Practice for the season ~Trap

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Max2
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Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Max2 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 10:05 am

last year in about mid August I would head over to my local gun club and shoot trap to get in shape for the up coming season. I really felt that it helps. It seems as though a lot of guy's that strictly hunt won't go to the range and practice.That has been my consensus .I say this only because last season it seamed to really help me to put more birds in the bag early on. I stopped going after the season opened. This yr I may continue to go every Sunday as the weekends are not my favorite times to hunt anyway.
I prefer before work & after work weekdays. Who else will shoot just for hunting season ? or am I alone ?
I must admit I am getting a little excited about the up-coming season .

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by NEhomer » Sun Sep 11, 2016 10:48 am

I shoot 3 shells from an auto-loader. I don't recall the last time a bird under point flew away. My goal is always to use one shell though so I'm not saying that it's a bad idea to shoot clays but tuning up the dog's skills is tops on my list at this time of year.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Timewise65 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 12:37 pm

I go and shoot a couple of rounds at a sporting clays course prior to hunting season. I am 66 and this helps my timing on a variety of shot configurations, makes my hunts much more productive...! Now you have to realize I do not have the advantage of pointers. My dogs are retrievers and we work on waterfowl primarily, but every year we will work on a few pheasant and quail as our dogs are good flushers and work well within gun range. But you have to be on your gun to make clean kills...

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by bonasa » Sun Sep 11, 2016 1:41 pm

If you were a proficient , competetive shooter , I feel the muscle memory will be there like any sport requiring hand /eye coordination. Pending any major weight gain/loss that may affect LOP/comb support or a new firearm, you should be fine.It is fun to shoot a round or two in August/September at the club and catch up with people. Although there are nuisance blackbirds and early goose season too and the ribbing from friends acts as a self regulating device for poor shooting.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by luvthemud » Sun Sep 11, 2016 7:27 pm

I like to get out and do some sporting clays shooting just to get back into the swing of things. Was just talking to one of my hunting partners about going next weekend actually!

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by nikegundog » Sun Sep 11, 2016 7:31 pm

Max2 wrote:last year in about mid August I would head over to my local gun club and shoot trap to get in shape for the up coming season. I really felt that it helps. It seems as though a lot of guy's that strictly hunt won't go to the range and practice.That has been my consensus .I say this only because last season it seamed to really help me to put more birds in the bag early on. I stopped going after the season opened. This yr I may continue to go every Sunday as the weekends are not my favorite times to hunt anyway.
I prefer before work & after work weekdays. Who else will shoot just for hunting season ? or am I alone ?
I must admit I am getting a little excited about the up-coming season .
Have you tried skeet? If so, how do you do in relation to your trap scores?

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Max2 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 8:27 pm

No skeet . just trap. Basically ~pull~ throw up & shoot. The folks from the club ask me why I don't come down and shoot more often. Shooting at targets does nothing for me. Doesn't make sense though ~ does it :D I love to walk behind a dog ~ just he & I and hunt birds and enjoy nature . Taking it all in sights,sounds,smells . Fall is coming.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by greg jacobs » Sun Sep 11, 2016 9:00 pm

I've got a trap club 5 minute from my house that I've never been to. Trying to spend less time at work and more time at the quality of life things. The wife and I and the kids and their families all go out with the hand throwers and shoot and have a great time. Need to go down and get to know the people at the club and even try one of the dog games. I'm thinking an old dog can learn new tricks. The older I get the more I notice that a little practice sure helps come hunting season.

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Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Schatzman » Sun Sep 11, 2016 10:58 pm

I shoot a stupid amount of trap. Mostly on a competitive level. I shoot ATA events year round and practice 4-5 days a week. In an average year I shoot about 15,000-20,000 shells at trap between registered shoots and practice. I would say I am good but not among the greats by any means. I have an average in singles around 95%.

I don't think it helps me at all for bird season. I shoot a Krieghoff K-80 for trap in 12 gauge with a 34" unsingle for singles and a 32" for doubles. My bird gun is a Beretta SP4 in 20 gauge with 28" barrels. In regards to weight, swing of the gun, and POI they are completely different. I actually stop shooting trap in September to break me of my trap habits for bird season and to simply just take a break from shooting.

In theory I think it can help for bird season if you don't shoot a trap gun and shoot the same gun you do for birds. I warn you now, it is an expensive hobby that will make bird hunting look cheap. Taking guns and ammo out of the equation, I could fund a trip every year to Argentina to dove hunt every year with what I spend in trap practice and registered shoots.

You will find some of the nicest people around at trap, and it is one of the few places where people will let you pick up their $20k+ shotguns and shoot them. They are some of the prettiest guns around also.

Here is my K-80. You can tell I love bird hunting by the engraving haha.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Max2 » Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:14 am

greg jacobs wrote: The older I get the more I notice that a little practice sure helps come hunting season.





