Buying Your First Trap Shotgun
	Specifications on Your Trap Shotgun
	Should I Buy An Elite Trap Gun?
	Why I Should Shoot A High-Rib Gun
	Why You Should Participate In Registered Shoots
	Dissolving Trap Shooting Myths

	How to Trap Shoot - The First Time Shooter
	Why Join the ATA
	12 Ideas to Promote the Sport You Love
	Go to next page of Articles

Description
Advice before buying a new or used trap gun.

Requirements
Money to buy the proper gun, of course.

For more information
Contact the following:

  So you want to buy a trap gun?  Hmmm, when you look around and see so many shooters buying and selling guns - often selling at a loss from what they paid just to get rid of it - you become confused as to what to buy.  Join the club! 

  Let's demystify the process so you will buy the gun that is right for you... the first time... and save yourself a measure of disappointment, poor shooting scores and money to boot!

1. The nature of the beast is a trap gun is not like buying a field gun for casual use... it must be custom built to fit you.  What this means is you can't simply buy your buddy's gun or snatch one from the dealer's shelf and simply start shooting it.  You can, most everyone does, but most everyone can't shoot for beans and this is the #1 prime reason why... their gun's do not fit.
2. You can not shoot trap effectively (to win large tournaments) if you learn to shoot by conforming to the gun.  The gun must conform to you.  So you must, after buying your gun, or before the purchase, visit a stock fitter and have the gun altered to fit you.  If you are like most shooters, you won't do it.  But I hope you will.
3. You are not interested in shooting registered tournament trap.  Don't kid yourself... you will eventually.  It may not be this year or next, but you will.   I've seen dedicated shooters who have shot for years at the local gun club swear up, down, left and right they would never, ever, never shoot a registered shoot.   Then a miracle happens... I see them at an ATA shoot.  So this means two things... First, if you buy the proper gun you will shoot better, have more fun and be able to shoot registered targets when that miraculous day occurs (which it will) and two, you will get more money for the gun when you wish to sell it.  Enough said.   Lets look at the guns.

WHICH IS THE BEST TRAP SHOTGUN TO BUY?  

The gun that breaks the most targets!  

  So which gun is that?  Could be the gun you own now, with a few modifications to ensure it fits you with tight choke(s) you may have the golden goose and not know it.   Let's assume you don't, and you don't even have your first trap gun.  Where do I begin?

The autoloader shotgun is arguably the best all-around trap gun for the first-time beginner.   The reasons being; The stock is easily adjustable to set point of impact (a critical consideration), the gun can shoot all the games; singles, handicap, double-trap, sporting clays, you name it.  One gun for everything.  Recoil is lowest and that makes it ideal for everyone, especially the women.  The drawback is; autoloaders require extra cleaning and worst of all can jam.  In trap shooting singles and handicap you can always fire off one shot so jams is not a concern, but in doubles events you will be penalized and lose if your gun jams a wee too many times... though rules do appear to be changing to forgive such incidents... it will still disrupt the squad and yourself. More moving parts require more maintenance and repairs.  The autoloader has a benefit of being a low-recoil gun and that is a very positive feature.  Overall, the autoloader is a good first and last choice.

The dedicated single-barrel break-open trap gun is dominate stateside (USA trapshooting).   This does not mean it is the best gun to own... it only means it is favored in the states at this time.  Though the trend has been long-lasting we are seeing a gradual shift away from these guns to the under & over, but don't get me wrong... the single barrel gun will be dominate stateside for years to come.  The drawback is; you have to change to another gun to shoot double-trap as the gun will only fire one round.   This requires you must now purchase and setup (fit and adjust point of impact, etc,) another gun in your inventory and learn how to shoot the gun.  Now you have a duel learning curve... and that is not a good idea for the average shooter.   For the accomplished shooter (there are few professional shooters, believe me) this is not a problem.  If everyone sees a Top Gun shoot a single-barrel gun everyone flocks to it.  People do the same thing in golf, buy the club the pro uses.   That's okay, but is it the best weapon to use?  Is it practical?  Will it increase your scores?

