Trap Shooting

Trap shooting is the oldest and most widely practiced form of clay target shooting in the United States. Shooters stand at five stations positioned in an arc behind a trap house, which launches clay targets away from the shooters at randomized angles.

The discipline includes three main events: Singles (16-yard line, one target per pull), Handicap (shooters positioned at varying distances based on ability, 19-27 yards), and Doubles (two targets launched simultaneously from 16 yards).

A round consists of 25 targets. Top competitors routinely shoot 99-100 out of 100 in singles events, making consistency the defining trait of elite trap shooters. The ATA and SCTP sanction thousands of trap events nationwide each year.