Edition #1
as edited by Roisin O'Neill                                                                                                                                   

Welcome Trap Shooters and thanks for clicking on this section of Flathead Valley Clay Target Club’s Website. I hope the following information I’m posting in this article will help you and your team get better prepared for the 2009 winter trap league and bring home some hardware! It seems every year when FVCTC’s Winter league starts, that some teams or new shooters will get a little discouraged or overwhelmed because there are so many shooters participating over the course of two nights. With so much going on it can be a litte hard to concentrate on having a good time and shooting a good score. The following info I’m dividing into three steps that will help you get started.

1. Team prepartion. I know that paperwork and fees are not the most exciting to deal with but as with most organized sports you have to make sure all of your paper work is organized and fees and memberships are paid. A good idea is to designate one person on your team to be the logistics person, this person is responsible for getting the sponsorship, memberships and shooting fees in and the paperwork dropped off to the office. This way you don’t have chaos from the start and everything goes much smoother. I would also recommend having a master phone list for your team, that way it is much easier to schedule when your will meet to shoot for score or meet on a Sunday for some practice!(More on that Later) I cannot encourage enough about communication between team members on what time everybody will be at the club to shoot. Shooting with your team is not only a lot of fun but is sure beats waiting around wondering if someone is going to show or not and you can get a decent spot in the squadding mix. It is also helpful if your team signs in all at once, league nights are hectic and it helps the office girls if they only have to pull your sheet once.

2. Ear/hearing protection. The little foam ear plugs are ok but make sure you bring extra sets so if they fall out on the line you wont have to stop and get another set or shoot through your round with only one. One advantage to the over the ear types in the winter is that they tend to keep your ears warm on the cold shooting nights. Our Vice President Cory Izett is now making custom earplugs, please see him for any questions or price inquiries. These are excellent and are well worth the added cost.

3. Eye protection is of extreme importance! This year I believe FVCTC will be making eye protection mandatory for shooters. This should be a no brainer (You only have one set of eyes!). If you do not use a prescription or if you use contact lenses there are some great choices at your local sporting good stores. I would recommend a light orange tint for shooting under the lights and a darker rose color for shooting in the daytime. The different tinted lenses will help the target stand out against the background, making them easier to see and hit! If you wear a prescription get in touch with Post 4 Optics in Idaho, they will set you up with the lenses and especially the frames you need. The frames need to ride higher on your nose so that when you are hunched over the shotgun stock you are looking thru the center of the lense, rather than seeing sections of the frame.

4. Shotgun selection! In future articles I will go into more detail about general selection but we will keep things to the basics for now. I would recommend for shooting trap a 12ga. Break open, semi-auto or pump gun from a quality manufacturer. Make sure the shotgun is in safe operating condition, no fouled actions, malfunctioning triggers etc. It is advisable to have a qualified gunsmith check your shotgun over before winter league begins. Make sure you keep everything clean and lubricated correctly. Take some time to come to the club and shoot some practice rounds (thus avoiding any opening night jitters). If you are not happy with a shotguns fit or recoil, meaning you are getting excessive shoulder or cheek pain, you need to make some changes to both the gun and or the ammunition. Again a visit to a gunsmith/stock fitter is recommended.

5. Shell selection. Every season we always get a lot of questions on what shells to use. Here are some basic selections for 12ga. Trap load that will work well. Remington, Estate, or Winchester Light Target #8.These will work well for the 16 yard line out to about the 22 yard line. Remington light handicap 7.5 to #8 will work well to the 25 yard line and even further back. For the 25 thru the 27 yard line use the Remington Nitro27 or Winchester Super Handicap load will work well in either 7.5 or #8 shot. These are just suggestions as ultimately everyone will find what works well for them at any given yardage.

6. A good shooting bag! Nothing is worse than your shells and other gear falling all over the clubhouse before you have to go out and shoot. A good shooting bag will help keep you organized and give you a way to keep all your gear organized and ready to go without hassles. Also a good shell pouch or shooting vest to keep your shells handy while on the line is very important. They also provide you with a place to put your empty hulls if you are into reloading.

7. Practice!!! Once you are organized as a team and a shooter get out to the club and practice. Nothing is better for building confidence than being comfortable in your surroundings and getting used to being on the trap line. This will help you avoid those opening night jiters. This will also give you time to work on your technique and maybe get some coaching if you feel you need help with your shooting.

Hopefully this info will help you get started to a fun winter league and enjoyment of trapshooting. Please look for more articles in the near future as I will go into detail on some of the things I have written in this article and also touch on some new subjects as well. So till next time be Safe, Shoot Well and Most of All Have FUN!! If you have questions or comments feel free to email me at

george44@centurytel.net

George Miletich JR. F.V.C.T.C. Board Member