The Ins And Outs Of Better Trapshooting

I am a two time State champion and one time National runner up. I have been shooting trap for two years and I love it. I am not a professional, but I might have a tip that will help you.

Its Kinda Like A Recipe. It Involves Preparation
Just like any other kind of sport there are things you have to do before shooting in a tournament. Before shooting in a tournament you need to be well hydrated and you need to be familiar with your gun. During the summer temperatures can reach close to 100 degrees. When you have on a vest loaded down with shells you will sweat like crazy. One of my teammates passed out during practice because he got dehydrated. You also need to shoot as much as possible before a tournament. You need to be used to shooting you gun 200 or more times a day. I am not saying that you need to shoot two hundred rounds a day fifty or seventy five is enough.

Ka-Ching
It is always important to have the right equipment before doing anything. There are several things that you need before shooting trap. One of the most important to have the right gun. It is important to have a gun that fits you and my Beretta 682 Gold E does just that. It has an adjustable comb to adjust to my shooting style. A brand new Gold E cost about $4,000, but you can get a used one for around $2,500. I know that it sounds like a lot, but if you are serious about trapshooting it is money well spent. As far as gauges go anything from a .410, I have actually seen somebody shooting one of these, to a 12 gauge.

Don't Kill Your Gun From Powder Residue
I am a firm believer in having good shells. This summer I shot 600 rounds in one tournament. You would think that after that many rounds without cleaning my gun the barrel would have been full of powder residue. However the barrel was as clean as it was before the tournament. I believe that it was all do to my shells, Federal Gold Medals.

Umphh
One problem with shooting a shotgun 100 or 200 hundred times straight is the kick. There are several ways that you can remove kick. One is by buying recoil a pad the other is by having a good vest. If you are looking for a recoil pad I would suggest either the one of the new Pachmayr Decelerators or a Limbsaver. I recently purchased a Beretta vest. My previous vest came from Wal-Mart. It wasn't the best in the world, but it got the job done. When my parents first mentioned getting a new vest I was somewhat reluctant. However my parents convinced me to buy a new vest so I did. It was money well spent. My new vest is so much easier to mount on and as and extra bonus behind the mounting pad their is a pocket for pads so my gun won't kick as much.
tag: trap shooting, ata, federal, beretta, 682 Gold E, Federal Gold Medals, Pachmyar, limbsaver, state champion