I am going trap shooting for the first time.. I need help

[Super-Dave]

I am going to go trap shooting for the first time next week.

What choke should I use?

What shells should I use.. #9, #8, #7?

I have never been and I am a noob.

[JWT]

Assuming you're shooting singles from the 16yd. line I'd start out with either a modified or improved modified choke and #8 shot.

Good luck and enjoy the sport.

[johnwilliamson062]

1. Have someone help you with the safety rules. You can only load, chamber, shoulder etc. within x number of shooters of your turn. There are some other oddities.
2. Do what people tell you. Ask someone that is shooting well if they can watch you for a round and give you tips. This will probably open a waterfall of tips from everyone, sort through them for the ones you like.
3. take more ammo and money then you planned to. Shooting clays is not cheap.
4. I use 7.5 and 8s. I have had nines bounce off clays at longer range shots(I think). I see very little performance difference between 7s, 7.5s, and 8s.
5. I use a full choke for everything. Gives me a good excuse to be lousy and it is good practice.
6. Have fun.

[BigJimP]

Modified Choke.

1 oz or 1 1/8 oz of 8's - something around 1200 fps or 3 dram equivalent is enough.

[zippy13]

BigJimP's right on the mark for choke and shell selection for 16yd trap. My I add, take your longest barrel, and heaviest gun.

Since this will be your first time shooting club targets. Here's a re-posting of my recent response to a question about some newbie "don'ts" to avoid:

• Don't arrive at the club with a loaded gun. If you pull your gun out of it's case and shuck out a mag full of shells, you'll most likely be treated like you have a very aggressive communicable disease.
• Don't violate the safety rules. If at a new club, it's wise to read their rules before you get out your gun. If you have any questions, ask the rangemaster.
• Don't shoot inappropriate ammo, target shooters don't wanna have magnums going off around them. And, the club may have specific rules about ammo. Heavy loads may drop shot beyond the club's safety zone. And, a few clubs required non-toxic loads.
• Don't make the newbie mistake of loading before you get on station. Keep your gun unloaded and the action open until it's your turn to shoot and you're on station.
• Don't shoot from the shell box. Use a shooting vest or shell pouch. Shooting with carpenter's nail bags is better than trying to stuff 25 shells/hulls into the pockets of your jeans. The club may have loaner vests and/or bags.
• Don't get caught short, have a few extra shells with you. It's not unusual to have the target you just shot called "no target" and you get a mulligan (do-over). So, you may need mulligan shells. Also, extra shells may be needed if you re-shoot a pair because of a second shot malfunction. Have you ever noticed shooting vests and shell bags with two shell loops stitched in? They are for your mulligan shells.
• Don't cycle your singles thru the mag, just plop your shell in the slot and close the action. Newbies unnecessarily cycling their pumps just slows things down.
• Don't eject your hulls all over the place. Learn to eject with your hand over the port and catch your hulls.
• Don't pick up your grounded hulls until you observe the other shooters. Different clubs have different rules: Some clubs don't want your hulls littering their grass and want you to police them as you shoot. Other clubs don't want you spending time picking up your hulls.

DO be safe and have a great time.

[jsa3107]

Look for # 8s 1 1/8 with a improved modified choke
That is as simple as it gets

[Rob Pincus]

And on the shooting side......


1_____5
|_____|
2...3...4


If that box is the trap house, use those positions (the front left corner, rear left corner, center back of house, rear right corner and front right corner) as your starting hold position when you give your call ("Pull!") as you move through the 5 shooting positions on the field. These holds give you the best starts for following through the bird and make it less likely to get caught by a bird shooting out quickly to the side.

-Try to sweep in behind/under the bird and tracks its movement while it is still climbing.

-Start your trigger press just as the front of your barrel is about to obscure the bird.

-Keep the gun moving as you pull the trigger.

(all of that should make more sense after you get out there).

Have Fun!

-RJP

[zippy13]

Rob Pincus makes a very valid point: Okay, you've gone through all the preliminaries of getting on post for your first round of trap. You have an appropriate gun with the right choke, some sure-kill trap loads, and the good attitude... now what?

May I suggest you watch some trap being shot before you give it a try. The natural thing is to watch the targets break, but that won't teach you anything -- watch the shooters and what they do. Typically: they load, mount, go to their hold point, call for the target, determine the direction of the target, swing on the target, see their lead, shoot, and follow through. It will soon become apparent that some folks are a lot smoother doing this than others.

I think Rob will agree, the secret to trap success is getting your gun moving in the same direction as the target. This is what "hold point" is all about -- it's the best direction to point your gun when you call for the target. The place that is optimum to move after the target no matter which direction it goes. It's different for each post. As you watch individual shooters, you'll see them adjust to a different hold point as they move from post to post.

