Sporting Life 1914
DESPITE the fact that guns and powder are necessary requisites for trap shooting, the sport is singularly free from accidents, in this respect being far in advance of football, baseball, golf or even tennis. The reason for the absence of mishaps is the fact that the very first thing impressed upon the mind of a new shooter is that the careless handling of a shotgun is exceedingly dangerous, both to users and those within a hundred yards of him. The management of most trap shooting clubs provide fines for the infraction of certain rules relative to the intelligent and safe handling of shotguns. The custom has been for each trap shooting club to make its own rules, but recently a movement was started to obtain the adoption of a uniform set of regulations. In this connection Jack Fanning, the professional, one of the most prominent shooters in the country, has formulated what seemed to be an ideal set of rules and the Du Pont Company has prepared them on linen for posting at gun clubs. The rules for the gunners follow:
No. 1 Do not place a cartridge in your gun except when standing at the firing line in your proper place in the squad and with the muzzle of the gun pointed in the direction of the trap house.
No. 2 Place only one cartridge in your gun when shooting single targets and but two cartridges when shooting double targets.
No. 3 When changing from position No. 5 to position No. 1 at the firing line be sure to have your gun open and unloaded.
No. 4 When pointing a gun in the clubhouse or on the shooting grounds always open the gun and inspect same before pointing.
No. 5 Do not question the referee’s decision. The person shooting is the least competent to judge the result of a shot, as the recoil of the gun for an instant impairs the vision.
No. 6 Avoid being late getting to your place on the firing line.
No. 7 Remain at your position at the firing line, with gun empty, until the last man has finished shooting.
No. 8 Do not converse with your neighbor while at the firing line nor use any expression that might disconcert others in the squad. Loud talking or other noises should not be indulged in by other contestants or spectators while a squad is shooting so that they can hear same.
No 9 Do not refuse a fair target. In competition a refused target is scored or counted “lost.” The referee will, decide what is a fair or unfair target.
No. 10 Do not shoot at an imperfect target in competition. Only whole targets are to be shot at. An imperfect target is a “No bird.”
No. 11 Always carry from two to four extra shells with you to the firing line so that you do not delay the shooting in case you have to shoot at other targets.