The first time this event was shot at an Olympic event was in 1900. Yes, 107 years ago.

Shotgun

The shotguns used for Olympic trap are 12 guage. Most of these guns are  low rib and hence  have low point of impact (POI). Most of the guns shoot 50:50, but some shooters also use guns with 60:40 PIO. In contrast, American Trap guns shoot very high points of impact. You may ask yourselves why is this? For one, the Olympic game has very hard angles (45 degrees) and it shoots targets at 65 mph (American Trap is 40-42 mph). Also the height the targets travel is not fixed, it varies from very shallow to very high (1-2 meters to up to 10 meters). Therefore, when considering buying an Olympic Trap gun make sure you investigate gun dealers and ask them what they recommend. Perazzi has several guns designed specifically for Olympic Trap (MX8, MX2000); you will find the same options with other great guns such as Beretta, Krieghoff, and of course Brownings. I used to shoot in Olympic Trap a Belgium Citori that was perfectly suited for my frame. I did own a Perazzi (MX6 first gun ever made with chokes) but the latter never fitted me like the Citori. So you can select from a very inexpensive gun to a very expensive gun.  The price of these guns can range in the low $1,000 to more than $10,000. Using an expensive gun is not going to make you better but finding the gun that best fits you will help your scores. Gun fit is the key and lots and lots of practice.

What barrel length should my gun be? In reality you do not want a very long barrel gun. I still do not understand why AT shooters use guns with 34” barrels. In Olympic Trap and for that Matter Olympic Skeet (don’t confuse it with American Skeet) the guns are no more than 76cm in barrel length (1 inch = 2.54 cm). Why? Simple, you are shooting a faster flying target and you do need to swing the gun faster but smoothly. A longer barrel gun may obstruct your field of view on those hard angles.

As far as chokes, I prefer the fixed guns with an IM on the bottom barrel and Full on the top (second shot is critical). And this constriction of chokes would work very well  also for Olympic Doubles. 

Loads

Olympic shotgun games use shells with speeds of 1300 fps and shot loads of no more than 24 grams, maximum allowed is 24.5 grams ( less than 7/8 ounce). The shot size is  7 ½ . This is a very fast load that delivers a high punch (kinetic energy = mass x  speed) required to break the hard targets. Yes the targets are harder  - more ribs – and also shallower. This configuration makes them tougher to break; reason why you need to shoot a load that delivers a good punch. The loads are 1,325 fps but do not be afraid, due to the light shot load the recoil is less compared to a 1250 fps 1 1/8 load used in AT Trap.

Targets are shot within a range of 55 meters. That is a bit more than 55 yards (1 yard is about 0.9 meters) or 167 feet. Most American Trap shooters break targets within 35 yards; big difference isn’t it?

The Course

The shooting stations are set in a straight line. There are 5 posts and from the center post to the trap house (international bunker) there is a distance of 15 meters.  The roof of the trap is at the same height as the shooting positions. This means that the trap housing is a bunker – trench. For each post there are 3 trap machines. The machines are controlled by a PLC and the shooter cannot tell which one will lunch the target and at what angle. The target set up is controlled according the the ISSF (International Shooting Sports Federation).

The squad is made of 6 shooters. The shooter on the number six position stands behind post 1 and waits for his turn after the shooter moves to the next post. Like in American Trap each round consists of 25 shots however you shoot one round at the time. Therefore, immediately after the shooter on your right shoots you move to the next post and this continues until you have completed 25 rounds. Keep in mind that you have only 10 seconds. The time starts counting down from the time the previous shooter shot until you shoot. If you do not shoot within the time limit the line judge can penalize you with a Zero (0).  Also keep in mind that you cannot close the gun until it is your turn. And if you have a misfire or a malfunction you cannot open the gun. The line judge will come and check your gun to determine if indeed there is a problem.

Competing matches consists of 125 targets which are shot over two days. The first day you shoot 75 or three rounds of 25.  The following day you shoot the other 50 (2 rounds) and the final.  A perfect score consists of 125/125. The finals are decided (Olympic Games) by selecting the top six competitors. They shoot a round of 25 and the score is added to their previous score. For instance an athlete with a 120 shoots a perfect 25, his total score is 145/150. However, since 2005 a new rule was added in which only one shot (instead of two) can be used in the final round. This makes a lot of sense since hitting a bird with the first shot is a bit more difficult. It is important to add that as you practice to keep record of the first shot hits to know what percentage of the targets are hit with the first shot versus the second. Also, it is very important that you keep a good swing to the target and to shoot the second shot even if the target is broken. Select a large piece and smoke it. This will increase your skills – lead, swing, and follow through.

Where do I need to Start to become an Olympic Shooter?

Best place is in a Trap Range (American Trap) and be involved in 4-H or Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). The latter is growing very fast and is seeing a lot of success throughout the 50 states. Some states already have over 1,000 young shooters; a lot of them with the potential to become Olympic Shooters. Olympic shooters are molded at a very young age; therefore, if you start young your chances of becoming an Olympic shooter are much better. As for any shotgun sport you need to be Dedicated, and Serious about the sport. Also you must have the “Unconditional Support” of your parents.