Trap Shooting

[Mil Dot]

I have my daughter hooked up with Colorado Youth Outdoors and they intend on doing some trap shooting. I haven't shot trap in years, skeet and sporting clays but not trap. She'll be using a O/U 20ga and a recommendation for chokes woould be appreciated. I was thinking an Imp Cyl up and a Mod on the bottom. Of course, I can just change out to suit but would like to get your input.

[fabsroman]

Depends on how quickly she will take targets. Me, I am a little slow, so I tend to use modified at the 16 yard line and if I am shooting doubles I use modified and full or modified and light full. With those chokes, I have yet to sit in disbelief at a miss (i.e., I know why I missed it and am never thinking that my pattern is not tight enough).

Obviously, your best bet is to pattern the gun and see how it does with the choke and load, but I know that isn't always possible. If she is inexperienced, give her a slightly tighter choke than necessary so that she will know when she is on and when she is off. What would really suck for a beginner is missing because of open patterns and then thinking they are doing something wrong becasue of it. There is nothing worse than second guessing yourself while shooting. With all my shooting and hunting, I try to make sure that there is no question about my equipment performance. That way, whenever there is a screw up, I know it was me.

[Mil Dot]

...and that's why we ask the questions here. Thanks for the new prospective Fabs. I've never patterned the 20 Red Label, just shot doves and grouse. With a learner that will be more important. It will probably improve my choke selection on sporting clays, not that it will improve my score! Rarely is it my equipment that causes the miss.

[Dan Morris]

Mil, to the best of my memory, the IC is too close to a Skeet for trap. I'd go with the Mod or Full. Fabs is correct on patterning
to get he right combination in her particular gun.
Dan