Lee Kay Public Shooting Range rules

Trap shooting etiquette

Trap shooting is a game of focus and rhythm. To assist in preparing you for your visit, please familiarize yourself with our rules. Learn these few simple definitions and rules, and then you will be on your way to enjoying one of the shotgun venues at the range.

Some of the terminology in trap can be confusing. The following are common terms used in trap shooting:

• Squad — Up to five shooters. Five shooters fills all of the post-positions on a trap field.
• Round — refers to 25 clay pigeons/shells
• Bird or target — a clay pigeon
• Pull — when you give a verbal command, such as "pull, heyah, yep" or any other sounds to call for the clay pigeon to be released.
• Manual — someone pushing the manual button on the remote releases the clay pigeon
• Voice or voice activated — use of the speakers to call for the release of the clay pigeon
• Post — Refers to the position on the trap field where you line up to shoot. There are five posts on a trap field. The left position is post 1 and goes in order to the far right position, which is post 5. The first post 1 shooter is the squad leader. The squad leader always shoots first at each post.
• Change — Called when everyone changes post positions after shooting five shells.
• Handicap — Any position behind the 16-yard line. The 16-yard line is the distance marker closest to the trap house. There are markers out to 27 yards.

Additional rules:

• All shooters and guests must check in at the shotgun office.
• Safety is our number one priority on the range. The shotgun action must remain and the gun must be unloaded until you are at the line ready to shoot. Acceptable, safe directions for your muzzle are straight up or downrange (north). Break-action shotguns that are open may have the muzzle pointed toward the ground. Do not walk to the line or change posts with a loaded gun. You must wear eye and ear protection anytime you are on the range — the range is anywhere north of the sidewalk.
• Shell/shot size allowed at Lee Kay: 7½, 8, or 9 with a maximum of 1,330 feet per second. (The smaller the number, the larger the shot size). Any other shot size will carry into the dog training area.
• "One in the gun" — With the exception of doubles, trap is shot using only one shell at a time.
• "Load, pull, shoot" — the person at post 1 will load their shotgun, call for the bird and then shoot. Then the person at post 2 will do the same thing, and this same process will continue through post 5. It is poor etiquette to load or shoulder your shotgun while the shooter before you is shooting. It is also poor etiquette to talk on the shooting line.
• If you use a semi-automatic shotgun, invest in a shell catcher or a rubber band to prevent your empty shells from hitting the person next to you. If you use a pump-action shotgun, be gentle when ejecting your empty shells, so they don't hit the person next to you.
• When you are not at a shooting position, your gun needs to be visibly clear and unloaded.
• Pick up your empty shells. There is a magnet on the stand for your convenience.
• When changing posts, make sure your gun is unloaded, action open and pointed in a safe direction (see the first bullet point). Never point your gun to either side while moving. Walk behind the other shooters if you are changing from post 5 to post 1.
• A shell bag will make it more enjoyable while you are shooting trap. If you do not have a shell bag, place your shells in your pocket. It is much easier to reach in your pocket than it is to bend over and pick up a shell out of a box on the ground.
• On busy days, be conscientious if other shooters are waiting for a turn to go out. Don't take a long time to get ready, don't take breaks or have only one person shoot at a time. Be prepared to start once you are assigned the field. Our busy days are usually Saturdays and Sundays. On these days, we may ask you to "squad up" with others — a great way to make new shooting friends.
• Shooting games such as "pick a piece," Annie Oakley, "buddy," or "knock-out" or other similar games are not allowed.

We are looking forward to helping you have a safe, fun, enjoyable experience when you come out to shoot with us. Please familiarize yourself with our rules and let us know if you have any questions.