This is very true. & The reason I posted. Some folks feel funny to go because they don't know anyone. Heck I don't know anyone when I get there but know everyone when I leave. :D Like minded folks tend to try and help out a new comer.
There is some truth in practice makes perfect. or at least can help you to shoot better.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Tooling » Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:25 am

I use a portable trap and have a remote to pull which offers freedom from the trap..even with friends the remote is fantastic b/c in lieu of using a wobble on the trap, one can walk around and have differing presentations including shooter position about the landscape.

I always shoot low gun and do my best to have the puller "pull" at will..it turns into a game between friends..puller trys to get them past you & you do your best to beat him at his game.

If I don't practice & warm up following a dry spell I cripple birds..Although my dog loves it, I don't like to cripple birds.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by greg jacobs » Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:50 am

We also start with our guns down. That way a person is practicing their mount also. Lot closer to a hunting situation. And the mount is pretty important to practice.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:33 pm

I try to get in one round of sporting clays before the season, but my best practice is shooting birds for training. Unlike clays, birds behave like, well, birds. The disadvantage to any kind of scattergun target shooting, whether it is trap, skeet, or sporting clays, is that the targets are constantly slowing down. On the other hand, most birds I shoot (minus the small amount of decoying ducks and geese) are accelerating as they move. Soooo... I shoot one round to give myself different angles and to have fun.
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greg jacobs
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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by greg jacobs » Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:08 pm

mnaj_springer wrote: my best practice is shooting birds for training. Unlike clays, birds behave like, well, birds. The disadvantage to any kind of scattergun target shooting, whether it is trap, skeet, or sporting clays, is that the targets are constantly slowing down. On the other hand, most birds I shoot (minus the small amount of decoying ducks and geese) are accelerating as they move. Soooo... I shoot one round to give myself different angles and to have fun.
How many trainimg birds do you shoot a year? Must be a lot more than me!

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:41 pm

greg jacobs wrote:
mnaj_springer wrote: my best practice is shooting birds for training. Unlike clays, birds behave like, well, birds. The disadvantage to any kind of scattergun target shooting, whether it is trap, skeet, or sporting clays, is that the targets are constantly slowing down. On the other hand, most birds I shoot (minus the small amount of decoying ducks and geese) are accelerating as they move. Soooo... I shoot one round to give myself different angles and to have fun.
How many trainimg birds do you shoot a year? Must be a lot more than me!
I'm not trying to make this a p!ss!ng match.
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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by nikegundog » Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:58 pm

Max2 wrote:No skeet . just trap. Basically ~pull~ throw up & shoot. The folks from the club ask me why I don't come down and shoot more often. Shooting at targets does nothing for me. Doesn't make sense though ~ does it :D I love to walk behind a dog ~ just he & I and hunt birds and enjoy nature . Taking it all in sights,sounds,smells . Fall is coming.
My son shot trap competitively last season (High School), at the end of the season they hosted a fun shoot. The kids got to shoot skeet for the first time, many of the better trap shooters shot skeet horribly. Makes me believe if a person really wants the be a better shot at game, perhaps mixing it up is the thing to do.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Max2 » Tue Sep 13, 2016 4:11 am

Perhaps skeet could do it ? Trap for "me" seems to work best.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by mnaj_springer » Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:48 am

nikegundog wrote:
Max2 wrote:No skeet . just trap. Basically ~pull~ throw up & shoot. The folks from the club ask me why I don't come down and shoot more often. Shooting at targets does nothing for me. Doesn't make sense though ~ does it :D I love to walk behind a dog ~ just he & I and hunt birds and enjoy nature . Taking it all in sights,sounds,smells . Fall is coming.
My son shot trap competitively last season (High School), at the end of the season they hosted a fun shoot. The kids got to shoot skeet for the first time, many of the better trap shooters shot skeet horribly. Makes me believe if a person really wants the be a better shot at game, perhaps mixing it up is the thing to do.
This is why I shooting sporting clays for one round. I think that shooting the same shot, like performing the same athletic motion, over and over creates a specific muscle memory and skill. So I do limited sporting clays just to help my brain adjust to different angles.

I liken it to the increase in high school one sport athletes... Those athletes do well in their sport but struggle when faced with a new scenario or sport. Multi-sport athletes seemed to adjust more quickly. Anyway, I'll stop ranting and continue with my variety... It is the spice of life, as they say.
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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by DonF » Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:29 am

I've shot very little trap, always felt it was to easy. Shot some skeet while stationed in Europe And after doing it a bit someone suggested shooting with the gun at my waist and mounting and shooting when pull was called, they said it was international style. It was actually easier that way. There was a game the really good shooter's played. They would start at station 4 and walk toward station 8 with their gun butt just below their waist. Somewhere between 4 and 8 the trap was pollee, nobody had any idea when thee target would show. Those guy's made it look easy! My worst station was 4 and my best was 8. First time I ever shoot skeet, I was doing poorly, as in I sucked, and when I got to station 8, the first bird came out of the high house and I couldn't believe anyone could hit it from there. I had the perfect solution. Called pull, the bird came put and I turned around and shot it going away. They didn't think much of it! The gun I used was A habitch sxs in 20ga, m/f choke. what a joke!
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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Mountaineer » Tue Sep 13, 2016 3:38 pm

Interesting how this perennial topic routinely dissolves into which clay game is best or easiest....even tho the kicks in the short ribs are subtle.
Fwliw, any clay game difficulty lies in the stacking of 'X's on a score card in actual competition and not simply shooting any game as a lark.
The later is easy-cheesy as well as being subject to selective or artful memories and anecdotes.

