FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

by

Les Greevy, Jr.

I have been writing this column now for two years. Over that course
of time, I have received many inquiries from people, both shooters and
parents, trying to find more information on Olympic Trap Shooting. I
am happy to respond to those questions and try to do so promptly and
accurately. One of the primary purposes of this column is to spread
the information about International Trap Shooting, particularly to
young shooters. Many of the questions are similar. Let me review
some of the more frequently asked questions and what I think are the
answers to them.

Where can I shoot Olympic Trap?

The best list of Olympic Trap Bunkers, their addresses, as well as the
contact person, phone number and/or e-mail addresses appears on the
Internet at: www.internationalskeet.org. This web site, run by Justin
Stephen, an International trap shooter, also contains the most
accurate event calendar or match schedule available in the country,
and reports results and sometimes photographs from the larger
International matches.

Also on his web site at the “Information” section are articles
explaining the difference between American and Olympic Trap, as well
as American and Olympic Skeet; telling how to build a bunker and
explaining how to set up a wobble trap to meet International
“automatic trap” specifications that allow you to replicate, to a
large extent, actual bunker shooting.

This is an excellent resource that was not available just a few years
ago and Mr. Stephen should be complimented for his efforts.

What kind of a gun do I need?

International trap is shot almost exclusively with over-and-under
shotguns. Semi-automatics and pump action guns are very rarely seen.
There are several reasons for this including the desirability of
having two separate chokes for your two shots; the fact that the
shooters stand on a straight, rather than curved, line and the
traditional automatic will toss fired shells on the shooter to your
right; the need to empty and clear the semi-automatic before changing
shooting stations and the need to load two shots which can only occur
after the shooter to your left has fired; and the tendency of the
semi-automatic to set off the voice release system and throw a target
when the action is closed. The sum total of all of these things tend
to disturb squad rhythm but are, more importantly, handicaps to the
semi-automatic shooter. I have never seen Olympic Trap shot
successfully with a semi-automatic shotgun. If you are intending to
try Olympic Trap, give yourself a fair chance and don’t handicap
yourself by attempting to shoot with a semi-automatic.

Having said all that, there is a change coming. Beretta is
introducing a new break-open semi-automatic shotgun that will eject
shells out the bottom and forward. This UGB 25XCEL is designed
specifically to shoot International Trap. I expect to have one
shortly for the kids on the Youth Development Shotgun Team to test and
evaluate. We will campaign the gun, both in International Trap and
ATA, and will report what we learn.

Should I quit shooting ATA?

Absolutely not. You need to shoot ATA matches to develop competition
experience because there is very little International competition in
this country. There are really only four big International Trap
Shoots for youth during the year. There is the Spring Selection Shoot
in the March time frame at Fort Benning, Georgia; the National
Championships in July at Colorado Springs; the Junior Olympics in
August at Colorado Springs; and the Fall Selection Shoot in the
September-October time frame, also in Colorado Springs. That is not
enough. It is absolutely necessary that you hone your competition
skills in ATA and particularly in the big shoots – the State
Championships, the Zones, the Satellite Grands and the Grand American.

Some people are concerned that they will not be able to switch back
and forth between the different target speeds. In my experience, that
has not been a problem. Several members of the Youth Development
Shotgun Team, who have achieved National Development Team or Junior
Olympic Team status, are also multiple-State Champions, Grand
Champions and ATA All Americans. They transfer easily back and forth
between ATA and International Trap, and they find that each discipline
complements the other and makes them a better shooter.

Do I have to shoot the 24 gram, International load?

Not necessarily. International Trap is shot with a 24 gram, payload
of shot that can be no larger than size 7, generally at a muzzle
velocity of about 1,350 feet per second. 24 grams is almost exactly
the same as 7/8 ounce, so this load can be duplicated easily by
reloaders.

In USA Shooting sanctioned matches, it is not necessary to shoot the
24 gram load, unless you are a top classed shooter, or are attempting
to make one of the national teams, in which case it is mandatory. This
rule is unique to the United States and is not applicable worldwide,
but was introduced to make International trap shooting more available
to shooters who do not have access to the International load. My
recommendation, however, is to shoot the International load. It’s easy
enough to reload and now the factory International loads are more
readily available. Even the 7/8 ounce highspeed promotional loads at
the chain stores work reasonably well.

How do I get invited to the Junior Olympic Shooting Championships?

The Junior Olympic Shooting Championships are held each year in the
latter part of August, right after the Grand American, at the Fort
Carson Olympic Shooting Complex near the U.S. Olympic Training Center
in Colorado Springs. During the past years, this has been an
invitational match and it was frequently difficult for shooters to
qualify for such an invitation. That is no longer the case.

The Junior Olympic shooting competition is now an open match.
Applications are available at the USA Shooting website,
<www.usashooting.org>, in the “Match Programs” subsection of the
“Competitions” section, reachable from the Home page. That is where
you will also find the programs, schedules and entry forms for the USA
Shooting National Championships and the Spring and Fall Selection
Matches.

Are there any books or videos available to help learn International
Trap Shooting?

Well, there isn’t very much. There is one video that was produced by
USA Shooting titled “Fundamentals of Shotgun Shooting,” priced at
$15.00, and available at the web site. This video, having been filmed
about 1995, is somewhat dated, but contains good, basic, fundamental
information.

There is one booklet titled, “The AMU Skeet and Trap Guide,” written
and produced by the athletes and coaches of the United States Army
Marksmanship Unit. This is the best “how-to” guide for both
International trap and skeet shooting. It only costs $3.95 and is
available through the Civilian Marksmanship Program at the e store on
their web site, <www.odcmp.com>.

How do I make a USA Shooting team?

This is complicated and it changes from year to year. But the best
and most accurate description so far was an article written by B.J.
McDaniel and Lloyd Woodhouse, published first in the USA Shooting News
and, about a year ago, in this column. It is still available online
at <www.shotgunreport.com>, under the Olympic shotgun section, and is
entitled: “So You Want to Make a Team?”

How do I know my child can be competitive in Olympic Trap?

This question gets asked in a lot of different ways and, to some
extent, it has a number of different answers. But, basically, if a
youth is competitive at ATA shooting, there is no reason he/she should
not be able to be competitive in International trap shooting. Olympic
shooting is a harder game than ATA, the scores are lower – there is no
question about that. Olympic Trap is a slower paced, more focused
game, but the targets are much faster and the angles harder. But, the
qualities that make an outstanding ATA shooter are the same qualities
that make an outstanding Bunker shooter. They include focus,
determination and commitment; a love of shooting; there is need for
tremendous family, community and social support. Like ATA, it is not
a cheap game; but it is more than just expense as there are a lot of
family decisions that have to be made along the way.

But, most importantly, there is the dream, the dream of the Olympic
Gold Medal and that has to be an amazingly strong dream for someone to
train at the highest levels, month after month, year after year, for
the opportunity to qualify as one of the only two men or one woman, to
represent the United States, to shoot 150 trap targets once every four
years in the Olympics.

It is that dream that separates the Olympians from everyone else. Do
you have it?