Browning BPS for left handed trap gun?

[Big Dave2]

My son was in the high school trap league as a 7th grader but last year as an 8th grader he decided not to participate. I think it was mostly because he didn't really do that well. All he had for a gun that year was a 20 ga. youth model 870 and I know that was a severe handicap. Later in the year he tried my 12 ga 870 but really didn't do any better with that, probably partially because it just didn't fit him very well.

He says he wants to shoot trap again this year and I want to make sure that he at least has something decent to shoot to help him succeed and enjoy the sport. He needs a new shotgun for hunting anyway so I am thinking about getting him a Browning BPS since he is left handed. Will this be a decent trap gun? I know that they make a BPS trap gun but he needs a hunting gun too so I was thinking of getting him a BPS this year and if he sticks with it next year I'll get him a BPS trap model.

Should I just get the trap model right away or do it the way I stated above? I'm pretty sure he missed a lot of his clays low and he would benefit greatly from a trap model that would put more shot to the top of the pattern.

If I do get him a BPS, what barrel length should I get?

[Dave S]

Barrel length I would recommend a 26". Not so sure a BPS would be my first choice. Maybe the trap model is lighter but the regular BPS can be a tank to swing and based on past experience can kick like a mule.

How big is your son? Making sure the gun fits him well is key but some good instruction AND practice will also help. I bought a Benelli ultralight 20 ga a few years back but it's a right handed gun (I shoot left handed). Last year I bought a left handed Benelli and it's amazing how big of a difference there is.

[Kettle]

See if he can try one out, big thing is finding the right fit for him. I owned a bps and got rid of it for a wingmaster. It fits me well and I like its simplicity. Great gun right for me not right for everyone. See if you can take him to a trap range and try several different ones. I think you are west metro Dave if I recall. If you get up north metro blaine area check out metro gun club when I lived down there I shot there a lot. If you call them ahead of time they should be able to help you out. I'm jealous that I didn't have a trap team in school

Kettle

[Gordie]

No matter what gun you decide on the best thing you can do is have it fitted to him. A lot of senior trap shooters shoot 20 ga so I would say that is not a handi cap at all. You can have the most expensive trap gun in the world and if it doesn't fit your not going to hit the birds.

The bps will make a fine trap gun and if you want to spend the money on it buy the trap model. The bps is a great gun but IMO build for people 6ft and taller. I have had a couple and they just didn't fit me right , to long of a reach for me and I could have solved it with a proper fitting at the time.

Find a gunsmith that does fitting like Keelers Gunsmithing . It will make more enjoyable and that's what counts.

[PurpleFloyd]

We went through that with several students on our trap team last year since it was the first year for the club.

I would say the fit is the single most important thing that you need to resolve for them(This includes weight and barrel length so they can swing it comfortably). We did have a lot of kids in my son's 8th grade class move up from 20 to 12g Semi Auto's during the season and all of them did better after the switch. While 20 can certainly work, a 12 will give you more BB's in the pattern and when kids are learning and getting used to how to lead the birds, more BB's is better IME. The Semi Auto guns are usually softer shooting so there is not really and difference in felt recoil between a 20g pump and a 12g S/A and you get the benefit of more shot in the pattern.

I would also say an important thing to look at is having one with choke tubes vs a fixed choke barrel. They are shooting from the 16 all season and we found using IC or Mod gave the students the best pattern and highest scores.

Remington made the 105 CTI for a few years last decade and it was a SA bottom eject but I am not sure of it's quality. I personally am not a Remington fan, especially any guns they introduced in the past decade but they do offer the VersaMax in a southpaw edition. While it is not cheap, getting him a gun that works well, is built well and makes it fun to shoot can keep him interested and he can use the gun for life. I bought my kids Winchester SX3's last year and I feel it was a very good investment.

[Big Dave2]

No matter what gun you decide on the best thing you can do is have it fitted to him. A lot of senior trap shooters shoot 20 ga so I would say that is not a handi cap at all. You can have the most expensive trap gun in the world and if it doesn't fit your not going to hit the birds.