Rob has provided a good way to start using the trap house corners as a hold point guide. One added hint, don't lose the target under your barrel by holding to high. Use Rob's reference points and hold a little low. Also, as a newbie, ask to start at a middle post (not 1 or 5).

[USA123456789]

Dave
I shoot an extra-full choke for everything thing except dubs and for that its Improved mod and Full. Well i always shoot 8's now since the summer i fell for them after shooting a 95 in Handicaps the first time with the 8's
Dont believe in this mumbo jumbo that you need a bigger faster stronger shell from far back, I use STS 8 3drm from the 27 yd line and i think thats to much i ink ball practically everything i shoot at.
So for you dave anything that is 8 shot and 2 3/4 or 3 drm eq for anything on the pad
DON'T BUY NITRO 27's FOR YOUR 1st TIME OUT YOU WONT WANT TO COME BACK IF YOU DO
If you haven't shot the gun that you previously bought dont buy a heavy loaded shell until you get a feel for the gun

I would reccomend federal gun clubs for this trip out

[zippy13]

Originally Posted by Fullerton Autofire

Trap rules limit shot to 1 oz. and 3 Dram Equiv. Most shoot 2 3/4 Dram Equiv. and 3/4 to 1 oz shot.

BigJimP is a very experienced shooter and his reference to "1 oz or 1 1/8 oz of 8's" is correct. I don't know what rules you've been shooting under (perhaps Int'l), but the ATA has no such rules. Here's an extract from their rule book
A contestant cannot use:
Any load with a velocity greater than 1290 FPS (Feet Per Second) with maximum shot charge of 1 1/8 ounces, or 1325 FPS with a maximum shot charge of 1 ounce, or 1350 FPS with a maximum shot charge of 7/8 ounces, as measured in any individual shotshell. These velocities are maximum and no individual shotshell shall exceed these limits for the designated shot charge. In addition, no load containing more than 1 1/8 ounces or any shot larger than Number 7 1/2 can be used. Shot charges are maximum and no charge may exceed the charge amount by more than 3%.

[oneounceload]

Bunker, (Int'l) does not allow 1-1/8 oz loads, nor does FITASC version of Sporting. American trap still does. Don't know why - 3/4 or 7/8 will do the job, save money and reduce recoil

[BigJimP]

Don't get too hung up on "equipment" for casually shooting of Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays etc. You can add most if not all of that stuff at a later date.

Follow the safety rules that Zippy gave you / make sure you know how to operate your shotgun / and have a good time. Down the road you can decide if you want a dedicated "Trap gun" or a Skeet gun or Sporting Clays gun, etc. I made a recommendation on a load above / and I would stay with a 12ga - but I've shot Trap with a 20ga or even a 28ga just for the heck of it too - and its fun. As long as you follow the clubs rules, you're safe, and conversational and and easy to be around - you'll have a good time.

Zippy gave you the current ATA rules on loads allowed / and there are different governing bodies for each of the clay target games. For Skeet as an example, their only limitation on 12ga is 1 1/8 oz - they don't specify a Dram equivalent max ( and its a sport where the birds are a lot closer than Trap ). Sporting Clays, to my knowledge, has no limitation either on Dram equivalent - but the rule books are for another discussion / and registered events / and they are revised annually. It takes some detailed study and discussion each year to study the new rule books / see if there are any revisions that may affect your equipment or shells.

But You don't need to worry about any of this stuff / other than making sure the loads you shoot do not have any shot sizes bigger than 7 1/2's - for casual Trap shooting ( and buy a shell that has a reasonable velocity ).

[zippy13]

Fullerton Autofire
This thread is intended to help introduce Super-Dave, an experienced contributor, to casual trap shooting. We may have different opinions on how things are best done, and we typically respect the opinions of others. However, criticizing a reasonable comment, by interjecting non-applicable rules, is contra-productive and may be lead to confusion.

Misinterpreting the rules you cite may lead others to question your competency. The PITA rules you cited are essentially the same as the ATA's. They both allow 1 1/8-oz loads at a maximum of 1290 FPS (about 3.4 dr eq). This is a faster load than your referenced "1 (revised to 1 1/8) oz. and 3 Dram Equiv."

[Toddd]

i, personally, dont know much about shooting trap/skeet at a range. been a few times, dont like paying and dont like the people. if you got the land (far enough from any buildings and people) just get some buddies together and shoot out back with walmarts best. 4 of us can go out for a good days worth of clay dusting for about $50 altogether, i dont see how you guys can spend so much. 2 boxes of 100 federal clay rounds (far less gummy and dirty than the equivalent winchester box) and 135 clays will give you a great intro weekend for way under the said $200. and dont worry about all the accessories until you know you wanna continue. experiment and have fun, thats how i started with the old man a while back and thats what its all about

just remember your safety...

