Equipment

Required Equipment

• Eye protection
• Ear protection
• 12-gauge or 20-gauge shotgun. (See Below for more details)
• Ammunition
• Shell pouch
• Shell catcher
• Gun cleaning/care supplies

Notes on other optional equipment

• Use of a Toepad is forbidden

Selection:

We recommend athletes choose a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun, and we prohibit use of a shotgun that has an external hammer. However, we also recognize an athlete may only have access to a shotgun that does not fit our 12/20 gauge requirement. SCTP rules allow for use of any serviceable shotgun smaller than 12 gauge, and we will allow use of shotguns other than 12/20 gauge that fit the SCTP requirement (.410, 28 gauge, 16 gauge, etc). However, in this case the athlete must provide his/her own ammunition for League Matches and adjustments will not be made to the Activity Fee.

At this point in time, we are not allowing the use of shotguns that have release triggers.

Things to consider when choosing a shotgun:

• The best time to address "fit" is when purchasing a shotgun. Many firearms dealers/retailers can address fit during the purchasing process and help you choose a firearm that works best for you.
• American Trap only requires a shotgun capable of shooting one shell before being reloaded. Other disciplines require shotguns that can shoot twice before being reloaded. While we are currently limiting our participation to American Trap, there is a possibility that an athlete may want to participate in other disciplines in the future.

Fit:

Articles published regarding gun fit often point out that most shotguns are manufactured to fit a right-handed male who is approximately 5'9" to 5'10" tall and weighs about 165-185 lbs. Many shooters, especially youth and female shooters don't fit this "average." Poor shotgun fit can cause an athlete to shoot poorly, can contribute to the development of bad habits, and can allow the shotgun to beat the athlete up physically. In short, poor fit can make an athlete's experience so negative that he or she may walk away from the sport. Proper shotgun fit is extremely important!

The following articles provide good information regarding how to fit a shotgun:

• "How to Properly Fit a Shotgun" at www.nrafamily.org
• "How To Fit Your Shotgun For More Accurate Shooting" at blog.beretta.com

Shell Catchers:

Proper etiquette when shooting trap is to keep spent hulls from hitting the ground when it can be done safely. There are a couple of ways to do this when using a semi-automatic shotgun.

• All commercially produced shotgun shell catchers are designed for 12 gauge shotguns. Currently, we have no recommendations regarding what works and what doesn't work for specific firearm models.
• There are no shell catchers designed for 20 gauge shotguns. One option that exists is modifying this specific Birchwood Casey Save-It Shell Catcher. We are unaware of how easy or difficult this modification is or how well it works.
• Many shooters who use semi-automatic firearms use a rubber band over the action. A quick web search can best inform how this is done.