Trap shooting — Sport evolved from using live birds to clay pigeons

Live pigeons were the first targets. Then, for more challenge, smaller sparrows and quick-flying quails became the objectives. To calm public opposition, aim was taken on glass balls, then on a number of different materials, including tin. Eventually, trapshooters settled on clay.

Now, millions of clay pigeons are launched each year, shot at and, in many cases, turned into dust by flying BBs.

Trapshooting is a sport drawing lots of attention these days — and more and more shooters, too.

Brent Epperson, manager of the Lee Kay Center's trap/skeet shooting facilities in West Valley City, and a member of the U.S. trapshooting team, believes with fewer bird-hunting opportunities, a need to practice and the fact that trapshooting is entertaining, "are growing the sport."

"There are not that many pheasants around these days. Luckily, we have great marshes for ducks. But a lot of people have converted from bird hunting to trapshooting. Those still bird hunting are using trap to keep up their skills. I'm also seeing a lot of first-time shooters," he said.

The first mention of shooting shotguns at escaping pigeons was in England in 1793. For more of a challenge, gentlemen shooters went to smaller, quicker birds.

The first shoot in America was written up in 1831.

From there it evolved into the sport it is today.

Trapshooting is not a difficult sport to figure out.

There is a trap house 16 yards in front of the shooter and a machine that delivers clay discs — 4 1/2 inches in diameter — at speeds around 40 mph.

The shooter stands in ready position, butt of the shotgun cupped in the shoulder, muzzle pointed at the edge of the trap house and attention focused to the field ahead.

On command — any word will do, but the most common are "pull" and "target" — a trap machine dispatches a clay pigeon within a 90-degree span in front of the house. This could be everything from a straight away shot, to a hard right or hard left, all thrown in random order.

It then becomes the responsibility of the shooter to break the clay pigeon. A single BB hitting the target and taking out no more than a chip is a hit. A miss is a "lost" target. A solid hit can turn the disc into dust.

A trap line consists of five shooters standing at five locations 16 yards behind the house. The better the shooter, the further back he or she stands. The maximum distance is 27 yards. A complete round consists of five shots taken from each of the five locations for a total of 25 targets.