Sporting Clays - Gas or Electric

TGLPilot

Hey all, a newbie here trying to figure out the best way to go.

As I've gotten old(er), I find that there are more and more days on the clays course when my push cart leaves me wanting. My goals are to have a nice cart, not a show cart, that will be bullet proof (no pun intended) and not leave me stranded.

For the mostly single day shoots that we do, an electric cart wouldn't be an issue, but what about on multi-day shoots...especially when a power source in the evenings isn't guaranteed? From what I've read here, a single tank of gas would probably more than get me thru an event but it seems like there are more than a few issues (carbs, ignition, driveline, etc.) with keeping them running reliably.

So what are the experiences of those who shoot clays with gas carts and those with electric? ...and if you're using an electric cart, is it 36v or 48v?

Also, it seems like EZGO is the most prevalent around here (SoCal), so that's the direction I'm leaning but any insights into EZGO specific issues would be welcome.

As a reference, I'm looking at a 3" to 5" lift with a little bigger tires, probably 22's, a front basket, gun racks (still looking at different options there, so any input on those would also be appreciated...right now I'm leaning towards the ones from Rugged Gear), flip down rear seat, 80" top.

A few years ago I didn't learn that "Jeep" stands for "Just Empty Every Pocket" until after we'd bought our Wrangler. After spending time doing homework here on the forum, I suspect that there is a similar saying for one starting to build a cart.

Thanks in advance,

Dan

BGW

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chuckengnr

hi there,

i will start the argument, uummm errr discussion, i happen to have 2 gas carts and 1 electric. the electric is an '84 ezgo 36V. it has been in disrepair for a few years due to issues with the batteries and what i think is a short in the speed control resistors (bunch of wound wires of different gauges). almost have it back together but not wanting to buy the batteries due to $$. an electric cart has the advantage of constant torque,quiet running, no gas issues.

i have 6 passenger yamaha that i used at the lake to go up and down the hill. it sometimes runs and sometimes doesnt. same for the 2 passenger club car.

in short, gas has a longer range per fillup, but electric is quieter. its really up to you. for me, gas is the way to go. i have the ability to repair/fix whatever breaks, but i cant manufacture electricity on a whim.

good luck on your decision

Kal

I'll take a hand in this fight, err, I mean discussion. I'm an avid clay shooter (which means I love to shoot but just can't afford it all the time) and my first cart was an '81 gas ezgo that I did a 4" lift, 22" tires, made my own front basket and rear seat conversion, and some other stuff. It worked great for the courses; good clearance,] but it was noisy in the quiet environment. I would get stares everywhere I went along the course, and that's with the stock exhaust. My cart that I just got is an '95 electric ezgo. I'm going to do a 5" jake's lift, 22" tires, rear seat conversion, home-built basket, etc... I'm also upgrading the controller to a 500 amp alltrax, 2 gauge battery cables, heavy duty switch, 48v conversion, etc... I'm going electric this time because it's going to double as a RV park cart and I got tired of being stared at at the clay courses. I also can't help but wonder if some of these courses are going to start banning gas carts sometime in the future.
Your right about breaking out the wallet. On this cart I have just over $1k in electronics alone so far, and that ain't even the batteries yet. Talk about BOAT: Bust Out Another Thousand. I really need my head examined.

My best piece of advice is only you can decide which way to go, gas or electric. It all depends on terrain, distance, etc... Both has plus's and minus's. I went with ezgo because I like the looks of them, they have a wide support base in the stock and aftermarket world, and they are popular in my area.

patgrim00

My cart is electric 36v and has more than enough to do a weekend shoot but i still charge it at night if we do a weekend shoot we take the camper te camper has a genny if there are no hookups

ROBinGA

We compete around southeast using our lifted ezgo electric 36 volt cart. It should be pictured in my signature but I am also going to post here. We just took it to NSCA Nationals in San Antonio last week. It was so good to have our familiar cart as home base during the week. We used it at US Open in South Carolina as well. Whenever we do the multi day tournaments I just politely ask the shoot management for a plug and charge it each night. Never has been an issue. I guess I could even chance it and go a couple days but I never have. If I had it to do over I would go gas just for the convenience of not being tied to battery charge but I also like the quiet benefit of our cart whenever needed as well. I added a Kolpin floor mounted gun holder and a clays basket. We enjoy ours.

