Trap

Trap

Five shots are taken at each of the five stations. After the first five shots are completed by the entire squad, each athlete will move to a new station by:

•         Verifying the shotgun is unloaded.

•         With the chamber open and the shotgun pointed in a safe direction, rotate in a clockwise manner to the next station.

•         Station one will move to station two, two to three, three to four, four to five, and five to one.

•         Station five will rotate to their right moving away from the station four athlete who is moving to station five and continue to walk behind the other athletes to station one.

•         Await the “START” command from the scorekeeper.

•         The squad leader is the first to shoot in each round.

•         Repeat process until all shooters have each shot 25 targets.

•         No shooter will move to the next station until the last target in a round is completed.

SHOTGUN – SAFETY AND ETIQUETTE 10-16-25

The four main rules of firearm safety

These principles, sometimes referred to as the "four main rules of gun safety," apply to shotguns and all other firearms:

• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. This is the most important rule. Even if you believe the gun is unloaded, handle it with the same caution as if it were ready to fire. Do not assume otherwise.

• Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. A safe direction is one where an accidental discharge will not cause injury or damage. Never point a gun at yourself, another person, or anything you do not intend to shoot.

• Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. Your finger should remain outside the trigger guard, resting on the frame of the gun, until you have made the decision to shoot.

• Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. Before shooting, identify your target clearly and be certain of the area behind it. A shotgun's pellets can travel a great distance and can cause unintended harm. 

Specific shotgun safety measures

In addition to the core rules, these practices are especially important for shotgun handling:

• Know your shotgun's "safety." While modern shotguns have safety mechanisms, you should never rely on them as a substitute for safe gun handling. Understand the specific location and function of your shotgun's safety, as designs vary.

• Use the correct ammunition. Ensure you are using the correct gauge and type of ammunition for your shotgun. Using the wrong shells can damage the gun and cause serious injury.

• Unload before cleaning or transporting. A shotgun should always be completely unloaded before you begin to clean it or put it away for transport. Never transport a loaded firearm.

• Wear eye and ear protection. Shotguns are loud, and shooting them can damage your hearing. Wear appropriate hearing protection and safety glasses to protect yourself from hot gas, debris, and hearing loss.

• Unload when traversing obstacles. When crossing fences, climbing a tree stand, or walking on difficult terrain, always unload your shotgun first. Carry the gun in a manner that the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction.

• Store firearms and ammunition separately. Store shotguns securely and out of the reach of unauthorized persons. For homes with children, this means using a locking device and storing ammunition in a separate, secure location.

• Avoid alcohol and drugs. Never consume alcohol or drugs before or while handling a shotgun. Any substance that impairs your judgment or physical function is a risk. 

Trap etiquette

1)      When approaching the firing line have your gun open

2)      Don’t load your gun until on the firing line.

3)      I believe if shooting competition load only one shell at a time – I load two.

4)      Do not put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

5)      Keep your gun pointed down range.

6)      Do not purposely shoot other shooter's birds if they miss – Its bad form as they may become stressed that you will shoot at their next shot, it is their bird not yours.

7)      All non shooters should stand at the back not right behind a shooter – its distracting to shooters and distractions are safety issues .

8)      The word to release a bird is pull, not any other goofy word.  Again its distracting

9)      Do not leave the area until the round is complete and all shooters are done.

10)  Make sure your gun is empty and open before you leave the course. 

11)  Please reserve enough time to clean up and shut down the equipment properly. When finished shooting you should

a) Discharge and Power off the machine (The toggles you turned on, DO NOT STAND ON FRONT OF THE MACHINE WHEN DOING THIS) 

b) Unplug both the the pump and power strip 

b) While powered off ,fill the machine hopper with birds

c) Please return machine settings where you found them.

d) Pay for the number of rounds you have shot, $4/25 members $5/25 non members

e) Sweep out any debris from the house.

f) Take all cardboard across the street to the blue recycle dumpster.

g) Put all speakers facing down, and replace the manual switch into its box.

Operation the PAT trap machine. 10-16-25

This briefing is not meant to replace an in person training but merely a reminder of operation and safety procedures you should adhere to. If you have questions you have not had answered prior or not covered in this reminder please contact the trap chairperson. After your orientation you will receive trap / skeet house combos. I am trying to provide info on shotgun at https://sites.google.com/view/lasc-shotgun/trap

Operating the "PAT" Clay Thrower (turning on the trap house equipment)

1.     Looking down range approach the house using the side walk LEFT side of the trap house. Look around the front of the trap house DO NOT cross in front of the trap house unless the doors are closed. Open the combination lock to the house and the three doors.  You will receive the combination at training.  

2.     Once the house doors are opened verify the machine is disarmed, the arm below the hopper should be visible from the front (meaning no clay is loaded in the thrower) If the arm is not visible DO NOT BE IN FRONT OF THE MACHINE AT ALL.

3.     facing the open trap house and inside on the right, at ceiling level,  there should be a small orange caution flag rolled up. Place this in the right-side rooftop holder to make those in the shooting positions and beyond are ware there is a person down range.

4.     RANGE Etiquette, the previous user should have left the house clean and refilled  (Carousel filled, house swept from debris and empty cardboard boxes removed) 

5.     REMEMBER The arm below the hopper should be visible (meaning the thrower is disarmed nd no clay pigeon are  loaded in the thrower) If the arm is not visible DO NOT BE IN FRONT OF THE MACHINE.

6.     Enter the house, plug in the two electric plugs (the tan one heats the hydraulic fluid and other one powers the power strip to the pump and electronics)

7.     Exit the house, with the machine still disarmed (machine arm still extended) facing the house move to the far right side around the corner, beyond the edge of the house (right side as you look at the house from down-range) and turn on the switch labeled hydraulic pump “POWER” . It's the right-most of the 2 switches.

