bare basics for a newb?

[knock-knock]

Hey all

I shot clays for the first time a few days ago and had a blast.. but I had no idea what I was doing so I needed some things clarified. This was at Silverdale, by myself with the foot pedal remote.

Firstly, their setup has 5 stations a few feet apart. I chose to stand at the middle one. Every press of the remote sent a clay in a seemingly random direction, left and right... can someone tell me what this setup is? How is it used 'properly'? Can those clays be anticipated in some sort of order, or are they truly random?

Second: it was a little awkward operating the pedal myself, as the clay would basically spring out the moment my foot pressed it... maybe my stance was messed up, but the pedal was throwing me off. I definitely see how easier it would be to just say pull and have someone else actuate the thing. My question is: where are you aiming the gun before the pull? Should I have had my sights just above the launcher (big black box), waiting to track the clay? Is that the proper thing to do?

And lastly, can someone share some basic etiquette with regards to how many shots should be fired (if you miss, do you try to get that clay again with a follow-up?), how to handle your guns and ammo, how to shoot with others, etc etc. Just looking for DO's and DON'Ts I guess....

Oh also, I was hitting a lot of clays but they weren't bursting... I attributed this to having a cylinder bore 22" and that if I remember to bring my IC choke, things would've gone much differently. True?


THANKS!

 

[flywader]

Sounds like you were shooting trap. If you look up trap shooting on Wikipedia you will get a better description of the rules, but essentially you fire 5 shots from each of the 5 stations and your total score is out of 25. 5 shooters can use a trap field at once, and after your 5 shots at the current station, you all rotate. If you miss you do not re-shoot the target.

Most people shooting trap have a tight choke like Improved Modified, Light Full or Full. However, you can shoot trap with any choke and do reasonably well.

In terms of where to aim your gun, I am sure everyone has their own preference, but you want to be able to see the bird as fast as possible. The longer you take to shoot, the farther the bird is from you and the harder it will be to break. Aim where it feels best for you, such that you can get on the bird quick.

In singles trap (1 bird thrown at a time), the angle is truly random but within a 45 degree span (someone correct me if I am wrong). The machine moves left, right, and can also come to a complete stop, so there is no way of telling where to shoot.

If you look up trap shooting on youtube there will be some good videos to give you a visual of everything. Practice makes perfect!

Other popular clay sports are skeet, 5-stand and sporting clays. You can look these up as well and shoot them next time you are out to see what you like best.

 

[hogiron]

In singles trap (1 bird thrown at a time), the angle is truly random but within a 45 degree span (someone correct me if I am wrong). The machine moves left, right, and can also come to a complete stop, so there is no way of telling where to shoot.



In most trap machines you can set the extreme angle of the bird in 5 different positions. The number 1 position or "hole" as it is referred to, is a straight away from station three on the trap range. From station 1, the bird will come out straight again as if on the third station, but it will be a 1/4 angle to the person on station 1. Same thing with station 2, except a less of an angle, then reverse of station 1 and 2, on stations 4 and five.
When you place the trap in hole 2 you start to get an osculating angle, but nothing extreme, and continues to get a more extreme angle as you go to hole 5. The only time I've seen the trap used in hole 5 is to break a tie in competition when the out come seems equal.
When the trap machine pauses, before it continues to osculate, there has been an interrupter added to the machine, which mixes up the normal way the machine throws birds.
My experience with trap machines is with the Winchester Western White Flyer
machine. Alot of good question knock-knock, have fun at the range.

 

[knock-knock]

thanks guys