  Yes, it is true that each game, singles, handicap and doubles are separate games and no one can argue the point that to have a specific gun designed for the game to play may be best... it is not practical in the overall sense that the majority of shooters are not so professional they could easily adapt to each gun.  Remember, when you change guns you better know how to shoot it because it's not going to shoot like the other one.  It will point differently, swing differently, balance and weight will be different and even the shot patterns will be altered, to name a few.

  So, for all economy and practical purposes, the single barrel guns should be left to the pros to shoot.  When you become professional and can shoot with such accomplishments you can then do what you want to do because you have the inside knowledge and abilities to shoot anything well.  Shifting from one gun to another is a problem even for the pros, but they can handle it.  Can you?  Be honest.  Look at your scores.

  The point is this.  The new or up and coming shooter should be shooting "one gun" not two or three guns.  One gun!  Not only is this the best and fastest way to learn to shoot, it is the most financially economical.   So, all you new shooters out there living paycheck-to-paycheck listen up... you only need one gun!  Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise.  Just talk to some of the pros who shoot for a living and they will tell you the same thing.   That old proverb still holds true, "Beware of he who shoots one gun."   Daro Handy is living proof of that fact.  He shoots a custom modified Remington 1100 autoloader.

Autoloader guns with a shell catcher works fine with single shot targets but will eject the second hull at other shooters during double trap events.  This annoys shooters on the squad and if you reload shells you'll have to perform the Easter Egg hunt when finished shooting to retrieve shells and do so quickly so as to beat the dreaded hull thief.  At competition shoots you lose the hull.  Rules are you can't retrieve them.  The autoloader is inherently unsafe to a degree relative to the O&U as it can be a bit more difficult to see if the gun is in fact unloaded when carried.  The O&U breaks wide open and there is no chance the gun could accidentally fire.

The over & under trap gun is a fantastic machine and you should give great consideration here to buy one.  You can shoot all the games with one gun, as you can with the autoloader, but there are more benefits to the O&U.  There is less maintenance due to no moving parts subjected to the pounding forces of recoil (no gas shuttle as in the autoloader and no jamming)  You can even take the gun to the sporting clays events and kick-butt with it... many accomplished sporting clays shooters are using trap specified guns now!  If a firing pin fails you can continue shooting singles or handicap with the alternative barrel... two guns in one!  They will most certainly break the targets just as hard and fast as a dedicated single-barrel gun.   The gun's weight is the same and in some cases less.  Recoil is often less due to the mass of the gun and the bore on the bottom barrel is lower.  The two shots are fired extremely rapidly as no shuttling time is required which makes it ideal for double-trap, Olympic, wobble or sporting clays, etc., etc.  This gun does it all.   Maintenance is simply swabbing out the barrel and apply trigger grease once year and that's just about it.  Another factor of importance is most all O&U today come with removable chokes so you can customize the shot pattern spread for the game you wish to play.  The autoloader can also come with adjustable chokes, but most dedicated single barrel trap guns do not (usually a custom order).

  The O&U gun, especially with a high rib and ventilated barrels, greatly reduces heat wave distortions so you can see the target better.  You normally shoot the lower barrel on a O&U on handicap targets so the upper barrel acts as a heat sink.  Also, the lower barrel is often configured to shoot higher than the top barrel... which makes it ideal for shooting handicap and double-trap.  If targets are flying low you can shoot the top flatter shooting barrel to help compensate.  If targets are flying high you can use the bottom barrel to raise the point of impact a smidgen and it's all done automatically simply by tossing the selector switch.  A bit more flexibility here can come in handy when facing weather related and target setting variations.

   BOTTOM LINE ON THE FIRST TRAP GUN TO BUY          

  Take your pick between the autoloader or the O&U.  That's the best overall option for the general shooter.  This recommendation also considers $ Costs $.   Certainly, if money is not an option to you... you can afford to do anything you want buying as many guns as you desire.  The O&U and dedicated single-barrel trap gun can have recoil reduced by installing a compression butt-mounted shock absorber device.  They work so good you can shoot all day long and never feel any discomfort!

