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Hello Everyone: I most recently made the decision to look into shooting trap as a hobby. I have been shooting for all my life and am very familiar with centerfire rifles and handguns, but haven't had that much exposure to shotgunning. I have an Ithaca 37 pump 12 ga. w/ Polychoke that I inherited from my father, as well as a 20 ga. SKB side by side double. I have had some experience shooting clay pigeons informally at my farm, but I have never shot in a structured, competitive environment. I have found that I thoroughly enjoy shooting clay pigeons and think this would be a great way to get more "social" in my shooting hobby. Now, I have a LOT of questions for your experienced folks and would love any advice you could give. First off, what are the most common and/or preferred shotguns used in trap. Autos? Over-Unders? Are pumps ever used? What is important in a trap gun? Is my Ithaca 37 good enough to start out with, or is it not a tool that will work in trap? Second, I understand that trap is normally shot at a series of five stations, with five pigeons launched at each station, correct? Are the pigeons launched one at a time at the command of the shooter, or are they launched automatically w/o the shooter's command? What are the normal costs associated with shooting trap for a day? I would imagine that the shooter has to supply his own firearm, ammunition, pigeons, and hearing/eye protection, correct? Is there also usually a fee per day or something? Also, at what angles & speed are the pigeons usually launched? I have an automatic launcher that I will probably use at my farm to practice with, but want to make sure that my practice simulates real trap shooting. Any help you guys could give would be greatly appreciated.
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