Skeet or trap shooters

[Oldnamvet]

For those who shoot skeet or trap with a smoothbore, how do you carry your shot? In a snake and measure each time, in a flask, premeasured in some type of container, etc? Since you normally have 25 loads minimum, organizing them is critical since it takes long enough for a complete round as it is. Same question also for the powder. Do you measure each time or have premeasured containers?

 

[roundball]

Just as a general reply, I use premeasured for everything.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Shot snake and flask. I haven't actually shot a full trap course with this rig but I have enough for 27 dumps of 1-1/8 oz of birdshot and 45 charges of powder. I carry the wads & cards in a multi-pocket hunting pouch. Not shown here is the brass 75 gr powder measure attached to the flask line (not a good idea to throw powder directly from a flask).

The little tin hold the fixins for nine shots and that's what I've been carrying for grouse and bunny hunting this season.

 

[AJFedak]

It depends on who I'm shooting with.

I shoot the last Saturday of the month at E.C.C.L. in Sandusky, OH with a group of black powder shooters. We would then load from a bench located behind station 4.

When I shoot a round with the modern gunners at either E.C.C.L. or Sportsmans Gun and Reel Club, I pre-measure all the components (shot-powder). Shot goes in a 32 gauge shotgun hull and then slid into a 28 gauge hull. The powder is in small containers I get at work. I have a shooting vest with 4 pockets, one for shot, one for powder, and wads split into the other two. As long as there are 3 others in my squad I can reload fast enough to not slow down the squad (Station 5 can get a little hurried).

I will only shoot the singles first, then catch another squad for my doubles.

 

[paulvallandigham]

For shooting Trap or Skeet, most shooter have a " range " box, like to two men in the background loading at the table in the picture above. The shot and powder are kept in the box, along with the wads, and lube. Often the box is set up specifically to carry a large chamber that holds the shot. A dipper is used to move the required shot from the box to the barrel. Powder is usually measured with an adjustable measure at the bench. I have seen as many Trap shooters loading from a can, with a spout on the cap, as load from powder horns. Caps are kept in a capping tool, and extra caps are in the box. I have seen skeet shooters use boxes where the percussion caps are carried open in a small box in their range box, and they take the needed caps in their hands as they go to each station to shoot. It all depends if they are using a DB shotgun, or a single barrel gun. You see more shooters with single barrel guns carrying that cap in their hand, than those who shoot double guns, who use a capper, instead. Obviously, all the cleaning patches and solvents are in the box, too.

I see a lot of styrofoam wads being used as cushion wads to solve the problem of weighty cushion wads following the shot, at these events. They get a wipe of lube around their outside edges before they are pushed down the barrel. Because the Styrofoam will NOT absorb lube, they remain pretty light, and drop to the ground about 10 yards in front of the gun. As long as they are lubed, before being pushed down the barrel, I am told they do not leave plastic residue in the barrel.

As for cleaning, I often see Trap shooters with two range rods at their loading stations- one has a bore brush on it, and the other a normal cleaning jag. The brush is used after each shot to break loose the lead deposits, and the cleaning jag is used in cleaning and loading the smoothbore. I don't see the brushes present with Skeet shooters as much, as they shoot at much targets that are much closer to the muzzle.

 

[Dave K]

At the trap or skeet range, they have benches that everyone returns to to load the guns. This is what I do and have learned from the others. Most have their powder and shot in tupperware like containers and use a shot or powder dipper of the amount they use, to dip the amount they want out, into their barrels. Must be a regional thing, all I have seen have their fiber cushions in another tupperware container, floating in the lube of their choice, usually olive oil or vegetable oil. These are removed with a little minnow type of net to drain and are considered just right when they are kind of dry to the touch, but will ozze(sp) some lube when squeezed. Cards and cushions are also laid out on tupperware kind of containers. So you have everything laid out on your loading pattern, either on the bench or in your shooting box, on the bench.


You walk to your station with the barrel muzzles held straight up with the muzzle above your head. Only when you are on station and given the nod to shoot, are you to cap or prime your gun. If you are shooting a double barrel, both barrels will be shot, before leaving that station. That way everyone knows that both barrels are empty.

