Show TRAP SHOOTING y j Cincinnati T 1 t r wi 1 v- v vi i I i I iv f A. A First Clay Pigeon 70 Years Ago leors Clay pigeons are not made of or o clay and do not resemble pigeons It will probably come as a surprise to the ay that the first demonstration of the original origin l flying g saucer s uc r which w h sparked the modern clay target and that's still not sH rhade- rhade t clay Ja 7 was held at Coney Island New York in 1880 by r. r its i it i Invent r Her He was a Cin Cia Cincinnati Cincinnati 1 f named George invented his clay pigeon as a substitute for a substitute clay bird was intended to replace the glass ball which in in tu n had been invented to replace live Jive pigeons in trap shooting If youve you've forgotten trap shooting gets its name from the once popular sport of shooting live pigeons as they were released from traps The pub pub- public lie lic outcry against shooting pigeons helped produce the glass balls But glass balls weren't the only JI Y things the outcry produced Old timers timers' with good memories may remember some of the Rube like Goldberg-like attempts that were made to imitate pigeons pi-geons in flight But few modern shooters ha ny conception Jf cl the v Y jW I UGe s of gadgets gadget b jt an n I h Jy Baiter r the Civil far r an p. p l i end lend even after George invented the clay pigeon I. I I f. f Depending upon how far back cR you y y u want to go the th inspiration X h for q r trap trapshooting tr trapshooting p shooting C e c t. t l- l lm m st to earliest arliet t r history H rier u ro tion j popinjay shoot shoot- ing in ih In this Greeks shot at a a dove During the e Middle Ages Ages- Age this thi SP t was WaS' also flo llio popular Usually inja Was a stuffed parrot m Uit Uh d' d b pole p j n birds birds' Vie Vl re U Sg p a rJ cord c rd kept the bird bi fr fy fIRm m fly ng Th ll st public ay shoot with ibo 1 m y nd arrow in England toca rr d dIn In n 1792 II I J I Trap Trapshooting shooting w s' s r t tinEn inEn aI d eV eVen 1 n tb j jd d i p by YI tl fM of of at hS I Q l Public public Houses ho Ses Then t a Stamford W td kup up the t i sp sport and made a it respectable sp The first naDle pigeon club near London Vas va gl the Ithe name Old Hats ts Its Its m e- e erives rives riv s from froth t the 7 fac f that h JJ plot d pp bats ats were vie w to t d cover oy the holes in li the th pigeons were kept prior r to lse when the hats Were We're v re pulled off the holes hol s. s The Th use us' us u bf of d I hats for trap covers covers' c cOve v s 's sv was is v s dl discarded c r ea d rather n nand arid and Innumerable de devic de dc- vices vic s were ere vented with sliding c vet vet-s of ot hats which could I b be b opened i L with cords by an attend dant behind the thel shooter shoot r.- r. I I 1 L f 1 1 m. m 1 I Glass GI G ss ss Balls B. B its its' Used sei First First d The The- English sed native h J pigeons and hd later l ter t r imported Imp Belgian pigeons I 9 used ed their own larks larks- and sp rr ws Low characters characters' eVeh e v h i hooded the th birds birds' s to make mak m k H r fl 11 fIt I slower f i j While t te's e vf ps a p Public p i 1 liv pigeons ons over ovell iap f 1 i 5 t t for fr live birds seem thought of beford rE criticism 1 of bird shooting becam vociferous But u once on e a i rd substitute wag i s ctt live iV l pigeon pIgeon geo shooting was vaS ds practically c 1 Glass 94 s balls baUs were the first sub substitutes for live birds and Char Char- Charles Charles les Portlock of Boston Massa Massa- Massachusetts Massachusetts is is' credited d with sit th ejr th jr iW pv ht ij 1 ir 16 i jut tut f if i iy s not notH until un H il many y years y ars later when SI l mEt shots as s Captain A A.- A. I III Dr W. W F Fi C and others ni m lori run Jr i ci u l. with ball Wat t fla las Iafe s I lr 1 received rec their bIs st 4 By ly r mec a vh h the tl e called Il d c mud saucers saucers weri e I Balls made mad of or v syr fg r These he e had bad Ht to be bridle brite M lp J i Ji arid ald Id Jt ey I t t b enough t pottery balls which it i was W JS claimed would dissolve after aft I r I rains alsot came AriS a l ful fellow brought u t Wb Iba riV d W i f jf ze n J l I sl l Fr r f f I It ii loo tb O tP Il j U e c com Dined d g or ors s oin of ani Englishman o l p n 1119 to ta figure lJ lg iut a to attach on m mend e end of an elastic cord to S t to post and theother to a a. a ball b 11 You Yo he ball just about td to the poi t J the cord c 11 fd I Would w II J B reak b. b all Then T h t o yi let it gp It 9 P. P i at this L was w a s p t i i I I. I I I came a a a gyro trap that shot a propeller-like propeller target into info the theair air This vi w was s fOr fOra a th e try this thi o pana l n France Bet Bel