A WORD

  This recommendation is not to say it is a grave mistake or error to purchase a dedicated single-barrel trap gun.  We are recognizing the fact only of economy, practicality and efficiency.  You can learn to shoot two-guns. Keep in mind for each new (or used) gun you slide upon your shoulder you will have to fire at minimum 5,000 rounds just to get aquatinted with the gun.  It will require 10,000 to become engaged and 15,000 to be married to that gun.  The learning curve is intense to shoot a new gun, so be forewarned.  Many shooters can't shoot well because they keep changing guns... looking for that magic machine that will take them to the top ranks.  It's skill, not the gun to get that job done! Also, by the time you reach these numbers you'll have shot out the gun for it's first round of general maintenance parts replacements so it's important to consider the gun that will last the longest of all.  Which brings us back to the O&U again as a good choice gun.

  Now some to many shooters stateside will argue with this, but the British / European boys are going to agree that the O&U is the most versatile, reliable and most heavily used guns in that part of the world (which is larger than this stateside part of the planet), and these boys and girls shoot much tougher games than we do over here... and they get the job done with remarkable precision.  It's only a matter of time we too will see the light, and it's already happening.  More and more shooters are converting to the O&U to shoot American trap... and winning!   How slow we are to change, but change will be.

  There is a percentage of shooters, (many who just shoot for the money) who only shoot the handicap events and nothing more.  In this case... it is highly recommended to purchase the single-barrel trap gun.  Autoloader or O&U.  Though the O&U can still do the job, the extra barrel and weight is not necessary and the expensive dedicated single-barrel guns can be purchased in a wide array of price ranges.

  So, when you really look at the situation, with all things considered, the O&U gun is still the best all-around trap shotgun one can buy for it plays all the games, gets the job done, is highly reliable, requires low maintenance, and most of all... you only need to learn to own and shoot one gun.  

WHO'S SHOOTING WHAT?

  The most popular gun manufactures at this time, particularly in the USA;  Browning Citori, Perazzi MX, Remington 90-T, Beretta, Ljutic, Cole Arms, Golden Seitz.  In Europe the Browning and Beretta take the lead with Perazzi. 

  The most popular manufacturers for USA & European shooters - among the beginner shooters (and accomplished shooters) looking for the most features at the lowest cost is Browning.  Among the pros the Berretta and Perazzi, and other guns.

  Keep in mind that when buying the expensive guns (technically all trap shotguns should be included) these machines are not designed to be purchased off the shelf, but custom ordered to fit with the features desired such as; POI adjustment, length of pull, high/low or adjustable rib, back-bored, lengthened forcing cone(s), trigger pull setting with release or pull trigger, etc., etc.  

Description
Features a trap shotgun should have.

Requirements
These items should be installed on the gun.

For more information
Contact the following:

What are the main critical or most important features to have installed on your trap shotgun?  When you attend gun club shoots, and even the registered tournament shoots, we see many gizmos dangling on the guns.  Are they important?  Some are, some are not.  Let's find out what is right for you!

Now that you know which type of shotgun you should buy that is right for you, here's the features you need consider.

1. Adjustable comb is a must unless you have had your stock custom made, bent or formed to your body dimensions.  So, don't buy a gun unless you can set the cast on, cast off, and height.  It's one or the other... custom fit or adjustable.  If your gun has neither you will not be shooting well no matter how much you practice because the gun will not fit you.  Gun fit is critical, critical, critical!
2. Removable chokes are optional, but handy.  What if, just what if you pay $7,000 for a gun and discover the hard way... the pattern and core centering is horrible?  If shell brand selection does not solve the problem, you are stuck with it.  Taking your barrel to a specialist can solve the problem, but at great delay and cost to get it right.   So pattern check the gun before you buy it and shoot some targets with it to make sure it works in the real world. Removable chokes give you incredible control and options to easy fix the problems.  Not everyone can afford custom barrels.
3. Adjustable butt to set cant, gun fit and length of pull.  All important to insure proper gun mount and eye alignment along the rib and the length of pull, if properly set, will enhance swing balance dynamics; reduce recoil and further enhance pointability on the visual aspect.
4. A high rib will do you wonders, and if adjustable will create miracles!  Way too many shooters are not shooting adjustable rib guns and they should be.  It is true once you are proficient with a gun you never need to adjust your point of impact (POI), but what if you are not so proficient, yet?  What are you going to do shim and re-shim the stock, keep fiddling with comb height that does nothing but give your cheek more of a beating from recoil?  The adjustable high rib gun is an important factor to consider;

