Bunker

[M12shooter]

Planning on shooting for the first time some Bunker Trap tomorrow evening. How much more difficult than regular 16 yard ATA? Full choke I would assume, what ammo? I usually shoot 1 ounce of #7 1/2 or 8 shot at 1250 fps.

 

[blaser.306]

Targets 1/2 again faster 90 km as opposed to 60 km , and for regulation targets restricted to 7/8 oz, 24 gr. of shot@ I beleive 1400 ish fps. Humbleing to say the least! If there is anyone with experience shooting the bunker and they offer advice, with a grain of salt mind you . Have a listen and you may just break a few of those little devils as they go streaking out of sight with vapour trails behind e'm. The most important thing is to give it a try and have a little fun while you are at it .

 

[dfritter1]

They don't ALL go that fast... some go faster.

In front of each station, inside the bunker, will be three machines. One will be set up to throw a left, one a straight (sort of, there's a certain degree of leniency in the word "straight"), and one a right. Each machine could be set to different degrees of both yaw and elevation, so the presentation is quite random. However, the rules stipulate that all targets must make a minimum distance of 76 metres. That means that the high, lofty targets will be going slower than the ones that come out low in order to make them land within the acceptable distance.

As for equipment, if you're just playing with it, don't bother buying bunker-spec loads. 24 gram loads aren't easy to find nor are they terribly cheap (no such thing as promos!), but you can replicate them quite handily by buying 7/8 loads. Chokes are typically set to full over improved mod. In fact, that's such a common choice that true bunker guns are only available with fixed chokes set up that way.

There's a ton of different ways to shoot the game, none of which work for everyone, each of which works for someone. But the crux of the matter will be reversing your thinking from "damn I missed one" to "sweet I hit one." Do that, and you'll enjoy it!

 

[Pakiji]

You'll love it, don't worry about the load, speed etc. Bunker is as much more difficult than ATA 16 yard singles as chess is to checkers. The high speed is not so much the issue as the large speed variation, hard angles, and extreme elevation variation (ATA has no elevation angle variation). You can use slow ammo like in American trap or you can use handicap loads. 24g @1350fps (7 1/2) is regulation but you'll have an easier time with standard ATA ammo (though not for the second shot).

For choke, at least a mod on first barrel, full on second. Guys have shot more open on the first but it's rare, and everyone has full on the second barrel because of the distance second barrel hits occur.

Remember, if you hit on the first shot, you are allowed to hit the biggest chip you can find with the second! Don't worry about anything other than see the target, shoot the target.

See rules and brief explanation halfway down the page here:

http://www.vancouvergunclub.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=53

 

[Pakiji]

... the rules stipulate that all targets must make a minimum distance of 76 metres. That means that the high, lofty targets will be going slower than the ones that come out low in order to make them land within the acceptable distance.

Slight correction there, fritter, both the high elevations and low elevations are going the fastest, the middle elevations go the slowest. There's an optimum angle for launch that minimizes initial speed for distance, I think its the ~2.5m targets.

 

[M12shooter]

Thanks for the insight guys. Viewed some bunker/international trap on Youtube. Usually shoot 22-24 at ATA trap myself...guess I'm in for an eyeopener tonight!

 

[hnachaj]

The Brit that won double trap shoots RC 4 Excelence 9.5 in the first barrel and 7.5 in the second. That fact will put to rest: " Faster ammo and 7.5 will do better at range"! More pellets will transfer more energy due to a denser pattern. This is why I hunt upland birds over Oban with 8 or in the 28, 8.5 target loads. It really knocks them down.

Henry

 

[Pakiji]

The Brit that won double trap shoots RC 4 Excelence 9.5 in the first barrel and 7.5 in the second. That fact will put to rest: " Faster ammo and 7.5 will do better at range"! More pellets will transfer more energy due to a denser pattern. This is why I hunt upland birds over Oban with 8 or in the 28, 8.5 target loads. It really knocks them down.

Henry

No offense intended, but how would the fact that Wilson (the double trap shooter) uses 7 1/2 on the longer range 2nd shot put the "7 1/2 shot does better at range" theory to rest?

First barrel preferences depend entirely on how fast you shoot. 8s are common for bunker in first barrel. Olympic doubles are slower as well so the first shot occurs much closer than in bunker.

 

[hnachaj]

I have found and so have others that even at 50M a denser pattern of 9.5 gives a better chance than less pellets of a 7.5. I have shot rounds of sporting clays with 9 that killed rabbits. As an Olympic champion, I think he knows what works best. Besides, I have tested RC last summer at the plant with my chokes at 35M. They are the most consistent shotshell out there! The RC 4 Excellence are very good but the Red Shot Supernik, just patterns awesome!
Henry

 

[Pakiji]

No doubt RC4 is awesome. But no one uses 9s on bunker even for the first shot. Olympic doubles are a different game shot at shorter distances. And even then, the second shot is 7 1/2, as you originally pointed out. If it were true that 9s offered the best hit probability at second target distances, Wilson would undoubtedly have switched to 9s for both shots.

 

[M12shooter]

Well, got back from the range and shot 13 on my first round of bunker...which I was told by those that hang around and shoot in Italy... as not being too bad for a newbie. Shot 1 oz. of # 7 1/2 at 1250 FPS. I was shooting a pump as well, the second shot was a waste of ammo as the bird was only a spec by the time I got onto it. Did not even bother after the first few.

Very fast and incredibly challenging. I can see how this can be addicting. Later went over and shot a round of 16 yard ATA...just to make myself feel better. First bird that came out was a shock, my initial thought was...what's this big thing hanging in the air. Almost like child's play when compared to bunker. Broke 23 there.

 

[dfritter1]

Yeah, it certainly has that effect... 13 isn't a bad result for a new shooter dealing with a pump, though! Well done!

 

[Pakiji]

13 is excellent! Very well done. Most people get around 5ish their first time out.

 

[canuk]

The Brit that won double trap shoots RC 4 Excelence 9.5 in the first barrel and 7.5 in the second. That fact will put to rest: " Faster ammo and 7.5 will do better at range"! More pellets will transfer more energy due to a denser pattern. This is why I hunt upland birds over Oban with 8 or in the 28, 8.5 target loads. It really knocks them down.

Henry

Just to be Clear, Olympic style Double Trap and Olympic style trap are totaly different. the 'brit' or any other DT shooter on the issf circuit does NOT shoot 9.5's or even 8.5 in trap. Totaly differnt thing.

In DT targets are going slower and direction is fixed (one of 3 settings). experts spot shoot (with as open as skeet choke) the first target less than 20 feet out.

faster ammo and 7.5's ARE the shell in bunker. And I say this while shooting 8.5's at bunker (only cause I'm a skeet shooter who shoots bunker for fun.. too cheap to buy extra ammo).