Skeet shooting is a sport that is part of the clay pigeon shooting sports family. It uses some type of skeet thrower to launch clays into the air for shooting. There is an American version and a UK version for skeet shooting.
Typically, when you are skeet shooting, you’re going to be involved with shotguns. You’re going to use a shotgun that is engineered to work with skeet shooting, so consider getting one that works for bird hunting, as skeet shooting is supposed to mimic that in particular.
If you’ve decided to take your skeet shooting game up to the next level, then there are certain skeet throwers that you’re going to want to look at. Your best bet is going to be to consider automatic skeet throwers if you really want to get a better handle on the sport.
What to Look for in an Automatic Skeet Thrower and Available Brands
When you start searching out the best skeet thrower you can find, you’re going to want to look for a couple of specific criteria to make sure it is going to do a good job.
Think about it. When you launch a skeet, you want it to go the distance, right? So, with that in mind, you’re going to want to ensure that the launcher you pick is going to be powerful. The more powerful it is, the better the distance you’re going to get.
Something else to think about is the way it feels actually to use the launcher. The last thing you’re going to want is a thrower that locks up when you need it most. With that in mind, you want to make sure the skeet thrower you pick is easy to use and is reliable during use.
Depending on your overall goals, you may end up selecting a skeet thrower that operates via foot pedal or one that runs by a specific timing in between launches. Here is a list of some of the best skeet throwers out on the market today.
Champion WheelyBird Auto-Feed Trap
[amazon box=”B004U8HZWY”]
The Champion WheelyBird Auto-Feed Trap is an excellent choice if you want an electric thrower that has a fantastic distance. Not only is the magazine easy to fill and even easier to use, but it can also fit any standard clay target. You can fit as many as 50 targets into the thrower. With a pedal that you can move in any direction, you can shoot from a variety of positions.
It is also lightweight with an adjustable 30-degree elevation. The installation instructions are easy to follow, so you shouldn’t have any problems understanding what you’re supposed to do with it.
The downside to the Wheelybird is that you can only throw one skeet at a time. In other words, because you need to push the pedal for it to launch, you can’t have two skeet launched simultaneously going in different directions. You probably won’t be able to push more than the one pedal at a time.
Some people also claim that the wiring has issues from time to time. The faulty wiring can impact the direction of the throws, so that can definitely be a problem. Others also indicate that the metal poles aren’t sturdy enough.
The battery that the Wheelybird uses is a 12-volt and can launch over 3,000 times before needing to be recharged or replaced.
Reviews
If you go out to Amazon and take a look at the reviews, you’ll be happy to see that almost 80% of all ratings are five-stars. There are over 500 reviews, so those odds that this is a good purchase are fantastic.
In just one example, Kathleen Johnson reported, “Took about one hour to assemble, bought a 12v lawn tractor battery and headed to the range with medium expectations. Loaded the machine with 50 birds and turned it on, hit the foot pedal and a perfect bird hit the sky. The morning entailed 350 perfect birds, putting a smile on our faces. What a machine! If you like to practice for hunting season with no effort, then get one!”
Do-All White Wing Auto Trap
[amazon box=”B001UI5IVM”]
The Do-All White Wing Auto Trap is a skeet thrower that will make your shooting accuracy better. It has a reputation for being both consistent and easy to use.
This particular skeet thrower can hold as many as 25 targets and can throw as far as 65 to 80 yards depending on the throwing angle. The angle can change a full 25 degrees, starting at 5 degrees and up to 30 degrees to extend your throw.
You’ll likely appreciate that this skeet thrower is lightweight aluminum with an auto-feeder that will load your skeet easily. There is also a safety ring to keep you aware of how far you should be when operating the thrower as well as an adjustable foot pedal release.
Another perk from this skeet thrower is that it has an auto-launch cycle that is a full two seconds between launches. That is great if you’re wanting to practice consistent throws without having to mess with the thrower in between shots.
Reviews
There are some drawbacks to this skeet thrower, though, and if you take a few minutes to check out Amazon, you’ll see some negative comments. They indicate that the safety ring doesn’t always seem to work, which leads to clays breaking accidentally.
Peggi Sargent’s review is a perfect example of how it works. “We ordered a Do-All White Wing Automatic Thrower in late April. Prime shipping was free, fast and the thrower arrived well packed & undamaged. We’ve run 5 cases of White Flyers from Walmart through it. It started out working great and was landing our misses 72 long paces from the thrower. It will flat move them out. If you usually shoot in a little mechanical trap, the White Wing will wake you up. Good tune up for your local ATA trap range.”
Trius One Step Trap
[amazon box=”B0000C53F4″]
As you’ve already read, having an effective skeet thrower with predictable consistency will make you better able to aim your shot. The Trius One Step Trap is a fantastic option that is easy for one person to operate.