The bps will make a fine trap gun and if you want to spend the money on it buy the trap model. The bps is a great gun but IMO build for people 6ft and taller. I have had a couple and they just didn't fit me right , to long of a reach for me and I could have solved it with a proper fitting at the time.

Find a gunsmith that does fitting like Keelers Gunsmithing . It will make more enjoyable and that's what counts.

Thanks Gordie, good information to know.

[Big Dave2]

We went through that with several students on our trap team last year since it was the first year for the club.

I would say the fit is the single most important thing that you need to resolve for them(This includes weight and barrel length so they can swing it comfortably). We did have a lot of kids in my son's 8th grade class move up from 20 to 12g Semi Auto's during the season and all of them did better after the switch. While 20 can certainly work, a 12 will give you more BB's in the pattern and when kids are learning and getting used to how to lead the birds, more BB's is better IME. The Semi Auto guns are usually softer shooting so there is not really and difference in felt recoil between a 20g pump and a 12g S/A and you get the benefit of more shot in the pattern.

I would also say an important thing to look at is having one with choke tubes vs a fixed choke barrel. They are shooting from the 16 all season and we found using IC or Mod gave the students the best pattern and highest scores.

Remington made the 105 CTI for a few years last decade and it was a SA bottom eject but I am not sure of it's quality. I personally am not a Remington fan, especially any guns they introduced in the past decade but they do offer the VersaMax in a southpaw edition. While it is not cheap, getting him a gun that works well, is built well and makes it fun to shoot can keep him interested and he can use the gun for life. I bought my kids Winchester SX3's last year and I feel it was a very good investment.

Thanks for the insight PF. Your kids shoot trap with the SX3's? If so, did you have the guns fitted by a gunsmith?

[PurpleFloyd]

Thanks for the insight PF. Your kids shoot trap with the SX3's? If so, did you have the guns fitted by a gunsmith?

No.The better semi auto's come with shims to allow you to adjust the LOP and camber.The guns fit them good right from the start so we didn't have them fit. My 8th grade son shot 96/100 in class A at the state meet at Alexandria in the spring and my daughter placed 6th in her division so I figure they fit OK

[Big Dave2]

No.The better semi auto's come with shims to allow you to adjust the LOP and camber.The guns fit them good right from the start so we didn't have them fit. My 8th grade son shot 96/100 in class A at the state meet at Alexandria in the spring and my daughter placed 6th in her division so I figure they fit OK

Awesome!

[BoxMN]

Can't agree enough about the gas operated shotguns working great. Soft shooting, way more comfortable than pump after a bunch of even light loads. Also agree on the BPS fitting tall people better - the forearm is just so far out there, much less comfortable than an 870 IMO. My brother sold a BPS 10 for a Gold 10 for just that reason, not the kick but the forearm position (for hunting, not trap).

My stepson just got a Berratta "something" auto 12 and it came with those shims and he was able to fit great to granddaughter, and allow expansion as she grows. Good luck!

edit, when I was shooting a league for a few years, and I use a Browning Gold 12, I used a Light Modified Choke and it was a nice balance. I also only use this choke for duck/goose and found it works as a very good balance for over dekes and also pass shooting.

[Big Dave2]

My biggest problem is finding these guns in left handed versions.

[Big Dave2]

The more I read online and look at different guns the more confused I become. Sounds to me like the Browning might not be the best choice for my son given his 5'-4" frame. It also sounds like maybe a pump isn't the best option? Maybe I should narrow my search to left handed auto loaders and have a professional gunsmith fit it to my son? I really don't want to spend $1,000 on this but I do see that there are a few models of left handed auto loaders available for under that. Anyone have any other suggestions?

[PurpleFloyd]

My biggest problem is finding these guns in left handed versions.

That is why I suggested the Remington Versa Max as it is the only one I know of.

