further ranges and the max. allowable shot on the range of #7.
Due to medical issues I have a difficult time with recoil in the 12 gauge category and use a Remington 11-87 Premier which a 30 inch barrel and some mercury filled recoil reducer modifications I have added to increase weight and reduce recoil. This has made the gun a joy to shoot but in competition, you are not allowed to pick up the empty shells. This is a BIG draw back for reloaders.
In short, if you shoot skeet occasionally for fun and practice to keep your skills up; a "field gun" will work just fine. On the other hand if you shoot skeet in competition; you will find that a field gun is too light and does not have the weight to aid swing and follow through to get repeatable results after several hundred shoots. (usually due to recoil fatigue) A typical skeet shoot will entail 100 targets in each gauge and usually 100 doubles in 12 gauge. This can total up to 500 shells fired in a day. When I was shooting actively in NSSA and NSCA competition; it was not unusual for me to shoot around 5,000 to 7,000 rounds per year.
Just beware that the "skeet shooting bug" is VERY contagious and addictive. ;O) A lot of fun and enjoyment to be had. It can also be a VERY expensive past time depending upon how serious you get into the sport currently being dominated by Krieghoff K-80's & K-32's, Beretta's, and a few other brands such as Perazzi. All real nice guns but I just cannot see spending $10,000 and up for a shotgun and a prime reason that I feel the NSSA should create categories for shooters using regular ole' down to Earth off the store shelf guns.
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Chief,
Wow that is a lot of shooting, I guess you need some serious ear protection if you are hsooting that much 
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Choke and barrel length suggestions for Skeet shooting
Wow! This post is over 3 years since the last reply. How is the skeet shooting going Dennis?
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How do you determine Shotgun S
12-26-2017, 00:06 
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