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What ages are your shooters?
Anyone from 6th to 12th grade can shoot. Shooters are split into two groups: Juniors and Seniors. Junior shooters are in Junior High School (Grades 6-8) and Seniors shooters are in Senior High School (grades 9-12).
Where and when do you shoot?
We practice at the Ashland Gun Club, which is just north of Ashland. The season begins in March. During the season we practice on Mondays and Wednesdays, after school, starting at 4:00 and running until about 6:00. Fall practices are held on Sunday afternoons starting at 2:00 and ending by 5:00. Fall practices start in September and end before Thanksgiving weather permitting. Meet locations are set up by the Eastern Cornhusker Trapshooting Conference and run between April and May (usually on Saturdays).
What type of gun do you need?
Books can and have been written about the best gun for trap. We believe as coaches that the best size gun for trap shooting is a 12 gauge. We have members that feel more comfortable shooting a 20 gauge and that is perfectly acceptable. You can spend a lot of money on a specialized trap gun or you can begin with a relatively inexpensive hunting gun. There are advantages to the specialized guns but they are certainly not a determination of how well the shooter will shoot. We have several club members that shoot inexpensive hunting guns and have done very well. If you are considering the purchase of a gun please let me know so that we can discuss options, there are a few guns that we already know are not a good choice for our sport. An important rule of thumb when purchasing a shotgun for trap is the longer the barrel the better, most specialized shotguns made for trap shooting have 32 to 34 inch barrels, a standard hunting gun can sometimes be as short as 24 inches. It is more important that a student is shooting that what they are shooting.
What type of shells do you shoot?
2 ¾ inches long, #7 ½, 8, or 9 size lead, 2 ¾ dram (powder) Maximum
The more powder the more kick and after 100 rounds at a meet shoulders can get sore if you are
not used to shooting and even if you are. A box of shells has 25 shells. A flat of shells is 10 boxes. Shotgun shells can be purchased as individual boxes or in a flat (10
boxes), there is usually a price break if you purchase a flat as opposed to separate boxes of shells. It takes about 6 flats of shells per shooter for the regular season.
Remington, Winchester, Estate, Rio, these are probably the most popular brands. Reloading of shells is an option; if you have questions about reloading please feel free to ask. I have been reloading for a number of years now and can give you an idea of the cost savings. Reloading requires extra equipment and some basic knowledge concerning reloading and safety. It can be a lot of fun to reload your own shells and a way to save a little money.
What equipment does my student need?
They will need a bag (to catch shells), safety glasses, earplugs, shells, and a gun. I STRONGLY suggest a gun rest. Students can't rest the gun on their foot. If they do not have a gun rest, then their arms will get tired from holding the gun between shots. If you are not coming with them to a meet then please have them bring the food items that you have signed up to provide for the meet. Please remember if they are a Junior shooter they will need two boxes of shells, if you have a Senior shooter they will need four boxes of shells.
What is a choke?
Chokes are added to the barrel of the shotgun to control the spread of the shot (bbs) that come out of the shell. Different chokes perform differently at different distances. We start our new shooters with a modified choke. As they improve we move them to a full choke.
What is the season like for weather?
ANY type of weather will be seen. We start in March and end in May. Snow, wind, rain (sometimes heavy), cold, sunshine, or any combination of these can be seen on any given practice or meet. Shooting will continue in any of these weather conditions unless there is a tornado or lightning. In the event of lightning, shooting will resume after the lightening has stopped. Plan your attire accordingly.
What clothing do shooters need to wear?
They need to wear ENOUGH clothes to stay warm while they are shooting. We will have heaters in the tents during meets to help keep them warm before and after they shoot, but while they are shooting they need to have appropriate clothing to stay warm. I've had a student pass out from the cold when he wore shorts, a t-shirt, and hoodie to a meet with subzero wind chills. Please make sure your student dresses appropriately.
Are there academic awards?
The Easter Cornhusker Trapshooting Conference Academic Excellence Awards are awarded to all students/shooters who have achieved a cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.5 or better, for all classes completed. Applications for this award are required to be turned in BEFORE the season begins.
How will I be notified of any changes?
Teamsnap is our preferred method of communication. If you join the team you will be sent login information that will keep you up to date immediately if there are any changes.
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