5 Stand

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@Elkeater, new member @Foxfyre and I got together yesterday at the shooting range I'm a member of here on the east side of Phoenix. The plan was to shoot sporting clays, but unfortunately the course was closed I presume for work they're doing on it. But the 5 Stand range was available. This is a game I've never played, but hey why not?

If you've never taken on this shotgun sport, and after all of 2 rounds, I must say it was fun. Fun includes having a significant number of those clays kick me in the backside before they fell still in one piece to the ground. I have not been a regular bird hunter in a number of years, so the lack of practice combined with still getting broken into the Winchester 101 I picked up a few months ago added to my less than strong prowess of shotgun shooting. Still I managed to break my share including a few doubles. I have shot in trap leagues many years ago, but I think this game is more fun.

5 stand is named as it more/less follows the same 5 shooting locations as does trap. But the course we were on included 8 launchers from left to right, at varying distances and angles of travel of the clays. That adds up to a lot of different angles and shot appearances.

After watching a few rounds and shooting 2, I was really wondering what the best selection of choke would be. So that's my question for any of you experience in 5 Stand, what choice of choke do you prefer?

My thoughts are the distances are a bit long and Improved Cylinder may be just a bit too open. But at the same time it only takes one pellet to break a clay and thus Modified is probably too tight. So I'm leaning towards Improved Modified.

Your thoughts?

 

[K-man]

I've shot a few 5 stand on a course about 10 miles from me. After a couple humiliating rounds, and when you think you are starting to get the hang of it, along comes a 14 yr old girl from the local club and proceeds to show you how it's REALLY done. Great for a few laughs, a bit of a tune-up before bird season, and some camaraderie. I think you are on the right track with the IM choke, but see what works best in your gun. Also, try to pick up some AA #9's for the next time. Surprising what 30 or 40 extra pellets will do to your shooting score.

 

[BeeMaa]

I’m shot my first round of 5-stand with @HankBuck a while back. I normally use a FULL choke for skeet, wobble and sporting clays to keep my skills sharp.

However, on this day I had recently returned from a turkey hunt and still had my TKY (0.665” diameter) in the SBE3 by mistake. I still managed to break 19 and 20! Of course @HankBuck bested me by at least 3 clays on each round.

For this particular version of clays, I’d probably choose a IM or FULL choke to reach the longer targets with good pellet density.

It was a lot of fun and it keeps your mind busy. And most of the shots replicated what birds would actually do in the field, so I thought it was a useful tool for hunting.

I’ve yet to give it another go.

 

[ftrovato]

5 stand will put manners on you! Great practice for sporting class and live birds.

 

[coreydb]

Hi Phil- We met at the SCI convention in Jan. I sat for a while with you and Jacques and drank a beer, and am an annual repeat client of Jacques. I do sporting clays and 5 stand is a combo of all the shotgun disciplines, so the clay presentations are all over the place. A good starting point with the choke combo is to begin with improved cylinder and your improved mod and adjust from there. Have fun!

 

[coreydb]

5 stand will put manners on you! Great practice for sporting class and live birds.

Man, you know it!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I've shot a few 5 stand on a course about 10 miles from me. After a couple humiliating rounds, and when you think you are starting to get the hang of it, along comes a 14 yr old girl from the local club and proceeds to show you how it's REALLY done. Great for a few laughs, a bit of a tune-up before bird season, and some camaraderie. I think you are on the right track with the IM choke, but see what works best in your gun. Also, try to pick up some AA #9's for the next time. Surprising what 30 or 40 extra pellets will do to your shooting score.

I was wondering about shot size too. I was shooting 8 shot yesterday, but it seemed to me 9 would be better for the same reason.

 

[Firebird]

I love 5 stand and it is a riot when you take new or young shooters. I do not change my chokes-mod and full, same as when I hunt.
There are guys who swap them out at every new stand but I feel like they are-making it too hard-overthinking the fun.
What gun were you shooting? That would
Make some difference in choke selection.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I love 5 stand and it is a riot when you take new or young shooters. I do not change my chokes-mod and full, same as when I hunt.
There are guys who swap them out at every new stand but I feel like they are-making it too hard-overthinking the fun.
What gun were you shooting? That would
Make some difference in choke selection.

My Winchester 101 O/U.

 

[Firebird]

In all fairness there are situations where I wish for a more open choke.
I use 8’s but can see using 9’s if you can get them

 

[coreydb]

The reason I'm willing to change my chokes is because I SUCK SO BAD at this
and love every bit of it

 

[BeeMaa]

I've been using 7.5's and 8's at 1150 to 1200 fps. I prefer Federal Top Gun loads because the Remington and Rio leave a lot more residue. I can usually find them for $100/250 shells at Rogers Sporting Goods and it's shipped for free!

