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Sporting Clays is a clay pigeon shooting sport.
Often described as golf with a shotgun, the sport differs
from skeet and trap shooting in that it involves shooting
clays at various locations which are launched at different
velocities and angles.
The original idea behind sporting clays was
to create an experience that more closely reflects actual
hunting conditions. Whereas top-tier skeet and trap professionals
may have hit ratios nearing 100%, the best sporting clay shooters
hit their targets only about 85% of the time.
Equipment
Although the sport is challenging, it is quite popular with novice shooters and ordinary hunters. While professional shooters opt for expensive double-barreled or autoloading shotguns, the game can be equally enjoyed with an inexpensive pump-operated hunting piece. Naturally, safety is paramount. Proper hearing and eye protection is required while on the course.
Course layout and play
A typical course will consist of 8-14 stations.
Varying numbers of clay pairs are shot at each station, with
the total shots for an outing adding up to 50 or 100 (two
or four boxes of shells, respectively).
Advanced shooters have the clays thrown as
simultaneous pairs, while novice or intermediate shooters
can opt for the clays to be thrown on report (the second clay
launched the instant that the shooter fires at the first clay).
Targets are thrown at different angles and
speeds; sometimes across the shooters view, towards the shooter,
or away from the shooter. The shots are intended to simulate
hunting for quail, grouse, pheasant, dove, or other game.
Many courses have traps which throw targets
from tall towers simulating high-flying ducks or geese. Some
courses have targets that roll and bounce along the ground
to simulate rabbits. There are also targets that loop in the
air.
Although this does not simulate any animal
it is a challenging target usually.
Skeet
shooting | What
is clay pigeon shooting |
The
Shotgun | Shooting
clays in Ireland |
Guidelines
for controlling noise from clay pigeon shooting |
Clay
Pigeon Shooting in Wales |
Sporting
Clays |