FEATURES OF THE ADJUSTABLE HIGH RIB GUN

	You can adjust the rib setting to set the point of impact exactly for the game you wish to play.   A simple turn of a dial or screw raises or lowers the impact for many reasons you may want to.  If you have a O&U and shoot double-trap you can drop the POI to flash-hit that first target and smash the second on a flatter-trending shot path.
	You can easily make POI adjustments to match the gun to the zone you plan to shoot.  In the learning process it requires many adjustment combinations to find that right zone to match your timing of the shot.  If targets are running slow and flat?  You can drop the POI.  Targets flying fast and high?  Raise the POI.
	You earn yardage, you have to learn a new series of sight pictures.  With the adjustable rib you simply raise the POI a smidgen and that's that!  The sight pictures and your timing remain the same.  The gun does all these corrections for you.  That's the wonder of the adjustable rib... but there is much more...
	You see the target way much better and sooner with a high rib gun as your eye's are up and away from the barrel.
	Your head remains in a straight-line erect stature looking straight ahead concentric to the rib.   A low rib gun will require you to crouch down or raise the gun high on the shoulder which throws off swing dynamics, upsets eye to rib alignment and raises the odds of a mismount to unacceptable levels.
	Recoil is reduced as the bore of the barrel is lowered in direct line with the shoulder.  This reduces the tendency to lift your head from the stock overshooting the targets.
	Your standing stance is correct with no crouching of the upper back or shoulders to hold the gun.  This only makes for a better setup and that means more targets hit.
	Visually distorting heat waves are extraordinarily diminished.  The optical illusion effect is abolished.

There are many benefits of a high rib gun, and these benefits are only enhanced further if the rib is adjustable.  However, there is a great deficiency of knowledge pertaining to POI, timing and zone shooting.  Shooter's stateside, have not been properly educated on how to fit their guns and shoot high POI guns, adjust timing factors, etc.  European shooters understand these important factors simply because these, primarily the English, have not only been shooting shotguns since time began... they have mastered the art of shooting... and I don't believe we Americans are ever going to take their hard-earned title away.  They believe way too heavily on gun fit and shooting instruction, so the average English / European shooter will kick out rears on the trapfield.  They know everything!  They shoot targets running at 70 m.p.h. while we shoot 40 m.p.h. targets.  See the drift?  And they do it with 7/8 oz of shot... so let's not think we can measure up to those standards anytime soon.  Fact is, our trap shooting game is child's play to them.  Gosh, they invented trap shooting and sporting clays, and games we never even heard of or shoot over here.  And, to top it off... they deeply love the O&U shotgun. A thought to ponder.

GETTING BACK TO FEATURES

What more gizmos do you need on your trap gun?  Not much more.  All the rest is fine-tuning.

	Fluorescent sight beads are easily glued on with silicone rubber (magnets are not reliable as the sight will shift or fly off the rib).  These sight beads are great learning tools and more.  You can see the target angle immediately as it passes by the barrel and you can, with great ease, learn sight pictures and get that bead where it should be regardless of lighting condition or background interference.
	Barrel weight may be necessary if the gun is too lively (though you can compensate by shifting your forearm grip further toward the muzzle end of the stock to kill hyperactive guns).   As a general rule, your gun should be about 8 to 9 pounds for trapshooting.   Any heavier and the swing is smooth but you can't break the inertia unless you have very powerful muscles or use a moving gun technique.  A gun that is too heavy will start slow allowing the target to escape the zone and overshoot the target as heavy guns tend to rise higher when swung because your muscles are stiffer just to hold the darn thing up.  If the gun is too light you gain too much control and pointing errors increase.  The gun moves too fast and becomes unstable and difficult to stay on the target's true flight path.
	Release or pull trigger?  That's a big subject.  Just shoot a pull trigger unless you develop serious flinching problems.  The release trigger is not a cure-all but it does work.  Before you quit the sport due to low scores and flinching read my book "Trap Shooting Secrets." It will break you out of slumps and many other troublesome thorns in the flesh.  The book also reveals what a flinch is, and it's not caused by recoil as you think it is, but shooting out of time with one's inner time clock.
	Ported barrels are great to have as it will reduce a tad of muzzle rise and some felt recoil, but it has positive effects on the shotstring and eases the punishment to lead pellets prior to entering the choke, or final squeeze if your gun has no choke.
	Recoil reduction device is a must for many shooters, but not all shooters need or want them.   Overall, it is best to have one installed because way too many targets are missed, and shooters rarely admit, head-lifting ever so slightly from the comb.  Most shooters don't even know they are doing it even when it happens because it is a unconscious reaction!  But if you watch shooters miss, you will see it happening, allot.  Tell a 27-yard shooter s/he lifted their head and they will likely cuss at you in their attempt of self-denial.
	Consider buying a trap shotgun with Back-bored (another term for Over-bored) barrels and lengthened Forcing Cones.  This reduces felt recoil and produces tighter shotstring patterns.   If you can't get both, at least opt for the Over-bored barrel.  Chrome-lined barrels is a great feature to avoid pitting, wad friction scuffing and makes cleaning a quick task.
	The rib should have a wide scored face to contrast the sight bead.

