SAFETY RULES

1. Carry your shotgun with the gun or action open at all times.
2. Handle and carry shotgun with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
3. Load shotgun only when you are at the firing point on your assigned shooting station.
4. Unload your gun if moving from one station to another.
5. Stay on your stand and keep the gun muzzle downrange as you eject and reload
6. Do not step back or bend down between shots.
7. In the event of a delay on the trap line, unload your shotgun.
8. No alcohol on the shooting range.

PROCEDURES AND SEQUENCE

1. The round begins with one shooter at each of the five stations, with each shooter's gun open until it is his turn to shoot.
2. The shooter on station one is the lead off shooter.  He will ask if the squad and puller are ready (usually by calling "Squad ready?" then "Puller ready?"), followed by asking to see one free target, traditionally saying "Let's see one."
3. The standard call for a target is “pull,” but many shooters like to use their own variations of "pull," or words that will help them concentrate on the target.
4. The firing sequence goes from left to right, station one to five respectively, with each shooter firing at one target in turn. After the shooter on station five has fired, it is again the lead off shooter's turn, and this is repeated through five targets for each shooter.
5. When the first shooter has fired his final 5th shot of the station, the scorer will call “end”.  After the fifth shooter has fired his last shot of the station, the score will command “all change”.  Each shooter will then move one station to the right.  The shooter on station five moves behind the rest of the shooters to the first station and will signal when he is ready to the lead off shooter who is now on station two. The lead off shooter never begins the next set of shooting until the shooter who moved from station 5 to station 1 has gotten settled.
6. The lead off shooter will begin the next set by firing the first shot of each new set of five. This rotation and sequence is continued until all shooters have fired at five targets per station for the total of 25 shots per shooter.
7. Any time a shooter misses a target, the scorer will call missed targets with a command of lost.
8. The score will announce the number of "dead" targets broken by each shooter after that shooter has shot five targets in order. This announcement will be made as the shooters move to their respective stations.

AMMUNITION

• Lead shot size between 7 ½ and 9.
• Maximum of 1-1/8 oz of shot
• Maximum velocities of 1200fps (feet per second)

ETIQUETTE

• Shell catchers are recommended for anyone using a semi-automatic - a shell hitting you in the head or arm can certainly disrupt concentration.
• Most shooters also carry a few extra shells in case they drop one. It is necessary not to pick up any dropped shell, or other item, until after the 5th shooter has fired his 5th shot of the station and the squad is about to rotate to the next position.
• Idle chatting between shots, vulgar calls, and unnecessary movement can be generally disruptive. Things are considerably more relaxed during a practice squad, but one should use some discretion.
• Once a shooter takes his place on the station, he is expected to remain in place and should not swing the gun around or hold it in a field-style position while waiting.