I’ve heard the saying, “The first five minutes of your first event most likely will be the most confusing five minutes of your life.”

Unfortunately, with most sports, there is only so far up the ladder you can climb before coming to a sudden stop. This is why some exceptional marksmen take a bow and quietly leave the stage, carrying all their knowledge with them.

What does this have to do with trap, skeet, and clay shooting? The real question is, do you feel like going to the Olympics?

Trap

This is where the participant, armed with a shotgun, has to hit high-flying disks (birds) that are mechanically thrown away from their position at a high rate of speed. The competitor doesn’t know the target’s speed, angle, or exact location. Suppose that needed to be more challenging. Each person has to fire from five different stations.

Many high schools around the country have teams. As of 2018, 22,000 students from over 800 schools were active. That does not include the college teams or the professional league. Some anti-gunners heads just exploded when they read that, but the little things in life make me happy.

Skeet

Skeet and trap are closely related in that they involve a shotgun and flying discs, but that’s where the similarities end. 

The competitors have to move in a rotation from eight stations/positions in a semicircle. On each side of the circle is a trap house. Both houses launch birds toward each other at the same time. Both targets are screaming across your field of view, and you have about a second to react. Yes, that is as challenging as it sounds.

I have had shooters ask me, “How do you hit a five-inch target at three-fourths of a mile away?” My response usually is, “How do you engage two targets crisscrossing each other at 60 miles an hour?”

Sporting clays

Also known as golf with guns. If you expect a relaxed day of puttering around the golf course and pounding down margaritas, this is not your game. That said, there are electric carts. That my girlfriend says I’m not allowed to drive.

Of the three shotgun disciplines, this is undoubtedly the most unique. Participants engage targets from various locations, generally with very scenic views. The competitor doesn’t know where or how many birds will be thrown out of the hidden bunkers until the targets are in flight. This makes participating enjoyable yet highly challenging.

Conclusion

It’s no secret why these sports are so popular. They are exciting and challenging, and there is much room for advancement. They are also among the few disciplines where you don’t have to sell one of your kidneys before pulling the trigger for the first time. It boils down to the question, “How far do you want to go?”

I take every opportunity to attend these events because they are fun to watch. I literally sit there with a look of amazement on my face.

I didn’t go into extreme detail on the courses of fire because most would have needed clarification after two sentences. If one of these has caught your interest. Load up in your car and go watch a match. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

by Mac Raven

5 Gun Nation

5 Gun Nation is one of the world’s largest competition websites. We have multiple articles on shooting sports and adding more all the time. If you can’t find it here. We are working on it. – Mac R