Community Q&A
Ask questions, share knowledge, and connect with fellow shotgun enthusiasts.
Trying to dial in my 20ga for late-season pheasants
Been hunting pheasants for two seasons now with my Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus 20ga. I'm using an IC choke and Federal Premium 3" #5s at about 1,200 fps. I'm consistently hitting birds at 25-30 yards ...
Looking for a 1-1/8 oz 12ga target load that's softer than my current recipe
Been running a 1-1/8 oz load with 18.0 grains of Alliant Extra-Lite, a WAA12 wad, and a Federal 209A primer in once-fired STS hulls through my MEC 650. It patterns great in my Browning Citori with ...
My new lab puppy won't bring back the dummy - just runs around with it
Just got my first bird dog, an 8-week-old black Lab. I've been trying to introduce retrieving with a canvas dummy in the backyard. He'll chase it when I toss it, but then he just prances around wit...
Just shot my first NSCA registered shoot - how do I know if my score qualifies for classification?
Shot my first NSCA registered 100-target event last weekend with my Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting. Finished with an 82. I've been shooting casually for about 2 years but this was my first registered e...
Just got my first shotgun - do I need to buy chokes or are the factory ones okay?
I picked up a used Beretta A300 Outlander for trap shooting. It came with three factory flush chokes marked IC, M, and F. I've been using the Modified for everything at my local range. Should I sti...
Struggling with consistency on long crossers at FITASC Compak - is it my lead method or my setup?
Been shooting FITASC Compak for a couple years now, but those long crossers on stations 3 and 4 at 35+ yards are killing me. I'm using a Browning 725 with a Modified choke, shooting 1-1/8 oz of #7....
Anyone else think the new Federal Top Gun shells pattern tighter than they used to?
Been shooting for about 2 years now, mostly sporting clays with my Beretta A400 Xcel. I've always used Federal Top Gun 1-1/8 oz #8 shot at 1200 fps with an Improved Cylinder choke. Lately, it feels...
Struggling with FITASC Parcours station 3 doubles - anyone else?
Been shooting FITASC for a couple seasons now, but station 3 on Parcours layouts keeps wrecking my score. Specifically the report pair where the first target is a midi going left-to-right, then the...
Anyone else find their pattern gets a little 'blown out' with 1-1/8 oz loads in a full choke?
Been shooting a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon for sporting clays for a few years now. I've always used a full choke for long crossers and true pairs. Lately I've been running Federal Top Gun 1-1/8 oz #...
Looking for a good all-around upland load for pheasant and grouse
I've been using Federal Premium 2¾" #6 shot for pheasant with my Beretta A400 Xcel (IC choke) and it works okay, but I feel like I'm missing some longer shots past 30 yards. I hunt both pheasant an...