Well, this wasn't my first.  Years and years ago I shot at some clay pigeons once when I was a kid, but even then I didn't fire more than 5 or 6 rounds and I don't remember it too well.

So a couple weeks ago I bought a Winchester 1300.  I went out to the range with a buddy of mine to fire it off.  I also had bought a spring-loaded trap thrower from Wally World.

Well, the trap thrower was a piece of shit and I'll have to modify it because it has some design flaws.  After getting too many "Failure to Fires" from the trap thrower, we said, "TO hell with this."

So we took some cans of Sam's Club diet pop that I had bought for just such an occasion.  One of us would shake up the pop can and throw it downrange and the other guy had to blast it out of mid air.  Now THAT was fun!

When you score a direct hit on those pop cans, a shower of pop comes out.  Quite impressive.  Just be sure you're shooting upwind or you will get a shower!

So I decided to try out the much vaunted "Speed Pump" system of the Winchester 1300.  To hear the Winchester marketing material, that's the best thing since sliced bread.

Well, out of 8 attempts, I was twice successful in blasting the pop can and then blasting it again one more time before it hit the ground.

Not bad for a "first-timer," yes?

Between that and busting out my brand new (and first AR15) a good time was had by all!

-Nick Viejo.

Get a hand thrower.

Yeah, some of these trap throwers are hurting.  I was standing at the firing line when a buddy starting working his new thrower.  It's the kind with a seat attached to it.  Well, the string broke on the first pull.  We rigged up a wire to the release and  the bird exploded right out of the chute.  On the next pull the bird flew off the side and smacked me full force on my right hand at the knuckles.  After everybody stopped laughing and I stopped the bleeding, we gave it another shot. I just took two steps further down the line from that sucker...  Well, on the next pull the bird flew off and smacked me square in the nuts.  Hell, after that a hand thrower was looking good.

MTM (?) makes a in-expensive hand thrower out of plastic. You can also get one with a extension handle that makes the thrower as long as a golf club. When you think you are getting pretty good with the hand thrower, add the extension and watch out. The birds come off that thrower screaming. It's a lot of fun though.

Thanks,
Lee

MTM (?) makes a in-expensive hand thrower out of plastic. You can also get one with a extension handle that makes the thrower as long as a golf club. When you think you are getting pretty good with the hand thrower, add the extension and watch out. The birds come off that thrower screaming. It's a lot of fun though.

I have one of their extended throwers with the white fiberglass handle attatchement. It usually brings countless laughs when I let one go. Those clays are screaming when they are launched. I have never hit one yet, and out of over a dozen of some of the best shooters I know, only once have I seen someone hit one. I just had it out last weekend and they were landing about 400ft out with the wind. Average launches are around 100yds.

My favorite is the double thrower version. It has two of their standard red throwers mounted on a shorter extension assembly. The angle of the 2 thowers can be adjusted for different target options. I use this system even when throwing singles. It gives you a little more speed/range than the standard hand thrower alone, but not near as much as the long version in the first paragraph.

Try shooting clays with your AR. Now thats a challenge.

I have seen someone do this and they made it look very easy but I still cant quite get the hang of it.

Quoted: Try shooting clays with your AR. Now thats a challenge. I have seen someone do this and they made it look very easy but I still cant quite get the hang of it.

I actually recently tried this with my AR just a few days back. From seeing the bullet impacting the large rear berm, I wasn't missing them by much, but I also didn't hit any:( Only tried it a few times as it was getting dark.

For a real nice one person trap, try the Trius One-Step. ~Zero effort to cock; you step on a lever to trip it. One person can both release the bird and shoot, as it is hands free. Around $90, but worth every penny.

Nick, should you find yourself traveling towards Syracuse with time to spare, drop me a note.

SP10, Last summer I got the chance to do some H&K MP-5 9mm Wingshooting. It eas my first time at full auto and it was at pigeons over standing water so that you cauld see were your shots were going. It was a flooded rifle pit that had turned into a wetlands with high weeds and insects. The pigeons would swoop down to catch some bugs hovering over the water and I would open up. I did not hit any but what a blast. MIKE.

Wish I could have been there!!!

Yep got a Winchester 1300 and after several hundred rounds I'm thoroughly impressed with it. Not a single complaint that I can think of.

Oh and a little secret if you let the magazine spring catch slide out about 1/4 of an inch you can load 5 in the tube I don't know if this is harmful on the spring but it's been working fine for me. Actually the first time I realized this was after I really had been shooting it a lot and the spring pushed the catch out by itself and it was taking 5. So if you want 5 in the tube try it.

Those are great little shotguns and mine shoots 2 3/4" slugs like a champ. Deadly accurate with them. Not to sure on the 3" have done minimal testing with them, haven't gotten around to buying any. Had a bunch of old 2 3/4" lying around when I first got mine and found out it loves them.