Pattern Too High? (Beretta 391 Trap)

[WaltWhite]

My father just recently gave me a Beretta 391 Trap that's seen all of maybe 200 rounds since new. I've been debating whether or not I want to make this my primary gun, but figure in any case it's a big step up from my current (well used) Rem 11-87 so why not give it a go?

Took a quick shot at a makeshift patterning board this afternoon with the full choke and a target/trap shell. I paced off the distance to the tune of 16 yards (in reality somewhere between 15-20).

The below pattern is what I got. For aim I covered the bottom half of the red bull with the front bead, so I guess you can imagine the top of the bead cutting the bull in half. From this basis it looks like the pattern I got is something like 90/10? Looks more or less well centered left/right but that seems too high for clays?

I did notice right off the bat the beads don't stack like my 11-87...there's a clear gap/rib visible between them. A lot of folks on the net say this doesn't matter but from what I'm seeing the gun is certainly shooting high?

I toyed with the shims and buttpads before shooting, eventually settling on the thinner pad and the 45-DX shim combo (came to me with the thicker buttpad and the 40-DX shims).

So I dunno, what do you guys think?

 

[oneounceload]

Trap models are designed to pattern high as the target is always rising when shot at. Some of that might also have to do with the fit of the gun to you. If you are seeing any rib at all, the gun will shoot high

You really need to pattern at 40 yards

 

[Steve C]

What Oneounceload said. Trap guns are for shooting trap. Field guns are for shooting birds. With a field gun shooting trap one has to blank out the target to get the rising bird into the pattern center. With a trap gun one just puts the bead on the rising target and the target will rise into the pattern. This allows the shooter to see the target when shooting.

Trap guns have a straighter stock with less drop and higher rib. Use your Trap gun to shoot trap and your 11-87 to hunt with.

I did notice right off the bat the beads don't stack like my 11-87...there's a clear gap/rib visible between them.

Probably need to get your head down on the stock. Some trap shooters go to extremes with high ribs and stock additions so they can keep their head up when shooting.

 

[oneounceload]

there's a clear gap/rib visible between them.

Then the stock dimensions are wrong for you. You might need to change DAH, DAC, Toe, Pitch, maybe even cast if your friend was RH and you LH, for example

 

[WaltWhite]

Yes of course I understand all that but typical trap patterns are 60/40 or 70/30, this looks close to 100/0, maybe 90/10 at best? It would've at least chipped the bird I'm sure but...

I guess I'll throw some shells out at 40 yards tomorrow, see what I get. At that distance it'll certainly open up the pattern and maybe be more indicative of what to expect at typical clay range.

 

[oneounceload]

No, Sporting Clays patterns are 60/40, close trap patterns are 70/30; the rest are 80/20 or 90/10; but if the stock dimensions are wrong, it won't matter. With target guns, you do NOT fit yourself to the gun, you get the gun to fit to you