As for ammunition, good luck finding it right now , but even in these times of scarcity, you have to buy the right stuff. Each of the three disciplines has its own techniques and etiquette, but basic safety rules apply to all three.
Muzzles should be pointed down at all times, although up is okay. Wait to load your gun until it is your turn to shoot, and wait until you are standing still at the station before you load your gun.
Hunters new to clay target shooting have the disconcerting habit of stuffing their guns with shells as they walk up to the station. Only load one for singles trap or two for skeet and sporting clays shells at a time. Our oldest and most popular clay discipline, trap is composed of three events: singles, handicap, and doubles. Strive to be consistent as you set up for the shot and call for the target this is true of all clay games, but especially of trap and keep your eyes on the bird and not the bead.
Take an instant to read the angle, move the muzzle through it, and shoot. Trap is the easiest of the three games for new shooters to pick up and start breaking birds, but it quickly becomes a game of perfection.
There is no talking in trap other than to call for the target. Invented as a practice game for hunting, skeet is a great way to sharpen your field shooting skills. There are two traps facing each other on a skeet field, and seven shooting stations arranged along an arc between them.
An eighth station stands halfway between the two trap houses. You shoot a single target from the high and the low trap house at each station, as well as doubles at stations 1, 2, 6, and 7. Skeet is suitable for all gauges of guns and best shot with open chokes like Skeet or Improved Cylinder.
Plan your shot. Think about where you will break the bird, where you will hold your gun, and where you will put your eyes to pick up the target coming out of the house.
Leads are long on the crossing targets in skeet, which is what makes it good practice for waterfowl and dove hunters. Skeet is a more sociable game than trap. Only one shoots at a time, so chatting quietly and congratulating people on good shots is allowed.
You can shoot the exact same trap or skeet targets at any club in the country, but every sporting clays course is different, and they are always changing. That variety makes sporting clays the most fun out of the shotgun disciplines.
And because the courses vary, perfect scores in sporting clays are rare, which is part of its appeal. Usually, a round consists of five pairs at each of 10 stations to make targets. You walk or ride a golf cart from station to station, and at each one you may see targets going away, coming at you, crossing, falling, looping, going straight up, or even bouncing along the ground.
Although the variety of targets means there are close and long shots, most courses keep everything within reach of an Improved Cylinder or Light Modified choke in a or gauge.
Watch the show birds all the way to the ground to give yourself a better read on how far away they are. Shoot the first pair and repeat. Sporting clays is by far the most relaxed and sociable clay target game. That depends on the type of shooting you expect to do most. At this early stage it can be difficult to be sure which direction your shooting might take, but you probably know already whether game shooting is a possibility.
If game shooting is unlikely, then you can concentrate on purpose-built clay guns, with the advantage that they will have features that make them more suited to clay shooting. These can offer excellent value and many people find them more comfortable to shoot, due to the reduced recoil. As you look around the range of guns on offer, all sorts of features will catch your eye — perhaps the stylish engraving on the action, a lovely pattern of grain in the wood of the stock, or an attractive rib design.
Perhaps the gun comes in a nice travelling case, with a selection of multichokes. The problem is, finding a gun that fits is easier said than done. At this early stage in your shooting career, you are still finding your style, refining your technique and learning a consistent gun mount.
As you continue to develop and improve, your requirements will change. A good quality, reliable gun that performs what you ask of it. The Guerini Summit Impact is unique in that you can build it however you like.
It provides you with an upright shooting stance, which reduces the impact of recoil and puts less strain on your neck and shoulders. But you have to wonder, is it too much? It could be too fiddly, but this is clearly a matter of personal preference. The Blaser F16 is constructed to a high standard and is available in a bore and with multi-chokes. The ejector system is powerful and the balance is easily adjusted, which is especially useful for competitive shooting.
Bear in mind that the handling is very different to other guns and will split people on opinions. The uninspiring wood might not be to your taste, but you can always upgrade to something more exciting.
This is a relatively plain looking shotgun with great engineering, unique handling and that shoots beautifully. For a second opinion, check out some YouTube review videos like this one.
Breda is an Italian company dedicated to making clay semi-automatics, so it had to be included on our list. It boasts 29 - inch barrels, extended multichokes and adjustable trigger, among other features.
This means you can get into the guts of the gun and give it a thorough clean. Breda shotguns also look very different to other makes, which is one of their big selling points. They have a more modern and sportier look; the i has standout colour coded features and is the Porsche of the shotgun world.
With beautiful and varied checkering, a unique sandpaper effect on the bottom and quality walnut wood, it still maintains elements of a classic shotgun style. However, on the whole, the Breda i is a piece of top-quality engineering and manufacturing. What more can you ask for?
Krieghoff shotguns are best described as strong, heavy trap guns that suit the more wallet-busting budgets. The Krieghoff K is another piece of precise German engineering and best known for its robustness and reliability.
Having said that, the K80 balances comfortably between the hands, so it still feels relatively lively. Along with the adjustable high rib design that helps improve target acquisition and shooting stance, the Krieghoff K really is top of the range. Want to know more about how it shoots?
Check out a field test of the K80 here. Once you have chosen the shotgun you wanted, it's well worth checking out the best hotels with clay pigeon shooting. Then you can combine your hobby with a well earned, relaxing break.
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