Are Trap Shooters mis understood

[Les53]

I don't know if any other trap shooters have encoutered it, but I often feel that shooters from other disciplines think we trap shooters a bit...well.....odd!!!!!

Basically I was talking to an old friend a few days back, he took up clay shooting just over a year ago and he asked if I was still shooting, we had not spoken for a few years but he knew that I shot clays. I told him that I was indeed still shooting. He then went on about crossers and rabbits, I told him that I knew almost nothing about such things and he went a little quiet. He then said, "oh you're not a trap shooter are you? Yes I replied, I shoot mainly OT." Oh right, I see", he said, he went on to say that he felt that all trap shooters were very unsociable and never had a laugh!!!!!! I told him that when trap shooters are on a line, talking and joking just did not happen. He could not grasp why it should be so! I asked him if he'd ever shoy any trap, apparently he did try a round of ABT but he only hit 8 ex 25 and did not like the fact that nobody would talk during the round, let alone the fact that he only hit 8!!!!!!!

So are we mis understood, or are we odd? Any thoughts?

 

[Jaykaysea]

Odd....

Sorry but no way to break it to you gently....

But you are no more odd than the sporting fraternity...

 

[ExSCA]

I think we all understand you perfectly. 

 

[Hotshot100]

Why should you be 'odd' Les? I for one enjoy shooting different disciplines. It's all just shooting and should be enjoyable whatever the discipline! Why would you want to talk and mess about when actually shooting? Apart from which if you do it on a layout with acoustic releases there will be clays flying everywhere.

 

[Will Hewland]

I really don't like chatting anywhere near me when I'm in the stand, but its nice to break the event up with chat between stands (which we have gaps walking to). But what personally leaves me very cold with the concept of trap is the lack of variety. Similarly, when motor racing, I couldn't understand why anybody would want to go drag racing. Just my feelings, I'm not calling anybody 'wrong'.

 

[sscottsmith1234]

Each to there own, no problem chatting laughing whalst i'm waiting etc, but the stand is my own space when im in it.  I'm never unsociable about it I just have a way of dealing with it so it doesn't cause me problem!

 

[BoB1]

But every layout on every ground is different, and the traps are set differently too (they should all be the same, but arent!). And you never know exactly where the targets are going (you have a general idea, but on faster trap disciplines, the angles L-R, Up & down vary in a wide arc and height). And the high speeds of the targets make them very challenging!

In sporting the targets vary but once you are shown the targets, you then see 3, 4, 5 identical pairs! That to me can get a little dull (3 pairs is fine, but 4+ gets boring I find). I still enjoy sporting targets, I would just find 100 registered exhausting. And in the one reg sporting comp I did, the people I shot with were all lovely people (all of them on this site), had plenty of chatting, but there was plenty of frustration, arguing with refs, complaining. You find this in trap comps too, but not to the same extent I find. I didnt have a problem with it, and I understand getting frustrated but its not all happy-go-lucky, super relaxed in sporting either. I do still enjoy sporting shooting and always look forward to it. I dont take it as seriously as trap shooting, and can relax more doing it.

Any time Ive been trap shooting in Reg comps, I usually have a bit of a chat with the others on the line before or after a round, and if there is a break after 50 targets, have a cup of tea with them. I havent been shooting long, and Im not from this country, and Im not exactly out-going, but Ive made friends trap shooting, plenty of people know my face and will salute or ask how the day is going.

I dont know where the myth of trap shooters never talking or having a laugh comes from. We are all shooters at the end of the day, and even more than that, we are all humans!

 

[teepee1234]

It's not odd to shoot trap.  The uninitiated just don't understand the concentration levels required to do it well.

Personally, I like the social aspect of shooting sporting, where you have to turn concentration on at the right time, but can let it go for a while between stands.  FSP, more so.

(Les, YOU are odd, but the rest are fine...!)  :biggrin:

 

[Les53]

It's not odd to shoot trap.  The uninitiated just don't understand the concentration levels required to do it well.

Personally, I like the social aspect of shooting sporting, where you have to turn concentration on at the right time, but can let it go for a while between stands.  FSP, more so.

(Les, YOU are odd, but the rest are fine...!)  :biggrin:

Oh yes you're right there mate, I've always been odd! :laugh:   I do understand why some who don't shoot trap get the idea that we are rather odd or serious though. I shot a bit of sporting many years ago and there always seemed to be a lot of chatting and stuff going on whilst guys were waiting for their turn to shoot, often there would be some winding up going on too!  I guess that anyone used to that sort of thing is likely to find trap a bit on the serious side! Yes you are right, with sporting there is that gap between stands where you can let up on the concentration, something that does not happen on a trap line until the round is over.

