Shotgun Terminology (clays, skeet, trap?)
Mark A. Daigle
I'm fairly new to the world of shotgun shooting..can someone out there
define the differences between "clays", "trap", "skeet" (I always thought
they meant the same thing, those little oranges disc...)?Thanks.
-- Mark
ma...@ziplink.net
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Iliffdoc
ma...@ziplink.net wrote:
#>I'm fairly new to the world of shotgun shooting..can someone out there
#>define the differences between "clays", "trap", "skeet" (I always thought
#>they meant the same thing, those little oranges disc...)?Thanks.
They refer to three different games, all of which involve shooting at some
variation of "those little orange disc's." Trap has been around the longest
and involves shooting at targets thrown away from the shooter at varying
angles. There are alot of variations on the game, some change the elevation
of the target as well as the angle. Others throw two targets simultaeneously.
Skeet came along after WWI. It has two traps on a half circle (12 o'clock and
six o'clock). The machines throw their respective targets toward what would
be the center of the circle. The shooters fire from designated stations
around the outside of the circle. Like trap their are different variations on
the game. "Clays" is really "sporting clays". It is best described as golf
with a shotgun. Like golf a course designer sets up varying shooting
situations which are supposed to simulate real field shots. The shooter moves
from one "hole" to the next. One station might simulate rabbits (targets
rolling along the ground) another ducks coming into decoys and a third could
be chukar flying down a gully. You really don't know what you are going to
get until you get there. Bill I.
Scot Heath
Mark A. Daigle (ma...@ziplink.net) wrote:
: I'm fairly new to the world of shotgun shooting..can someone out there
: define the differences between "clays", "trap", "skeet" (I always thought
: they meant the same thing, those little oranges disc...)?Thanks.
Here's the entry from the rec.guns FAQ at http://www.recguns.com/
# What is trap shooting, skeet shooting and sporting clay shooting ?
# Specifically, what is the difference between the three ?
Here is as brief an answer as I can give you about the three (actually 6) games
you mentioned.
American trap shooting, as governed by the Amateur Trap Shooting is
composed of three different events. Singles, Handicap and Doubles. All
events are shot on a field consisting of a house 5 runners spaced ~ 12 degrees
apart and extending from 14.6 meters (16 yards) to 24.7 meters (27 yards)
behind the house (top view shown below).
*****************************
***************************
*************************
***********************
*********************
*******************
*****************
***************
TARGET PATH *************
***********
*********
*******
*****
***
*
___
HOUSE --------------> |___|
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
RUNNERS ----> . . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
Targets are thrown out of the house in a random arc but always at the same
height. A total of 25 targets (50 in doubles) are shot in each sub-event on
any one field. There are typically 5 contestants at a time, one on each
runner. Beginning with the contestant on the far left runner, each contestant
in turn calls for and receives a target (2 in doubles) then fires one shot at
each target. After each contestant has fired 5 shots (10 in doubles), the
contestants move one position to the right and the contestant on the far right
moves to the far left station. Typically, a total of 100 targets are shot
at by each contestant in any event, singles, handicap or doubles.
Contestants all stand at the 16 yard line in singles and doubles.
Contestants stands at various distances from 17 to 27 yards in handicap,
depending upon past performance.
Equipment is limited to shotguns no larger than 12 gauge and shells of a
maximum of 1-1/8 oz of shot and 3 dram equiv. powder.
International trap shooting differs quite a bit from ATA trap. A top view
of the field is shown below.
*****************************************
***************************************
*************************************
***********************************
*********************************
*******************************
*****************************
***************************
TARGET PATH ---> *************************
***********************
*********************
*******************
*****************
***************
* * * * *
_______________
BUNKER -------------->|_______________|
PADS -----------------> . . . . .
| 1 2 3 4 5
-------->.
6
Instead of one machine in the house, there are 15 machines in the bunker,
three per pad. Each machine is pre-set for an angle and height and does
not vary during any sub-event, however, the competitor does not know from which
of the 3 machines related to any particular pad the target will be thrown.
The targets are thrown much faster than in ATA trap. A sub event consists
of 25 targets but they are shot differently than in ATA trap. As soon as
the competitor on pad 2 shoots, the competitor on pad one moves to the
right behind the competitor on pad 2. When the competitor on pad 3
shoots, the competitor on pad 2 moves to the right behind the competitor on
pad 3 and the competitor who was waiting behind pad 2 moves into position
to shoot from pad 2. This pattern of shoot/move/shoot/move is repeated
non-stop until each competitor has fired at 25 targets. One of the main
differences is that a competitor may fire at all targets 2 times, a hit on
either shot counts as a dead target.