That just about wraps it up.      

Requirements
A shotgun and you.

For more information
Contact the ATA ,  Shotgun Sports Magazine and Clay Shooting Magazine

I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO SHOOT !

  This is not true.  Many new and casual trapshooters practicing at local gun clubs 'for fun' believe they must shoot better to compete in the big registered shoots and shy away from the prospect of signing up. "I can't beat them guys!"  I also hear, "I just shoot for fun" as another reason why they don't participate.  Do you fall into this category?   Let's talk!

Let me assure you I fully understand your reluctance as I (and everybody else) went through the same thing, 1) You do not have to shoot better to begin competition shooting and, 2) It is more fun than shooting at the local club... 10-times more fun! 3)  It is perfectly normal to be a bit intimidated to the prospect of signing up!

Fear is the predominate factor to overcome... fear of shooting an embarrassingly low score.  This fear is unjustified and totally unreasonable.  If you attend any registered shoot you will see very low scores even among shooters who have competed for 20-years or more!  I'm talking low 60's in handicap!  If you look at your own practice scores you may be surprised to see you are doing way better than that!

  There is no reason to fear shooting a low score.  Trapshooter's at these shoots are very cautious of 'racking on' anyone's scores as they are usually not very proud of their own scores!  Everyone gets a dose of 'humbling lessons' at these shoots... as most everyone who attends loses!  So your fear of losing and shooting a low score is not realistic, so you may as well get your calendar and mark it to attend the next shoot!

The fun factor of shooting registered targets is more fun than shooting at the club on Sunday's.  Many more functions are planned, larger banquets and fun-shoots like Annie Oakley's and Buddy Shoots.  There is the fun of taking mini-vacations out of town to meet new friends you haven't even met yet.  And at the Grand-level shoots  your wife can take-off on excursion tours offered by the shoot promoter on shopping trips, museum visits, etc.

  When the sun falls and the stars flicker above you can sit around and chat with people nibbling on tasty morsels of food they use to attract friends (it's a dirty trick to get company but it works).  So if you shoot for fun... you are missing out on the real fun if you don't attend registered competitions.

	Now for those who want to shoot better before entering competition and plan to practice until you get better?  It doesn't work that way!  First, competition shooting is totally unlike practice and there is no comparison whatsoever.  Secondly, you can practice all you want at the club and hit high 90's in handicap and when you go to the registered shoot you'll blow it and lose badly and that will crush your spirit greatly.
	You will not be shooting against the pros!  You will be assigned an entry-level class and you will shoot with other shooters with the same abilities you now have, more or less.   So it is not inconceivable to actually go to a registered tournament shoot... and actually win it!  It happens all the time.  So there is no need to fret and delay.  Pack your bags and get ready for the next registered shoot!
	Sooner or later you will attend registered competitions.  Many, many, many, shooters have told me, "Never will you ever see me shooting tournaments.  It's not my thing.   Believe me."  And two-years later guess who I see shooting?  Yep, it will happen to you too!  If you keep shooting on weekends the day will come your friends will 'go for it' and eventually you will feel 'left-out' and join-in on the fun.   Believe me, it is more fun shooting registered shoots than simply practicing on Sunday afternoons.  Just try it once and see for yourself.  You at least owe that to yourself to have some real fun, don't you?
	The day arrives you will get the urge to shoot better and to do this you'll need to enter registered shoots.

