If you’re like me, you’ve probably experienced burn out from time to time with your shooting. For nearly a decade, almost all of my range time has been “practical” shooting. Action shooting competitions, various defensive focused classes, and personal training sessions centered on “real world” skills. With nearly 500 articles under my belt over the past few years, you can count on fingers and toes what broke the “serious” trend. While these are all valuable, and I still typically enjoy my range time, the seriousness of it all can become draining. One more than one occasion I’ve found myself considering throwing in the towel. No more classes, no more writing, just what I need to maintain proficiency and moving onto other pursuits.
Eventually something would catch my eye, or I’d get over it, but I felt those feelings popping up more frequently as time went on. It was during one of these slumps that I decided to do something unusual (for me). I picked up my old Winchester 1200, headed to the local range, and shot a round of Trap.
A Long Time Ago
Now I’m not a complete newbie when it comes to powdering some clay pigeons. I briefly participated in a weekend Trap shooting club back in high school. Eventually sore shoulders and cold weather got the better of me, but this was a regular hobby of mine for a few months of my teens. In the years that followed I’d occasionally make my way to the local Skeet range to miss more often than not, though these trips progressively lessened until stopping in the late 2010’s. By this time I’d moved away from the shotgun sports for various Action Pistol disciplines, which is how we ended up here in the first place. Getting back to that Winchester 1200…
Getting Back into the Groove
Surprisingly, I managed to go about 50/50 on this first outing! Sure I was at the closest handicap, but nobody was as surprised as I was at my coin-toss results. Improvements in form shielded me from any soreness, and the instant gratification of shattered birds kept me hungry for more. Over the next few months I made several excursions to the Trap range, and even picked up my own box of clays for use on nearby public land. During this time I managed to work my way back a few steps while keeping my success rate to about 70% on the range.
For my desert range time I kept things simple. With a pregnant wife at home, I opted to hand-throw my own clays, which was a new experience for me. It took some getting used to, but the difference in presentation helped keep me engaged between normal range sessions. Getting a good throw then quickly mounting the gun was an enjoyable challenge in itself, with memories of Tom Knapp guiding me along the way. Seeing the clay turn to dust shortly after leaving my hand is one of the more rewarding experiences I’ve had on the range.
Friends that Shoot Together
Not one to hog all the fun, I took a few friends out to spot on public land to stretch the legs of a new (to me) Ithaca 37 I’d picked up online. Neither of them at ever shot clays before, and one had never held a shotgun prior to this day.
After a quick overview of the Ithaca’s operation and some basic gun handling tips, we each started hand-throwing for one another. The friends picked things up quickly, and soon were smiling ear-to-ear after shattering their first birds. Getting to do this with a beautiful old gun only added to the experience.
Closing Thoughts on Shooting Trap
It’s been great getting back into Trap after more than a decade away from the sport. Outside of my revolvers, I don’t get much pleasure out of my typical range sessions. Deliberate training sessions get draining after a while, and don’t do much to encourage others to join me on the range. Busting clays has been a great diversion, and it’s quickly turning into a regular hobby for me once again. Shooting Trap has saved my shooting. If you’re feeling burnt out, maybe it’s time you gave it a try.
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