Evening journal., 1915-07-16

Trapshooting, like baseball, cannot
be learned through a correspondence
course" nor from any other printed
description. If you want to become a
trapshooter you must get out on the
firing line and master the game, to
the extent of your ability, by actually
playing it,
In general, trapshooting consists Of
shooting with a shotgun at disc-snap-
ed targets thrown from a trap pro-
PEELED by a strong spring.
An open field, preferably with the
sky as a background, is the shooting
grounds The trap is located in trap
house, a low-lyiug structure, half un-
derground. The back. top and sides
of the trap house are made of heavy
timber to protect the trap boy, who
places the targets in the trap. The
front of course. is open to permit
the fight of the targets.
The first firing line is 16 yards in
the rear of the trap house. The pegs
Stands for the shooters-fiye in
number, are spaced 10 feet apart in
circular sweep Handicap stations
for use in handicap tournaments. are
located on arcs corresponding with
the l6-yard or first firing line, and
at II, Is, 10, 90. q, % and % yards
back of the trap house, which is on
line with tho centre peg-No. g.
Of all the arcs. The trap is
set and sprung by a "puller' operat-
ing a lever back of the 23-yard line.
The targets are thrown a distance
of so feet from the trap, in directions
controlled by tie trap boy and un-
I known. beforehand, to the shooter.
/ The three types Of targets, deriving
/ the designations from the direction
in which they are thrown. are right
quartering, loft-quaTtering, and
lstraightaway. The target resembles
saucer, being round and hollow. II
is made of river silt and tar nodded
/ to shape under pressure and is ap-
proximately 4 1-2 inches outside di-
ameter. 1 Is inches high outside
with 3-16 inch walls.
After the shooters have taken their
positions at the score. each in turn
calls "Pull!"-the command to the
puller to spring the trap that throws
the clay pigeon"
The result of the shot is announced
by the referee as dead" lost" or
mo bird" respectively. if the target
is broken, missed or the target Is
not legal for various prescribed rea-
sons. In the latter case, the shooter
is permitted to shoot again.
The shooters usually shoot in
squads Of FIVE, firms in rotation. Al
ter a certain number of shots have
been fred by each contestant from his
original position, the man on No.
pegs changes to No. 1 and the other
four shooters move down a peg No
4 goes to peg S, No. 70 peg 4, etc
After the required number of shots
have been fred in this order, the
shooters again move down one. with
the man who has moved from No. 4
to No. 5. going to No. / station ana
so on until eacn shooter has shot an
equal number of shots from all five
positions This is done TO equalize
the conditions under which all. the
participants shoot.
From the foregoing. one is likely
to get the impression that trapshoot-
ing is exceedingly simple, but when
il comes to mastering. all the details
of the shooters part in the sport It
is quite as intricate and scientific as
baseball or any other lame. However,
any one. with instruction and prac-
tice, can acquire some degree Of pro-
ficiency in busting EN-" while class
shooting and the several svstems OF
distance and added-target handicaps
give the novice a chance, along with
the most expert
As to the scientific phases Of the
sport, the shooter begins with the
mechanical advantage of a gun and
ammunition that will do their part il
he does his. The personal equation
J comes in when the shooter must de-
eide what he is going to do to stop