Yesterday I was in an open trap shooting competition out in Lancaster, PA and alas, I am not the trap queen (sorry). After 4 rounds totaling 100 shots I wasn’t in last place, but I’d been crushed by a 7th grader with a fake diamond earring in a G-Unit hoodie. The only consolation was whispering “your mom didn’t want you” in his ear as I left the area.

Losing to that kid was tough since I spent my youth training on Nintendo’s Duck Hunt. Usually with the electronic-gun controller directly on the TV screen while my mom yelled at me. I also prided myself as a great shot in the Marines. Have I mentioned I was in the Marines yet? I was in the Marines. USMC. Devil Dog. Very neat. ::Pats self on back::

But back to trap shooting: so hot right now.

It’s sort of a bowling league vibe; $5 – $10 per round of 25 clay birds (small neon-clay frisbees) is pretty normal in the boonies. Upside – there’s no chance of getting ringworm from old rented shoes. Downside – instead of gutter balls you could accidentally kill a bird or take a Cheney to the face. If you follow the weapons safety rules (keep that finger straight & off the trigger, friends) it’s fun and kind of addicting.

And the sport is growing. There are high school leagues forming around the country; (here in PA over 400 kids are participating in the 2018 Spring season) and you can even get a scholarship to play on college teams if you’re good enough at shooting clay. The military has teams, too.

“But Kate, what is trap shooting? You know we love long, rambling articles!”

Since you asked, it’s one of the three branches of competitive clay shooting and is most commonly done via 12 gauge shotgun.

Trap – You only load one round and fire at one clay disc at a time as it’s flung out of a machine (trap) & rises away from you in different directions. Bad Fetty Wap puns highly discouraged.

Skeet – Not 100% sure but I think you just shoot your load (cum, lulz) on someone’s back. Or you load two rounds and fire at two clay birds being flung out of traps in different directions. Bad Lil Jon puns highly encouraged.

Sporting Clays – It’s like a golf course. This is my personal favorite. You drive around in your Uncle’s jacked up golf cart shooting from different stands in the woods while you take a lot of Instagram photos that make you seem like a bad bitcc even though you’re not at all. (unless you’re me)

Hoping I can get the ZBT crew on board as my teammates for a tournament benefiting wounded vets this summer. If PFC (Producer First Class) @Radiobren out-shoots @CaptainCons, @UncleChaps and I, he can take over as podcast commander.

Anyways, here’s the part where I end the article and wait for the true gun folks to tear me apart in the comments. In advance, your mom didn’t want you either. Enjoy!