HERE'S WHY

1. When you practice at the local club you are shooting on familiar ground.   You know the traps, the targets, the speed and feel of the traps and targets, and the people around you will be upsetting to your natural squad-building at the registered shoot.  This comfort zone will not be there when you attend your first tournament shoot.  Everything will 'look different' and the targets thrown may be faster or slower or of a different color and this will upset your timing and sight pictures.   The background scene will be strange and will cause eye-flicker. All of this will dump your scores for you have gained little to no experience of shooting at other clubs and variant conditions.  So it's a waste of time, energy and a life of fun to wait until you shoot a better score.  Don't make this mistake!
2. The formal nature of the shoot will upset your mind-set and the internal fears of shooting a good rank will be destructive to your final score.  Competition stirs adrenaline like no other factor and it can not be generated at the club on a Sunday practice shoot.  Try as you may... it's impossible.  So no matter how much you practice it's all for nothing until you get your feet to the fire during competition itself.  Only competition can elevate you to a new level.
3. To be a better shooter and to get your scores up you have to enter competition, and the sooner you do the better shooter you will be.  The longer you delay the worst it's going to be for you to compete!  The better you get at the local club... the lower your score will be in the registered tournament event and that will create more fear and perceived embarrassment to you.  If you delay... you pay.  It's all part of competitive psychology.
4. How are you going to learn if you surround yourself with shooters that are not top-notch trapshooters?  Knowledge is passed on by pros to friends and to you at these shoots.  Along with the actual experience of shooting competition... you learn!  Your knowledge base remains limited if you only practice at the club on Sunday afternoons.   

These are just a few reasons why you must sign-up now! 

So mark your calendar and let's go!

  Do yourself a favor.  If you love to shoot your shotgun, the registered shoot is the place you want to be!  The time to join is now!

Requirements
A willinglness to learn.

For more information
Contact your inner mind of reason.

THE MYTHS OF TRAPSHOOTING

Angled targets travel in straight lines.

False.  Gravity exerts anti-linear momentum forces upon targets.  All angled trap targets "bend" along a curved-arc flight path.  The better trapshooters are conscious of this fact and insure they aim/point/acquire the target's arc before pulling that trigger.  Once learned it becomes a natural subconscious act, to a degree, but awareness of this anomaly is critical to obtain consistent solid hits and scores. 

Straight-away targets are straight.

Straight targets bend left or right but never travel in a straight line.  It is so rare to see a true straight-away target they are practically non-existent.  You can see this for yourself by locking the trap machine and see how many target will strike the center field post.  Most targets will still fall left or right of the post and that's with with machine "locked" in position on a calm day.  When the trap oscillates those off-centerline targets increase dramatically.  Always aim to shoot left or right of a straight-trending target, never at its center.

Never use the sight beads when shooting trap.

Sight beads are necessary to use.  Back-sighting is a requirement to learn how to shoot off the end of your barrel, to tighten the sight picture and to control trigger timing.  You can't shoot with your eyes alone in handicap.   Eye/hand coordination is not precise enough to establish precision dispatching of edge-on targets.  You have to use the sights more than you currently believe.   This is not rifle-aiming, but close to it. 

You must learn to shoot singles to be good at handicap.

No.  The two games are very different.  Each requires its own technique.  If this were not true you may as well start shooting double-rise (double-trap) or Olympic trap so you can shoot DTL or ATA handicap targets properly.   Each game is different, so do not believe the myth you must shoot singles 16-yard targets to excel in handicap.  Specialization is required.

A soft eye focus is required prior to calling for target.

Not true.  You have to learn how to pre-focus the eye along the sight rib to energize centralized vision.  Pros will casually tell a novice to use a soft focus but they fail to consider they themselves are using centralized vision focus due to the tremendous level of eye-training they have acquired over the years.   Once learned it appears as a soft focus but to the beginner it is not.  Also, pre-focus allows the shooter to enter the slow-motion mode of shooting, allows the target to appear brighter and the targets come to the shooter instead of having to chase them down.

