Step Up Your Adventure with Clay Pigeon Shooting!

October 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Clay pigeon shooting
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Do you seek some thrill in your activities? Do you like a challenge? Do you like to test your exactness skills? Do you like to shoot guns, but you don’t like the idea of killing animals or harming any living thing?

If all of this sounds fabulous to you, then you just might enjoy a day of clay pigeon shooting. It answers yes to all of the above questions.

There are a couple of games for clay pigeon shooting and this article is just a run down on each one.

The first is World Sporting. World Sporting is a shooting game that uses about four traps per station and maybe only three. So, if there is a 100 target round then there will be somewhere between ten and thirteen stations. As with all shooting games, the goal is to keep things as close to real hunting as possible.

In World Sporting, the shooter will shoot reversed sequence report pairs and then picks the best pairs from a three trap plan.
Then comes English Sporting, which is considered the most enjoyed clay pigeon shooting game. In this game the shooter shoots two targets coming from various areas at the same time. There are many different layouts in English Sporting, again, to give the shooters the most accurate experience to real life shooting. This event shoots targets that vary from rabbits, overhead, quartering targets and more all to enliven the experience for the shooter. It makes that much more challenging, which is what most shooters are looking for.

With this game, the targets are not just in pairs, but they might be fired as single targets as well.
If you want to feel the excitement and power of holding a big “ole gun and shooting then this is a great game to start with. You are not harming anything and simply having the time of your life. First time shooters get so into it that they find themselves coming back for more. It’s easy to create a new adventure hobby with clay pigeon shooting.

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Develop the Right Attitude Towards Safety When Participating in Shooting Sports

October 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
DENVER - JULY 16: Merrick Thomson #29 of the ...
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Shooting is a very old sport that attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. However, before you think that shooting is nothing more than holding a gun, aiming and firing, it is important to understand the true religion of the sport – safety.

Whether you look to shoot inanimate objects or kill animals, it is very important to follow basic safety rules. Any person who does not follow these rules automatically becomes a very big threat.

Remember, the legal complications of accidentally shooting a fellow participant will be very cumbersome. Furthermore, such a person will be a disgrace for the sport and will never be encouraged to participate again.

So, what precautions should you take? The precautions can be classified into three categories. One, you should make sure that the equipment that you are using is completely safe. Two, you should make sure that you are completely safe at all times. And three, you should focus on the safety of all other participants. It does not matter whether the person participating along with you is standing beside you or at the other end of the field. You should make sure that there is absolutely no possible safety risk.

Choosing the right equipment and maintaining it properly is the best way to keep safe. As far as safety to one’s self is concerned, it is important you know how to use the equipment properly. If you do not know how to handle a gun, chances are high that you may end up injuring yourself.

Remember, the bullet is not the only thing that can cause injuries. Even the recoil of a rifle that has been held improperly can cause a lot of pain; it can even break your shoulder bone. You can protect the other participants by focusing on your aim and making sure you handle the equipment properly.

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The Oldest Shotgun Shooting Sport in the USA

September 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Trapshooting comes from the name of the contraption that shoots out clay as targets to be aimed at. Those playing the sport have the goal of shooting and hitting the clay targets. The clay is thrown from the trap house that is right in front of the shooter. The game is challenging because the clay is thrown out randomly, so there is never a patterns for the shooter to follow. They have to react quickly as soon as the clay is thrown. There are several ways to shoot at the clay. The shooter can angle to the right or left or they can fly straight out.

In the game there are rounds and each round allows 25 clay targets for each shooter. There are 5 shooters in a group or squad. Each shooter stands in a certain position. They stand in what’s called a trap field. The positions are assigned a number and flow from left to right. The 5 clay targets get thrown for each shooter. After the round of 25 clay targets, each shooter will move to the next positions to their right. So, the shooter that was in position 5 will move to position 1.

There are many places that offer the game to be played for amateurs. It’s a fun game for those who love shooting and it offers the excitement of not knowing where the target is coming from and having to aim for it. The targets area also referred to as “birds” as the idea is that you are hunting or shooting for birds out on the field.