Compared to modern trap or skeet, to me it seems to be a more relaxed form of shooting. But, you will not get as many shots fired in an afternoon. Events are set up as 15 shots per event, instead of the 25 as in modern guns. So on your last station if shooting a double barrel, you will get an extra target, but it will not be scored. It is shot though to insure that your gun has both barrels empty.

 

[AJFedak]

I would be careful about having your powder in a "Tupperware like" container. I do know at Nationals you must keep a lid on your powder. Most pour from a can-spout and then cover the spout. The large opening from containers mentioned above would not be permitted, if a range officer were to see it they would stop you. It exposes to much powder to outside forces, one little spark or barrel flash during reloading would be serious.

 

[ZUG]

A question, if you shoot a SXS do you have to load both barrels and if so when you get to the line do you call for and shoots two "birds" or do you just load and shoot both barrels waisting the second shot :hmm: ?

 

AJ,
I have shot trap at Friendship and use a box fitted with tupperware "type" containers, including the powder. no one, including the range officer, has ever said anything about it. Most of the shooters do the same thing. You have to be aware and make certain that the powder, at least, is covered after loading.
Mark

 

[paulvallandigham]

You load what is required for the match you signed up to shoot. If its a 10 bird match, you shoot two targets from each of the 5 stations.( Trap) If its a 15 bird match, you shoot 3 shots, but move from one station to the next( only one shooter on the line at a time, unlike modern trap shoots) to fire the second shot. On the last station you go to the line the last time with one barrel loaded.

I have not shot, or seen skeet shoots at the nationals so I can't comment on how they are run. At local clubs, we don't shoot the pairs, unless everyone is using a DB shotgun. If we have single barrel guns, we shoot singles only. Then its an option of the club if they are going to have you still shoot 25 birds, or cut back the # of clays to 16- 2 at each station. Frankly, I have seen both, particularly if there is a large crowd of shooters and the club needs to get them all on the line at some time.

If you contact the NMLRA you can get a copy of their range rules, and their match rules in the form of a small booklet, for very small cost. I had a copy, but someone appropriated it some time ago, and I keep forgetting to buy another when I am over at Friendship.

The shooting event for shotgun shooters that is almost unique to Friendship is the Quail Walk, where you shoot at targets thrown high over head and across a path you are walking up on when the birds are thrown. You have a very small window above your head to see the bird, mount your gun and fire, before the bird disappears across the opening into the trees.

 

[Dave K]

You load both barrels go to the line and when given the nod, cap or prime. When on the line you then call for and shoot both birds, one at a time, with your double barrel. On the last station, since they only score 15 shots, your last shot is a "wasted" shot. But everyone knows now that the gun is empty. When you go to the line, everyone assumes that both barrels are loaded, as they should be. When you leave the line, both barrels have been cleared and are now safe. But, you still always carry the gun as if loaded, with the muzzles straight up and above your head.

Most people I have ever seen use a tupperware type of container. You only have the lid off, when loading and you at least lay the lid back over the powder once loaded.Some will snap on the lid, but most just cover the powder with the lid.

Of course hunting is a totally different way to carry your componets and load your gun. But the question was about skeet and trap. I have done both, shot competition, but mostly hunt.

 

[pmwest]

I preload everything both on the range and in the field:
http://pelletpacker.com/

I don’t shot competitively but I do shot both sporting clays and skeet with a single barrel muzzleloader. The local club has a 50 bird clays course. It is 5 stations and I shot 10 singles at each station. Generally takes a little more than an hour to shoot. On the skeet field I shoot two targets at each station for a total of 16. I almost always have the field to myself. There are two skeet fields and I will shoot on an empty field rather than join the modern shooters because of the reload time. Although they do have voice activated throwers, I usually have someone along to pull the traps.

I use a standard shotgun shell belt bag for the preloads. Plenty of room for skeet loads. I just load at the station before each shot. I have an extra carrier, the kind that holds 4 boxes of 12 ga. Shells, for the preloads needed for sporting clays. I keep thinking that I need to try my luck at Friendship but it just hasn’t worked out.