Does anyone have any ideas about how to make trap and skeet practices interesting. I have taken on the job of arranging the practices for our outdoor club. So, each week it is my responsibility to set up the practice and get everything ready before guys show up. I have been doing this for about 8 or 10 weekly practices now and things have been going well. In fact, there has been a slight increase in interest and some guys have started showing up. We had 8 shooters at our practice yesterday, for example. A typical practice starts off with a round of skeet. Then we shoot two or three rounds of trap beginning at the 16 yard line and moving back to the 27 yard line. We even have a setup for doubles that we haven't used. I'm quite happy with this and would be happy to do it forever, but I'm concerned that guys might get bored with the same old thing. I would like to try some new things to provide a challenge and help keep interest up. Does anyone have any ideas about this? What do other clubs do to keep interest high? Fred
Making Practices Interesting
- Thread starter BCFred
- Start date
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Is your Trap field a "combined field" with your Skeet layout ?( i.e., is the Trap house, straight out from N0. 8 Skeet Station ?)
If so, a game some refer to as "Skrap" or "Scat" ( and some refer to it as Oh, F%#@ ! ) will provide some pretty interesting targets ..., but you must use both layouts simultaneously.
If so, a game some refer to as "Skrap" or "Scat" ( and some refer to it as Oh, F%#@ ! ) will provide some pretty interesting targets ..., but you must use both layouts simultaneously.
Sounds interesting. The skeet setup is in front of and below the trap house and the birds from trap fly through the skeet area. #8 station is somewhat to the left of the trap house, however. I'll pace it out tomorrow, but my guess is that the line at right angles through number 8 passes about 2 or 3 paces away from the left side of the trap house. You could certainly shoot any of the skeet birds from the 16 yard line of the trap range. The wire for triggering the skeet comes from the trap house. So, you could use it to trigger skeet from the trap area. Will this do? What are the rules? Cheers! Fred
PS Beretta Boy one of the new guys brought a beautiful Beretta O/U to the last practice. I put it to my shoulder and it fit so nicely it almost make me cry. My Citori is a good gun, but I don't think I have held a nicer shotgun than this Beretta. He has offered to let me shoot a match with it. Scary!!!
Could cost me alot of money in the long run... Fred
Could cost me alot of money in the long run... Fred
PS Beretta Boy one of the new guys brought a beautiful Beretta O/U to the last practice. I put it to my shoulder and it fit so nicely it almost make me cry. My Citori is a good gun, but I don't think I have held a nicer shotgun than this Beretta. He has offered to let me shoot a match with it. Scary!!!
hmmm I will never say anything bad about my Citori but my new Beretta is sure making it easier to hit those targets. Yes this is going to cost you a lot of money....
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
At a number of Clubs, the Skeet Field has a Trap range set into it ... so that the trap is located straight out from Station 8 by about 2 yards.
Rules ... Have fun. Stand on the Skeet Stations.
Station 1: Skeet High house, Trap, (set on max. wide wobble
and max vertical oscillation) on report.
Skeet Low House, Trap, on report.
Station 2: Trap, High, on report - Trap, Low on Report ( the reverse of 1 )
Station 3: Trap/High simultaneous pair.
Station 4: Trap single.. 2 shots permited, followed by a Trap/Low
simultaneous pair.
Station 5: Trap/Low simultaneous pair
Station 6: Trap, High on report. Trap/Low on report.
Station7: High, Trap on report. Low,Trap on report.
Station 8: Trap,Trap on report.
So far, only one (1) "25 straight" that I'm aware of ( a hunting/target shooting buddy with his 391 Urika/Full Choke ) in the last 4 years. I and a few others have 24's, and a bunch of 23's. 20/21's are considered good scores. It's a lot tougher than you might think. Most O/U shooters opt for I/C or Mod. and Full, while the single barrels are Mod., Imp/Mod or Full. The Trap targets are generally shot well beyond conventional Trap target distances, and the Skeet targets can be anywhere from a couple of yards
(like on High 7) to 35 yard or more... on the Station 3 and 5 simultaneous pairs, as the second shot on these doubles. The wobble trap setting provides some dirty low wide angle "splits" in the process - reqiuiring a lot of gun swing.
Taking the Skeet target first on the simulataneous pairs is possible, but likely not the best approach.
Hope you can work it out. Definitely NOT boring ! It's also become one of the Annual "Club Champion" required events ... a HOA one-day shoot where one must shoot a round of 50 Sporting, 25 5-Stand, 25 Skeet, 25 International Skeet ( International targets & distances, gun down, electronic delay - the Full ISSF Monty) and 25Skat. to be crowned "Club Champ".
Rules ... Have fun. Stand on the Skeet Stations.
Station 1: Skeet High house, Trap, (set on max. wide wobble
and max vertical oscillation) on report.
Skeet Low House, Trap, on report.
Station 2: Trap, High, on report - Trap, Low on Report ( the reverse of 1 )
Station 3: Trap/High simultaneous pair.
Station 4: Trap single.. 2 shots permited, followed by a Trap/Low
simultaneous pair.
Station 5: Trap/Low simultaneous pair
Station 6: Trap, High on report. Trap/Low on report.
Station7: High, Trap on report. Low,Trap on report.
Station 8: Trap,Trap on report.
