Clay thrower?

[Nutterbuster]

Any recommendations? I really wanna step up my wing shooting game. I have a sporting clays place about 20 minutes away, but membership and clays would cost me about 500 annually. I've shot there a time or two, and its super cool to be able to shoot high birds, rabbits, report doubles, etc. I'm sure that would be the best practice, but I also have a range about 10 minutes away that has a designated shotgun field.

I could ride up there and shoot for free, but I'd need to bring my own thrower. Any recommendations on one that's durable and easy to operate solo? I'm thinking I probably want to pony up for an auto, so that I can practice pass shooting. I also want something that throws pretty fast, since woodies are quick.

Any help at all is appreciated!

 

[CZMark]

The Do All auto traps are pretty nice for the money.

 

[Gun4okie]

I have been a 4H shotgun coach for over 12 years and have owned numerous throwers over the years. I have had 3 different models of the Do All throwers and they were a waste of my money. They broke more clays in throwing them than my students shot. I have 3 Champion throwers with over 24,000 clays through them and they are still going strong. The Champion 6 Packer is around $1200 but it is a work horse for the money. I have throwers that cost more than twice that, that do not perform any better. They just have a larger capacity. The single stack Champion throwers in $500 range are great for just one or two people. I can not vouch for the new Champion Wheelybird thrower and fear they may have sacrificed quality to compete with the cheaper Do All. But from my experience, I would buy a cheap Champion thrower over a cheap Do All.

 

[CZMark]

My experience is that the early Do All models were problematic and needed a bit of tweaking, but the newer ones seem much improved. I have experience with only one Wheelybird, and it needed considerable tweaking in order to get it to properly drop birds onto the throwing arm. Birds not properly dropped break when thrown.

 

[Nutterbuster]

What do you guys think of the champion workhorse? Looks like it would do what I needed if I bought the remote that goes with it.

 

[EricS]

@Nutterbuster if you can shoot sporting clays for a year for $500 that was a bargain. Back when I wanted to shoot NSCA tournaments I was spending that much per month in the summer. I did the math and just quit going.
I’ve never used that champion model. I have liked the champion throwers I have shot over but they were all around $1100 and worked about as well as an atlas or mec. Don’t forget you’re going to need a deep cycle battery and will be moving it around every time you move the thrower.
I would check around and see it someone around you has a five stand. It will give you similar target presentations as you see in sporting clays without the nice scenery. It could be a little intimidating shooting your mossy next to a $20000 dollar kreifhoff but it’s just a steel pipe with a bead on the end no matter what it costs. It’s about $8 a round in my area and that’s 25 targets. If you attend regularly there will be people there that will assist you on shots your having difficulty with. Sometimes just knowing where you were shooting in relation to the target is enough to help and seasoned shooters can see stuff you can’t see from behind the barrel.
If you’re not shooting alone and not high volume the 3/4 cock manual traps are nice and convenient enough. They also adjust enough to throw many more presentations than a cheap electric will. It will also throw rabbits which to my knowledge is a specific machine on the electric traps. They also make a nice addition to an electric trap for throwing crossers and doubles.

 

[DanO]

I figured you'd be using one of these @Nutterbuster:


Great for coordination when you're shooting solo.

 

[biggta5]

I figured you'd be using one of these @Nutterbuster:
View attachment 13761

Great for coordination when you're shooting solo.

This thrower if one of my favorite. Definitely great for coordination if your shooting solo.

 

[Nutterbuster]

If you’re not shooting alone and not high volume the 3/4 cock manual traps are nice and convenient enough.

I did look at the one step thrower. Looks like you could use it solo or with a buddy. Not sure how much value there is to just shooting targets going away from me (unless I started flushing quail somewhere), but it'd be cheap and an easy way for me to load up, go to the range, and bust a few clays.

 

[EricS]

I was talking about something more like this.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Do-...Ito7Gt5PB4wIVUdbACh22lAsKEAQYASABEgJjT_D_BwE#!
It requires a second person. We use to use this model and you can make any shot you want. Coming toward you or going away. A half inch sheet of plywood cut in half makes a safety shield to make having someone down range a little safer. They also have the same thrower on a small tripod mount. And another seat mount with two throwers. Cocking these are easier than even the one step. Super easy on any marked 3/4 cocking it’s just a few inches you have to move the arm.

 

[Gator]

No such thing as shooting for free! Ha. Quit being cheap and join the club. If it's anything like the club I'm in, the free coaching is worth the money to be a member (at least in the early stages).

 

[Nutterbuster]

I went ahead and bought that one step off of amazon. I like the idea of being able to toss a few birds for myself by the house. My male pride does a lot better if nobody is watching me suck.

If I get to the point where I'm busting clays from that regularly, I will look into something that will develop me further, and this will still be something therapeutic to do in the summer.

I'll pattern that new Mossy this weekend or next, and then start popping clays here and there. I may also pay to go on a canned quail shoot. There's a guy who does those about 20 minutes from me.

 

[EricS]

You can still get some crossers and incoming birds with that thrower and an assistant. Shooting trap birds will be easy in just a few sessions of throwing them to yourself.

 

[ririley]

Any recommendations? I really wanna step up my wing shooting game. I have a sporting clays place about 20 minutes away, but membership and clays would cost me about 500 annually. I've shot there a time or two, and its super cool to be able to shoot high birds, rabbits, report doubles, etc. I'm sure that would be the best practice, but I also have a range about 10 minutes away that has a designated shotgun field.

I could ride up there and shoot for free, but I'd need to bring my own thrower. Any recommendations on one that's durable and easy to operate solo? I'm thinking I probably want to pony up for an auto clay thrower/trap machine, so that I can practice pass shooting. I also want something that throws pretty fast, since woodies are quick.

Any help at all is appreciated!

When you say automatic, I think you are talking about commercial electric throwers? There are several good brands out there, but there is also a good Champion that works well. Before you can call a trap company, talk to them and tell them what you are looking for, they can get you on the right track. My electric device with battery and debris will cost you about $ 3,00 or more.