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.
Competition Guidelines:
A county may enter any number of eligible
Junior or Senior 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.Qualification matches must follow
the standards set forth in these guidelines.
4-H'ers can
use 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 5-7 member Junior or
Senior teams for state competition at their discretion. If a county qualifies
less than 5 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.
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 can not 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 rounds by shooting at 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 individuals and teams. A coach must select one
representative to participate in tie breakers on behalf of the team.
During
tie breaker rounds participants will not be allowed any practice rounds.
However, they will be allowed to view the target presentation before shooting
for record score.
Shoot management
or their designee will serve as trap operators for doubles. In
addition to the scorer/referee, two flankers will be used to confirm hit
and missed targets.
Doubles will be
thrown using a manually operated Trius Trap
by
consistently placing targets back to back (not stacked) on the thrower
arm at the same location for each pair. The angle will be so that one target
is consistently at or near straight away and the other consistently at
or near 45 degrees from the center of the field of fire. There is no out
of bounds.
For each subsequent
set of doubles, the trap elevation will be lowered or raised until placing
can be determined.
In
the event of a no-target, gun or ammunition malfunction during a tiebreaker
niether target of a pair will be scored and another pair wil be thrown
to score.
No adult will be
allowed to score/referee, operate a trap, 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.
For
modified Trap field set up click here.
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.
Area/district events
may elect to use the either an electric machine or the manually operated
Trius trap for their events. Counties attending must be notified
in the official match letter to the type of trap that will be used prior
to the event.
If the host county
elects to use the Trius Machine, they must be set up and used in the following
manner:
Throwing arms must
be marked to throw targets not greater than 45 degrees left or right of
the center of the trap when held to the far left and far right.
Prior to the start
of the match, Target minimum and maximum (0-35 degrees) elevation should
be marked on the thrower. Elevation should be randomly changed every
3-5 targets so that the change in elevation does not move from one extreme
to the other. Target angles should be randomly varied for each target.
Target speed will
be controlled by locking the spring at its maximum tension where there
are no visible threads between the spring and the frame assembly.
During the use of
Trius traps, the trap operator must not be from the same could as the 4-H’er.
The coach has the right to request that an operator be replaced if they
feel they are throwing unfair targets.
If a 4-H’er calls
for a target and the trap operator fails to release it within one second,
the trap operator, scorer/referee, or coach may call "no target."
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 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 remain in a closed box and secured by a certified coach
until ready to move to the firing range and after the match is over.
The next shooter
in rotation will be ‘on-deck’ waiting their turn and ready to go.
Ammunition will be presented to the scorer/referre to be inspected for
rule compliance and shall remain in a closed box until time for the 4-H'er
to shoot. A coach will hand one shell at a time to the 4-H'er on the firing
lane.
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 coaches 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. The coach will load the shotgun
or hand shotshells (one shotshell only when shooting singles and two shotshells
only when shooting doubles) to the shooter. After the trap operator says,
"ready" the 4-H'er will say "pull" to call for a target. The
coach or designated person from the same county will serve as the trap
operator when electric traps are used.
In the event of
a misfire, the 4-H'er can not move either hand from the firearm, must maintain
muzzle control down range and 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 proram. The Range officer or any safety
officer may eject a 4-H'er, coach or spectator for unsafe actions or behavior
at any time during the match with no warning or appeal upon 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 oz cannot exceed
1325 FPS
7/8 oz can not exceed
1350 FPS.
Shot size must be
7 ½ or smaller and not exceed
1 oz.. Shells will be factory loads. NO RELOADS
WILL BE ALLOWED. Shooters are responsible for bringing enough shells for
practice shots, record fire 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.
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 trap operator or scorer/referee will call
"no target" A no target will not be scored and must be re-shot.
The scorekeeper/referee
shall be in a position to see that targets are placed within the marked
zone on the trap arm and shall say “lost” for each missed target.
Disputes over hit
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 can not be reviewed.
The trap operator’s opinion of hit or missed shall be used to resolve disputes
over hit or missed targets. The decision of the trap operator is
final for scoring hits or misses. If the trap operator is unable to or
fails to make a judgement, the decision of the scorer/referee is final.
It is also the responsibility
of the scorekeeper/referee to make judgment over gun or ammunition malfunctions
or 4-H'er error.
At the conclusion
of each 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 card
indicates acceptance of scores as recorded. Score cards 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 5-7 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.
Additional adequate
adult supervision should be present to serve as range safety officers and
help facilitate all aspects of Project SAFE events and activities. Adults
should be Certified Overnight Chaperone Trained or Screened Volunteers
depending upon responsibilities and roles assigned.
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 head 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 winning high individuals. This applies whether
or not they compete in a national 4-H SAFE event.
State Winning High
Individuals who are not membres of the State Winning (first place) team
are permitted to compete in future years as either individuals or team
members.
