TRAP-SHOOTING, shooting at live or clay birds released from traps. In Great Britain shooting at live birds prevails, but is widely condemned. In the United States the sport is almost wholly confined to shooting artificial birds. Trap-shooting began in America in 1825.
Cincinnati, 0., is the recognized home of organized trap-shoot ing in the United States, a club having been established there in 1831. Glass balls were the first inanimate targets, with an im provement later in the form of feathers inside the globes which gave an impression of game when struck. Spring-board traps catapulted the targets into the air. Keen shots began club organ ization over the country and regular competitions ensued. New model traps were invented and with them trap-shooting passed from the glass ball stage to the mechanism which tossed off the first saucer-shaped clay disc or "brittle pigeon." The Ligowski trap and bird, the latter equipped with a sort of flipper which the machine engaged and slung to various tangents, were pioneers. These earlier traps were set in rows behind earth ramparts. Poor trap delivery, small rotation imparted to targets, slower powders and tough composition of the "birds" caused the lower scores of those days. But with the advent of smokeless powders, chilled shot, better targets and traps and above all better choke-boring of guns, scores mounted and with them nation-wide interest in trap-shooting. Remote rural districts turned out gun clubs and, as a result, the Inter-State Trapshooting Association became the governing body of the sport in the United States.
Subsequently came the American Trapshooting Association with which were connected, more or less as financial backers, the gun and ammunition interests of the country. The American Trap shooting Association was in turn passed over to the Amateur Trap shooting Association in 1923. With the formation of the latter association, control and direction of trap-shooting in the United States (with Canadian affiliation) passed directly into the hands of the amateurs as distinguished from gun and ammunition firms having a commercial interest in the sport. Amateur control has
resulted in the foundation at Vandalia, 0., of a permanent trap shooting home and club grounds which is probably the most elabo rate layout of its kind in the world. Here, usually in late August, is decided, after a week of steady firing, the Grand American Handicap programme, culminating in the main event of that name, the "Grand American." Trap-shooting in the United States has shown a gratifying in crease since passing into the hands of the Amateur Trap shooting Association. A conservative estimate of the number of targets fired at in a season's trap-shooting in the United States and Canada, approximates 75,000,000, at least a million of which are thrown during one week's programme of the Grand American. The world's record long run at single targets is held by a Cali fornian, A. J. Stauber of Los Angeles-694 straight kills. Stauber, in 1927, also compiled in his class shooting the highest percentage ever recorded in trap-shooting, breaking 1,461 targets out of 1,475 or an average of 99.05%. Mark Arie, of Champaign, Ill., broke the world's record for shooting double targets (two thrown simultaneously at different angles) in 1926 at Denver, Colo., breaking 168 consecutively : 198 out of 200 for the high score. An outstanding feature of the year 1927 was the breaking of 455 straight targets during the Grand American Handicap programme by Guy Dering, president of the American Trapshooting Associa tion. Notable among women trap-shooters who have won national recognition are Mrs. Frank Butler (the late Annie Oakley) and Mrs. Adolph Topperwein who achieved feats in trap-shooting which should last for years.