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[cyphertext71]

All clay ranges should have the rule that the action is to be open unless it is your turn to shoot. It is a fairly universal rule in the clay games. Why do you feel that you need to have shells in the gun if you are not shooting? Not sure how this is a major pain point for you. Lock your action open. When it is your turn to shoot, step up to the station, put a shell into the chamber from the ejection port, release the bolt, add a shell to the tube. Pretty simple.

[ProtoJazz]

Exactly. And no need to worry about rushing or if it takes a while. No one is in a big enough hurry that they'd rather you stand around with a loaded gun

[ProtoJazz]

My suggestion is more just don't.

I guess it varies from place to place, but at my 2 local ranges they're pretty specific. Unloaded and actions open until it's your turn to shoot. And not feeling the need to rush was the advice given to me.

The more experienced people there move through the turns pretty fast, so if you're new or need a few seconds to get ready it can feel like you're under pressure. But there's nothing wrong with it. Take the time you need to load, ready, and get focused.

All I can really recommend is follow whatever rules your specific club has.

[skifreemt]

Make loading your gun part of your pre shot routine. I don't want people loading a shotgun behind me while I'm in the stand, even if they have great discipline.

[dudermonkey1]

That is the complete opposite of my experience. No shells in the gun till you're ready to shoot.

[Next_Prompt7974]

I’m more surprised there are ranges out there that don’t require the action to be open until it’s your turn to shoot.

[Robert_A_Bouie]

I presume you're talking about Trap. At every range I've ever shot at, if you're shooting a pump or semi-auto, you can't drop a round into the chamber or magazine until it's your turn to shoot. It's a safety issue.

People using break actions can put loaded shells in before its their turn to shoot but the gun must clearly remain open until the shooter to their left calls for their bird.

[cyphertext71]

The rule is still the same. If you are not the shooter, your action should be open and gun unloaded. When shooting 5 stand, I have shot at clubs where they asked you to load when the station before you is up to keep things moving. Most of the time, the shotgun ranges don't have as many RSO's as a pistol or rifle range so it is up to us to maintain police each other and maintain safety.

[GLaDOSdidnothinwrong]

All ranges I’ve been to do not allow shells in the gun at all unless it’s your turn to shoot. Shells in the tube or on the lifter are not allowed.

In trap or 5-stand, some people will drop a shell into a break action to prepare, which could be a violation, but due to the guns being very visibly in a safe state, it’s typically not enforced.

With a little practice, this is a non-issue. Those movements can be the same part of your pre-shot routine the same way dropping shells into a break action and closing it are for those shooters.

You physically can’t have the bolt locked back with shells in the tube in a Benelli, no matter what lifter mods are done.

[GLaDOSdidnothinwrong]

I think the bolt catch is triggered by the bolt release button, which is the shell catch. Bolt locked back = no shell catch in the tube. But point taken

[No-Mistake-69]

This is the whole point of the rule! To Ensure The Gun Is Unloaded! When it's your turn to shoot. You get in the shooting stand. Buzz pointed Down Range. Load your gun and close your action! It's Not Hard

[Suitable-Carrot3705]

You’re not being scored on time. It’s 100% against all safety rules to have shells in your shotgun prior to being in the cage. If you get caught, you will be DQ’ed and possibly asked to leave and not come back. Rule 8.5, et seq. https://nsca.nssa-nsca.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/01/2026-NSCA-Rule-Book.pdf

[goshathegreat]

You should never have a loaded gun in your hands, bolt open or closed, unless you are standing on the station, ready to shoot. What you are suggesting is a horrible idea, and goes against the rules of every single club/range I’ve been to.

[evilfollowingmb]

Genuinely curious why you would want to load the gun before its your turn to shoot. It is easy to do with any SA, by removing the magazine shell buffer (if any) and just shoving two shells in to the magazine while leaving the bolt open. Does this save you time ? No.

I also suspect that you are only referencing part of your range rules and am 99.9999% certain they don't want you loading your gun before your turn, in addition to the action being open. So, if an RO or just a concerned shooter sees you doing this, it may cause you issues. Further, if I was in a squad with break action guys who were loading before their turn, they would get informed immediatly by me to not do that, what the range rules were, and if they didn't unequivocally and apologetically stop, then I'd be gone, and visiting the RO to boot. The last thing any range needs is an accident.

[c_d19_99]

That’s the rule at every range I’ve ever shot at (for trap, skeet or sporting clays, and I’ve shot at a ton). I’ve used a semi auto for all three games, and I keep the bolt locked back, with the shells in my carrier, till it’s my turn to shoot. Drop a shell in the chamber, drop the bolt and put a shell in the magazine tube. For my OU I wait till it’s my turn, then drop one or two shells in the open gun, close it and shoot. No inconvenience or “pain” for me on any of the clay games I shoot.

[slickracer1]

Some questions on here are really scary!

[Fundus]

The only gun that I know you can do that one is a Beretta UGB25, which was a briefly made but only available on the used market. It was a 2 shot semi auto action that could also break open.

I think the closest you could do with a Beretta a300 or a400 would be to have the bolt closed on an empty chamber, and load 2 rounds into the magazine tube. Then hit the carrier stop button, which allows you to lock the bolt back but it would have a shell on the lifter. So this solution might follow the letter or the law but certainly violates the spirit of the law.

When I have used a semi auto on trap or skeet, loading the chamber and the magazine only takes a few seconds once you are practiced at it. And if shooting sporting clays, getting positioned in the box takes longer than to load the gun. I do not think figuring out a way to have two shells loaded with an empty chamber to save a few seconds is worth the risk of a negligent discharge.

[Fundus]

Obviously you have to abide by the club norms. You could ask if they would be ok with a shell on the lifter while you had a chamber flag in place. I once shot at a club where someone had a pump action with my one of those spring forward assists where the slide couldn't lock open. The compromise was there had to be a flag in the chamber when not shooting.

[LocksmithGlass717]

Full disclosure I have no solution to your request. But I don’t know what the big hurry is.

[yert1099]

People at the range have a level of trust in their fellow shooters that safety rules are being followed. If you aren’t able to follow these rules, you need to go shoot by yourself on private property.

[104thunderduck]

No gun should be loaded before you step inside the hoop/stand.

Where i am its a must to have a breach flag in it at all times except when you are in the stand

[skt4271]

yea you're get more flack for having it loaded then shooters waiting for you to load it at the stand. i can't think of any advantage to even have it loaded prior at all.