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BigJimP · April 17, 2014, 10:59 AM

Ideally Trap shooters want to shoot the birds when they are still under power and rising ....never when they flatten out or start to drop.

So how aggressive you are on your move ( but still smooth ) ...and how high you want to float that bird ...as it powers up / dictates how to set up your gun at 60%/40% or 70%/30%....

99% of what I shoot are Skeet and Sporting Clays....and while I have dedicated Trap guns...I have trouble convincing myself to float the bird too high on Trap ...and revert more to my sight picture and feel when I'm shooting Skeet and Sporting Clays...( for those games I'm using an 8.5 lb gun that gives me a 50%/50% pattern). So I don't like my Trap guns ( Citori XT's or BT-100 ) set too high ....

But that's partly why I say its a personal choice.
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The beads are only on your gun - so you can tell, when you mount the gun, if you have mounted it correctly...or if you've canted it one way or the other....and then you look away from the beads. In Trap singles...you have your hold points for each of the 5 stations...and most instructors will tell you that your eyes need to focus about 20 feet beyond the Trap house...where you expect the bird to first come into clear focus for you. If you focus on the leading edge of that target ( not the butt ) ...the leading edge...then make your move to the target...feel the lead...pull the trigger and follow thru ...( and stay smooth - not jerky )...you'll be in great shape....( and 55%/45% or 60%/40% or 70%/30% is irrelevant ....its whatever works for you )....

You can shoot Trap ...by covering the bird...if you want to ....like a lot of wing shooters.../ with a 50%/50% pattern...but it gets more difficult in the wind if targets are helicoptering ...or getting knocked down.../ vs floating the bird and seeing it all the time...

There are some great DVD's out there now ....from championship shooters..some on Trap, Skeet, etc.....with an "eye cam" technology ...where you can see all these techniques on the DVD ...and then take the concepts to the range and work on your own game.

April 17, 2014, 10:59 AM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Ideally Trap shooters want to shoot the birds when they are still under power and rising ....never when they flatten out or start to drop. So how aggressive you are on your move ( but still smooth ) ...and how high you want to float that bird ...as it powers up / dictates how to set up your gun at 60%/40% or 70%/30%.... 99% of what I shoot are Skeet and Sporting Clays....and while I have dedicated Trap guns...I have trouble convincing myself to float the bird too high on Trap ...and revert more to my sight picture and feel when I'm shooting Skeet and Sporting Clays...( for those games I'm using an 8.5 lb gun that gives me a 50%/50% pattern). So I don't like my Trap guns ( Citori XT's or BT-100 ) set too high .... But that's partly why I say its a personal choice. ----------- The beads are only on your gun - so you can tell, when you mount the gun, if you have mounted it correctly...or if you've canted it one way or the other....and then you look away from the beads. In Trap singles...you have your hold points for each of the 5 stations...and most instructors will tell you that your eyes need to focus about 20 feet beyond the Trap house...where you expect the bird to first come into clear focus for you. If you focus on the leading edge of that target ( not the butt ) ...the leading edge...then make your move to the target...feel the lead...pull the trigger and follow thru ...( and stay smooth - not jerky )...you'll be in great shape....( and 55%/45% or 60%/40% or 70%/30% is irrelevant ....its whatever works for you ).... You can shoot Trap ...by covering the bird...if you want to ....like a lot of wing shooters.../ with a 50%/50% pattern...but it gets more difficult in the wind if targets are helicoptering ...or getting knocked down.../ vs floating the bird and seeing it all the time... There are some great DVD's out there now ....from championship shooters..some on Trap, Skeet, etc.....with an "eye cam" technology ...where you can see all these techniques on the DVD ...and then take the concepts to the range and work on your own game.