Stoeger Range Day
Monday, I used a shotgun for the first time. I had a blast. My boss, Dave, took me along to the Stoeger Range day at the Galt Sportsman Club and he showed me the ropes as we tried out all the fantastic firearms from companies like Benelli, Beretta, Sako, and Tikka. As an office worker upstairs here at Triggers and Bows I definitely have less experience shooting than many of the knowledgable staff down on the floor. I was very excited by the opportunity to join in on the Stoeger Range Day. I learned so much!
Skeet
We started the day with Skeet shooting. It looked hopeless for me in the beginning. I couldn’t get a sense for where I needed to place my shot, I was having trouble with the ‘swing’ and I kept forgetting to lean into the gun. Thank goodness I was shooting the 20 gauge, Ultra Light from Benelli. This semi-automatic shotgun was smooth and the kick was more than manageable, even for an inexperienced shooter like myself. Dave was a great instructor, showing lots of patience as he helped me focus on one weak area at a time. I managed to shoot a few targets by the end! Renee shot primarily with the 20 gauge Benelli Ethos and Dave used the 12 gauge Beretta 690 Black Over/Under.
Trap
After Skeet, we moved onto Trap. I did significantly better! I shot multiple targets in a row, but by this point, my shoulder was beginning to feel the repetitive shots. Our Rep, Matt, and Dave continued to shoot while my co-worker, Renee, and I took a break. I hopped back in to try out an Over-Under Lever action before we broke for lunch.
Rifle Range
In the afternoon we moved over to the rifle range. I tried out the Sako Quad heavy barrel .22 rifle and was pretty proud of my grouping. Renee had taught me to fire a .22 caliber on our range, and I think the lesson stuck! My first few shots were a bit out, but by the end, I had a nice grouping going close to the center of my target.
Dave also walked me through shooting the A7 .223 Caliber from Sako. The firearm was easy on my sore shoulder, but I couldn’t quite account for the jump of the rifle when I shot and I’m not as proud of my accuracy. I definitely need to learn to pull the stock in tighter! I took a break to rest again and watched as Dave and Renee fired the Tikka CTR, the T3X TAC A1 (Special Edition integrated Bipod) and the Sako TRG-22 6.5 Creedmore.
End of the Day
My top picks were definitely the Benelli Ultra Light and the Sako Quad.
Renee said the Benelli Ultra Light and the Sako TRG-22 6.5 Creedmore were her favourite to shoot.
The guys from Stoeger were super helpful and friendly and the staff at the Galt Sportsman Club were accommodating and approachable. We had a fun time shooting some truly amazing firearms. I had an amazing time learning to shoot skeet and trap, in no small part because my boss is such a patient teacher!
If you’re interested in learning more about any of the firearms we shot monday, drop by the store and ask our staff! Even if we don't have it in stock we can order exactly what you want from Stoeger!