That means if you don’t have someone to go shooting with, but you want to go shooting, you don’t have to bribe your buddy to go and launch your skeet. Instead, you can use the Trius all by yourself.
It’s easy to assemble and use thanks to the intuitive design. The arm is aluminum, so it’s lightweight enough for one person to carry. There is also a target clip that allows for you to get a higher angle throw then you otherwise might be able to get with other throwers.
You’ll appreciate that the thrower is entirely adjustable without needing a single tool. You can also decide whether or not you want to throw a single clay or double clays if you’d like.
Reviews
Something that may give you pause, though, is the fact that, depending on your personal preference, you may feel that the pedal is too high for you to reach. You’ll also see Amazon reviews telling you that you need to increase the pressure for more effective launches.
RJ left a review that illustrates the issues rather well. “This thrower is really hard on hips & knees (as is). The foot pedal is too high & spring is too stiff. I weigh 150 lbs, and I am 6’1” tall. Standing on the pedal without it moving enough to trigger is doable. But, I have to jump on the pedal to get it to fire, then I am off balance to shoot. When heavy spring releases it throws you off- balance.”
Champion EasyBird Auto-Feed Trap
[amazon box=”B000KKE5XI”]
The EasyBird is another fantastic skeet thrower from Champion. The EasyBird Auto-Feed Trap is safe, powerful, and affordable. It is heavier than some of the other options presented here, but at 45 pounds, it is easily moveable by most people.
Throws are consistently accurate, and the distance is admirable at up to 65 yards. You’ll appreciate the ease of use for this skeet thrower.
You can also pair this thrower with the EasyBird Wobbler, EasyBird Oscillating Base, and the Champion Trap Taxi. It’s for up to 50,000 throws using standard size clays.
Reviews
If you jump on over to Amazon, you’re going to see that the skeet thrower has over 100 reviews with the majority of them being five-stars. Most indicate that people are happy with the overall performance from this skeet thrower.
As an example, one Amazon reviewer commented, “Received machine a little over a week ago. Easy to assemble but needed a few adjustments before it cycled best. It does on occasion not “drop” a bird on throwing arm but, I believe it is because the clay target holder rods are quite loose. Seems when full or close to full holder leans back, so birds are not laying flat on the machine. I am working on that. Should be an easy fix. It whips targets!! As of today, I have put 8 boxes (720) clays thru it. Probably 10-15 broke because they were old targets but, once on the new boxes, it was game on! Never missed a beat!”
Do-All Outdoors Raven Automatic Trap with wheels
If you don’t have the funds to pick an automatic skeet thrower but still want world-class performance, then this is the one for you. The Do-All Outdoors Raven Automatic Trap with Wheels is easy to handle and is efficient at what it does, too.
Not only can you stack a full 50 standard size clays, but the thrower will launch anywhere between 50 to 80 yards out in front of you. It also comes with wheels which makes it easy to maneuver wherever you want it to go.
As strong as it is, you’ll have to take some extra time to really read through the instruction manual. It might not be the easiest to understand, but it’s worth reading to make sure you don’t miss anything.
The pedal cord is 25 feet long which will give you plenty of leeway to move to a variety of positions, to shoot from virtually any situation.
Another huge perk is the fact that it handles more than just your standard clays. It can also throw biodegradable clays and international clays without missing a beat.
Reviews
You’ll see, too, that if you go over to read reviews, you’ll see that some people who claim that the thrower will sometimes misfire a clay if you don’t use the foot pedal properly. That’s something to keep in mind. There are actually quite a few negative reviews, but most of them seem to be a result of faulty machines. Just about all of the customers blame the fact that this skeet thrower is made overseas.
One review in particular from Philip M. had a bunch of tips and tweaks that were made to the machine to get it to perform favorably. The review is long, so we’ll paraphrase instead of giving a direct quote, but it all started when he went to throw a clay after the machine was set up straight out of the box. He had to bend and twist the metal to make the clay shoot accurately. He also had to make some adjustments to the way the clays were fed to the shooter. Overall, the reviewer makes it a point to say, “I gave it four stars because despite all the initial tweaking and letdown about losing the wheels by adding the wobbler; once it was set up, it really does launch reliably, and it’s affordable.”
A Few Last Words on Skeet Throwers
As you make your choice, first decide on your budget and then decide on your goals. If you’re up for some fun shooting in your backyard, then you may be more interested in a Do-All thrower.
On the other hand, if you want to practice for hunting or competition, you’re going to want to pick something else like a Champion thrower. Whichever way you go, do your homework, read reviews, and compare the shooters so that you make the best choice for you.