For a while now, there has been a lot of talk about the use of electronic traps for clay shooting. It’s a blast to bust clays (no pun intended)! There’re many different options for these products, but one type, in particular, deserves more attention: the Champion Workhorse electronic trap.
Hailing from Champion Range and Target, the Champion Workhorse Electronic Trap is the perfect new style of trap that is designed to be affordable, yet highly functional for anyone who’s not much into all the bells and whistles that other premium options typically include.
So if you’re getting into the world of trap shooting, you’re at the right place. In this article, we will go over the various features and specs available with the Workhorse Electronic Trap, as well as what makes it such a great purpose-built model for clay shooters.
We’ll also get closer to some of the considerations that you may want to keep in mind before making your final decision. Read on!
Table of Contents
- 1 Champion workhorse Electronic Trap
- 2 Champion Workhorse Electronic Trap: Product Overview
- 3 Champion Workhorse vs Wheelybird
- 4 Champion Workhorse: Key Features and Benefits
- 5 Assembly Instructions
- 6 Champion Workhorse: Throwing Range
- 7 Champion Workhorse: Capacity
- 8 Design and Portability
- 9 Additional Accessories
- 10 Room for Improvement
- 11 So, Is the Workhorse Worth the Investment?
- 12 Final Remarks
Champion workhorse Electronic Trap
- 25 x 12 x 11 inches with 19.1 kilograms of weight
- Amazing thrower with family friendly cycle frequency between throws
- 55-75 yards of throwing range
- Compatible with Standard champion clays
Champion Workhorse Electronic Trap: Product Overview
Gone are the days when advancing to a good and reliable electronic trap required a significant financial and space commitment.
Today, the reasonably priced Champion Workhorse auto-feed trap sticks to its descriptions, featuring a compact design, a high-target presentation, and launching capacity.
Right from the box, the Workhorse Electronic Auto-Feed Trap is innovative and boasts an excellent design. It offers a 2.5-second reset cycle and can throw clays as far as 75 yards from 3 varied angles. Plus, it can accommodate as many as 50 clay birds at once.
When you’re done, just fold the leg and pack this portable, lightweight equipment back into your car for the next time, thanks to the 25-foot release cable and foot pedal.
Champion Workhorse vs Wheelybird
Of course, it would be unfair to just rush into the decision. So, we first considered drawing comparisons between it and another well-favored electronic trap; the Champion Wheelybird.
We found the recommended model (the Workhorse) cycle time of 2.5 seconds to be quite impressive perhaps unless you’re a complete professional and well-versed in the trapshooting field.
Moreover, the Workhorse provides three alternative angles, compared to the Wheelybird’s single angle. All of this can be a great deal breaker when it comes to making the right choice.
It can fit easily in a trunk and you can load/unload the unit all by yourself. With 3 separate target angles, the separable magazine can hurl up to fifty clay targets to far as 75 yards.
Interestingly, the Workhorse can continue launching targets until you are out of ammunition or daylight- whichever comes first.
Champion Workhorse: Key Features and Benefits
- Throws clays from three different launch angles to a max distance of 75 yards
- Detachable magazine (50 standard clay targets 108mm and International clays 110mm)
- Features a pivoting-adjustable rear leg and fixed front legs
- Lightweight construction and compact design
- Cycle time of 2.5 seconds to enhance continuous action
- Powered by 12 Volt deep cycle battery
- Foot pedal and foot release cord (25-foot)
- Straightforward setup
- Great auto-feed trap for an excellent trap shooting experience
Breaking clay targets can be one of the most amazing outdoor activities. However, if you’ve ever worked any of those spring-loaded manual traps or the hand-held plastic whip kind, you understand what frustration actually is. Champion’s Workhorse Trap aims to change the perception that electronic traps are too big, expensive, and heavy for casual clay busters.
Assembly Instructions
One of the best parts about this auto-feed trap thrower is that it only takes a few minutes to assemble (normally 15 minutes); just a few pieces and instructions are clear enough. The package comes with all the accessories and tools required for a quick setup.
Not only that, but it also comes with a well-drafted instruction booklet containing all the necessary details to make the trap transportable and range-ready.
All you need to do is follow the steps as provided and quickly put the entire unit together, thanks to the straightforward instructions.
The Workhorse auto-feed trap is simple, yet durable in its design. For starters, you may want to pair this unit with a fair 20AH battery (deep cycle), or even a smaller option, which you can get from Amazon. Then make your shots (couple boxes or so) when starting off.
You will need a charger for the battery, even a budget option should get you outdoors and ready, and the entire kit should only cost you about $300.
Champion Workhorse: Throwing Range
If you’re like most people, you’d probably enjoy testing out different launch angles between shots. On that note, what we like most about the Workhorse electronic trap is that it has been designed to allow you to customize your trap shooting experience, as it offers three different launch angles that you can work with between shots.
You can do this by adjusting the rear u-shaped leg. In this case, the launch angle will be altered to 14, 20, and 27 degrees, which in turn, will allow you to shift the throwing distance between 55 yards and 75 yards.
