2009 - USA SHOOTING NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS - SHOTGUN ...
JULY 16, 2009
Drove out to Fort Carson this morning (about 30 minutes) to watch the 2009 USA Trap shooting
championships and to visit with Ithaca shooter and long time friend, Rick Chordash. Had a great morning watching the
best in the country compete for top dog spots, and talking with Rick.
They shoot 100 targets today, 100 tomorrow and 50 in the finals on Saturday. I will get
more photos when I visit for the finals. As they shoot the complete rotation for each 25, it is about 3 hours before the shooters
get to shoot the second 25 and a mighty long day before they complete the 100 target event.
The International Shooting Park is a terrific venue out in the middle of the Fort
Carson Army base, about a trap load shot in distance from the Front Range of the Rockies. Interesting terrain with 14,000
foot peaks on one side and the start of the prairie on the other. There are four International Trap fields (bunkers) overlaid
by four skeet fields. They are not without their problems though as the voice release system was not functioning for the first
squad but got sorted out quickly.
It was a beautiful day offering lots of Colorado sunshine and temperatures in the low
80's with only one cloud in the sky, which I think I took a picture of. The wind started out strong (nothing new here) blowing
into the shooters faces and switched to the east (right of the shooters) about half way through. Interestingly, the wind does
not alter the target flight as much in bunker shooting because of the fast target speed.
You are allowed two shots of 7/8 ounce loads at each target except on final day. Only
one shot during finals. Those who seem to be veterans of bunker shooting shoot twice at every target regardless, which makes
sense. Also during finals, the targets are powder filled with something very red so every hit produces a huge cloud of smoke.
That is done for the sake of the judges to eliminate contradictions. These targets are fast and faster, wider angles and vary
in height from 1.5 meters to 3 meters. It is amazing to see the reflexes of the shooters. Lots of up and coming kids
who are impressive and I was surprised at the large number of young ladies competing. Rick was squadded with Corey Cogdell
who is an Olympic shooter and medal winner from Alaska. These folks are all business.
