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The Making of a Trapshooter

By Glenn Allison, fellow shooter. With trapshooting numbers on the decline, the best thing we can do as trap shooters is to pass on our sport to the next generation. When Grant, my grandson, started to show interest in shooting, I couldn't have been more excited. I started his training the same way most shooters begin, with a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. After showing safe gun handling skills, we moved from stationary paper targets to hand thrown pop cans. Shooting these moving targets with his BB gun really taught Grant to point, not aim, at the target. He learned to shoot these cans with both eyes open, again making it easier to point, not aim. I feel it is very important for new shooters, especially kids, to focus on the fundamentals. If you teach your new shooter the fundamentals and get them the right shotgun with the right load, success is soon to follow.

At 12 years old, Grant was not big enough to handle a 12 gauge trap gun and I didn't let this keep him from shooting. He bought a Remington 870 youth pump gun and with a few modifications, he was ready to go. We added some target style beads to the rib and installed a Kick Ezz® pad on the comb to soften recoil and raise the POI of his gun. The 870 with its 13" LOP fit him well and he was able to handle this gun with ease. We started with low recoil 3/4 oz loads of green dot, then 7/8 oz loads of green dot, and he now shoots 1 oz loads. Working his way up to heavier loads helped him to gain confidence without getting pounded by recoil. The most important thing is to keep it fun and not push a new shooter into a gun or competition that he or she is not ready to handle.

Shooting can be an expensive sport. Many organizations, such as Pheasants Forever, are sponsoring teams to help with these costs. In May of 2009, the Hancock County chapter of PF held an event for kids and then formed a trap shooting team called Hancock County Young Guns. The coaches again focused on teaching shooting fundamentals and gun safety. It was also a great opportunity for the kids to experience what this great sport has to offer it participants. The team entered a couple ATA events where they learned the procedures and etiquette of an official event. It was wonderful to see these new shooters get excited about our sport. It was also amazing to watch their progress from May until the end of the season.

If you are looking help ensure the future of trapshooting, get your children or grandchildren involved this year. If you belong to a service group encourage them to sponsor youth shooting teams and events. There is no greater joy than shooting beside the trap shooter you helped to make.

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