[USA123456789]

Your made up rule book there is completely in the left field. The ATA limits shells out at 1290 for 1 1/8 oz. The 1 1/8 oz load is the most popular load out on the market today. Every one that i shoot with shoots 1 1/8 oz loads.
You must have pulled that rulebook up for skeet or sporting clay because it is completely wrong.
I shoot 20,000 registered targets a year and your telling me i cant shoot 1 1/8 load

HERE IS THE OFFICIAL RULE BOOK OF THE ATA
http://www.shootata.com/pdfs/2009_Ru...ylaws_4web.pdf

FULLERTON our buddy Super-Dave is going into the sport of Standard American Trapshooting not the international or bunker trap.

[jaymce]

JUST GO HAVE FUN!

and be safe of course. Ask questions when there someone should take you under their wing. Listen to those with experience as they usually give good advice.
As long as it is fun you will be back.

[oneounceload]

USA - why bother to shoot 1-1/8 oz??...I don't shoot trap - I'm more of a 5-stand and SC shooter, BUT I shoot with a lot of trap shooters, and most are now shooting 1oz or less.....saves lead cost, and reduces recoil....of course, most of these guys are retired and recoil hurts

[USA123456789]

Exactly one once you don't shoot trap. Most of the population is retired that shoots trap. But im not retired and i could careless about the recoil. I have shot 1,000 rds. in one day and i wanted to shoot more but they wouldn't let me.

[skeeter1]

My two cents worth? Start with a modified choke and 1oz of #8 rounds. IMHO, that's perfect from the standard 16yd line. I've shot trap from the 27yd line, and that took a full choke. Still, #8 shot worked OK. My trap gun is a double with both M/F barrels, so I don't have to worry about that. More important to just have fun, and don't let the rich old guys with their Perazzis, Benellis discourage you. It's what you do, not your shotgun. I got disdainful looks when I showed up on the trap range with a S/S double, until I shot a perfect 25/25. Use whatever you've got. Practice makes perfect.

[oneounceload]

USA - you must be young then....cause when you're old, that recoil you don't mind will come back to haunt you.....there's no need for more than 7/8 or 1oz to break any clay in any game

[zippy13]

Sure, you can go to the gun club and shoot trap with about just about any gun with any target load and have fun at the 16-yard line. Because Super-Dave has asked so many questions in this, and other threads, I'm guessing he wants to have fun AND do his absolute best. Who knows, he might get the trap bug and we'll be reading about his successes at the Grand Nationals.

oneounceload
...there's no need for more than 7/8 or 1oz to break any clay in any game

I seldom practice with 1 1/8-oz loads; but, for registered (tournament) targets full loads are going into my pouch. Using less than the allowable maximum load is giving an edge to your competition before you start. This assumes that you don't have recoil problems and can shoot full loads.
Many's the time I've been practicing with a light load and seriously dusted a target -- frequently, a little voice in the back of my head says "that would have been dead with a full load." I don't want to hear that voice while shooting registered targets. Do you?

Yes, USA123456789 is a young and enthusiastic shooter. He just had a thread lamenting present politics preventing formation of a high school trap team. It's teens like USA who are the future of the shooting sports, and we need to nurture them.

[.45 COLT]

http://www.remington.com/pdfs/trap_f...ntals_2004.pdf

[zippy13]

Super-Dave
.45 COLT's link (above) is to Remington's handout, Trap Shooting Fundamentals, and it covers graphically many of the trap tips previously mentioned. Also, it fine-tunes Rob's hold point references. If you go over the various field diagrams and understand the angles involved, you'll be much better prepared.

Not to beat a well worn drum; but, one of the first things mentioned is, "Proper gun fit is an absolute must at trap."

[Ghost22]

Another vote to keeping it simple. Make a call to the club to see what their ammunition restrictions are, and purchase accordingly. Federal and Remington make a 100 round value pack that is perfect for a trial run, or you could buy lower recoil shells if 50-100 shots of 3 dram 1 1/8 ounce shells hurt. I'd keep it either 7.5 or 8 shot, and a modified or full choke (very middle of the roadish, but usually works well). Do your research ahead of time to get a feel for the course of fire (it's not that complicated), watch a few rounds, and ask to join in. If you have fun, learn and repeat. Competing can be very expensive, but an occasional few rounds of recreational trap every month or so is not cause you to go bankrupt.