Does anyone have factual info on how fast trap targets are actually thrown. I have seen 40mph, 50mph, 55mph and 55kmph for ATA. For International I have seen 100mph, 110mph and the 90kmph in the thread above. I am curious more than anything.
The comments about the challenge in International Trap in the above threads are also interesting. I keep hearing that shooters don't come to the range to shoot, they come to break targets, therefore targets need to be set easy so everyone has a good score and goes home happy. Sort of raises the question, why not just shut off the oscillation on the trap machine, turn down the spring, move everyone to shoot from a position just behind the trap house and now everyone will be happy??
Well, I can't speak for American Trap, as it's governed by ATA standards, but bunker is strictly governed by the ISSF rulebook which does not stipulate a speed, but rather a distance that all targets must traverse: every bird thrown must travel between 75 and 77 metres. This means that targets thrown higher are ejected with less force, as the trajectory keeps the bird in the air longer. Low targets come out faster to make the same distance. Depending on the elevation of the bunker and subsequent air density, the fastest birds can exceed 110 miles per hour. To deal with the increased acceleration, international target are indeed slightly heavier. At Vancouver Gun Club we really need to crank them out since the club actually sits at three feet below sea level. That's why you never see a consistent speed assigned to international target; it varies from target to target.
The other factor to consider is that bunker ammunition is limited to 24 grams; slightly less than 7/8th of an ounce. This is reduced from decades ago, and will probably be reduced again when the scores demand the ISSF make the game even more difficult. It is nice for those of us that reload though!
As for variety of shots, it depends on how often the people running the bunker change the setup. In a true bunker/international (as opposed to wobble) setup, there is no oscillation. What there is is 15 traps all pre-set for a given angle, elevation, and velocity. In front of each shooting station there will be three machines; one throwing left, another a straightaway (within 15 degrees of straight, anyway), and another throwing a right. The rulebook states that targets cannot be thrown at more than 45 degrees to the right or left, and much be between 1 and 4 metres in elevation at the 10 yard mark. We change ours relatively often, and have two bunkers to shoot, just in case we feel like changing things up. They also get changed again before each competition.
I personally enjoy the challenge. But then again, I don't go to the club to break targets, I go to improve. Also, I enjoy the people that I shoot with. Most of the people that shoot bunker at Vancouver Gun Club came across as a bit less than friendly when I first started, but it's merely that they take the game quite seriously and don't really appreciate the howdy-doody attitude a lot of the casual shooters have.
If anyone is curious about it, I would definitely tell them to give it a try. It's insanely humbling for the first few days, but once you get the hang of it, there's a lot of depth to it.
This is the final round from one of the Chile World Cup (shooting actually starts at 10 minutes or so):
[youtube]G0Bitquh_3M[/youtube]
