Modified Trap (Shotgun) Competition Guidelines

Objectives

• Enhance youth development of self-concept, character and personal growth through safe, educational and socially acceptable involvement in shooting activities.
• To involve youth in a life skills program that teaches safe and responsible use of shooting sports equipment including sound decision-making, self-discipline and concentration.
• To promote the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
• To expose participants to the broad array of vocational and life-long avocation activities related to shooting sports.
• To strengthen families through participation in life-long recreational activities.
• To complement and enhance the impact of existing safety, shooting and hunter education programs using experiential (hands on) educational methods and progressive development of skills and abilities.

State Event Guidelines

• A county may enter any number of eligible Junior (Grades 6-8) or Senior (Grades 9-12) Division boys and/or girls in an area 4-H Shotgun match. 4-H’ers must post a minimum score (Juniors 16 hits and Seniors 20 hits) at a state approved match consisting of three counties or more to qualify for the state match.
• 4-H’ers have only one opportunity per 4-H year at a qualification match to shoot the minimum score to qualify for state match participation. After 4-H’ers qualify for that year, counties can establish 4-5 member Junior or Senior teams for state competition at their discretion. Team awards are determined by the sum of the best 4 scores. If a county qualifies less than 4 shooters in either division, the shooters will compete as individuals.
• The contest will be a modified trap shoot.
• Twenty-five (25) single, orange domed, 108mm (standard) clay targets will be thrown, at random angles and elevation away from the shooter using an electric trap machine. The trap will be set to throw targets not greater than 45 degrees left or right of the center of the trap (oscillating) and vertically 0-35 degrees (wobble). The trap will be located to the right of the 4-H’er and a dividing screen will be used to separate the 4-H’er and the trap.
• Throwers angles and elevation will be set by event management so target presentation will be consistent as possible from station to station. Machine elevation and level will be set using a magnetic protractor to insure consistency.
• Target speed will be set by event management. With the use of a radar gun, target speed will be set at 49-53 mph will all traps throwing within 1 mph of each other.
• Tampering with trap speed or elevation settings will be justification for county ejection from a match.
• In event that a trap becomes disabled or throws targets outside of the required zone of fire, it will be repaired or replaced by the event management as necessary. A coach of a 4-H’er involved during trap repair or replacement is responsible to confirm that traps throw targets at the proper angles and elevation. Targets thrown at the request of a 4-H’er cannot be disputed over a field of fire issue.
• One point will be awarded per target broken. Each 4-H’er will be allowed two (2) optional practice targets or may view two (2) targets before their record singles round begins. The 4-H’er or coach is responsible to inform the scorekeeper if either one or two practice shots are desired prior to shooting. The option of shooting practice shots is permitted only once prior to shooting any targets.
• Ties in the singles event will be broken by shooting rounds of 5 pairs of targets. The first round of tiebreakers may be shot immediately following the 4-H’ers singles round. Subsequent sets of pairs will be shot as needed to determine placements of individual winners and teams after single rounds are completed. A coach must select one representative to participate in tie breakers on behalf of the team.
• During tiebreaker rounds, 4-H’ers will not be allowed any practice rounds. However, they will be allowed to view the target presentation before shooting for record score.
• 4-H’ers must fire once at each target during tiebreaker rounds. Firing twice at the same target will result in both targets scored as lost.
• Shoot management or their designee will serve as the scorer/referee and trap operators for doubles. The scorekeeper/referee will observe each target’s flight and record breaks or misses. In event of a dispute, the trap operator’s opinion will be considered by the scorer/referee.
• Doubles will be thrown by using two electric trap machines phased together.
• When using electric machines, each machine will be set to throw a target near simultaneously within a one second delay. Machines will be set side by side where the right machine will be set to throw the target consistently at or near straight away, no more than 5 degrees left or right of center. The left machine will be set to throw a target consistently between 35- 45 degrees left
from the center of the field of fire. There is no out of bounds. Target speed and elevation will be set by event management.
• For each subsequent set of doubles, the trap elevation will be lowered, raised or the shooting box moved until placing can be determined.
• In the event of a no-target, gun or ammunition malfunction during a tiebreaker, neither target of a pair will be scored and another pair will be thrown to score.
• No adult will be allowed to score/referee or record scores for a 4-H’er from his or her county. Each county should have a minimum of two adults at the range with each team at all times. At least one of these adults must be a certified coach. These adults may be asked by the Range Officer to operate traps, be safety officers, scorers/referees, or any other task deemed necessary by the Range Officer. These extra adults are needed to ensure a safe match. If a county cannot bring two adults, their shooters will not be allowed to compete.
• Coaching will be allowed behind the firing line unless it holds up the match. If a coach, after one warning by the Range Officer or their assistant, continues to slow the match, then they will forfeit this privilege. At no time is a coach allowed to indicate the flight elevation or direction of any target. Violators will be required to leave the range.
• Prior to the start of the event, a jury of 3-5 certified coaches and/or extension staff shall be appointed to address protest. The decision of the jury is final.

