Norwich bulletin., 1918-07-23
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HOW TO START AS A TRAP
 SHOOTER WITH SUG-
 GESTlONS TO BEGINNERS
By an oId-Time Shooter, for National
 ports Syndicate.

You read the day before yesterday how Sam Jones, at the Spotless Town Gun club, broke a straight" You are interested. You know he shot at something or other with a gun that burned powder and threw lead, but the details as to just what was broken and the kind of gun used are not clear.
 It seems mysterious and complicated. It isn't at all He used a shotgun which has a bore. or a hole, through it about three quarters of an inch in diameter, which is known as a "12- gauge IT. thIs gun are used paper shells with brass heads. They are loaded with about three drams of smokeless powder and one and one eighth ounces of shot
 The target or clay pigeons, as they are called, are saucers made of a coal tar composition, which is quite brittle. They are about four inches in diame- ter. The trap is really a throwing ma chine which, by means of mechanical arm, sails these saucers, bottom side up, through the air about 50 yards. Five Shooting Points. There are five shooting points ranged in a semi circle back of the trap, to accommodate the five shooters who make up a squad. Beginning with No. | 1, which is the extreme left position facing the traps, the shooters take ] turns. Each man, when his turn to 1 shoot comes. assumes the shooting position, with the gun at his shoulder and calls "Pull!''
 The trapper. who stands back of the shooters, and has a lever connected with the trap, releases a spring arm which sails-the" target into the air The shooter fires and if he breaks the tar get the scorer calls dead" and marks l on the scoreDoard. If he does not hit l he calls lost" and marks a zero on the scoreboard.
 Squads usually shoot 25 shots for each man, and if man breaks all his 25 targets he has broken a straight. You will probably ask why they call 1 the throwing machine a trap" The word trap is used because trapshoot- ing, as practiced at present with a throwing machine and clay saucers, is a development of the old game ot shooting at live birds, which were re- leased from a trap. The throwing machine took the place of the live pigeons.
 Clay pigeon shooting has many ad- vantages over live bord shooting. For one thing, it is very much less expen- SlVe and great deal less trouble. You can buy clay pigeons in a barrel ano store them away in your shooting heous, whereas live birds would re- quire considerable care.
 Organize a Club.
 If you want to try this intensely in teresting sport, find out where the nearest trapshooting club it, andsshoV up at one of their practice shoots. | you are a long way from a trapshoot- ing club, you can secure a hand-trar and a barrel of clay targets gather some friends together, and try it fol yourself.
 You will find trapshooters cordia bunch, and after watching them . while and talking the matter over witt some of the shooters you will be able to decide just what kind of a shotgun you want.
 There are new men starting the game all the time as there always must bt with any sport which is rapidly grow ing, and you needn't be a bit afraid tC display ignorance on any point con nected with the game.
 The other shooters were in the same boat themselves once. and will takt great pleasure in coaching you in ever! way possible.