TRAP SHOOTING AT THE VANCOUVER GUN CLUB

Richmond, British Columbia
by Aja Chantelle

At the Vancouver Gun Club in Richmond, members have been practicing the sport of trapshooting since the 1950s. I have to admit that I was a little nervous to shoot a gun for the first time but it turned out to be a real blast!

A BRIEF HISTORY

Trap shooting started in England in the 1700s. Back then, hunters would practice by shooting live pigeons which were released from cages called traps. In 1866, Charles Portlock introduced the glass target ball which was filled with feathers. In 1880, George Ligowsky invented the clay target. This biodegradable target is what shooters use today.

TRAP SHOOTING

The first person I met when I arrived at the Vancouver Gun Club was Giuseppe DiSalvatore, Canada’s national trapshooting champion. Giuseppe is an Olympic athlete, so I was so excited to learn from the best. His coach is his own father, Tony, who was also there to teach me how to shoot.

My instructor,Tony, was very patient and helped me overcome my jitters. He taught me the safety rules, how to respect a gun, and how to hold one properly. You must not put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. After you have fired a shot, you always keep the gun in the open position and point it towards the ground. Tony also introduced me to some of his friends who help run the Vancouver Gun Club. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. After I had learned all of the proper safety procedures, it was time for me to shoot.

When you are shooting American Trap, you always use a 12 gauge shotgun. Most shooters use lead ammunition because it is the only legal type, other than nickel. While shooting, you stand 16 yards from the trap. The clay targets are painted neon orange so they are easily seen while flying through the air. A clay target also known as a pigeon, measures 110 mm in diameter. In one round of American Trapshooting, you have 25 targets to shoot at. When you are ready to shoot, you yell “pull!” Your puller (a friend sitting behind you) will then release the target using a remote control. Some clay target launching machines have microphones that launch the targets automatically using voice activation technology.

When it was finally my turn to shoot, holding a gun for the first time was both scary and exciting. I was amazed at how heavy it was. It took me a few attempts but I actually managed to hit a few targets. It is really cool to see it blow up into little pieces in the air. Watching that made me want to shoot all day!

FINAL THOUGHTS

The people at the Vancouver Gun Club love and respect the sport of trap shooting. They also care tremendously about safety and the proper education of gun use for sport. Sometimes people have negative misconceptions about the sport because it involves guns. But after meeting the members at the club and trying trapshooting for myself, I discovered that the sport can be very fun and safe! I enjoyed shooting so much that I am planning on bringing many of my friends to try trap shooting at the Vancouver Gun Club

ADVENTURE TIPS

• You do not need to own a gun to try trap shooting at the Vancouver Gun Club. If you’d like to try this sport, simply contact them and they can get you started and instruct you on all the proper procedures as required by law.
• Bring earplugs.
• According to range procedures, never walk around with a gun that is in a closed position. A gun should only be in the closed position when it is ready to be fired.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Vancouver Gun Club
7340 Sidaway Road
Richmond, British Columbia
Postal Code: V6W 1B8
Phone: (604) 278-0832
 www.vancouvergunclub.com

+ Part 1: VANCOUVER GUN CLUB
+ Part 2: RICHMOND GO-KART TRACK
+ Part 3: SUMMER NIGHT MARKET

+ Download PDF One-sheet
+ Vancouver Gun Club
+ Amateur Trapshooting Association
+ Learn Trapshooting
+ Canadian Firearms Academy