OP: Find a gun that fits. If it has 2 barrels, or is a pump or autoloader, you can shoot all the clay sports.
It's not a poor person's game, but you don't have to be rolling in the dough to get going.
Once, someone asked me, "I have $1000, and want to shoot Trap. What sort of gun should I buy?" My reply: "A $300 shotgun, and $700 in ammo. By the time you've used that up, you'll have an idea of what you want and need, and won't have to ask."
I'm not an A-level shooter, but I've turned in more that one 25 with an old beater Browning A5 or a Smith & Wesson 1000. If the gun fits you, and you follow the fundamentals, you'll be fine.
When 1 target out of 100 makes a real difference, then you need a specialized gun.
As for competitions: when you can shoot a round of Trap without thinking too much, moving out of turn or scaring the other shooters, you're good to go. The Mass State shoot is coming up in June. Ask around your Club to see who is going. It's a busy place, and having a sensei is a good idea, your first time. Since you have no official score (as far as teh ATA is concerned, you'll probably in in the B or A Class (it's in the program that they send out), so coming home with hardware is unlikely. However, play the Lewis (see under my avatar
). It's a way of giving everyone a chance at a prize!
One note about "real" competitions: You will have 100 or 200 shots to fire. The bigger shoots is 4 rounds in the AM, 4 in the PM. It's a long day. Fatigue is a factor. If you're shooting at the Club, make sure that you get on (4) squads, back to back, to get a feel for it. If the "real" shoot is running perfectly, (4) squads will take a bit over an hour. At a normally run shoot in the real world, it's about 90 minutes. If you're not used to it, it can be tough.
If you have confidence in whatever gun you use (it fits you physically and mentally), you relax, and have fun. One of the best shooters I ever saw was at the Mass State Shoot a few years back. 28" barrel on a Winchester Model 12
Winchester Model 1912 - Wikipedia
It's not the arrow, it's the indigenous person with the arrow .