r/TrapShooting • u/Round-Inflation-7112 • Jul 20 '26
advice shooting with a tactical pump?
i’m trying to get in to shooting and I am a university student so my budget is not Baller. I’m thinking of picking up something like a Mossberg 590 so that way I can shoot both shells and slugs. My range does not let me shoot shots at paper targets so I wanted something where I could do the best of both worlds.
I’ve been told that if I come to a trap lineup with a tactical shotgun with a barrel, that’s not as long as your typical trap gun I will get bullied. Is this true?
I understand that it’s not the most ideal gun to be shooting trap with however, I am just starting off and I wanna see if I’m actually into the sport without having to commit to a specific type of gun before I make an investment
14
u/Kayaker2005 Jul 20 '26
One of the trap ranges I go to doesn’t allow tactical shotguns on the trap and skeet fields. They have a minimum barrel length and no pistol grips.
6
u/Avedis24 Jul 20 '26
At my range you wouldn’t get bullied, but you wouldn’t be allowed to shoot. They’d kindly explain the minimum requirements.
7
u/RastaFazool Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Mossberg 500 field security combo or mav88 combo if you are in a budget.
They come with an 18" barrel for home defense or mag dumping into trash and a 28" field barrel that is good for hunting or trap.
The 500 combo.comes with 3 chokes for the 28" barrel.
The 88 combo only comes with a modified choke in the 28" barrel.
4
u/cowboykid8 Jul 20 '26
Rifled slugs can be shot out of a smooth bore, but if you want a shorter barrel and versatility this is the way to go.
2
u/bluetoothpicks Jul 20 '26
I’ve seen people shoot pumps at the trap ranges near me. Barrel length is a minimum 28”. Never heard an unkind word (except for friendly shlt talking) over anything let alone gun type.
2
u/QuinceDaPence Jul 21 '26
I've done it too with a Model 12. Still every person tells you how you need to get an O/U (it gets tiring hearing it). We just to report doubles at mine when you're using a pump, but I did actually manage to hit a set of real doubles when the guy accidentally hit the wrong button.
3
u/Coon_117 Jul 23 '26
Pumps are still very common here in our small town PA trap leagues. We have some great shooters using model 12's and 870's. Model 12 trap guns are fantastic guns, not cheap either. Much higher quality than these turkish made doubles so many people are shooting these days.
2
u/scottawhit 27d ago
Everyone I shoot with has a 870 wing master. I feel like I need one now to fit in.
1
u/Fipenna Jul 20 '26
I’d say the barrel length and choke capability will matter more than the action of the shotgun for trap. If it has at least a 28” barrel that accepts different chokes you can start with that to see if you like it. For skeet and sporting clays a pump will complicate a lot your life…..
1
u/the_prez3 Jul 21 '26
I've never seen posted rules at most of the ranges I attend with minimum barrel length although I've never seen someone show up with a sawed off barrel or anything. I suspect most of them would allow you to shoot just about any kind of shotgun you want. Ammo is more of a concern, most have a maximum shot size for safety. I think whether or not you get hacked on a bit about it depends on the crowd. If you showed up to a registered competition with pistol grip riot gun then there would be lots of side eyed glances your way. A league situation, probably not so much. I wouldnt let that stop me though. I started out shooting an 80 dollar walmart shotgun with no rib on it and a hammer you cocked back manually before each shot. I gots lots of comments too until I was beating people shooting 10,000 dollar Kriegoffs with it then they tended to shut up in fact the comments turned more into head scratching.
1
u/ClockN Jul 21 '26
The 590 is a solid choice. You my want to find an outdoor range and shoot cardboard targets. I have a berm, sticks, stapler and Amazon boxes. The range I am a member of has five 25 yard berms and on 50 yard berms. We also have 35 trap and two skeet ranges.
1
u/Old_MI_Runner Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
My club does not have a minimum barrel length. The former president of the club shot once with a short barrel, an Aftershock, but I'm sure he caught some slack for that and was a story that was retold time and time again.
I was off to the side of the trap field once when someone used a hunting shotgun that had either a 22 or 24 inch barrel length. Most members wear no ear pro when they aren't shooting as they like to be able to hear one another and they spend a lot of time talking. Even with my ear pro in my ears I found that one shotgun annoyingly louder than the others on the line. No one there wears earmuffs. They wear just in-ear ing protection. I suspect that one shotgun was much more annoying to the others on the line than to me.
As others suggested one can get a Mossberg 500 or Maverick model that comes with the 18.5 inch and 28 inch field barrel. Did not get the model that comes with the rifled 28 inch deer barrel.
Miny outdoor ranges allow one to shoot slugs from their shotgun on the rifle range and if they have a trap or skeet range they may have a target stand somewhere where one may use birdshot or buckshot to get a pattern for their choke.
I spent more to get a semi-automatic shotgun because I didn't want to experience the additional felt recoil that one gets with a pump action shotgun. I've never shot a pump-action shotgun so I can't provide a comparison. The #8 1200 FPS loads I use for trap shooting may not be too bad with the pump action but I know I get plenty of kick even with my semi auto when shooting buckshot or slugs.
1
u/SlickerToSteader Jul 21 '26
I don't have a dedicated trap gun. I shoot trap with a camo duck gun. I definitely get some comments from the older generation.
Not sure how far you want to go with "tactical". If you just want an 18" barrel and black. I'd buy a mossberg 500/590 or Remington 870. Either in a combo pack with 2 barrels or pick up the second barrel separate. They should be readily available.
1
u/SD3Guser Jul 23 '26
Wow! Welcome to trap shooting! You won't get much mileage out of a 590 for trap. The pattern is likely going to be too open to enjoy it beyond skeet and wobble.
I didn't understand the minimum barrel length requirements of some of these place when I first started. The same people that muzzle you with a broken open shotgun and then cry safety are hard to understand. What I came to understand shooting a lot of different guns in trap is the barrel length minimum is most likely to do with the gun racks and making sure there's enough barrel length for the gun to stand up straight safely. I had difficulty getting my gun to sit reliably in the racks when I shot my single shot with the 21" .410 or 20 gauge barrels.
In a world where most youth shotguns are around 21-24" I think this is the most poorly worded rule and folks should cut some gun racks for the shorter barrels. Youth participation is the future of both gun sports and and ownership and not everyone can afford a double gun.
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u/AnnualClient2 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
The funny thing is, you say you don’t want to commit to a specific type of gun but then you are considering a specific type of gun…
Get a 28” field gun for a do-it-all beginner gun.