Something that has not been mentioned is the effect of the different types of traps throwing the targets. The old White Flyer machines imparted a good bit of spin to the target, while most if not all of the more modern machines give less spin. This will give a lot of difference in the effects of centrifugal force on the one pellet hits. I knew that the spin differences were manifested in the flight of targets in the wind, but had not considered the difference in marginal hit breaks.
Another big factor is the make and in some cases the style of the target. For about 20 years I did the set up and maintenance on the skeet machines at the club I belonged to. All our machines were Westerns. The best targets for shooters were Remingtons, and the next best were the White Flyers. For a while, Federal made a target that was as good as the White Flyer, but later discontinued it. The easily broken targets were the best for the shooters, but bad for the club because of the percentage broken in the machines. The White Flyers were the best compromise, providing the machines were properly maintained and adjusted. Federal made some targets that were so hard that a 200 lb man could stand on one without breaking it.The top shooters still shoot the highest scores and still win, regardless of the targets used, but their scores are lower than with the more easily broken targets.
Last edited by Tom Martin; 03/11/11 11:59 AM.