8.          Next raise the left-most switch to arm and load a clay in the thrower (the arm should now not be visible) and the thrower is now “armed.”

9.     Never stand in front of the machine when the arm is NOT visible, as it is “armed” nd can injure or kill you if accidentally discharged.

10.   TEST - Still standing off to the side of the house - Depress the “RELEASE” switch (again the left-most switch) . A clay should be thrown and machine is working properly. reset to arm again.

11.  If the machine continually throws clays, the hydraulic fluid is too cold. Turn the pump power off and wait 5 minutes leaving the switch that heats the hydraulic fluid on. Then turn the pump back on.

12.  If adjusting wobble or oscillation, this can only be done with the machine ON.  while in the house with the machine on and armed, (I recommend going around the backside of the house to enter it from the left when  the machine is armed.) on the left side of the machine adjust the Up/Down and LEFT/RIGHT to taste using the adjustment buttons below the hopper and set machine operation switches to MANUAL or AUTO (usually “AUTO”). (Most will find the existing settings satisfactory) Please note if wanting to shoot ATA regulation shooting the front bottom plate of the hopper should be set at a height of 21.5 inches.  There is a “high Tec” yard stick with a black sharpie mark that you may use to insure it is the height you want.

13.    The machine should be left in SINGLES mode by previous shooters. If DOUBLES are desired, set the machine to DOUBLES by inverting the beveled yellow wheel  at the lower left behind the hopper with the bevel down.

14.    POWER – The crank adjusts the speed of the bird.  Our preference is not to adjust the speed and it is set for ATA trap speed, 37mph, and it is difficult to  reset. However, If you want more power – faster birds -turn the crank at the lower right of the hopper by 10 turns to add extra power to the thrower.  Too much power will just shatter the birds.

15.   Return to the shooting stations. Do this after energizing, setting up the machine. iif you set the speakers up first it may create an accidental discharge. Face all the speakers in the upright position, Facing the sky as they will be listening to you. Remove the hand-held switch from the gray storage container near the official's chair behind the shooting positions, and turn it on (the red light comes on) The toggle activates the speakers and the button manually throws a bird.

TRAP RANGE SHOOTING Etiquette.  

a) Your gun should be loaded ONLY at the firing line.

b) You should NEVER walk off the firing line until ALL shooters are done.  To make unexpected movement is distracting and could create an unsafe situation.

c) When calling for a bird the word to use is "PULL" not "go" or "up"  or some other silly word, as it is distracting. 

As of this writing clay pigeons cost $4/25 for members and $5/25 for your guests.  In the Trap house, on the left side on a shelf is a sheet and a money bag. On the sheet write your name, and the number of boxes of birds you have shot and place the appropriate amount of money in the bag. Yes it’s an honor system and it could be cheated, please don’t. 

Shutdown of the equipment is the reverse of  "trap shooting" section.  Please leave the trap house clean, the hopper loaded, the thrower unarmed, unplug the electrical plugs, put the speakers facing down, and hand held switch in the box.

Pick up your hulls and put them in the trash cans.  If the cans are full, dispose of the trash and cardboard from the empty clay pigeon boxes in the dumpsters across the street.

American Trap (ATA):

The most basic of all the trap disciplines. Standard targets are thrown as singles. The horizontal direction is randomized with a maximum angle of 22 degrees measured from a line from the trap to the middle station. The height at which the targets are thrown is constant. The distance is constant at 50 yards. A squad of five shoot in rotation from five stations arrayed in an arc located 16 yards behind the traphouse; five targets are thrown at each station, after which the shooters move to the next station on their right. A round is 25 targets with one shot allowed at each target. An English variation is called Down-The-Line, a two-barrel discipline that allows two shots at a single target with a scoring penalty for a second-barrel hit.

Handicap Trap:

The same as ATA singles, except the shooter stands farther back than 16 yards — but no longer than 27 yards. The ATA reviews handicap yardage for shooters every 1,000 targets as part of their handicap system.

Doubles Trap:

As the name implies, two targets are launched simultaneously from one machine. Squads of five shooters rotate the five positions on the 16 yard line. Shooting events consist of 25 or 50 pairs.(50-100 shots)  Like 16 yard and handicap, scoring is one point per target hit.

1.     Five shooters (one at each speaker station) is a full complement

2.     The left-most shooter is the “Lead”.

3.     The “Lead” should say “Ready on the Firing Line” and the other four shooters acknowledge

4.     The “Lead” loads one round for singles two for doubles, then when ready shouts “pull” and the clays should throw.

5.     The subsequent four shooters, in sequence, load their round(s) and repeat the process.

6.     If the clay breaks when thrown, simply repeat the voice activation to throw another clay

7.     This is repeated 5 times until fired by each shooter, after which the “Lead” instructs shooters to move to the next station.

8.     All shooters rotate one station to the right, with the right most shooter moving to the left-most station.

9.     The “Lead” once again fires first, and the sequence is repeated until all shooters have fired 5 shots at each of the five stations. This constitutes a full round of 25 shots for each shooter

10.  The “Lead” should say “Cease Fire” and all shooters retire (breech once again open) and are replaced by the next 5 shooters.

4. Basic Range Safety for ATA Trap

1.     Anyone may call “Cease Fire” at any time, eg, for gun problems, etc

2.     Shooters who encounter problems, eg, gun problems, fumbling the round they are trying to load, etc, should call “Cease fire” and explain to the Lead what they intend to do, eg, retire to work on the gun problem, retrieve a fumbled round, etc. NEVER go in front of the firing line when the firing line is active (that is, Cease Fire has not been called)