Trap - premount or not?

9mmMike · October 2, 2001, 09:07 PM

Howdy,
I have recently discovered that I really like busting clays. I have been making weekly trips to a local free range with whatever friend I can talk into going to do some hand-tossed clay busting.
I was wondering though.......
When I shoot "hand-trap", I have the shotgun mounted and ready (barrel up) prior to the toss. Is this an acceptable way to play this game? I do not wish to look foolish if I ever go and play with the other reindeer and find that part of the game is to quickly mount and not pre-mount and fire or maybe it is OK to mount but the gun should be held low or some such thing.
Etiquette is so important!
Thanks,
Mike

PJR · October 2, 2001, 09:36 PM

I subscribe to the theory that if you pay for the targets you should be able to shoot them either way but the general practice is:

American Trap; mounted
American Skeet; mounted
Sporting Clays; either mounted or gun down
International Skeet; gun down below a line on the chest
Five Stand; either mounted or gun down (gun down is better)
FITASC; gun down

In the mounted games you place barrel wherever you feel gives you the best chance to break the target.

You rarely see anyone shoot unmounted in trap. Best IMHO to shoot it the way everyone else does. Skeet is a little more flexible unless it's a competitive shoot.

Bottom line: Unless you are competing in registered competitive shoots I'd go with what you like to do best.

Fred Hansen · October 2, 2001, 10:03 PM

I am only familiar with ATA or American trap association rules. In ATA the person at station 1.

1. Loads 1 shell and closes the action.

2. At this point Shooter 1 shoulders his gun. He holds the muzzle relatively low (generally pointed at the forward edge of the roofline of the traphouse) this is so the barrel doesn't block the shooters view. It is more important to visually aquire the target than to have the advantage of a raised barrel. Meanwhile the shooter at station 2 loads 1 shell, keeping the action open.

3. Shooter 1 calls pull, and a bird is thrown. In the event that no bird, or a broken bird comes out, the puller calls No Bird and step 2 is repeated.

3. Upon hearing the report from shooter 1's gun shooter 2 closes his action and proceeds to step 2.

4. This is repeated for five turns each then everyone rotates to the next station. Stations 1-4 move with empty guns to their right. Station 5 moves left, with empty gun, behind the other shooters to Station 1.

5. The person who began the game at station 1 always begins the subsequent rounds until everyone has shot 5 times at each station.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

Dave McC · October 3, 2001, 06:21 AM

Whatever floats your boat, but....

I suggest mixing it up a bit. I shoot the TB premounted like all the other geezers, but every now and then I break out Frankenstein and shoot a round low gun, or a round of SCs the same way. This is more realistic practice for hunting or whatever,since we do not usually walk through bird cover and bramble patches with a mounted gun.

2shots · October 3, 2001, 02:27 PM

I second Dave's approach and have a ball shooting low-gun trap. Scores go down, not unexpectedly, and it's fun to watch the reaction of hardcore, tightly-wound trap shooters. Low gun also reinforces the importance of good gun mounting.

October 2, 2001, 09:07 PM	#1
9mmMike Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2000 Location: SE PA Posts: 1,049	Trap - premount or not? Howdy, I have recently discovered that I really like busting clays. I have been making weekly trips to a local free range with whatever friend I can talk into going to do some hand-tossed clay busting. I was wondering though....... When I shoot "hand-trap", I have the shotgun mounted and ready (barrel up) prior to the toss. Is this an acceptable way to play this game? I do not wish to look foolish if I ever go and play with the other reindeer and find that part of the game is to quickly mount and not pre-mount and fire or maybe it is OK to mount but the gun should be held low or some such thing. Etiquette is so important! Thanks, Mike __________________ "Freedom is not free" Visit TheRallyPoint.org TheRallyPoint at LRGC- Saturday August 26th IF YOU LIVE IN PA AND DID NOT VOTE, YOU DESERVE TO LOSE YOUR GUNS!

October 2, 2001, 10:03 PM	#3
Fred Hansen Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: The middle of WWIII Posts: 3,335	I am only familiar with ATA or American trap association rules. In ATA the person at station 1. 1. Loads 1 shell and closes the action. 2. At this point Shooter 1 shoulders his gun. He holds the muzzle relatively low (generally pointed at the forward edge of the roofline of the traphouse) this is so the barrel doesn't block the shooters view. It is more important to visually aquire the target than to have the advantage of a raised barrel. Meanwhile the shooter at station 2 loads 1 shell, keeping the action open. 3. Shooter 1 calls pull, and a bird is thrown. In the event that no bird, or a broken bird comes out, the puller calls No Bird and step 2 is repeated. 3. Upon hearing the report from shooter 1's gun shooter 2 closes his action and proceeds to step 2. 4. This is repeated for five turns each then everyone rotates to the next station. Stations 1-4 move with empty guns to their right. Station 5 moves left, with empty gun, behind the other shooters to Station 1. 5. The person who began the game at station 1 always begins the subsequent rounds until everyone has shot 5 times at each station. Lather, Rinse, Repeat! __________________ "This started out as a documentary on gun violence in America, but the largest mass murder in our history was just committed -- without the use of a single gun! Not a single bullet fired! No bomb was set off, no missile was fired, no weapon (i.e., a device that was solely and specifically manufactured to kill humans) was used. A boxcutter! -- I can't stop thinking about this. A thousand gun control laws would not have prevented this massacre. What am I doing?" Michael Moore

October 2, 2001, 09:36 PM	#2
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	I subscribe to the theory that if you pay for the targets you should be able to shoot them either way but the general practice is: American Trap; mounted American Skeet; mounted Sporting Clays; either mounted or gun down International Skeet; gun down below a line on the chest Five Stand; either mounted or gun down (gun down is better) FITASC; gun down In the mounted games you place barrel wherever you feel gives you the best chance to break the target. You rarely see anyone shoot unmounted in trap. Best IMHO to shoot it the way everyone else does. Skeet is a little more flexible unless it's a competitive shoot. Bottom line: Unless you are competing in registered competitive shoots I'd go with what you like to do best.

October 3, 2001, 06:21 AM	#4
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Whatever floats your boat, but.... I suggest mixing it up a bit. I shoot the TB premounted like all the other geezers, but every now and then I break out Frankenstein and shoot a round low gun, or a round of SCs the same way. This is more realistic practice for hunting or whatever,since we do not usually walk through bird cover and bramble patches with a mounted gun.

October 3, 2001, 02:27 PM	#5
2shots Senior Member Join Date: October 6, 1999 Posts: 183	I second Dave's approach and have a ball shooting low-gun trap. Scores go down, not unexpectedly, and it's fun to watch the reaction of hardcore, tightly-wound trap shooters. Low gun also reinforces the importance of good gun mounting.