Spring is here, and it's time to get on the sporting clay, skeet, trap or five-stand range, burn some powder and break some targets. Who doesn't want to look at a new shotgun you might need to buy?
Hide this paper from the wife, and remember - if you are going to get a new shotgun, you need to find one that will fit you.
Shotgun fit is a lot like the weather: Everybody talks about it, but nobody does much about it. Most of us know we will shoot better and be a happier person with a properly fitting shotgun. Yet most of us continue to pick up the generic, off-the-rack shotgun and blast away at the clay target range, usually with disappointing results. Ill-fitting suits and ill-fitting shotguns do not bring out the best in any of us.
Mossberg decided to do something about that.
Mossberg's 930 Pro-Series Sporting model shotgun is designed with the clay target shooter in mind.How it was made
Since 1919, O.F. Mossberg (mossberg.com) has delivered many innovations to the gun world. The Mossberg 500 pump shotgun has reached sales numbers near that of Remington's legendary 870, and the 500 is seen in numerous configurations used by police and military around the world. The Mossberg 930 auto loader has appeared in several different models in recent years, with the 930 Pro-Series Sporting the latest.
"With the success we had developing the JM Pro-Series shotgun for three-gun competition, we knew we had a workhorse semiauto, one that is extremely reliable, very comfortable to shoot, with a great recoil impulse that makes it easy to get on the next target," Mossberg's Dave Miles said. "We knew if we paid attention to the details and sought out the right advice, we could also develop a gun that would be perfect for clay target shooting."
For help developing the 930 Pro-Series Sporting, Mossberg worked with Gil and Vicki Ash of Optimum Shotgun Performance Shooting Schools (ospschool.com), two well-credentialed experts in the art of teaching others how to break clay targets with a shotgun. Gil displays a contagious passion for shooting and uses a no-bull approach to get to the essence of his students' shooting problems and solutions
He has won numerous titles in skeet and sporting clay competitions and has taught professionally since 1984. He was also an instructor for the Holland & Holland Shooting School of England and has studied with many great shooters and instructors. He has been featured on ESPN, hosted a regular spot on the cable TV show "Pull: A Tour of America's Great Gun Clubs," has six shooting videos currently sold in the United States and two sold in England and Australia.
So he knows a thing or two about shotguns.
With Gil and Vicki's help, Mossberg developed a new stock and forend that ensures the 930 Pro-Series points naturally for most shooters right out of the box. The stock also has an adjustable drop spacer system that provides shooters with the ability to fine-tune the fit of their shotgun, allowing those who need more or less drop to adjust the stock as needed.
"In 25 years and over 25,000 gun fits that we have done, I have yet to see a shotgun that needs to be raised on the comb. They all need to be lowered," Gil said. "Also, most production shotguns need to be narrowed at the comb, and this is one thing we did with the 930 Pro Series Sporting model."
"What was the first shotgun you thought you shot well?" Gil asked. "Many shooters will say a Remington 1100 or a Browning A5. That is because the 1100 and the A5 had a characteristic lower and narrow comb. After that, the manufactures started making stocks on shotguns with a thicker and higher comb. We worked with Mossberg and came up with stock dimensions so that 90 percent of the shooters out there could shoot well with this shotgun right out of the box."
Contributed photo / Larry Case
Short of having a gun custom-fitted for you, this is all you can ask for in a shotgun right off the rack.
On the range
In the somewhat murky world of testing firearms, I have found I like to simply show up on a busy gun club day, hand a shooter the shotgun in question and ask what he or she thinks. Most shooters are brutally honest, and I can usually count on them speaking their mind.
The times I trolled the 930 Pro-Series Sporting model around a crowd of clay shooters, I heard very few (if any) complaints.
Mary Ann Roberts from Fayetteville, W.Va., gave me her report:
"Yesterday at my local gun club I had the opportunity to shoot the Mossberg 930 Sporting shotgun. We were shooting a round of trap, and I was not faring so well with my old 20-gauge. I have been shooting trap for about a year and am ready to graduate to something more suited for the sport. As soon as I held the Mossberg, it felt like a good fit. It is not too heavy for me, but it is sturdy enough to feel the power.
"When I mounted the gun for some test shots, I immediately felt comfortable. The stock is smooth and smaller, and it fits me. When I took a few shots, I felt more confident. Also, the recoil is not too overpowering. I was a little uncomfortable with reloading at first but realized how simple it was with the push-button bolt release. We tried several of the chokes, and the improved cylinder was perfect for shooting trap. I shot other types and brands yesterday but wanted to pack the Mossberg up in my bag and take it home." (Mary bought a 930 Pro-Series Sporting model of her own, by the way.)
Coming unsolicited from a fairly new shooter, I'm not sure I can add much more than that.
A gun with goodies
The 930 Pro-Series Sporting features a Cerakote finish on the receiver, which is almost indestructible, and the beveled loading gate and extra finishing on the elevator facilitate quick and easy reloads in the heat of competition. The boron nitride-coated gas piston, piston rings, magazine tube, hammer and sear prevent corrosion and facilitate cleaning. The shell stop, bolt slide and elevator receive additional finishing reducing friction for faster follow-up shots.
The stock is designed to fit correctly right out of the box and its drop system provides five drop-at-comb adjustments to further perfect its fit for any shooter. The shotgun also comes with a set of Briley chokes.
With a suggested price of $1,062, the 930 may not be the cheapest sporting clays shotgun you will come across, but it is not going to break the bank.
Now get out there and break some targets.
"The Trail Less Traveled" is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va. You can write to him at larryocase3@gmail.com.