Trap shooting
Trap shooting is one of the three major disciplines of competitive clay pigeon shooting. The other disciplines are skeet shooting and sporting clays.
Trap shooting is distinguished by the targets being launched from a single "house" or machine, generally away from the shooter, compared with skeet shooting where targets are launched from two "houses" crossing in front of the shooter. Sporting clays involve a more complex course, with many launch points.
Participation
Trap shooting is practiced all over the world but is most popular in the United States, Canada and Europe. Trap shooting variants include, but are not limited to, international varieties Olympic trap, also known as "International Trap", "Bunker", "ISSF Trap", "Trench". Non-Olympic shooting variants include Down-The-Line, also known as "DTL", Nordic Trap, and double trap. American Trap is the predominant version in the United States and Canada.American Trap has two independent governing bodies. The Amateur Trapshooting Association sanctions events throughout the United States and Canada, as well as the Pacific International Trapshooting Association which sanctions events on the West Coast of North America.
History
Trap shooting was originally developed, in part, to augment bird hunting and to provide a method of practice for bird hunters. Use of targets was introduced as a replacement for live pigeon-shooting. Indeed, one of the names for the targets used in shooting games is clay pigeons. The layout of a modern trap shooting field differs from that of a skeet field and/or a sporting clays course.Trap shooting has been a sport since the late 18th century when real birds were used; usually the now-extinct passenger pigeon, which was extremely abundant at the time. Birds were placed under hats or in traps which were then released. Artificial birds were introduced around the time of the American Civil War. Glass balls and subsequently "clay" targets were introduced in the later 1800s, gaining wide acceptance.
Equipment
Trap shooting is typically shot with a 12 gauge shotgun. Smaller gauge firearms can be used, but no allowance is given. Trap shooting is shot at either single or double target presentations. This refers to the number of clay targets which are launched simultaneously.Both general purpose shotguns and more specialized target-type shotguns are used in trap shooting, and may be double-barreled or single-barreled. Shooters who shoot all sub-events will often buy a combination-set of a single and double barrel for shooting both singles and double targets respectively. Semi-automatic shotguns are also popular for recreational shooting due to the lower perceived recoil and versatility because they can be used for singles, handicap, and doubles. Shotguns used in trap shooting can differ from field and skeet guns in several ways and normally are designed with a higher "point of impact" as the targets are intended to be shot as they rise.
Trap shooting shotguns can be adjustable. Stocks may have a "Monte Carlo" configuration and/or include a comb height adjustment, a butt plate adjustment for length, angle, or both. Trap guns typically have longer barrels of, possibly with porting and featuring tighter chokes to compensate for the longer distances at which trap shooting targets are broken. The majority of trap shotguns built today feature interchangeable choke tubes as opposed to older guns, which used chokes of a "fixed" constriction. Interchangeable choke tubes can come in a variety of constrictions and may use names such as "modified", "improved cylinder", and "full". Trap guns are built to withstand the demands and stress of constant and lengthy repeated use—hundreds of shots in a single day of events, whereas typical field guns are built to be lighter, carried afield, and not shot in such quantity.
Common accessories include wearing a vest or pouch that will hold at least 25–50 cartridges. Most ranges and clubs require eye and ear protection due to the extremely loud environment and possible danger of using firearms.
Shooting glasses may be something as simple as the eyeglasses or sunglasses one presently wears. However, this is generally considered unsafe as standard eyeglasses and sunglasses are often not shatter proof. Specialized shooting glasses typically have interchangeable colored lenses, are adjustable, and are designed for high-impact resistance. A spectrum of different colored lenses are offered to compensate for light conditions as well as enhance the color of the target thrown while muting the color of the background. Adjustable glasses allow on-range changes for conditions of light, color, etc.
Hearing protection also comes in a variety of styles. Dense foam and electronics are used to reduce sound levels. Typical hearing protection is either an "earmuff" or an "ear plug". Some shooters use both simultaneously to gain greater noise reduction. There are also "ear plugs" molded to the shape of the ear, which can be used for listening to music while shooting.
