Trap Training & Info
The classic clay game: one trap house, five stations, and a target that always flies away.
Whether you're new to trap or working on your scores, the resources below are a good place to start on your own.
Trap at Falmouth Skeet Club
We have one trap field, and it's shared with skeet: Field #1 is the club's combo skeet and trap field. Because the two games use the same field, please read the club rules for Field #1 before you shoot, and check with the duty officer on the day about which game is being shot when.
Organizations & events
- ATA website (Amateur Trapshooting Association: an introduction to trapshooting, membership, shoot schedules and results)
Instruction & video
- Getting started with trap shooting (NSSF Let's Go Shooting beginner's guide)
Other clubs & resources
- Trap clubs in the USA (Clay Targets Online)
- Falmouth Rod and Gun Club (located next to FSC)
- National Rifle Association
- Massachusetts gun club directory
A beginner's guide to trap
The layout: five shooting stations (called posts) are set in a shallow arc behind a single trap house. The trap throws one target at a time, always away from the shooter, and the trap swings from side to side, so the angle is different every time. You can't know which way the target will go until it leaves the house.
A round is 25 targets. A squad of up to five shooters takes turns, one shot at a time: each shooter fires five shots from a post, then the squad moves to the next post, until everyone has shot from all five. The common games are singles, handicap (shot from farther back) and doubles.
Equipment: a shotgun, eye and ear protection, and shells. Most trap shooters use a 12 gauge with target loads of #7½ or #8 shot. If you're not sure what to bring, ask at the club before you shoot.
Getting started
- Watch a squad first — seeing one full rotation is one of the fastest ways to learn the order and the routine.
- Mount the gun before you call for the target — in trap the gun is at your shoulder when you call "pull," then you move to the target.
- Look beyond the trap house — keep your eyes up and soft, so you pick up the target the moment it appears rather than guessing the angle.
- Smooth, not rushed — bring the muzzle to the target and keep the gun moving through the shot; lifting your head is a common reason for misses.
- Safety first — guns stay open and empty away from the line, and eye and ear protection are required.