I haven't seen a significant difference between using 7.5's, 8's or 9's for clays. However I know guys who swear by 9's for skeet, 8's for wobble and 7.5's for trap. Maybe at the higher competition levels it's a concern, but for the majority of us any of these three will be fine.

Chokes? I know people who never change them, and others who will tailor their chokes to each individual stand on sporting clays. I will say that if you think it makes a difference, then it does. Confidence is everything and if changing chokes make you hit them...keep doing it.

For 5-Stand it would be extremely difficult to change chokes without holding up the group. The best that could be done is to use an O/U with different ones and switch which barrel shoots first based on the expected presentation.

If I'm shooting my Blaser F3 it's IM first (bottom barrel typically) and FULL second. For the SBE3 it's almost always a FULL choke. Unless I screw up and leave the TKY in again.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The club sets up a course here for winter months. Most target flightplans are too far for my old eyes. I suggested they move the stands out further. "Pat, you shoot birds farther out than that." Comparing a clay target to a flying honker or even a pheasant is just silly. No way would I pull the trigger on a Hun at those ranges. And even a little Hun could present more of a target. What pisses me off is I drive all the way out there and they won't open the skeet range. Trying to force everyone to support the president's new toy. Oh well. It was a pretty day for a drive.

 

[zephyr]

IC top and bottom and and 1oz of 8's is all you need

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The club sets up a course here for winter months. Most target flightplans are too far for my old eyes. I suggested they move the stands out further. "Pat, you shoot birds farther out than that." Comparing a clay target to a flying honker or even a pheasant is just silly. No way would I pull the trigger on a Hun at those ranges. And even a little Hun could present more of a target. What pisses me off is I drive all the way out there and they won't open the skeet range. Trying to force everyone to support the president's new toy. Oh well. It was a pretty day for a drive.

" ... out further [towards throwers]."

 

[Ontario Hunter]

IC top and bottom and and 1oz of 8's is all you need

Choke selection depends on gauge of gun. Shoot that 5-stand game with small guns, then consider tightening choke. Remember an IC pattern is the same size no matter what gauge. Just less density in the smaller gauge pattern.

 

[Safari Dave]

A 5-Stand range is great practice for real hunting situations, as is a "Sporting Clays" course. (until you learn the course "too" well)

A long time ago, Trap and Skeet was, but they have largely just become just a "game" unto themselves (Trap, less so than skeet, for actual hunting practice).

I use IC chokes for everything in a 12 gauge O/U with 1 ounce of #8.

If you know what to expect before the shot and change tubes, then, you are no longer practicing for hunting.

I work with school shotgun teams occasionally, and one of the biggest mistakes I see is some kids changing choke tubes, prior to shooting at a particular station...

 

[BRICKBURN]

@PHOENIX PHIL Choke will depend on the distances the course is set up at.
It is a great game and every outfit sets them up differently. Some layouts are incredibly challenging. 5 stand is a much better game than trap.
Enjoy yourself.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

@PHOENIX PHIL Choke will depend on the distances the course is set up at.
It is a great game and every outfit sets them up differently. Some layouts are incredibly challenging. 5 stand is a much better game than trap.
Enjoy yourself.

Right. A crossing station at 50 yards is pretty much a waste of ammo with a small shotgun and IC choke. Clay target on edge can fly right through a 28 gauge IC pattern at that range. I find I do much better with modified picking up those long range clays with my 12 gauge A5. For stations where one target is close (e.g. incoming) and the other is way out there, I'll screw in modified and try to be more on the closer clay (e.g. shoot at incoming quicker as soon as it leaves the thrower when it's further out there). If I was shooting two tubes, I'd probably have skeet and modified screwed in. But I can't hit shit with my Citori.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

A 5-Stand range is great practice for real hunting situations, as is a "Sporting Clays" course. (until you learn the course "too" well)

A long time ago, Trap and Skeet was, but they have largely just become just a "game" unto themselves (Trap, less so than skeet, for actual hunting practice).

I use IC chokes for everything in a 12 gauge O/U with 1 ounce of #8.

If you know what to expect before the shot and change tubes, then, you are no longer practicing for hunting.

I work with school shotgun teams occasionally, and one of the biggest mistakes I see is some kids changing choke tubes, prior to shooting at a particular station...

Trap would be EXCELLENT for upland simulation if one could stand eight or nine yards behind the house and machine is set for oscillating (better yet, wobble!). Pulling targets high gun in standard trap does no good. Probably more harm than good for field prep. Standing sixteen yards behind the trap house means it's almost impossible to hit anything from low gun.

Five stand emulates shooting waterfowl from a blind ... somewhat. Very little use as practice for upland hunting.