Shooting Trap & Skeet

See also instructional videos by National Shooting Sports Foundation

The videos on this page deal with shooting clay pigeons. Following the displayed videos is a brief description of shooting clays. You may click here to proceed directly to read the text.

How to Shoot Trap - Shotgun Shooting Tip

Shotguns, ammunition and accessories are available to conveniently order on-line at Gander Mountain. Clicking the link will take you directly to their web site.

How to Mount a Shotgun - Sporting Clays Tip





Smooth and Consistent Shotgun Mount
Sporting Clays Tip





Don't Look Down the Barrel - Sporting Clays Tip





When You Don't Know What to Do - Sporting Clays Tip





Break More Clay Shooting the OSP Way
Sporting Clays Tip





Skeet shooting basics







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Links to more shooting clay instructional videos

• Complete Gil Ash Series on Shooting Clays
• Clay Coach Online
• Shooting Trap
• Shooting Skeet
• Shooting Sporting Clays

About shooting clays in General

Trapshooting is one of the three major disciplines of competitive clay pigeon shooting (shotgun shooting at clay targets). The other disciplines are skeet shooting and sporting clays. They are distinguished roughly as follows:

•   • In trap shooting, the targets are launched from a single "house" or machine, generally away from the shooter.
•   • In skeet shooting, targets are launched from two "houses" in somewhat "sideways" paths that intersect in front of the shooter.
•   • Sporting clays includes a more complex course, with many launch points.

There are variations within each group.

Trapshooting is practiced the world over. Trapshooting variants include but are not limited to international varieties Olympic trap, also known as "International Trap"; Double trap (also an Olympic event), Down-The-Line, also known as "DTL" and Nordic Trap. American Trap is the predominant version in the United States and Canada.

American Trap has two independent governing bodies. The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) sanctions events throughout the United States and Canada, as well as the Pacific International Trapshooting Association (PITA) which sanctions events on the West Coast of North America.

Trapshooting was originally developed, in part, to augment bird hunting and to provide a method of practice for bird hunters. Use of targets was introduced as a replacement for live pigeons. Indeed, one of the names for the targets used in shooting games is clay pigeons. The layout of a modern trapshooting field differs from that of a skeet field and/or a sporting clays course.

Trapshooting has been a sport since the late 18th century when real birds were used; usually the Passenger Pigeon, which was extremely abundant at the time. Birds were placed under hats or in traps which were then released. Artificial birds were introduced around the time of the American Civil War. Glass balls (Bogardus) and subsequently "clay" targets were introduced in the later 1800s, gaining wide acceptance, but shooting of live birds is still practiced in some parts of the United States.

The preceding information is from Wikipedia. More detailed information can be found at their web page by clicking here.

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