Just a personal note- The first semi Auto I bought my son was a mossberg SA20 youth which is a gun they import from eastern Europe and rebrand. It was light, accurate and seemed well built but the tolerances were so tight that as a 9 year old he had a heck of a time loading and unloading because it was so stiff, even after shooting many boxes through it. It also had cycling problems in the cold which probably were caused by those tolerances. After he outgrew it I bought him a CZ 712 ALS that had and adjustable stock that I figured would be able to grow with him but that gun had feeding problems and he missed some pheasants because of it. Finally, after getting tired of seeing the frustration in his eyes with 2 straight guns that were not reliable or easy to operate I bought him the SX3 which was more expensive ($799)but it performs flawlessly and h no longer has that question in the back of his mind whether it is going to work or not when he needs it and to me that is worth the cost premium that I paid to step up to it. Beretta also has a new S/A in that price range but I believe neither is made in a southpaw special.

[BoxMN]

Just wondering, but why not look at some O/U or even single shots? For trap, you only need one shot anyway. I shoot best with my old single 20, but just gave to my granddaughter she loves it.

A used Citori, or any that fits him well, I would think would be the best of both worlds, especially for a lefty.

Good luck finding the right gun!

[Mr.Seaguar]

My biggest problem is finding these guns in left handed versions.

I googled left handed shotguns and found exactly the advice I was thinking of. Buy a shotgun with a set of shims that allows for the cast to be set either on or off. Have the safety switched over and let him shoot it. I am partial to Beretta Semi autos. The A300 Outlander isn't crazy expensive and has the features I mentioned. Good luck.

[brittman]

BPS trap gun has a 30" barrel. Traditional trap shooters like those long barrels.

BPS kicks emptys down through the bottom. Right and Left versions are the same gun. I guess maybe the safety is different ???

BPS micro is a great gun for smaller frame hunters and shooters.

[Dave S]

The more I read online and look at different guns the more confused I become. Sounds to me like the Browning might not be the best choice for my son given his 5'-4" frame. It also sounds like maybe a pump isn't the best option? Maybe I should narrow my search to left handed auto loaders and have a professional gunsmith fit it to my son? I really don't want to spend $1,000 on this but I do see that there are a few models of left handed auto loaders available for under that. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Look into the Benelli models I mentioned earlier. You might be able to find a good used one. Both my Ultralight and M2 are 20 ga. The Ultralight is right handed and the M2 is a lefty.

Both guns run $1500+ new so look for a good used one. Each gun weighs around 5 lbs +/-. The Ultralight is nice and compact. The only thing is if your son has any signs he'll be your size as he gets older, he might eventually have trouble loading shells into it since both receivers are narrower than your average auto-loader.

[gspman]

If you are going to buy 2 guns instead of that I would suggest getting 1 gun... a gas operated semi auto. Most of the current semi autos have shim adjustable stocks for drop and cast. I am left handed and shoot a right handed Beretta auto. Just switch the safety to the left side, adjust the drop and cast and he is good to go. Get a 28" barrel and you are good for everything except maybe ruffed grouse. My 8th grade son shot high school trap this spring with my semi-auto and did fantastic with it. Because it's a gas operated semi auto it'll be lighter recoil which is a big plus over the pump guns.

[Old Dewjabber]

BPSs are a pain to use. Put a shell in the mag pump it to chamber, shoot pump to eject! Pumps, autos, doubles, and single shots are drop shell in chamber, close and shoot. The auto will be open. Pump the pump back and you are ready to start all over again. Break the break action and your done there also. JMO! Been there done it!

[Big Dave2]

BPSs are a pain to use. Put a shell in the mag pump it to chamber, shoot pump to eject! Pumps, autos, doubles, and single shots are drop shell in chamber, close and shoot. The auto will be open. Pump the pump back and you are ready to start all over again. Break the break action and your done there also. JMO! Been there done it!

That's a good point, I never thought of that.

[Big Dave2]

Anyone have an opinion on the Tristar Viper G2 LH shotgun?