Gunning for Clay Pigeons

If you’re civic minded and take special pleasure in statues, the pigeon, given its propensity for targeting stone edifices, might not be your favorite bird. Since dispatching them with a firearm is not an option in civilized society, you’ll have to settle for a clay facsimile to express your displeasure with the species.

There are three disciplines of clay pigeon shooting. Continuing the statue theme, remaining as still as one while shooting with quality ammunition from trusted ammo manufacturers equates to more downed “pigeons.”

First up on the firing line is sporting clays. Using a shotgun, shooters navigate a course with an average of 10 to 15 stations.  Targets are launched in pairs from trap machines set up around a field or trail in the woods at different angles and distances to simulate the flight of various birds. The six different sizes of targets range from minis to standards. A squad of up to six shooters. Typically, six to 10 targets are presented at each station to a squad of up to six shooters, each of whom shoots 50 to 100 targets.

Next up is skeet. Participants don’t engage in a nature walk as they travel the course. Instead, they shoot at clay targets sent mechanically into the air at high speeds and different angles from two fixed stations. A round features 25 targets, with 17 launched as singles and eight as doubles.

Lastly there’s trap shooting, with participants aiming for clay targets flung from one station. A standard round features five people taking turns shooting five shells apiece for five rounds.