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TGLPilot

Part of my dilemma is that we're probably going to be selling the motorhome and will no longer have our own 'charging station'. For as little as we use it, it's one expensive toy! Even if we start going to more multi-day events, I can put a cart in a small trailer behind the Suburban and stay in a really nice hotel and be money ahead (translation - more and nicer guns ).

I've seen the "discussions" about gas carts being noisier but when shotguns are going off all around you, I don't get it. I've come off a stand and seen that a couple of carts had pulled up and later heard them and saw that they were gas powered, but at the time they came up I never heard them.

Right now we're in Vegas and went up to the new Clark County shooting facility (one first class operation!) and their rental carts are all EZGO ST Sport 2+2's with a Rugged Gear 2-gun floor mount rack in the front and rear (I'd been leaning that way and it's exactly what I'd been hoping for). That got me thinking that with the temperature extremes I've seen in Vegas, that maybe the effects of cold or heat on battery life influenced their decision to go with gas carts. ???

For those using electric, have you seen much, if any, difference in your range when it's really hot or really cold?

And thanks for all the input so far.

Kal

Not to sidetrack anything but how was the nationals? I always wanted to go.

ROBinGA

It was great. Our second year. My son won B class in one of his events so it was that much sweeter - National Champion! Nationals this year was over 2,000 shooters and they pulled it off well. The targets were very sporty as they should have been for a Natl Championship. Huge complex with great facilities to pull off an event like this. If you are on Shotgun World forum I posted a review of our trip there in Sporting Clays section. The carts that they rent at any of these big blast shoots are surplus fleet straight off some golf course with bag straps and some even had sand bottles still attached. Not much room to store your gear ammo or gun. And at about $400-500 for the week after a few of these events you have bought a cart.

Gas carts noise have never bothered anybody at a sporting clays event and are FAR and away in the majority. There is even a couple I have seen from Alabama that have dual pipes with loud exhaust almost like glass packs and seem to match the culture. My guess is that 90% of private carts at these shoots I see are gas versus electric. But the even more numerous vehicles at shoots are Polaris Rangers which are all noisy gas vehicles. So noise ain't a factor at all in a reason for a consideration in a cart for Sporting Clays.

Mine is electric because I found a great deal on a stock cart and then raised it and added the gun mount and clays basket all for less than $1800. I can live with searching for a plug each night for that investment.

ROBinGA

TGL , I agree with your logic of towing and staying in hotel. If you rent one of their carts at a shoot it's going to cost $400 plus for a four seater. What we do and it's common place for lots of shooters is haul the cart on my open trailer. Then we unload at the designated trailer parking area with the dozens and dozens of other trailered carts and Polaris and leave the trailer there for the duration and drive to hotel. They usually offer monitored security on the shoot property and I have never been concerned. I do put a hitch lock on just in case that someone might confuse my trailer for theirs. Then on Sun afternoon, hook up, load up and go home. Never had weather be a factor on battery life even at the 117 degrees we had in Nashville at SE regionals last year. I can't imagine a case where we would have an issue with battery as long as I can locate a charge each night.

Kal

I'm a member over there but I haven't been on in a while. I'll have to go check it out. I got to see the complex years ago on a trip to san antonio and I was awe struck. Any place that has drop boxes full of hulls got my vote, lol. I always wanted to shoot there, especially for nationals, but never made it. I have done a few shoots in texas and it seems like gas carts rule the courses. Over here is seems electric is more dominant which probably explains why I kept getting stared at when I had my gas cart. You would figure at a place where there is shotguns going off all the time a gas cart would be trivial but sure as heck i would come down the trail or by the club house and people would just stare.... The coolest thing I've seen yet was a kawasaki mule loaded with gun racks and a rear seat mounted on the dump box.
That's probably on my list on what to get next, lol.