Area/District Qualification Event Guidelines

• Each district will hold a minimum of one area/district modified trap match. All area/district events must be attended by three or more counties and approved by the State and District 4-H Office.
• District Matches must be conducted under the same guidelines as the state event including range set up, thrower settings, match procedures and scoring procedures. Counties that do not comply with state guidelines may not be permitted to host area/district events in future years.
• When using county provided machines, the event coordinator is responsible for insuring machine meets the minimum guidelines for target angle, elevation and speed. The use of a radar gun and magnetic protractor shall be used. When a county elects to shoot off a machine they provided that throws at greater angles, elevations or speeds, they have accepted targets called for by a 4-H’er as a legal target that cannot be contested.
• Prior to the start of the event, a jury of 3-5 certified coaches and/or extension staff shall be appointed to address protest. The decision of the jury is final

Safety Procedures

• All 4-H’ers must have successfully completed the Georgia Hunter Education Program.
• All 4-H’ers, trap operators, coaches, scorekeepers/referees, and range safety officers will wear hearing and eye protection at all times while on the firing line.
• Closed toe shoes that are secured to the feet by use of a heel strap or formed heel must be worn at all times while on the range. Flip flops, Crocs and sandals are not allowed. Shoes must be worn at the firing line.
• At no time may a gun muzzle be rested on the body part or a toe pad in 4-H competition. In addition, no body part may be rested on the muzzle of the firearm.
• All shotguns and ammunition will be cased or boxed and secured by a certified coach until ready to move to the firing range and after the match is over.
• The next 4-H’er in rotation will be ‘on-deck’ waiting their turn and ready to go. An on-deck box will be marked on the field behind the shooting station. Ammunition will be presented to the scorer/ referee to be inspected for rule compliance and shall remain in a closed box until time for the 4-H’er to shoot.
• The Range Officer will be in charge at all times during the match. Failure to heed the Range Officer’s instructions immediately will be grounds for ejection from the match ad removal from the range.
• All shotguns will be placed at a designated place at the firing range and will remain there until the 4-H’er is told to approach the firing line. The 4-H’er is allowed to transfer a shotgun, with coach’s approval, from the designated gun storage area to the firing line and back to the designated area. All guns must have the action open while being transferred to the firing line. A coach must be in control of ammunition at all times.
• All 4-H’ers, trap operators, coaches, scorekeepers/referees, and range safety officers will wear hearing and eye protection at all times while on the firing line.
• An adult coach will stand behind the 4-H’er and monitor safety. Two options for loading. 1)The coach will load the shotgun or hand shotshells (one shotshell only when shooting singles and two shotshells only when shooting doubles) to the 4-H’ers. 2) Juniors (6th-8th graders) and seniors (9th-12th graders) will be allowed to carry all shells and self-load. Coaches decide what is best. The coach will serve as the trap operator when electric traps are used. Only one coach will be allowed at the firing line and an additional coach may not be used to operate the trap. There will be a 5 minute time limit per shooter. Any thrower or gun malfunctions can extend the time limit.
• In the event of a misfire, the 4-Her cannot move either hand from the firearm, must maintain muzzle control down range while keeping their finger on the trigger. The 4-H’er must follow the instruction of the referee. Only a referee can inspect the firearm to determine and declare an ammunition or gun malfunction or shooter error.
• Safety is the number one consideration in the 4-H SAFE Program. The Range Officer or any safety officer may eject any 4-H’ers, coach or spectator for unsafe actions or behavior at any time during the match with no warning or appeal upon the event coordinators approval.