A shooter can setup his/her own gun fit.

  Extremely rare.  Only a few can who have the inner knowledge.  Most all shooters are shooting guns that are not fitted properly and have never consulted with a stockfitter for a check-up.  A mirror will not help to perform fit tests as the shooter will tweak adjustments to "make" it look right.   An outside view is required.  Too many targets are missed due to failing to insure good gun fit.

30-inch patterns is the standard and most reliable.

  A common myth.  In singles you'll get away with it, but not in long-yardage handicap as the pattern fails.  The central hot-core is what breaks targets with 'reliability' so pattern down to the 25" pattern to establish the tightly-packed central core.  If you don't, you will miss targets when you did not miss at all.  The 30" pattern works against you in handicap shooting.  If the 25" pattern is too much for you to learn then try the 28" pattern first to learn to adapt to the increased precision required to break the targets then migrate to the 25" pattern.  

Release trigger solves flinching.

  It is a management tool, not a cure-all.  Flinching comes in many forms not just recoil flinching.  Release triggers do help many shooters and is a viable tool.  There are alternative techniques to explore before switching to the release trigger as these triggers will not cure sight-picture flinches where you pull the trigger at the wrong time and miss the target.

Shooters don't need lessons.

  A prevalent misconception especially in the USA and Canada.   Every shooter needs instruction to learn the finer points of trapshooting.   There are too many shooters who shoot in competition not really knowing what is really going on out there with the targets.  There are tricks to this trade like any other sport or occupation.  If you don't learn these little secrets you eventually hit a wall that can't be broken down and the dreaded slump materializes.  

A new shooter should begin at the 16-yard line.

  Everybody does this but it's wrong.  The new shooter is too close to the targets and they appear too fast to the eye like shooting skeet targets.   The gun must swing faster in a wider arc so they learn right away to "push" the muzzle to the target, often violently.  Shooting 16-yard targets is difficult to do for the brand new shooter and no sense of preliminary accuracy is acquired.  Put the new shooter on the 20-yard line so they can see the target a little better and slower and not have to swing the gun so wildly.  Once they get the hang of it then let them shoot the 16's.

Canting a shotgun is a grave error.

  Only if performed with no specific purpose.  A new shooter will cant the gun because the mind's-eye is seeing the curving targets and telling the body to respond to follow the arc.  The shooting coach will eliminate the canting so as to establish proper swing dynamics.  However, once swing form is learned canting is a technique a shooter can intentionally use to get on the target quicker and smoother and shape the shotstring for dead-center hits.  It is an advance moving gun technique.  You will see pros using it.  It's subtle to the untrained eye but canting is used with great success in trapshooting.

Many shooters are using the wrong size choke.

  Absolutely.  Most shooters are using a choke that is throwing a wide pattern to obtain "easy hits" but the pattern fails just enough to keep the scores down in the non-winning area.  Tighten up the choke.  You'll miss targets at first due to learning how to get more precise hits but in the long-run you'll begin to pick up those previously lost targets and see impressive scores.   Learn to shoot with precision not with a choke.  Practice with an extra-full choke!  This will build precision.  Later, in competition, you can open up the choke a bit if you wish to help counter for those slight misalignments, nervousness induced errors, etc. 

It is easier to shoot at the 27-yard line.

  When shooters at shorter handicap distances shoot the 27-yard at Turkey or Buddy-shoots they seem to pump some good scores; "Hey, it's easier here than where I'm standing!"  So the drive to get to that "easy" 27 is very attractive and all efforts are expended to get there quickly.  The day of victory arrives... success at last!  Then suddenly - almost immeditely upon arrival - the scores dump to the pits and stay there.  What happened to that easy 27?  It's not so easy anymore!  In fact, it's hellishly difficult.  You can thank your unconcious mind for the trip to hell because it brought you there, not by pure skill, but my emotion and luck.  On the journey to the 27-yard line precision shooting techniques were never learned and when that luck runs dry (and it does) a shooter can not escape from the plateau.  The wall is hit hard and the shooter is trapped in a snare.  All efforts to escape fail and the relentless slump materizes, feeding on itself, and the walls squeeze in to crush the shooter's spirit and scores.  Now there is help!   You can take lessons from a coach to escape and/or read my books to learn these precision shooting secrets.  Try as you may, you will never escape this hellish slump on your own efforts.  You must have the knowledge to break free.  It's now or never.