It’s an exciting sport to watch as well. Some competitions pay winners up to $100,000. There are even competitions for young shooters that offer scholarships and other educational opportunities for winning.

This long time sport sees no end in sight. If you love shooting or are a newbie to it, this is a great way to learn, have fun and get better at the skill.

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Like a Challenge When Shooting? Try the Game of Sporting Clays

September 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sporting clays is a great game for those who love a challenge and those who are shooters that are looking to get better experience at field shooting. With sporting clays, the shooter is thrown into a mix of clay target situations on the field. There are many ways the targets are thrown to simulate what real game birds would do. Game birds will cross each other, come will come in at sharp angles and some will come in flushing. There are a huge variety of flight paths and this game will give you the best experience at shooting these birds.

There are at least five stations for shooting in this game and the game is set in a field, where the shooter moves from station to station until they have finished the entire course. The fun and very challenging part is that the shooter has no idea how the target will be thrown. Some targets may be thrown right after one another; some will be thrown in pairs at the same time or pairs that come right after one another. Still, the shooter may get thrown a single target as well. It’s unpredictable, which makes it just as real as game birds.

The challenges don’t stop there. In other games, the target is usually a standard size. But, in sporting clays, the targets can be smaller and vary in size and they might be shaped to fly differently as well. For example, one target might skitter once it hits the ground.

A full round in sporting clays consists of 50 to 100 clay targets. This depends, of course, on whether there are only five stations or if there are more. It also depends on whether there are single targets or pairs. With sporting clays you can use a low gun approach or you can choose to use a pre-mounted approach.
If you are serious about this sport and you want to improve your sharpness and ability to react, then this is the game to get there. It’s challenging, but like anything” just practice!

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Shooting Around the Clock: The History of Skeet Shooting

August 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Indoor Shooting Range at Sarasota, Florida, US...
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Shooting Around the Clock: The History of Skeet Shooting
Since the days of the ancient hunters men have been looking for ways to improve their hunting skills.  Better hunting meant more food.  As mankind progressed and hunting became more of a hobby, it still remained a competitive activity for those involved.  In 1915, a grouse hunter by the name of Charles E. Davies began looking for a way to take his shooting skills to the next level.
Davies began shooting at clay targets and the activity soon caught on with the surrounding public.  Live pigeons were originally used during the first round of some shooting competitions, but by 1923 the sport had progressed to what we know today as skeet shooting.  The name “skeet” is derived from a Scandinavian translation which means “to shoot”. The first national competition was held in 1935.
The original setup was a complete circle with a 25 yard radius, and a circumference marked like the face of a clock.  The trap was set at 12:00 and the targets were shot over 6:00. Each competitor had two shots at each of the twelve stations.  Thus, the term “shooting around the clock” was born. The setup had to be redesigned a bit when a neighbor started a chicken farm in the firing range.  A second trap was placed at 6:00 and shot targets over 12:00.  This reduced the danger to the foul while still giving the shooter the same experience.
The sport also has significant practical relevance.  During World War II gunners used skeet shooting as a form of training.  Skeet shooting helped them to improve their leading and timing on targets in mid-air.  The focus on the war put most gun clubs on hold during the conflict, and many never reemerged.
Skeet shooting, however, proved to be popular enough to resurface after the war had ended.  The National Skeet Shooting Association that still operates today was reestablished by a group of skeet enthusiasts in 1946. The sport’s popularity continued until it debuted at the Olympics in 1968, and it continues to remain popular today.
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Shooting Methodologies