Trap machines and target launching methods
Trap shooting requires the use of a target throwing device. American trap and DTL utilize a single trap machine, which is typically enclosed within a traphouse, downrange from the shooters' shooting positions. The house provides protection for the machine and also acts to obscure the machine's oscillating throwing position. International or Olympic trap employs 15 trap machines housed within a large elongated traphouse recessed into the ground to form a "bunker" which resembles a trench. International or Olympic trap may at times be referred to as bunker trap.Modern automatic throwing machines can store hundreds of clay targets in a carousel and systematically self-load targets onto the throwing mechanism. Manual electric target throwers require a person in the trap house with the trap machine to set the target by hand onto the machine arm. For both types, an electrical signal, from the push of a button or a sound-activated device, causes the trap machine to throw its targets after the shooter calls for their bird.
Temporary or informal trap shooting can utilize other methods to launch targets. The simplest is a "hand thrower" which is a hand-held arm which holds and releases that target when a person swings it. Another type of manual, non-electrical thrower utilizes a spring-loaded mechanism that is cocked and subsequently released by hand or foot.
Ammunition
Trap typically uses lead shot ammunition, with shot sizes ranging between #7 ½ and #9. The major components of a shotgun cartridge are the "hull", "primer", "powder", "wad", and "shot".The "shot" consists of approximately 300–450 small spheres. Cartridges are allowed a maximum payload weight of of shot. Velocity may vary but is limited based upon shot mass: for, for, and for. Maximum loads are generally only needed for longer "handicap" yardages or the second shot in double trap. Steel shot, which may be required at certain trap clubs or ranges, is used with slightly larger shot size.
Reloading or self-loading of ammunition is popular among a segment of trap shooters, due in part to the sheer quantity of ammunition used in trap shooting as well as the fact that many ranges will have casings that are used only once and are able to be obtained by people who reload their own cartridges at little to no cost.
History
Trap shooting has been around since the 18th century. A publication known as Sporting Magazine states that by the year 1793, trap shooting was "well established" in England. The first recorded organized trap shooting in the United States is likely to have taken place at the Sportsman's Club of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1831. Originally, live birds were used as targets, released from under hats. Glass balls came into use as targets in the 1860s and began to partially replace live birds, but live targets are still used in some parts of the United States. The glass ball targets were invented by Charles Portlock, of Boston, and were used by notable shooters such as Annie Oakley, Doc Carver, and Capt. A. H. Bogardus. Most of the glass ball targets were made of colorless glass and had a diameter of. Some targets were filled with colored powder to indicate a hit and add a visual effect. For the shooters who liked live game sport, targets were filled with feathers.Bogardus took up glass ball and clay pigeon shooting in 1868, and went on to win many championships. He was known as one of the most successful trap shooters in the early years of the sport. In the spring of 1883, he was defeated by a competitive shooter named Doc Carver. Carver idolized Bogardus and other renowned shooters. He attempted to attract the great Bogardus, but it wasn't until six years later that the two legends finally came together for a match, and the winner was the less-experienced Doc Carver. Carver won 19 out of 25 matches. In most of those matches they used Ligowsky targets.
In 1880, "clay" birds were invented by a man named Fred Kimble, although George Ligowsky took credit for the invention. The Ligowsky target was used widely in the early trap shooting community as a replacement for the glass ball targets. The downside of the Ligowsky targets was that they were too hard to break when hit. Fred Kimble made a more breakable target. Unlike the Ligowsky target, which was made of hard baked clay, the Kimble target was made of coal-tar, pitch, and other ingredients.
There were many different types of target throwers, also known as “traps,” like one made by Bogardus, which was made to throw glass targets. This trap was able to throw the targets for a distance of. It was operated by a person behind the shooter, who pulled a string and released an elastic spring, launching the target. The first automatic trap machine to launch clay targets was used in 1909. Following the invention of the automatic trap machines, doubles trap was introduced. It was a big success in the competition community. In the 1912 Olympics, Jay Graham became the first American to win the gold medal in doubles trap.
Three years later, in 1915 the American Amateur Trapshooting Association was formed with John Philip Sousa as president. This organization was the first organized and run by amateurs. When the AATA was disbanded in 1919, it was absorbed by an organization called the American Trapshooting Association. In 1923, the American Trapshooting Association was renamed Amateur Trapshooting Association, and the same organization is still active today.