First Registered Trap Shoot With The 4E Knick
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2026 7:14 am
I headed to Calgary, AB friday morning to attend the championship weekend events of the Stampede Grand Trap Shoot. I brought along my Ithaca 4E Knick and two flats of AA Extra-Lite 1oz(1180 fps) #7 1/2's to shoot the Knick with and also threw in a few flats of Remington Gun Club and Federal Top Gun to use in my Citori + should the weather turn wet. I am not about to drag my nice old Knick through the rain!
As it turned out the weather co-operated and I was able to put the Knick through it's first ever registered shoot since purchasing it and I suspect maybe first ever period given I'd be surprised in it's 70th year of existence it has fired more than a few hundred rounds.
Prior to this shoot I have only had the Knick out twice, once at Xmas break when I shot 4 rounds of trap through it to test it out and back in May for an afternoon where I shot one round of practice trap and a friend another through it. The sum total of 150 rounds through it since purchasing it.
I stepped onto my station, post 5 to start the first of the 200 singles targets for yesterdays event and took a minute to clear my head of thoughts about where the gun would shoot in relation to my shooting style etc.,etc, loaded the gun and awaited my turn.
When it came my turn I put the gun to my shoulder and cheek in one motion, settled on my hold point, changed my focus to a soft focus above the barrel and called my long drawn out version of "pull" without the p...
I got a hard right and my eyes shifted to the leading edge of the target and when I saw the blurred red bead pull through the target I snapped the trigger and the target disappeared completely from view. I thought for a second I'd lost sight of it until I saw the thick black cloud to the left of my muzzle as I continued my follow through and realized I had completely vaporized the target. That is how it went for nearly every bird I connected with afterward. Talk about a confidence booster seeing this gun ansolutely pulverize the White Flyer targets.
By the end of the two 100 target sub events I had managed to put a couple 25 straights
on the board to help offset a few 23's and a 
22 ending with 188x200 for a 94.0 average with the old girl in her debut shoot.
Today the morning starts off with the Championship doubles followed by the Handicap Championship. Of course I'll have to shoot my Citori + for the doubles event but weather permitting the old 4E Knick will be coming out for the handicap. My handicap is 25.5yds. I'm anxious to see how the AA Extra-Lite 7.5's perform through the Knick from back there and how I perform with her from there as well.
As a side note. A fellow shooter I know approached me at the shoot and said "I have an old Ithaca single bbl for sale but "shall remain nameless" said it's too much $, would you like to take a look at it? I know you collect them" Off I went and discovered he had an all original 4E Knick that had been well used but very well cared for and we struck a deal. Fortunately I had brought my Knick with me in a double case and left the shoot at the end of the day with a pair of 4E Knicks in the case. I'll take a pic of the pair in the case together to post later.
For now here is a few pics from the AHEIA Calgary Firearms Centre with the Calgary backdrop on the trap fields and my 4E Knick awaiting yesterday mornings start.
As it turned out the weather co-operated and I was able to put the Knick through it's first ever registered shoot since purchasing it and I suspect maybe first ever period given I'd be surprised in it's 70th year of existence it has fired more than a few hundred rounds.
Prior to this shoot I have only had the Knick out twice, once at Xmas break when I shot 4 rounds of trap through it to test it out and back in May for an afternoon where I shot one round of practice trap and a friend another through it. The sum total of 150 rounds through it since purchasing it.
I stepped onto my station, post 5 to start the first of the 200 singles targets for yesterdays event and took a minute to clear my head of thoughts about where the gun would shoot in relation to my shooting style etc.,etc, loaded the gun and awaited my turn.
When it came my turn I put the gun to my shoulder and cheek in one motion, settled on my hold point, changed my focus to a soft focus above the barrel and called my long drawn out version of "pull" without the p...
I got a hard right and my eyes shifted to the leading edge of the target and when I saw the blurred red bead pull through the target I snapped the trigger and the target disappeared completely from view. I thought for a second I'd lost sight of it until I saw the thick black cloud to the left of my muzzle as I continued my follow through and realized I had completely vaporized the target. That is how it went for nearly every bird I connected with afterward. Talk about a confidence booster seeing this gun ansolutely pulverize the White Flyer targets.
By the end of the two 100 target sub events I had managed to put a couple 25 straights
on the board to help offset a few 23's and a 22 ending with 188x200 for a 94.0 average with the old girl in her debut shoot. Today the morning starts off with the Championship doubles followed by the Handicap Championship. Of course I'll have to shoot my Citori + for the doubles event but weather permitting the old 4E Knick will be coming out for the handicap. My handicap is 25.5yds. I'm anxious to see how the AA Extra-Lite 7.5's perform through the Knick from back there and how I perform with her from there as well.
As a side note. A fellow shooter I know approached me at the shoot and said "I have an old Ithaca single bbl for sale but "shall remain nameless" said it's too much $, would you like to take a look at it? I know you collect them" Off I went and discovered he had an all original 4E Knick that had been well used but very well cared for and we struck a deal. Fortunately I had brought my Knick with me in a double case and left the shoot at the end of the day with a pair of 4E Knicks in the case. I'll take a pic of the pair in the case together to post later.
For now here is a few pics from the AHEIA Calgary Firearms Centre with the Calgary backdrop on the trap fields and my 4E Knick awaiting yesterday mornings start.