You must have natural-born talent to become a professional trapshooter.

  Totally false!  Many, many, pros will tell you how badly they shot when they first started out... often worse than your scores when you first shot!  One Hall of Fame pro told me when he fired his first round of trap he couldn't hit any of the 25 targets and it took him ten tries before he hit ten of them!  Talk to Olympic Medallists winners and they will tell you just how little natural-talent plays a role to perform professionally.  You have to learn pro techniques!  You also need advice, support, lessons and instructions.  Some shooters can rise to high levels of achievement on natural-talent, but few do.  And even those that do rely on the "inner knowledge" they picked up from other professionals!  Pros don't shoot in a vacuum.  No man is an island.  Get the knowledge and you can become a professional trapshooter!

Nobody gives lessons for free.

  Not true.  There are many free resources you can use to learn trapshooting.

1. Click here for free trap shooting lessons and click here for answers to many questions.
2. Talk to professional shooters... ask questions.  Many trapshooters feel intimidated to approach these professionals.  Simply push past that barrier and introduce yourself and open with, "Can I ask you a question about (gun fit, sight pictures, etc.)?"  It's that simple.  Most will never say no so you'll get your answer.  Keep conversation brief and short, a couple minutes or so, and the next day you will get even more advice if you ask.
3. Subscribe to shooting magazines.  The subscription cost is so low relative to the information given the shooting lessons given in the articles themselves are essentially free.
4. Search for internet sources where advice is given and where shooters talk to each other on-line. 
5. The library may have shooting books you can read for free.
6. You can pay to have shooting lessons from a coach/instructor.   Yes, the cost is there, but if you win option money due to the increased scores - those shooting lessons were free.  A good investment was made.

You never aim a shotgun, you point it at the target.

  Just watch a pro shoot and tell me s/he is pointing the gun at the targets when shooting handicap targets... and I'll show you a pro that is no longer going to stay a pro.  You bet these pro shooters aim their guns!  After 25-years of shooting 40,000 targets a year it may even appear to be pointing to them at times, but the truth is they are using those sight beads/muzzle to put them on the target.  It's the only way to get that sure-fire hit each and every time.  No luck here or relying on pure eye/hand coordination as the sole factor.  Fact is, at the 27-yard line there is little eye/hand coordination taking place.  It's pure intentional calculated precision moves to the target; trigger control, eye focus, gun and eye holds, tracking the target's true line of flight, fine-tuned back-sighting, etc.  Techniques that have nothing to do with pointing a shotgun.  Don't believe the myth you point a shotgun for if you do... you will continue to point and lose to the pros who know better.  There are many secrets to trapshooting. 

Eye/hand coordination is a predominate skill in handicap trapshooting.

  False.  There is very little angular muzzle travel at the 27-yard line, a bit more at lesser yardage's but dangerous to assume handicap shooting requires polished eye/hand coordination as would shooting singles or double trap at the 16-yard line or other disciplines such as skeet and sporting clays.  A higher degree of precision aiming is required in the handicap trap game where the shooter must learn how to use the sight beads without rifle-shooting.  A technique called back-sighting which allows the shooter to shoot off the end of the barrel.

Shooting Glasses?  A waste of money.

  False.  Shooting glasses are designed with lenses ground to centralize vision into the focal zone where the iris is located so you see the target with more rod receptors, about 750,000 more!  This enhances your shooting greatly the moment you put the glasses on.  The better you see the target the easier it will be to hit it.  Many shooter are missing out on these benefits.   Lens filters also enhance target centering and clarity.  The cost is now way more affordable! 

Do not think when shooting in competition.

  True and false.  If you don't think you'll be shooting blindly with a dead mind.  Using trigger words and simple positive statements will keep you focused to the job at hand.  The top Olympic shooters are fierce competitors and they mentally converse with themselves with a vengeance when shooting.  It elevates desire and forces you to enhance performance and crush negetive thoughts; "You have to beat the devil to submit to your will not his!"

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