doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Clay throwers

One of the previous posters suggested the cheap plastic hand held throwers. They do work fine for someone with a stout arm, but let me issue a caveat. I also have used one for years, mostly in conjunction with an automatic stack loaded thrower of some kind just to give multiple presentations, but sometimes alone. On my last opportunity to chunk a few birds with one of them, in striving to get "just a bit more" altitude, I completely tore the tendon loose from it's mooring in the bone of my elbow, as well as tore the tendon itself. Had the surgery, etc., and all the therapy afterwards. Lemme' tell ya' I won't EVER use one again. Donno why the arm decided to let go this time when it's always been fine before, but I use a stack thrower now, not sure of the brand, it's my son's machine.

The last (and only time) I used one of those hand held throwers, I was standing on the river bank trying to throw them out over the water for my son to shoot at and I had a hard time hitting the river. Ouch!!

Those plastic hand throwers are fine for strong young arms but shouldn't be attempted by the more mature sportsman. Attached with duct tape to a golf club handle (stick-birds) they will fire a clay pigeon at surprising speeds...Geo

And you clay bird fiends want a real challange- Orvis used to sell a Ritz Cracker hand trap thrower thingy- like all the orvis stuff, it's a "Yuppie Playground"- We have one- bought from Natchez- hand cocking with adjustable tension spring- alum. blade with rubber groove- will take two std. targets- and I welded it into an older truck tire that had a metal frame bolted through the lug holes- a farm "freebie"- so it is stable and the el rinko metal "hold down stakes" are not needed- those look good on the drawing board, but all ground and terrain is different in the USA- so what might hold in sand won't even dent hardpan-we have found the elevation transit works fine, and by varying the placement of the std. clay, we can change the flight pattern- we don't buy cases of orange clays- 135 per carton I believe- we have a gun club with both a trap and skeet field that buffers State (as in open to the public) land so we go there on non-weekend shooting days and salvage the unbroken clays that have landed in the unmowed grass- sort of a LZ for "missed birdies"- BUT- no clay target, IMO, can give you the practice of either barn pigeons or crows in a crosswind- RWTF

I know most are talking about the trap machines, but my comments will be regarding the available hand models. George is right on about extending the handle on the plastic tossers. A two hand grip on the extension and you have a teal riding a downwind. Brother and I have had contests on who could chuck it the farthest. Without the extension, you are a threat to bystanders and the shooter. Our experience has been the old Winchester and Remington hand traps are the best. Preference is to the Remington model that has the folding carrier. Once getting the knack, it throws a good presentation with the best accuracy of any handheld. Winchester with the mid mounted coil spring is pretty good, needs a good arm, not as accurate as the Remington, but good none the less. Rem and Win can be found at most sporting goods, antique shop, and E-bay always has a bunch. Just my opinion. Randy