The sport of international doubles now exists. In this game, targets are
thrown from 2 of the 3 machines located in front of pad 3. Competitors
shoot the same 2 targets from each pad, shooting and moving as described
above. One shot is fired at each target, a round of shooting consists of
25 pairs or 50 targets.
Equipment is limited to shotguns no larger than 12 gauge and shells of a
maximum of 24 grams of shot and 3-1/4 dram equiv. powder.
American skeet is shot on a field as shown below.
LOW HOUSE HIGH HOUSE
TARGET PATH ---> ******** ********* <-TARGET PATH
********** ********
*********
********** *********
HIGH __ _ ******** _ ******** _ __ LOW
HOUSE--> |__| |_|1 |_|8 7|_| |__|<-HOUSE
_ _
|_|2 6|_|
_ _
|_|3 5|_|
_
|_|4
The field consists of 8 pads, 7 of which are arranged in a semi circle and
the eighth at the center of the semi-circle, and 2 houses where the target
throwers reside. The targets are always thrown in exactly the same direction
and at exactly the same height. The target out of the high house starts at
approx 3.5 meters off the ground and is thrown nearly horizontally. The
target out of the low house starts at nearly ground level and at the point
the target paths cross, is the same height as the high house target,
approximately 3 meters.
Once again, a total of 25 targets are fired at by each competitor. The
competitors take turns shooting from the pads in the order they are
numbered with all competitors finishing each pad before proceeding. A
perfect round of skeet is shot as noted below:
Pad 1 - One high house target, one low house target, one of each thrown
simultaneously (known as a pair). When shooting pairs, the target
from the house closest to the competitor must be shot first, i.e.,
on pad 1, the high house target must be shot first.
Pad 2 - One high house target, one low house target, one pair.
Pad 3 - One high house target, one low house target.
Pad 4 - One high house target, one low house target.
Pad 5 - One high house target, one low house target.
Pad 6 - One high house target, one low house target, one pair.
Pad 7 - One high house target, one low house target, one pair.
Pad 8 - One high house target, two low house targets.
If a competitor misses a target, he/she will immediately attempt to shoot
an identical target again ONLY ON THE FIRST MISS. When this happens, the
last low house target on pad 8 is eliminated.
Equipment is limited to shotguns no larger than 12 gauge and shells of a
maximum of 1-1/8 oz of shot and 3 dram equiv. powder for the 12 gauge
contest. There are typically also 20 gauge, 28 gauge and .410 bore
contests as well; I don't know what the requirements are for equipment
here.
International skeet is shot on a field identical to the American field, but
the competitors must start with the butt of their guns touching an
imaginary line running around their hips at the point of the hip bones.
In the previous three games, contestants are allowed to shoulder their guns
before calling for a target. In International skeet, there is a random
delay of from 0 to 3 seconds between the time the contestant calls for the
target and it actually appears. The gun must remain touching the
line around the hips until the target appears. The target mix is somewhat
different than American skeet:
Pad 1 - One high house target, one pair (a target thrown from each house
simultaneously) shooting the high house target first.
Pad 2 - One high house target, one pair shooting the high house target first.
Pad 3 - One high house target, one low house target, one pair shooting the
high house target first.
Pad 4 - One high house target, one low house target, one pair shooting the
high house target first.
Pad 5 - One high house target, one low house target, one pair shooting the
low house target first.
Pad 6 - One low house target, one pair shooting the low house target first.
Pad 6 - One pair shooting the low house target first.
Pad 8 - One high house target, one low house targets.
Sporting Clays is widely varied. Most courses consist of 50 targets but
they can be thrown in limitless configurations. This game requires the
competitors to start with the butt of their guns below their arm pit until
they see the target.
This is the fastest growing of the shotgun sports. It was originally
intended to simulate a variety of hunting situations and is an enormous
amount of fun!
If you're interested in more detail, I suggest you visit your local library.
If you're interested specifically in ATA trap, the address for the ATA is:
Amateur Trapshooting Association
601 West National Road
Vandalia, Ohio 45377
The governing body for the international games in the United States is now:
USA Shooting
One Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Good Shootin'!
-Scot
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Scot E. Heath "Nothing beats turning clay to dust."
