Trap and Field's Around the ATA article from the Atlantic Provinces ATA Delegate
January 2019
Happy New Year from the Atlantic Provinces.
How often do we ask ourselves “Where does the time go?” Seems like it was just yesterday that we had our first shoot in 2018 and here we are making plans for the 2019 trap season.
It’s shaping up to be another good year in the Atlantic Provinces. We have already secured major sponsors for our ATA Provincial Shoot and our third annual gun lottery. This year’s prize will be our biggest and best to date – stayed tuned to our website as more details are announced in the coming months. The Atlantic Provinces shoot calendar already includes a full schedule of ATA registering shooting throughout the season’s busiest months. Our competitive shooters have also made plans to compete in the Southern and Spring Grands and the Canadian Trapshooting Championships just to name a few. You can count on Peter Tucker, the 2018 Southern Grand Handicap Champion, to be at the Silver Dollar this March defending his title. Good luck, Peter!
Like most northern areas, winters in the Atlantic Provinces can be just miserable but it’s a great opportunity to get ready for the upcoming trap season. Review your 2018 season and make some notes on what worked and what didn’t. Get out your Trap and Field magazine, or sign up for the digital version, and read the articles that will keep you focused on trap in the off season. Pick up an instructional video from one of the ATA pros and start working on your game. On those long winter nights set aside 15 - 20 minutes to do some gun mounts to keep your arms and upper body in shape. Put a few targets or dots on the wall and practise swinging and getting your gun to where you’re looking. Better yet, add a Terry Jordan Wall Chart or a Dry Fire System to your routine. Just be certain that you practise with the same shooting technique as if you were shooting real targets.
When’s the last time you looked over your shooting equipment? Give your gun a good cleaning and have it looked at by a qualified gunsmith if it’s been a while. Make an appointment to have your eyes checked to make sure your vision hasn’t changed. Make sure your eye and hearing protection are still effective and if it’s been a while get new ones.
Do you find yourself at times not knowing the right call on an ATA rule? The off season is a perfect opportunity to review the ATA rulebook and changes that came into effect with the current shooting year. There’s no need to be a rule expert but all shooters should know the basic ATA rules. For the more complicated situations, an ATA rulebook comes in handy. If you don’t have a printed copy, download a digital copy and have it on your smartphone for quick reference.
Our website will be going through some updates in early 2019. We will be adding a Shooter Centre complete with all the information shooters need to know, a section to highlight shooting milestones and a section to showcase some of our shooters. We also plan to increase our social media presence. Work is also being done on our Hall of Fame. Details on that project will be announced once finalized.
For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association feel free to contact me or visit shootatlantic.com.
Regards,
Andrea
Andrea Bassan
shootatlantic.com