The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-06-21
THE SHOTGUN ts 4 WEAPON

Al the request of some of the mem
bers of the local Gun Club we give
space to the following article thar an
peared in late issue of the spokes-
man-Review. showing how the modes,
shot gun is coming to take an import
attn place in trench lighting, and how
| important 1t is for the young man tn
practice over the traps. so that should
the occasion ever arise he will be
in shape to pot Huns on the wing:
Our great home guard of trap and
Held shooters must have experienced
thrill of pride when, on a recent oc-
casion. dispatches from over there"
told how the chokebore had gone
over the top and given a wonderful
and dealy account OF itself.
Nobly has trap shooting lived up to
its title, the patriotic sport, for. from
"a harmless, clean and invigorating
pastime 1t can at once be converted
into an appalling factor of destruction
which, backed by American deterina-
ton and withering accuracy. becomes
creature for the most cocksure and
fanatical despot to conjure with.
From time 10 time the trap shooters
o. the United States have heard vague
rumors of some more or less authentic
stories of the important part the shot
gun was playing in the training of our
Dcys in certain cantonments. How
they were being taught by experts to
break flying targets and otherwise be-
coming familiar with a weapon tha,
would shoot where they looked with
rapidity of execution which could
be accomplished with no other TYNE
|of gun. And hearing these stories,
the trap shotter who, perforce of
years is compelled to remain at home
has contented himself with a play OF
the imagination which pictured each
target an enemy and increased his
scores accordingly.
What interesting reading IL would
be for the followers of the sport of
trap sohoting If they could know all
that is going on wherein their pet
firearm takes a front rank. Condi-
tons, of course. must for the time
make this impossible. but one day 1t
will be chronicled on history's pages
and stand alone. glorified chapter.
AS the trap shooter In civil life Is
most familiar with the regulation load
Of three drams OF, powder. and one ano
|one-fourth ounces of seven and one
half chilled shot, he will naturally be
interested in the loads used by some
of our boys preparatory to going over
and planting them where they will do
the most good
The regulation business load, then,
is three and one-fourth drains OF
smokeless powder. one ounce of No. 8
buckshot (western size), 20 to the
load. These guns are repeaters. The
scene is big cantonment. Each Sam
my has already had his schooling at
the traps, shooting at the animated
clay target. Today he is faced by
as near the real thing as he will get
before he crosses the water. The
shooters are lined up in a trench and
ordered to fill the magazines of their
guns. Forty-fve yards in front OF
them row of manikin targets is au-
tomatically raised and left exposed for
eight seconds.
Brother Trap Shooter, those mani
kins are riddled. The magazines are
recharged, and this time. at 20 yards,
the enemy again shows himself for
eight seconds, only to be dispatched
with the same thoroughness. Finally
lat 100 yards, the manikins appear.
| there is a rapid-fire reception, and,
though scattered, 30 per cent of the
shot find their mark and not a mani
kin escapes.
1t is interesting to note that in all
these demonstrations the shooters had
emptied their magazines before the
| expiration of the allotted eight sec
, onds.
Thus does trap shooting as a sport
stand in class by itself, for, in time
or need, 1t can do it's bit in a manner
to shake any morale and 1t is up to
you of the home guard to create and
instruct new shooters, bearing in mind
the while that every beginner at the
traps may be called upon, for the
safety of democracy, to point the
chokebore, and point it right"