pd d In India lia I variation v a th mg top top i L hada ler mounted in a of clay n IJ i 1 i. i 11 I 1 I Another Another ideal introduced after th clay clay- pigeon Was W s of brtis bl s' s 1 saucer r fill i d JY H Q d e r rei ld J char dIdI coal o l that Was supposed s ppe to explode into a. a p. p 9 pf black lc c dust when a pasteboard rd ie e 1 JI n place was shot out Later similar birds bird S were filled with bran Many liany Ma y Gadgets G dg l ei t r The Tin pigeon didn't pigeon didn't live long Ion g either It was shaped shaped- somewhat liRe liKe e ea a conventional clay target with a metal disc attached to it by a small sma Li hain chain The disc was supposed to dis- dis dh i its iri the get ge a d' d ien Fh I n iti it Y lf a a pe pele T was fie dis dJ di p p. p tJ l W. s disengage when struck or It jt disengaged disengaged- as as' soon icon asi as it- it was thrown into air ai George nV ht the clay target mUst hav tri fm j t pf the peculiar ti Jha Ris i eon con c n- n rs had re up nd figured that a ii someone didn't trail tall talla call a stop would all all' go haywire wondering whether their b ir next ext target g ln nto O smoke mA feath rs A ll igowsky ky v v ws r- r rs r. 1 f c a ape on day dav Idly 1 w t. t youngsters skipping shells he s Vei OYeI the water Pr his hl eyes yes follower tl th t- t shells shells' he as a a they p y yI I arched through the t th 1 perhaps her he even ven the he 5 l s with th 1 Y gun The The-rec- T The e rec are ai ar elaborate but it can be he hu ha conj 1 th in inverted in- in j sli a J hll If rs S Wl it t i it X Y l I 4 i j fem x r j r IJ aJ er would 1 i t teven t ye vb even greater gr t r stability i. i i IJ t ell Ligo f I hi first I. I his r r pigeon but bat like He t easy l JI r Ie p q te ie I I L I. I mIS t KC 0 h 1 ny I J ig Q cy cW 1 r 1 W iPg pg he heidi idi t t realize that I v olay H H matl an anven even ven worse n is ke ite r fre lis cl J t get i a y were vere 1 s pd 15 hey ver er J Hard ti they wouldn't all aaU all When you'd hit them they'd th ring a bell eli That could havo ri n. n death eath knell of the e clay ay pigeon Ii ep if h AO nr x db Jv ea tl t clay cly y Orange pg Targets Targe Ta ge Popular Pt I f II ur g modern trap tar tar- targets gets gels els lets let's m stop calling I them clay Ity targets arge sL t hH al P. I S its it's ts t's tsp p pi i rf rm ime ct 1 by y one of ot o the country's biggest bigg st producers i. i I Western Car Cu- Company The molten mix mL miXture ture ure pitch and iS poured into nto water-cooled water moulds mould's Ih lii a t o 1 pr s U cr 11 dut r of v. v op o s belts ts J Just J st e trimmed off oU u. u Then they're stacked l i 5 high into corrugated fibre boxes and away aay they gt gk r BY- BY f t i tS i l brok nb h f m 8 t L I J 1 1 out ota of theu t. t JI hin ar aT e- e e black but la swatch of of color These These- Thes J. J 1 colors colors' col s if ili T dc white red f. f H J nr I P. P pink Dr Different e n l roun ud J t on L c t ar arget g. g e X r targets with contrasting c ting colors Im Inn the Pa northwest orange arid antl a l red Fed are are- aref favored f At thiS the l 1 J shoot only orane orange ril It Ra yo I eel u used eu 10 oi y tU ai III in I I Cuba yb o Il find pink t ts After its lo g iz t t bk- bk fk- fk g un I U tile p n Y r th tp m target arget I a simple tS jIs tI Pi J e HI j jt it t f takes ales to describe d scribe it The flat f fl called the oke hr h tHe tH clr Uj tl is s tt f 11 1 d d th 1 gd l ll S I h W i the dome i e ft w the oft of hl h six sT j tHe H LI 4 k Yi A if i lightly hit by only a few sh shot t pellets While le white lx rf- rf t bidle enough en to when break struck by only one ne Rr pr hA let nj must 15 13 enough t i Re e shipped sl piled 15 hi tt of that a they the Ysl mUst t P t Ibe thrown from from- d' d i enough o t df W 60 r v at t the tHit th rate raa of about 5 I revolutions per peru minute u j t u 1 11 JI q I. I ou s t h e o iod od r rn Iw white te fly flyr r interest and of practical use is the gid- gid gidget ad- ad adget get that sends it spinning I K i. i the ie air h its it's t ing device t the cau trap Th There Thre re are v s obe he be for trap tap shooting another for skeet arid ari lone for lone for Sohie ire are rii ii- leased mechanically and sOme s me I 1 I. I I f can throw their own targets usually two peo pea people pIe are required one to pitch and andone andone andone one to shoot The thrower stands be- be ne of the gunn er- er erand and if he wants to put his friends friends' shooting skill 5 ill to a real eal test he can throw about bout Ii any an kind of target that's th ts t's in the book If you want some some fun pack a and a case of targets in your car the next time 1 head oU for for 1 J pe l' l t |