 

[Les53]

Why should you be 'odd' Les? I for one enjoy shooting different disciplines. It's all just shooting and should be enjoyable whatever the discipline! Why would you want to talk and mess about when actually shooting? Apart from which if you do it on a layout with acoustic releases there will be clays flying everywhere.

Yes Rog, we both know that, but it just it has always amazed me as to just how many non trap shooters feel that we trap shooters are....odd, aloof, unfriendly, too serious etc. This is not something new, I've noticed it for many years, but it doesn't bother me though and in some ways I do understand it too, because trap, especially fast trap, is a totally different game to sporting. It was put to me a long while ago, by a very experienced trap shooter, that those who shoot trap exclusively, develope a different mindset to most other shooters, I didn't understand that at first, but I do now!

 

[Sian]

It took me a while to feel comfortable shooting trap with strangers but not when I shot ESP.  I would literally wait until everyone was done and shoot either on my own or with Tony and Amber.   I think it was more because I felt a bit intimidated by having to be so quiet especially when using the automatic release things and also at the beginning I struggled with catching my cartridges and they would sometimes fly all over the place and I felt this was just not acceptable on a layout.  It was not that I wanted to talk, it is just so quiet on a layout and I felt any noise would be distracting.   My best experience was at South Wales 2000 where the lovely Welsh boys made me feel very at ease and forgave me everything, even setting off their birds with dropping my shells in the bin at the wrong time.  That gave me time to be a bit more confident with strangers and now I feel fine.   Still you are a funny lot.

 

[shootinguru]

:fie:  Trap shooters misunderstood?  NAH, Just because they are unable to pronounce PULL! and grunt phhh instead or even ahhh to call the target, it does'ent make them

dyslexic because when they miss a target they can holler NO BIRD faster than the referee can blow the hooter or say lost! also its normal to walk around the layout with a face like a smacked ass unless they have just won the shoot! reved:   :gamer:  

 

[Les53]

:fie:  Trap shooters misunderstood?  NAH, Just because they are unable to pronounce PULL! and grunt phhh instead or even ahhh to call the target, it does'ent make them

dyslexic because when they miss a target they can holler NO BIRD faster than the referee can blow the hooter or say lost! also its normal to walk around the layout with a face like a smacked ass unless they have just won the shoot! reved:   :gamer:  

Bloody brilliant Cyril, love it mate!!!!!!! :laugh:   :laugh:

 

[no.1topdog]

I think Trap Shooters are odd because they don't stand out in the pouring rain waiting for their turn to shoot, they don't fiddle about with their chokes, they don't run out of cartridges when in the stand, they don't ask to see another pair when they have been standing behind the previous shooter for ten minutes, they don't get their mates to bully the scorer, they don't moan that the targets are too close, they don't moan the targets are too far, they don't moan about the sun being in their eyes, they don't wear camoflage, they don't piss in the bushes, they don't walk right behind the shooter shouting to make themselves heard because they are wearing hearing protection, they don't even wear wellies for goodness sake!!!

Need I say more??  You Trap Shooters are just so weird!!!    :fie:  

 

[jwpzx9r]

I don't think trap shooters are odd they may give that impression but they are taking part in a demanding discipline that needs respect and full concentration....... not standing up to their armpits in mud shouting pull ad nauseum into a rain filled wind seeing the same thing fly over ten times over   I used to do a fair bit of flat green bowling both indoor and outdoor. I came across people who were still blabbing while they, or you were, playing your bowl given it your high, tight or heavy ...pests. I really like the quiet serenity of the trap stand and long may it continue if anybody starts gabb'in while I am on the stand I just break my gun then turn and give them the STFU stare ! I like a bit of a post-mortem after the end of the round not during it a trap stand is the quietest place in the neighbourhood until the target is called ... long may it continue !

 

[** Pending Removal **]

:fie:  Trap shooters misunderstood?  NAH, Just because they are unable to pronounce PULL! and grunt phhh instead or even ahhh to call the target, it does'ent make them

dyslexic because when they miss a target they can holler NO BIRD faster than the referee can blow the hooter or say lost! also its normal to walk around the layout with a face like a smacked ass unless they have just won the shoot! reved:   :gamer:  

 

[RobertBeard]

You're not like Nigella are you Tinker Bell?

I prefer to doze myself! :lol:   :lol:   :lol:

 

[BoB1]

You're not like Nigella are you Tinker Bell?

I prefer to doze myself! :.:  :.:  :.:

You have more interesting dreams if you dose off!

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I would take great exception to the term "odd"!  

It should be obvious to the most casual observer that trap shooters are merely boring.