Looking for a beginner trap/skeet gun

You have named two excellent choices, both are great choices. I would add a Remington 870 for myself, solid guns that also come in trap configuration.

Your thread title says trap/skeet, but I'm assuming you mean "trap" since you name the single shot BT99 as an option. Trap of course is all singles where skeet has some doubles. And the specialty guns for each are radically different.

If I wanted one single do-it-all gun that could do a decent job at both skeet and trap then a field grade Browning Citori or a field grade Remington 1100 or 870 could do a good job.

 

I shoot a Remington 1187 Premiere in 20g.

It has held its own against some of the Beretta Silver Pigeons and similarly expensive guns that are popular.

It is lightweight, well balanced, reliable and accurate. Most importantly of all it’s incredibly soft shooting, even for a 20. A couple hundred rounds in a day is not problem. I can’t say the same for a 12g O/U. My shoulder can’t take it.

Just my opinion, but if you afford a proper
O/U, don’t buy a cheaper one. You’re better off with the 1100 or 1187.

Mine has a gold trigger, highly polished blueing, and nice shiny lacquered wood. One of the pre-Freedom group Remington guns. It is quite handsome and I am quite fond of it.

I don’t shoot trap, but I do hunt birds and shoot clays with some rich snobby family members that turn their noses up to any shotgun under $2k. It’s always fun to outshoot them with my poor mans gun.

 

Whatever you decide, it needs a stock that is set up for trap/skeet/sporting clays and not the drop of a field stock. The rest is negotiable.

 

I bought a used Remington 870 with a 28" barrel, a case of herters shells and a box of clays. That's all I needed to have fun.

I just couldn't see how spending big money on a shotgun was worth it other than the wow factor they have. I don't personally see how you can make one shotgun more accurate than the other given the same ammo and same choke. It's just a smooth tube until you get to the choke. I guess triggers can make a difference for feel and different stocks can help your pull.

Of course that's all my opinion and yours may be different. But for under $300 I was able to get a rock solid gun, ammo, and clays. Plus the 870 is super easy to swap barrels to use an 18" for home defense.

 

I ran a Beretta A303 trap for years and loved that gun. Not sure if they are still a common choice but it was a much smoother action than any of the US autoloader options I found at that time.

 

I hear you, but it's very possible to acquire some very fast follow up shots with a pump with a little concentrated practice. I have an old trophy from HS where I won a triples competition in an FFA shoot with a Winchester 1200 pump

 

Yeah if you get the hang of it you can really rip out the shots with a pump action. Just need to get a feel for when to stop and move so your not wasting time trying to force it too far. Sort of like drawing from a holster. Becomes muscle memory if you do it enough.

 

Don't get a pump!!!

Skeet is a game for doubles and semi-autos. You'll regret the pump so put that money into something else!

I've been shooting for many years and if I was to start over I'd go with 20 ga.

I wouldn't get hung up on the sporting vs field gun. It's a personal choice and if you find a gun that feels good and lines up well (as in it fits you), it will work.

I suggest taking a look at as many 20 ga semi and o/u as you can get your hands on!

Good luck!

 

$1500 will get you a new 1100 or a good, used O/U. The O/U will require less maintenance. Nothing wrong with a ss like the BT99. But if you want to get into trap doubles, wobble trap etc you can't. Don't forget a pumpgun. They'll do it all and are cheap and durable.
Most serious trapshooters ie ATA shooters, buy a combo set consisting of a stocked receiver fitted with a single barrel and set of O/U barrels. They are expensive.

Skeet has doubles built into a normal round so a repeater of some sort is a necessity. Anything that holds two shots will do the job.

Get a 12 gauge. Trap's a longer range game and it'll give you more shot to work with. It's overkill for skeet but you're only looking at one gun for both games.

I've been shooting trap of some sort since 1967, ATA since 1987. Started with a 1100 field gun, used a variety of SSs-O/Us from BT99s through Kreignoffs. These days I use a 1100 classic trap.for the balance and lighter felt recoil.


What little skeet I shoot is done with an SKB O/U.

 

we have double-trap at my club. .....just as an FYI. People come from all over the Atlantic seaboard to compete.

 

I've been an avid skeet, trap and sporting clays shooter for over 35 years. With your budget ($1500), I recommend a used Browning Citori or Beretta 686, with choke tubes and 30" barrels. You can shoot all of the shotgun games with either of these guns. They'll also hold up very well to high volume shooting. And, if you decide to upgrade (even though there would be no real reason to) or lose interest, you can sell either gun for about what you pay for it.

 

Mike the secret to shotguns is FIT.
Remember you eye is the rear sight.
So if you have the opportunity go to a real gun Smith for fitting. Do not rely on a part time clerk who may or may not know shotgun fitting.
If all else fails go to Utube to watch vids on shotgun fitting.
I bought a used Browning Citori Spl Sporting Clays Ported 12ga 28" for well under your 1500.00 top dollar price.
I also bought a new Tri-Star Hunter EX O/U for less than half that price.
Both work equally well at busting clays.
Do comparison shopping at the box stores, then go to online auctions to buy after you find one you like.
I saw an article the other day that the Rem 870 and 1100 had won more skeet and trap championships than all other shotguns put together. Hmm both are well under your top price point with inter-changeable barrels.

 

My daughter shoots trap for her high school trap team and ATA/AIM, I am a volunteer and my good friend is the assistant head coach and also has a FFL business. He has 2 daughters shooting, one which shoots for a college team now. Our girls shoot thousands of rounds a year. All of our kids started out with auto's, but quickly moved to O/U's. Our gun of choice is the SKB 90TSS. You won't find the quality and adjustability for the same price in any other O/U. We have over 50 kids shooting on our high school team and more than 20 shooting SKB's. They are dependable and the company stands behind their product 100%.

 

I've only shot Trap and Skeet for recreational kicks and grins. Never competitively.
My favorite shotgun is my 1983 Remington 1100 Magnum, with a 24" Hastings barrel, with choke tubes.

In Trap, from the 16 yard 'line', 23 and 24 out of 25 is what I used to shoot, until mobility issues caused me to stop.

I never felt handicapped with the 24" tube, especially when most of the guys at my sportsman's club were using 30" tubes.

Find a shotgun that fits YOU and use it.

You really don't need to spend $1,000 or more to shoot.

 

Rem 1100.


Used to shoot trap with a missberg pump. Won an 1100 and have used it since.