Yes I still like the 28 ga, no...

[sm]

...I really have not done much with a shotgun in sometime.

First off, I am overwhelmed and humbled by the positive PMs I have rec'd.
Second, for some reason most everyone has asked about me and shotguns, especially the 28 ga.

The only shotgun I have is a youth single shot 20 ga.
The last time I shot a league, was some years ago, after moving here,  and I did poorly. No excuses. I simply don't shoot a shotgun much anymore, and I will NOT use the excuse it was colder than a well digger's rear end, with wind, nor I was out there "with medical issues".
I had fun though...still hurt I shot as bad as I did...

Living on near 90 acres of farm, I got "addicted" to the .17 HMR, for property duty, have on loan a Dillon 300 re-loader, and mess with LRN .38spls using Bullseye powder. I also use the Model 10 snub-nose, for property duty...and CCW.

Then I went back to my roots, that being a new toy, (to me) a Rem 510 Targetmaster, single shot .22 rifle. Most of the rounds fired so far through this thing has been .22 shorts.

Basically I have become my Mentors at my age now, and with medical issues.
Not a bad thing mind you...

Steve

[AJ Dual]

I've got the opposite problem.

I shoot trap for the first time in 12-24 months, I'll hit 24... maybe even 25, if it's a league, that of course is when the handicapping averages are taken. Then my bad habits get the better of me and I'll drop to a more consistent 19-21 birds. 

Of course, the first time I ever tried sporting clays a few weeks ago with bedlamite, with just little windows of opportunity to hit the clays in the woods, I got 2. 

[MechAg94]

I went dove hunting for the first time ever a few weeks back.  Got my limit both days.  I was kind of pleased with myself.  I used an old JC Higgins Model 20 in 12 gage with a big adjustable cloak on the end.  Shot very well for a beater I picked up at a show over 10 years ago for $125.  Now I feel more comfortable playing parts games with my 870.  

I don't have any caliber stories.  I rarely shoot shotguns and 12 gage is all I really have experience with.  Whatever works for you.

[sm]

AJ Dual :
What is the old adage about golf? One does not play for a awhile and they forget their bad habits, the more they play, the more the bad habits come back. Same applies to shotguns, heck shooting anything.

MechAg94
J.C. Higgens with what me and mine called back in the day...a "turd" on the end.
Oh these things resonate so much off the brick of low and high stations at skeet, it will drive others in the squad, nuts!

WE had a thing about old shotguns and fun, especially new shooters "all into equipment". One old boy, now dead and I were able at the time to hit doubles with a single shot, I a 28 ga and he a 20 ga.
NOBODY made fun of him, when he ran his well worn, 870 pump in 28 ga.
WE often teamed up, shooting 870 28 ga's for 12, 20, and 28 ga events, then we HAD to go to the .410 for .410 events.

By this time, we did not care so much about scores, instead FUN, and...watching as we say down South "step-n-fetch" with frustration our competition.

Our competition beat themselves, that Mental thing which is so important. That was then, now is now...
I did my thing and have no regrets...

[French G.]

Anybody near VA know how to run a shotgun well? Never learned much wingshooting, my dad is pretty beyond fair, but i'll be damned if he can teach or I can learn. Dunno who's the bigger blockhead there. I know his one pass at sporting clays with his rich buddies he was 23/25 with his bastardized drilling from low gun ready. Other snobs not happy. My grand plan was to engage Dave McCracken to learn me something, that didn't work out.

And no, I don't like the 28 gauge, or at least I'll telll myself that. Struggling through enough of a 16ga problem, don't need your problem too.

[AJ Dual]

My biggest piece of advice is to start with basic five-stand trap.

And then think (albeit quickly!) about each presentation and where your lead needs to be. Generally if you shoot reflexively you shoot exactly at the clay, and when you do that, you're already behind it or over it or under it with your pattern and you're going to miss.

That's how my experiences go, when I'm "fresh" to trap after a break of several months, I'm unsure of what I'm doing so I think each shot through, and I make my hits. When I start getting comfortable, I start shooting reflexively instead of consciously and I start missing.

