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Trap Shooting

A practice or competition event will consist of shooting two 25 target rounds for a total of 50 targets from the 16-yard station. Up to five athletes (squad) will occupy the stations on a trap field. Station one is assigned the “squad leader”.

Trap Field

The trap field is the area of a shooting range where trap shooting occurs. Each field contains shooting stations (typically concrete walkways with yardage markers) and a trap house.

The trap house is the structure in front of the stations from which the clay targets are launched. Only facility personnel shall enter and maintain the trap house. A cone or flag will be displayed when the trap house requires maintenance and athletes are required to exit their shooting station and make shotguns safe until the trap house maintenance is completed and the cone or flag is removed.

Ammunition Recommendation

Ammunition specifications must meet the use requirements of the shooting range.

Typical ammunition used for trap shooting:
Gauge            Shot                       Shot Size
12           1 oz. or 1-1/8 oz.         #7.5 or #8
20                 7/8 oz.                        #8

Targets At Each Station

Five shots are taken at each of the five stations. After the first five shots are completed by the entire squad, each athlete will move to a new station by:

• Verifying the shotgun is unloaded.
• With the chamber open and the shotgun pointed in a safe direction, rotate in a clockwise manner to the next station.
• Station one will move to station two, two to three, three to four, four to five, and five to one.
• Station five will rotate to their right moving away from the station four athlete who is moving to station five and continue to walk behind the other athletes to station one.
• Await the “START” command from the scorekeeper.
• The squad leader is the first to shoot in each round.
• Repeat process until all shooters have each shot 25 targets.
• No shooter will move to the next station until the last target in a round is completed.

Scoresheet

Download the official USA Clay Target League trap shooting scoresheet. This scoresheet is similar to the ones used at League tournaments. Click on the links below to view and download your preferred format.

Legal size format (8.5″ x 14″) – maximize legibility and use standard 2-5/8″ x 1″ mailing labels to print and adhere your athlete name labels to the sheet.

Letter size format (8.5″ x 11″) – standard printer size to write in athlete names.