Equipment and Ammunition

• Any 12 or smaller gauge shotgun will be allowed to be used in this match.
• 4-H’ers will supply their own shotgun and shotshells. Shotshells must meet the following specifications:
• 1 1/8 oz. or 32 gram shot loads cannot exceed 1290 feet per second (FPS).
• 1 oz. or 28 gram shot loads cannot exceed 1325 FPS.
• 7/8 oz. or 24 gram shot loads cannot exceed 1350 FPS.
• Shot size must be 7 ½ or smaller and not exceed 1 1/8 oz. or 32 grams. Shells will be factory loads. NO RELOADS WILL BE ALLOWED. 4-H’ers are responsible for bringing enough shotshells for all rounds, to include: shots re-fired to establish a score, replacement of defective ammunition and tie breakers if necessary.
• It is the coach’s responsibility to provide written proof from the manufacturer that the ammunition meets Georgia 4-H requirements if questioned by a Range Officer or scorer/referee. Written proof shall consist of a box labeled with FPS information or a manufacture’s literature with that information. If a
4-H’er is found to have used illegal ammunition, they are subject to disqualification from the event.

Scoring

• A scorekeeper/referee will observe each target’s flight and record breaks or misses on the official score sheet. The scorekeeper/referee must see a visible piece of the target break off to be scored as a broken target. “Dusting” or moving a target does not count as a broken target. Two flankers will be used to the left and right of the field to confirm broken and missed targets.
• Disputes over broken or missed targets must be resolved prior to calling for the next target (or pair in doubles). Calling for the next target signifies agreement with the scorekeeper/referee and previous targets cannot be reviewed. The flankers opinion of broken or missed shall be used by the referee to resolve disputes over broken or missed targets. If the flankers are unable to or fails to make a judgment, the decision of the scorer/referee is final.
• Each 4-H’er gets a maximum of two failures to fire resulting in a “no target.” In event of a “no target,” the 4-H’er will be allowed to shoot that target again for record score. A failure to fire may be caused by gun malfunction, ammunition malfunction or shooter error including failures to take off the safety, selecting the proper barrel, or loading of shell. Each failure to fire after the first two instances will be scored as a “lost target.” Failure to fire shall be noted on the score sheet as F1, F2, etc. in the space where the target is scored along with the score for that target.
• If a target breaks when thrown from the trap, the scorer/referee will call “no target” A no target will not be scored and must be re-shot.
• Broken targets/ machine malfunctions: If 2 broken targets are thrown consecutively, fire should suspend and the trap machine cleared. If the machine continues to malfunctions or break targets, a coach may pull a 4-H’er off the line and request that the machine be evaluated or repaired. The 4-H’er is allowed to view 1 legal target and will resume his round at the point where they stopped. The 4-H’er cannot start their round over and hits/misses on previous targets will remain as scored. If a coach allows a 4-H’er to complete their round on a malfunctioning machine, they will not be allowed a second opportunity to post a score.
• It is the responsibility of the coach to make the scorekeeper/referee aware of a gun or ammunition malfunction so a judgment can be made.
• At the conclusion of the 4-H’ers turn, each 4-H’er must initial his/her score at the scorer’s table before returning to the ready line. Failure to initial score cards indicates acceptance of scores as recorded. Scorecards will be checked for accuracy by event management.

Certified Coaches/ Adults

• Counties are required to have a minimum of one 4-H certified coach in the shotgun discipline for each 4-5 person team.
• A 4-H certified coach in shotgun discipline must be present for a county practice or event to be recognized as a Georgia 4-H SAFE program. A certified coach must be on each modified trap station.
• Additional adequate adult supervision should be present to serve as range safety officers and help facilitate all aspects of Project SAFE events and activities. Certified Coaches and volunteers must meet the UGA policies for volunteers.

Awards & Recognition

• Awards are as outlined by the Project SAFE Development Committee
• The first place senior team and high individual will be eligible for Master
4-H’er status and to participate in the recognition of Special Events Winners at State 4-H Congress. The banquet meal and lodging expenses will be paid for the team and coach; however, travel costs are not covered.
• Members of the State Winning (First Place) Team are ineligible to compete as team members in future years. Team members may compete as individuals in contests and may be recognized as State Winners as High Individuals.
• State Winning High Individuals who are not members of the State Winning (First place) Team are permitted to compete in future years as either individuals or as team members.