August 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Trap shooting in Ohio. A shooter takes aim as ...
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When it comes to killing the clay as it is slung through the air, arguments abound to what methodology is most appropriate.  Some will argue in favor of sight shooting, and others will argue for point shooting. Suffice it to say, when it comes to shooting clay pigeons, sight-shooting is the preferable course of action.
Point shooting has been a hot topic of discussion since the 1800s, and is a popular concept. It’s not difficult to fathom why. You can imagine an almost Star Wars Force-like power coursing through you as you watch the clay shoot into the air, and you swing your rife into position at exactly the right angle and approach. Then, firing your weapon, you watch in pride as the pigeon burst into a hundred pieces.
This would be a remarkable skill, to say the least, and it’s quite possible that a few rare gun-slingers actually possess the skill. But let’s face the facts: shooting clay pigeons is not like being caught in a dark alley unawares by an assailant. Point shooting is perfect for an instance like this, but is hardly appropriate for a bird in flight. An assailant in a dark alley will give you no time to think, thereby forcing your hand and making you react by instinct; hence the value of the point shooting paradigm.
Out on the range, however, a more trustworthy and predictable methodology is required. Shooting by the sight of your gun provides a consistent and measurable outcome. The sight of your gun allows you to return precisely to the same structure and form you practiced before. Granted, a lot of people don’t like structure and frequently run to the outdoors for a release from structure. But shooting requires discipline and practice. It requires discipline in the handling of the guns, and in the control of the firing; and it requires practice, lots of repetitive practice.
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Skeet: A Different Game

August 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Matthew Dryke competes in the skeet shooting e...
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For the beginner, a game of skeet shooting and a game of trap shooting may seem like the exact same sport. Both use shotguns, both involve clay pigeons, and both are-at least in their roots- meant to simulate hunting birds. But these similarities just scratch the surface. Under closer examination, maybe by a shooter beginning to spend more watching clays fly through the air, the two games are in fact quite different from one another.
Skeet shooting began in the early 1920′s, evolving from its widely-practiced older brother: trap shooting. The name ‘skeet’- meaning ‘shoot’ in old Scandinavian- was picked as the winner in a magazine contest to name the game. The game gained popularity, and in 1946 the National Skeet Shooting Association was formed to operate as the game’s official governing body.
The main difference between skeet and trap shooting is the manner in which the game is shot. Trap has one traphouse which throws the pigeon in one distinct manner. The shooter moves behind the firing line at set distances, so that the angle of their shot will be determined by their distance from the traphouse. Skeet, on the other hand, is shot in a circle. Imagine a clock. The traphouse is placed at twelve noon and the shooters rotate around the hours of the clock, from one to eleven. The shooter then has eleven different angles to shoot from.
Skeet guns have 26-inch to 28-inch barrels, as opposed to trap’s 32 inch or longer barrel. Smaller barrel guns are often used in live hunts. Also, skeet rules don’t make for a set of provisions for the smaller gauges like exist in trap shooting. Shooters of skeet who like to try out different gauge categories will use shotguns that allow an interchangeable set of barrels. This allows the shooter to be comfortable with one gun, and still changing up the gauge.
Skeet and trap are both fun games, but be aware: they are different.
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Great Guns, Great Dogs

July 20, 2010 By 1 Comment
Hunter and dog with their catch.
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In the world of sport shooting and hunting, there are some things that have to be good if you want to outshine your colleagues and friends. There are also some things that have to be great, other than your shooting. You need a great gun if you aim to be the best at your sport, or to at least be better than your buddies. If you plan to actually hunt birds and fowl, you are likely to also need a great dog.

For centuries, hunters have used dogs to flush, point and retrieve prey. Today, there are abundant places where dogs can be professionally trained to do exactly what their owners want out in the fields. Professional training for gun dogs is tailored for the hunter’s or owner’s preferences.

Dogs trained to flush will seek out birds and cause them to fly. These dogs stay fairly close to the hunter because when the birds take to wing, the gun needs to be close enough for a good shot. Pointers, on the other hand, hunt a little farther out. When these dogs spot prey, they immediately stop and point them out, holding their position until the hunter gets close enough to get a good shot. Retrieving dogs are trained to find dead birds and bring them back to the hunter. They either mark where birds dropped when shot or receive direction from the hunter as to where dead birds are located.

Once you have a great gun and a great dog, you might want to convince your buddies to do a little sports betting, because a well-trained gun dog will perform to its owner’s expectations and win the pot nearly every time. To be the best at your sport, or to simply win the bragging rights in your sport shooting and hunting circle of friends, you should have both a great gun and a great dog.

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