Trap is a popular shotgun shooting sport in the United States.
The goal of
trap shooting is to break clay targets that are launched into the air at
various angles.
Shooters use shotguns, often 12-gauge, but other smaller gauges are
allowed.
Ammo – Shotgun shells. The size of the shot can slightly vary. (7.5 or 8)
Clay Targets: Standard targets are clay discs, usually 4 5/16 inches in diameter.
When trap shooting, the clay targets are launched from the trap house at various angles with a fixed elevation, at 43-46 MPH
The Trap house is a structure that houses the machine responsible for launching the clay targets. It is located approximately 16 yards in front of the 16 Yard shooting positions.
Shooters stand on line of five shooting stations, situated in a semi-circle in back of the trap house. The distances vary, 16 YDS to 27 YDS back from the Trap House. Each lane will have a line and a box marked with the distance in the box.
The shooter in #1 position is the Squad Leader (SQ), it is the SQ responsibility to ensure that all shooters are ready to start the round. SQ will call change or move after each shooter has shot at 5 targets, do not move until the call has been made. Shooter #5 will advance clockwise to #1 and all other shooters will advance to the next station. When moving to #1 from #5 the shooter should get in position and advise the SQ when they are ready to shoot. A nod or a thumbs up will do.
All Shooters 1-5 will shoot one round in numerical order 5 Times before moving to the next station.
Guns must be open, or the bolt locked in the open position when not on the Firing Line. Guns must only be loaded when you are on the shooting position and that also means being empty when moving to another position.
The shooter should only call for the target after the gun is mounted and shooter is ready. The microphone will usually pick up any sound, the word PULL is the most common word used.
Each Shooter has the opportunity to shoot at five targets on each of the 5 stations. A round consists of 25 targets for each shooter. 5 Shots from each station 1-5
A “hit” is scored when a shooter breaks the target. The hit is any piece no matter small that comes off the target will be counted as a hit.
The Clockwise rotation continues until each participant has shot at 5 targets from all five stations, completing a full round.
Singles: One target is thrown at a time.
Doubles: Two targets are thrown simultaneously.
Handicap: Targets are launched the same way except shot from different distances based on the shooter’s skill level. From the 19 to 27 Yard Line’s
Scoring System: Participants
receive one point for each broken target. The maximum score for a round is 25.
Winning: The shooter with the highest score is declared the winner. In case of ties, shoot-offs or other tie-breaking methods may be used.
Trap shooting is not only a competitive sport but also a Fun recreational activity enjoyed by individuals and groups. You do not need to break them all to have Fun!
In competition it requires a combination of skill, focus, and precision to excel in breaking all the flying clay targets. Even the Pro’s end up missing some.