Another thing worth mentioning is that this unit features an orange safety ring, which comes in handy, especially during the early days when you’re still coping with the design. There’s also an automatic on/off switch designed to keep you safe against any accidents during practice.
On the flip side, however, it’s not always that easy to use multiple angles between shots. It can take some time and can be quite uncomfortable to pull off. Other than that, this Electronic trap brings you the freedom to customize your trapshooting experience to your liking.
Champion Workhorse: Capacity
The Workhorse electronic trap enables you to spend more time shooting and less time loading as it features a stack with a max capacity of fifty clays. Moreover, lengthy cycle times won’t be an issue with this unit.
The workhorse boasts a powerful 75-yard maximum launch distance. You’ll also get to relish a cycle duration of 2.5 seconds thanks to the foot launch pedal; it makes for flawless foot control, ensuring minimal wait stretch between shots.
The whole thing is powered by a 12-volt battery. To use with the Workhorse, you might want to get a deep cycle marine battery, but even a smaller battery could power this trap all day. In fact, you could possibly just connect it to your car’s battery if it’s close enough.
Design and Portability
With its compact, portable design, the Workhorse is marketed as the lightest electronic trap in Champion’s product line. It weighs in at only 32 pounds, making it easy to stow and move wherever you’re planning to shoot.
The 50-bird magazine is designed to slide on/off the top easily, whereas the elevation-adjusting real foot folds into place whenever needed.
The front legs can be quickly removed as well with just a socket wrench. At this point, the unit’s footprint will be quite darn small (coming in at around 20” x 10” x 10”).
The cord on a foot pedal remote is 25 feet long, but if you wish to be up to 100 yards away from the trap, Champion sells an optional wireless remote too. This makes the Workhorse very easy to use and an overall good value for money unit. The pedal is just fantastic and does not consume much battery power.
Additional Accessories
Well, the Workhorse is more of a “Trap” without a wobbler. This model doesn’t come with a wobble foundation, which is something we would have loved. Such a base comes separately and enables users to modify the shoot’s angles and directions automatically.
On the bright side, the wobble base can turn out to be a huge plus for the shooters. You will be able to automatically shift the trap’s launching direction and angle from right to left and up and down (keep in mind that this is not the same as an oscillating base).
The only catch, however, is that this wobble can be quite expensive and you may have to spend a lot of money. Though it is worthwhile!
In addition to the foot switch, we found out that a lot of shooters purchased a separate remote control. It usually comes in handy for those who want to lengthen their yards.
However, you can always choose to do away with it because to use it, you’d have to free your hands, which may seem rather inconvenient depending on your settings.
Room for Improvement
We definitely love this electronic trap, but there are certain things that can make the whole practice rather awkward. To begin with, the model isn’t that portable. And while it isn’t actually among the lightest models out there, the Workhorse can be challenging to store after use.
Moreover, we found reports where shooters took some time to learn about all of its functions. Contrary to many other electronic models, this isn’t precisely designed to shoot doubles. This may not be a problem, however, especially for those interested in shooting singles.
You will also realize that the angles are quite challenging to change between shots, which can make your shooting experience less enjoyable. Some users also felt that this electronic trap from Champion isn’t completely suitable for beginners.
One more consideration that could make you slightly rethink your purchase is the poor after-sales support offered by this model. We found complaints where users experienced difficulties with some of the unit’s features, and couldn’t get their issues addressed even after contacting customer service.
So, Is the Workhorse Worth the Investment?
Well, despite the slightly odd operation, you’re bound to be really satisfied with the model’s overall design. It is constructed with high-quality materials, it is durable, and the safety switch is a great plus. So, overall, the Workhorse does in fact, justify the investment in it.
Although the Workhorse does not shoot doubles, it can launch sequentially with a cycle time of 2.5 seconds, which can be great enough for most shooters. It can throw clays out fast and far.
With the stated 25’ foot-switch cord, you can make the shots from a distance or get a partner to help with the control as you move freely within the shooting line to alter the clay presentation.
On top of that, after using the unit for a few days, you will realize that it’s far superior in comparison to other earlier models in its category.
One of the finest improvements is how much simpler it is to load, remove, and reinstall the target magazine than it was for many other models that seemed to have the incorrect target magazine installed. Besides, it throws targets quickly and with sustainable speed, which helps to achieve the necessary leverage to shoot at the target with much-needed energy and focus.
Final Remarks
All things considered, the Champion Workhorse Auto-feed Trap is a great thrower; a very quality unit at an affordable price. It is easy to set up and does pretty much everything you would expect and more. If you’re wondering if it’s worth the money, then the answer is yes.
No model is completely perfect, but this is likely the closest thing to the perfect trap thrower that you can find, given the price range. With a regular retail price of about $260 and a portable, user-friendly design factor, the Workhorse greatly enhances the accessibility of the electronic trap experience for the trap shooting enthusiast. It does an excellent job!