Fort Collins, CO
sc...@removethis.fc.hp.com
Iliffdoc
ma...@ziplink.net wrote:
#>I'm fairly new to the world of shotgun shooting..can someone out there
#>define the differences between "clays", "trap", "skeet" (I always thought
#>they meant the same thing, those little oranges disc...)?Thanks.
They refer to three different games, all of which involve shooting at some
variation of "those little orange disc's." Trap has been around the longest
and involves shooting at targets thrown away from the shooter at varying
angles. There are alot of variations on the game, some change the elevation
of the target as well as the angle. Others throw two targets simultaeneously.
Skeet came along after WWI. It has two traps on a half circle (12 o'clock and
six o'clock). The machines throw their respective targets toward what would
be the center of the circle. The shooters fire from designated stations
around the outside of the circle. Like trap their are different variations on
the game. "Clays" is really "sporting clays". It is best described as golf
with a shotgun. Like golf a course designer sets up varying shooting
situations which are supposed to simulate real field shots. The shooter moves
from one "hole" to the next. One station might simulate rabbits (targets
rolling along the ground) another ducks coming into decoys and a third could
be chukar flying down a gully. You really don't know what you are going to
get until you get there. Bill I.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Begbie
"Clays" refers to any form of clay pigeon shooting (actually here in UK the
national organising body has surrendered to the animal rights perverts and
changed the terminology from "clay pigeon" to "clay target".
"Trap" covers three disciplines - the original Down-the-Line (DTL),
Automatic Ball Trap (APT) and Olympic Trench. In all three disciplines the
shooters stand in a line behind the trap(s) and shoot at going-away
targets.
Skeet is a separate discipline with two trap houses (a high house and a low
house) and the shooters move round "stations" in a semi-circle so that they
get a variety of crossing shots at diffferent angles.
The other main discipline is "Sporting" where the stands are set up to
represent real live-bird shooting situations such as driven grouse, high
pheasant, settling pigeon, springing teal, woodcock, bolting rabbit, etc.
Hope this helps.
Eric Begbie, Scotland
tra...@compuserve.com
www.premier-pages.co.uk/sports/british.htm
Karl Dahm
Excellent post, Scot
There is one problem with it, though. It is my impression that the
pairs in skeet can be shot in either order - i.e. the one going away
first or second. It is generally easier to do it the way Scot puts it
and everybody I know does it that way, but if you want to make it more
difficult, do it backwards.
Lloyd Eby
In <6i24be$3...@xring.cs.umd.edu> "Mark A. Daigle" <ma...@ziplink.net> writes:
#I'm fairly new to the world of shotgun shooting..can someone out there
#define the differences between "clays", "trap", "skeet" (I always thought
#they meant the same thing, those little oranges disc...)?Thanks.
Alll these are different shooting games, usually using the same clay
targets. (Sporting clays may use a variety of different clay targets.) In
skeet, the targets are thrown from two houses, a high house on the left
and a low house on the right, and there are eight shooting stations
arranged as points on a semi-circle (with one under each house and one in
the middle between them) between those two houses. In trap, the targets
are thrown forward from a low trap house, and there are five shooting
stations arranged behind the trap house. (And also there are other sets of
stations at greater distances from the trap house.) In sporting clays,
there is a set of stations of different configurations and distances
(sporting clays fields tend to differ one from another -- while trap and
skeet fields are essentially all the same), and one walks from station to
station, somewhat like walking from hole to hole on a golf course.
Sporting clays is the most complex and difficult of the games. A round of
trap or skeet is 25 shots. A round of sporting clays is usually 50 shots.
A round of trap or skeet can be shot in as little as 5 minutes if no one
else is on the field and if one shoots quickly. A round of sporting clays
takes considerably longer.
Best wishes and good shooting,
Lloyd Eby
--
Iliffdoc
Karl Dahm wrote:
#There is one problem with it, though. It is my impression that the
#pairs in skeet can be shot in either order - i.e. the one going away
#first or second. It is generally easier to do it the way Scot puts it
#and everybody I know does it that way, but if you want to make it more
#difficult, do it backwards.
True, shooting them backwards is more difficult but it will cost you a lost
bird in competition. The "official rule book" III-B-1(b) states "...Then
loading two shells, he shall proceed to shoot doubles (shooting the first shot
at the target from the nearest skeet house and the second shot at the target
from the farthest skeet house)..."
If you shoot them backwards you have "missed" the first bird and
"accidentally" broken the second, which means first bird is "lost" and you
have to reshoot the pair to establish the second bird.
But, hey, in practice shoot 'em any way you want and have fun. Just
watch out for those chips from the incoming birds. Bill I.