Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-26
RAPSHOOTING,
ORGANIZATIONS
EASY TO START
Answer to Queries from Devo-
tees of SCattergun in Towns
Where No Club is Yet \
Organized.
BY PETER P. CARNEY.

Requests from J. N. Snyder of
.Arapahoe and others for informa-
ton relative to the starting of a
trapshooting club. and with the
sport rapidly increasing in popular
ity, few helpful hints on this topic
no doubt will be appreciated by
many who have desire to learn
to shoot"
With the decline in many
branches of sport through war con-
ditions, sporting writers began TO
look for new fields for material.
These sporting writers discovered
trapshooting was a real sport, and
many of them adopted it. There
fore trapshooting is playing an I'M
portant part today in the columns
of the newspapers OF America.
Trapshooting is a sport with a
purpose. It fits mcn and women
to defend their homes and their
country. 1t is not only al'uring, but
patriotic. There are more than
1000 active gun CLUBS in the United
States TO-DAY. The feeling is that
there will &c more thal 5000 hef're
1919 cashes in. The thousands who
learned TO shoot SO as to be of aid
to the United States will not pass
tip their education--they will con-
tinue to shoot, and it is these men
who will be the most active in the
formation of new trapshooting
clubs.
Starting a Gun Club.
Getting down TO FIRST principles,
the start of a trapshooting club is
no different from the start of any
other kind Of a club. The chief
factors are men and equipment.
Given a few enthusiastic lovers of
the scatter gun-lnen wdo are will
ing to throw themselves into the
spirit of the thing--any young club
is bound t. be wilmer.
Having gotten the boys" TO-
gether and decided definitely upon
4 committee to look after things,
the first step is TO locate your shoot
ing grounds.
This in itself seems exceedingly
SIMPLE. but a grear deal of serious
thought should be given, for it must
be remembered dat trapshooting
demands space. In the first place
there should be 1t least ESQ to 800
yards distance between firing lire
and any signs of habitation This
is considered to be the limits OF
safety. Next, accessibility should
be considered.
Have Grounds Within Easy Reach.
By all means try to locate your
grounds within easy reach. Be
careful about transportation facili-
ties. Many a club has come to grief
simply because of lack of foresight
on these details.
Having de:ided upon your site.
The next essential is equipment. II
you prefer ID start in a small way,
you will find that one or two expert
traps, costing about $3.50 to- $3.50
each, will afford plenty of amuse-
nent for quite lew shooters. If.
or the other hand, you feel iinanci-
ally strong, the automatic trap is
undoubtedly the best.
This trap, of which there are two
varieties, is officially recognized and
used in all Of the big shooting tour
naments. One style is sold outright
at $35. The other is rented on
basis of $50 for the first year and
$40 for each succeeding year. A re-
fund of SIS is given when the trap
is returned. Complete instructions
for installation accompany each
trap. Clay targets for use in any
trap cost about $3.50 a thousand.
Naturally, you will need a trap
house. This may be constructed of
heavy pIanking, banked with earth,
or it may be built of concrete. If
you are handy with tools you can
kiiNck out first class trap house
YOURSELF
Now we come to the score" or
firing line. This should be located
10 yards back of the trap house. At
this mark five pegs should be ar
ranged in an arc, and each should be
a similar distance from the trap.
Shooters Should Face Northeast.
Right here, perhaps, it is best to
add, that in laying out the score" it
will be wise to arrange it SO that
the shosters will face the northeast
when in position to shoot. This
will obviate any trouble from the
sun during either morning or after
noon events.