And there was also "Tower Shooting"
Sporting Life, January 2,
1904“TRAP SHOOTING FROM TOWER”
This Novel Manner Used at the Pinehurst Grounds.
The equipment of the Pinehurst (N. C.) Gun Club embraces an interesting feature in the shape of a tower trap, says a correspondent of the New York Sun. Such traps are quite common in Europe, but practically unknown in this country.
In the top of the tower are two target traps, one at the right and one at the left. The attendant is protected by a heavy plank partition, which also hides the traps from view. The traps are pulled from the rear, in the usual manner. Targets may be thrown in five ways: right, left, unknown, overhead and doubles. In all of these events, with the exception of the overhead targets, the shooter faces the tower at the usual distance. In the overhead shooting he stands back to the tower and directly underneath it.
The sport furnished is novel as compared with the usual trap shooting. The idea is to produce conditions such as those the sportsman experiences in wild waterfowl, pigeon or other such shooting, or in shooting birds which fly from trees. Known angles to the right and left are not difficult, and many gunners have a knack for killing overhead birds, but unknown angles puzzle the experts, and doubles, two birds shooting off in opposite directions, and at the same time, call for a skill and quickness that few possess. But doubles are not impossible, and the shooting is wonderfully fascinating because of its difficulty.
Pinehurst Programme 1904
Pinehurst, N. C., Jan. 23. The Pinehurst Gun Club has arranged a series of trapshooting contests which began on Thursday and which will not be finished until April. The next contest will take place on Jan 28, when the conditions call for 100 targets, known traps and unknown angles. The remainder of the programme follows: Feb. 4. 30 singles, 10 doubles, Magautrap, handicap: Feb. 11, 50 singles, 15 doubles, expert traps, handicap; Feb. 18, 50 targets, 10 each thrown to the right, left, unknown, overhead and in doubles: Feb. 25, 100 singles, thrown from a Magautrap, handicap; March 3 30 singles, Magautrap, 30 singles, tower trap, handicap; March 17. 30 singles and 15 doubles. Magautrap, handicap; March 24, 15 doubles, Magautrap, 15 doubles, tower trap, handicap.
On March 31 and April 1 and 2 the annual Pinehurst Gun Club championship contest will take place. The conditions arc: First, day, 100 singles. Magautrap; second day, 100 singles, expert traps: third day, 100 singles, thrown in five different ways; all scratch.
Sporting Life, July 23, 1904
Chicago, Ill., July 18.
The Calumet Gun Club, of Pullman, held its animal basket picnic and merchandise shoot July 4. The tower shooting created a lot of interest and brought out many spectators to see this style of target shooting.
Sporting Life, July 30, 1904
North Platte, Neb., July 23.
The Buffalo Bill Gun Club, at North Platte, Neb. is one of the best trap shooting organizations in the West, having splendidly equipped range on the ranch of Buffalo Bill, Hon. W. F. Cody, one mile east of this thriving Nebraska town.
The club boasts the only permanent shooting tower in America, and the shooting over, or rather under, this was one of the features of the present tourney. The visitors rather bested by the home boys on the overhead work, as the latter had all the advantage of previous practice, and their system of doing their work is so original that practice is essential to success.
The tower is seventy feet high, and the shooters stand at five stations on a straight line, fifteen feet from the base of the tower, back to traps, catching the targets as they go out overhead. This requires not only practice and knowledge of how to handle a gun, but some acrobatic capabilities, and affords much amusement to visitors.
Sporting Life, Aug. 13, 1904
Tower shooting, for some time an adjunct of English practice, seems to be gaining ground on this side, though no club in this vicinity has facilities for this unique practice at the present time. Two of the expert amateurs of this section have indulged in this sport for some time, their estates possessing the natural advantages of a cliff, which gives excellent chance to position traps for this style of shooting.
Sporting Life, Dec. 23, 1905
“Tower Shooting Made a Great Hit With the Gunners”
Columbus, O., Dec. 15. The expert shooters, Rolla Heikes, Dell Gross and John Taylor, were most welcome guests at the Columbus Gun Club traps Saturday afternoon. The afternoon was ideal and the new fad, tower shooting, was a great hit with all present. John Taylor, in his quiet way, led the trophy shoot, breaking 23 out of the first 25 and 25 straight out of his second 25, making 48 out of 50.
Tower shooting has come to stay, and is a sport that all shooters enjoy.
Trapshooting Tower in
Popular Mechanics, February 1917
https://books.google.com/books?id=jNoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA169&lpg “About Tower Shooting”,
Outers’ Recreation, April, 1919
https://books.google.com/books?id=BX07AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA236&lpg