As to the OP comment...Trap does not provide what I need as to gun familiarization prior to season.
That is more important than target presentation, to me.
Target presentation...unimportant, comparably.
So, low gun skeet gets my nod for the focus, follow-thru and familiarization it provides that will help, a bit, in hunting season.
Not everyone has a skeet field option tho or the option of shooting low gun.
One then makes do and any clay game will provide a bit of help for what ails all us normal and average folks.c

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by nikegundog » Thu Sep 15, 2016 5:59 am

DonF wrote:I've shot very little trap, always felt it was to easy. Shot some skeet while stationed in Europe And after doing it a bit someone suggested shooting with the gun at my waist and mounting and shooting when pull was called, they said it was international style. It was actually easier that way. There was a game the really good shooter's played. They would start at station 4 and walk toward station 8 with their gun butt just below their waist. Somewhere between 4 and 8 the trap was pollee, nobody had any idea when thee target would show. Those guy's made it look easy! My worst station was 4 and my best was 8. First time I ever shoot skeet, I was doing poorly, as in I sucked, and when I got to station 8, the first bird came out of the high house and I couldn't believe anyone could hit it from there. I had the perfect solution. Called pull, the bird came put and I turned around and shot it going away. They didn't think much of it! The gun I used was A habitch sxs in 20ga, m/f choke. what a joke!
You are required to shoot the bird coming towards you, you took it out of bounds (no bird).

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by Mountaineer » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:18 am

nikegundog wrote:
DonF wrote:I've shot very little trap, always felt it was to easy. Shot some skeet while stationed in Europe And after doing it a bit someone suggested shooting with the gun at my waist and mounting and shooting when pull was called, they said it was international style. It was actually easier that way. There was a game the really good shooter's played. They would start at station 4 and walk toward station 8 with their gun butt just below their waist. Somewhere between 4 and 8 the trap was pollee, nobody had any idea when thee target would show. Those guy's made it look easy! My worst station was 4 and my best was 8. First time I ever shoot skeet, I was doing poorly, as in I sucked, and when I got to station 8, the first bird came out of the high house and I couldn't believe anyone could hit it from there. I had the perfect solution. Called pull, the bird came put and I turned around and shot it going away. They didn't think much of it! The gun I used was A habitch sxs in 20ga, m/f choke. what a joke!
You are required to shoot the bird coming towards you, you took it out of bounds (no bird).
Granted, that action would not fly in a registered event but the real reason turning on Station 8 is questioned and ill-advised is...safety. Especially, if one turns toward the other shooters.....the option for mistakes in any quick action with a scattergun precludes most from the Station 8 Boogie. Not everyone may turn the somewhat safest direction.
The first iteration of "Skeet" was changed for many sound reasons.
As well, there is simply no reason to not shoot the high or low incomer in the normal manner.
IF the presentation annoys someone or appears difficult.....do not shoot it.

"International" skeet does involve a low gun...the targets are also not presented the same as American Skeet.
Walk-up is not in the mix.
As with various degrees of "low-gun" tho, some clubs will permit or ignore a bit of informal walk-up, at times...hopefully, none will allow dat Boogie.
As well as loading more than two rounds at a time and such things.
The game is a good one for gun familiariazation as presently designed and at a comparably low cost for value received....fiddle minimally.

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by deke » Wed Oct 12, 2016 12:07 pm

I worked at a gun club starting at 12 years old, loading houses and keeping scores. I shot a lot of rounds, they basically paid me in shells. I shot trap for a while but eventually started shooting skeet, then when that got boring we shot scrap. Not sure if that's a nation wide game but you basically stand at the 36(?) and crank the machine way up and turn it on wobble. It makes it quite interesting when the clay comes out at almost 90 degrees and low. I still go back and shoot about once or twice a month, mostly to bullshit with the old men and drink their good whiskey though. :D

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Re: Practice for the season ~Trap

Post by gundogguy » Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:41 am

deke wrote:I worked at a gun club starting at 12 years old, loading houses and keeping scores. I shot a lot of rounds, they basically paid me in shells. I shot trap for a while but eventually started shooting skeet, then when that got boring we shot scrap. Not sure if that's a nation wide game but you basically stand at the 36(?) and crank the machine way up and turn it on wobble. It makes it quite interesting when the clay comes out at almost 90 degrees and low. I still go back and shoot about once or twice a month, mostly to bullshit with the old men and drink their good whiskey though. :D
Scrap-is played all over the country, even referred to as chinese trap.
Trap games are a blast and I have shot them Suzy Q, Annie Oakley's, Piece protection, 5 from the back door, all great games Suzy's or Annie's are usually shot from 27-30 yard line Back door shoots are usually 50 yards off the trap.
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