So far, only one (1) "25 straight" that I'm aware of ( a hunting/target shooting buddy with his 391 Urika/Full Choke ) in the last 4 years. I and a few others have 24's, and a bunch of 23's. 20/21's are considered good scores. It's a lot tougher than you might think. Most O/U shooters opt for I/C or Mod. and Full, while the single barrels are Mod., Imp/Mod or Full. The Trap targets are generally shot well beyond conventional Trap target distances, and the Skeet targets can be anywhere from a couple of yards
(like on High 7) to 35 yard or more... on the Station 3 and 5 simultaneous pairs, as the second shot on these doubles. The wobble trap setting provides some dirty low wide angle "splits" in the process - reqiuiring a lot of gun swing.
Taking the Skeet target first on the simulataneous pairs is possible, but likely not the best approach.
Hope you can work it out. Definitely NOT boring ! It's also become one of the Annual "Club Champion" required events ... a HOA one-day shoot where one must shoot a round of 50 Sporting, 25 5-Stand, 25 Skeet, 25 International Skeet ( International targets & distances, gun down, electronic delay - the Full ISSF Monty) and 25Skat. to be crowned "Club Champ".
Jeez, that sure sounds like some club championship! Thanks for the rules and for the suggestion. I'm still figuring things out, but it is likely our machines wont do some of the things you are describing. I will check, of course. The idea of locating the trap range in the skeet range like that sure does open some possibilities. It might be possible to create something from what you are describing, though it probably isn't a good idea to stand at the skeet stations. Thanks again...fred
colt45cz75
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If you have a wobble trap you have the best practice going. We used to shoot off a wobble about 15 years ago, and it was the cat's ass. You had every angle and elevation possible, and the few times we shot doubles were as challenging as you could want.
We have a few small portable machines that we set up and shoot a bit of a 5 stand sporting clays presentation. Most days we end up shooting more of the sporting stuff than trap any more. A simple angle change can switch the presentation from an incomer to a crosser or going away. Always fun and sometimes a little more challenging than expected.
BCFred
Try an "Annie Oakley" it is shot from 20 yards with the shooters all in the centre of the field side by side around station 3 in a line rather than using the stations. The first shooter calls for his target and shoots like normal if he hits it he is safe but if he misses the shooter next to him can shoot at it if he hits the target the first shooter is out. If he misses the 3rd guy can shoot and put out the first 2 shooters,if you shoot out of turn or at a broken target you are out, every 2nd time that you go through the full order the entire line takes a 1 yard step back untill you have 1 shooter left. We shoot these with up to 25 shooters on the field and it doesn't take long to get a winner, and usually everyone wan't to do it again .
The next game (my favorite) is a follow the leader, shot with up to 15 shooters using the entire field including in front of the trap house. The first shooter (draw cards to decide the order) picks the place and the position to shoot from ( ie: sitting, opposite handed, standing on 1 foot, anything that is safe goes) every shooter gets 2 misses total not per station. To score you just need a plain paper with the shooters names in order and place an x when they miss to keep track of who's out and who chooses the next shooting place. If you have a few brave shooters you will find out how far away you can break a trap target we often shoot from 40-50 yards behind the trap. The only rules are trap loads only and the target must be safe. If you try these games have a box of shells or some steaks as the prize and I am sure you will find some new shooters pretty fast. Buddy shoots, "skrap", Annie's and Follow the leader's are all great games and add some excitement to the same old games.
Regards
Try an "Annie Oakley" it is shot from 20 yards with the shooters all in the centre of the field side by side around station 3 in a line rather than using the stations. The first shooter calls for his target and shoots like normal if he hits it he is safe but if he misses the shooter next to him can shoot at it if he hits the target the first shooter is out. If he misses the 3rd guy can shoot and put out the first 2 shooters,if you shoot out of turn or at a broken target you are out, every 2nd time that you go through the full order the entire line takes a 1 yard step back untill you have 1 shooter left. We shoot these with up to 25 shooters on the field and it doesn't take long to get a winner, and usually everyone wan't to do it again .
The next game (my favorite) is a follow the leader, shot with up to 15 shooters using the entire field including in front of the trap house. The first shooter (draw cards to decide the order) picks the place and the position to shoot from ( ie: sitting, opposite handed, standing on 1 foot, anything that is safe goes) every shooter gets 2 misses total not per station. To score you just need a plain paper with the shooters names in order and place an x when they miss to keep track of who's out and who chooses the next shooting place. If you have a few brave shooters you will find out how far away you can break a trap target we often shoot from 40-50 yards behind the trap. The only rules are trap loads only and the target must be safe. If you try these games have a box of shells or some steaks as the prize and I am sure you will find some new shooters pretty fast. Buddy shoots, "skrap", Annie's and Follow the leader's are all great games and add some excitement to the same old games.
Regards
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
A hard right hand from the trap house with you on station 7 or a left from one is always interesting!
Here's another you can do.
Start walking from the third station at the 27 yard line with the puller holding BOTH controls.
at random he will release one of three clays.
As soon as that one is released, another random one is released, so you can have a trap clay and low house combo, or a high house -low house combo, or to skeets, etc.
Lottsa fun!
Cat
These are just great ideas! One fellow called for an Annie Oakley the other day. It was great fun! Will probably introduce a new one each practice. One of the chaps from a neighbouring town showed up the other day and he shot doubles skeet from each station (no singles). For example, station one was doubles with high house leading, then doubles with low house the leading shot, then move to station two. It took a few more shells but proved to be quite a challenge. Good way of practicing keeping head on stock and looking for second bird that's for sure.