In that, it's a lot like golf, where having the mental stamina to force yourself through the same mental checklist for each shot, your stance, your hold depending on the type of presentation you're getting, trap, skeet, sporting clays etc and that you need to hold in front of clays by their direction of flight for fliers to the right or left, and generally under them if it's a straight-away/vertical shot is what gets you the hits.

[sm]

I started out with skeet.
Just me, I feel skeet is easier to learn than trap, or the other clay games. I also was "raised"  into bird hunting and duck hunting. Skeet come about for those wanting skills to bird hunt.

I believe in getting some quality instruction, from someone that knows hows to instruct. Everything from gun fit, to stance, to everything. An instructor  that can  "read" the student and give quality input.

Also recommended by is, finding a copy of Bob Brister's books: Score better at skeet and Score better at trap. Yes, these are old publications, still the correct basic fundamentals do not change.

Brister not only shares how to hit stations, also why you miss.

It does not take much, to bust a skeet clay going 55 mph. Less felt recoil allows one to shoot better as one does not "anticipate" recoil, nor "get sore" after so many rounds. Being biased (yes I admit it) the 28 ga is the most efficient loading, with its short shot string.

Honest, a 20 ga auto-loader, such as a Remington 1100, is darn hard to beat for a new shooter learning to shoot, and allows one to shoot 12 ga and 20 ga events in skeet if they wish to compete.

WE did not have the load offerings in my day, that we have today.

Fun!  The main thing no matter what one chooses, is to have fun!

Sending best-

Steve

[brimic]

What is the old adage about golf? One does not play for a awhile and they forget their bad habits, the more they play, the more the bad habits come back. Same applies to shotguns, heck shooting anything.

So true.
I used to play golf 4 times a week and shoot 10-12 rounds of trap per week.
I now limit myself to one round of golf per year and rarely get in more than 2 rounds of trap per year- I'm satisfied with my scores no matter what I get which are as good or better than my scores when I shot a lot. 

[MechAg94]

I don't have too much advice:  I was told to look down the barrel and track the bird with the barrel and follow through with your track as you fire, don't stop. 

I did a small bit of practice with my Dad and a clay spring launcher.  I shot clays with the goal of shooting them quick in the first 20 or 30 yards of travel.  I think that helped me get my head/rifle position worked out so I was looking down the barrel as I tracked and got used to firing a quick aimed shot rather than taking too long.  Of course, a lot of the guys I was hunting with were drinking first and hunting second.  Someone would yell "bird!" near the cooler followed by a number of shots and sometimes a bird would get hit. 

[brimic]

I don't have too much advice:  I was told to look down the barrel and track the bird with the barrel and follow through with your track as you fire, don't stop. 

Best advice I got is when you think you are leading the birds too much, its just about right.

[230RN]

I was going to ask about gold bead front sights.  But I won't.

[Hutch]

So true.
I used to play golf 4 times a week and shoot 10-12 rounds of trap per week.
I now limit myself to one round of golf per year and rarely get in more than 2 rounds of trap per year- I'm satisfied with my scores no matter what I get which are as good or better than my scores when I shot a lot. 

Holy Smokes!  I guess the trust fund ran out and you had to get a job??  I make that about... 60 hours a month on the course, 50 or so hours on the range, $600 a month for greens fees, $250 a month for shotshells, to say nothing of the beer. Daaaaaaaaamn.  Color me envious.

[brimic]

Holy Smokes!  I guess the trust fund ran out and you had to get a job??  I make that about... 60 hours a month on the course, 50 or so hours on the range, $600 a month for greens fees, $250 a month for shotshells, to say nothing of the beer. Daaaaaaaaamn.  Color me envious

I worked as a groundskeeper on a few different golf courses through HS and college, which means I got to play twilight golf for free, also played on my HS golf team, which meant I played or practiced nearly every day in the spring until the end of the school years. Trap- that was on my dad's dime. I shot on a traveling team for about 10 years starting when I was around 10 years old, along with practice nights.
Shot/powder/primers had to have been a lot cheaper relatively speaking back then because I don't think I could afford to shoot that much anymore even if I did reload. Last time I was back home, there is still a 1/2 of a ~55 gal fiber drum full of AA reloads in my Dad's shop, he doesn't shoot anymore either.