Well not anytime but is there any club within a hour of Boston (minuteman, Mass Rifle, Westford, Lowell, Leominster, Nashoba or others) where I can go by myself or with a friend during a non-organized time and shoot trap or skeet? I know westford has a manual thrower and voice activated trap. Do any clubs have auto throwers for trap or skeet or just in a field or are there others with manual throwers? And if there are places you can go shoot by yourself, what's the standard protocol? Do you have to generally be a member for a certain period before it's allowed? I'm fairly new to shotgunning and trying to decide where go join. Thanks very much.
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Club that I can shoot shotgun anytime
- Thread starter El Bishop
- Start date
amb
NES Member
For members, Woburn Sportsmen's allows trap range use anytime but you need to bring your own thrower. (Actually, sometimes I've seen a manual thrower kicking around outside the trap house, but I'm not sure if that's anything official or what.) It's a pretty nice place to shoot trap and a good bunch of people, and the auto-throwers are running Saturdays and Sundays until noon or so as well as on a weekday evening (it's lit) at least some of the year. $2.50/round.
Braintree R&P has a permanently mounted "manual" trap machine that can be used from 10AM to dusk Mon-Sat. Sundays no shooting outdoors until 12Noon and the Trap Committee runs the range (where you can shoot a round with the automatic thrower) until they are done, then you can use the manual thrower. The manual trap machine requires a second person to pull the lanyard.
MisterHappy
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Minuteman has "coin activated" trap fields, but I believe that you have to be a member (not being a member, I'm not sure)
At my club (Southborough R&G) if you have your own thrower, the Trap field has the same hours as the outdoor range.
I'd guess that most, if not all, clubs that have a Trap or Skeet field have some sort of access control on the throwers, as they're expensive units and [this may come as a surprise] not everyone is as careful with Club property as some would like.
If you check the back of the Outdoor Message, and use a bit of planning, most days you can find an open Trap field, though it may require driving.
One additional thought - at my Club, members of the Trap committee have keys to the Trap house ( as they have to be able to open up) and, as part of the "thanks" for their service, can use the machines at non-scheduled times with Chairman approval. Not sure if this is the case at all clubs, but generally, you get back what you put in, and if you step up to help, doors, and possibly Trap fields, may open for you.
At my club (Southborough R&G) if you have your own thrower, the Trap field has the same hours as the outdoor range.
I'd guess that most, if not all, clubs that have a Trap or Skeet field have some sort of access control on the throwers, as they're expensive units and [this may come as a surprise] not everyone is as careful with Club property as some would like.
If you check the back of the Outdoor Message, and use a bit of planning, most days you can find an open Trap field, though it may require driving.
One additional thought - at my Club, members of the Trap committee have keys to the Trap house ( as they have to be able to open up) and, as part of the "thanks" for their service, can use the machines at non-scheduled times with Chairman approval. Not sure if this is the case at all clubs, but generally, you get back what you put in, and if you step up to help, doors, and possibly Trap fields, may open for you.
Yup, that is what I have seen.
If you are just starting out with shotgun check them all out during public hours, usually on the weekend. Lowell has skeet and trap, Westford Trap and Sporting clays and N Leominster has Trap and Skeet. Most members will be happy to give you pointers and talk about the club.
Also check out The Greater Lowell Trap League and the participating clubs for more options. http://gltl.org/gltl/10/index.htm.
MisterHappy
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If you're looking for a spring-operated type, they're pretty much all the same. If you're going to be sticking it on a spare tire, that's one way. If you don't want the tire, and want to stcik it inot the ground, remember: the ground will be frozen solid, soon. ( The trap has a "kick" that has ot be absorbed or dissipated, so a secure mounting is required.)
Dicks or a similar store should have them, also: check the classifieds here, and on craigslist. They're not a big-buck item on the used market (especially around here, where back-yard trap is not a "typical" activity....
Dicks or a similar store should have them, also: check the classifieds here, and on craigslist. They're not a big-buck item on the used market (especially around here, where back-yard trap is not a "typical" activity....
