SCTP Shooting Disciplines

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SCTP has three main competition disciplines—trap, skeet, and sporting clays. Even though all three involve similar equipment, they vary significantly in target presentation and station layout. This section discusses the differences between the three main American events.

 

American Trap (Singles)

The trap house for American singles is located 16 yards in front of the five shooting posts arranged in an arc (see Figure 1). The house itself sits about 2 1⁄2 feet above ground and has one machine that oscillates horizontally. The athlete that starts on post one (far left of the field), is designated the squad leader. The squad leader always calls for their target first regardless of what post they are on. Once the squad leader has shot their first target, the athlete on Post 2 will call for their target. The progression will continue until the Post 5 athlete shoots their target; after which, the squad leader will shoot their next target. After all athletes have shot five shells, the athletes will rotate posts to their right. (i.e., The athlete on Post 5 will rotate to Post 1 by walking behind the other athletes.) This will continue until all athletes have shot 25 shells.

 

During the round, the machine randomly oscillates horizontally and throws targets at angles up to 17 degrees right or left of center. It is important to note that legal targets can be up to 27 degrees right or left of center. The targets are released manually or by using a voice-activated mechanism when the athlete calls for the target. A match usually consists of 100 targets, and participants are allowed one shell for singles. The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) regulates American trap singles.

 

Figure 1: Trap Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Credit: Clay Shooting Magazine

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American Skeet

In American skeet, targets are released from a high and a low house. The targets either come out of each house individually, or one target from each will be released at the same time for a pair. There are eight shooting stations for a skeet field (see Figure 2). Station 1 starts below the high house, and the stations move counterclockwise around the field with station eight positioned halfway between the high and low house. Unlike trap, skeet targets do not vary in direction. The machines are set in place and do not oscillate. Targets are released manually within one second of the athlete calling for the target.

 

Figure 2: Skeet Field
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: Clay Shooting Magazine​
 

Skeet targets are shot in a particular order. The order is listed below in Table 1. Each “X” denotes a target. Only one target is shot at a time from the high and low house, but two targets are shot in the pair category. Athletes will only shoot pairs from Stations 1, 2, 6, and 7. It is important to remember that the high house target must be shot first when shooting a pair from Stations 1 and 2. The low house target is shot first when shooting a pair from Stations 6 and 7. You will notice from Figure 5 that there are only 24 targets, but a round of skeet consists of 25 targets. The last target is called the option. The option is shot by repeating the first missed target of that round. If no targets have been missed after the 24 targets, the athlete must shoot their option at the low house target on Station 8. Prior to 1971, athletes were allowed to pick their last target if they had not missed during the round, hence the name “option.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In American skeet, the athletes’ firearms can be mounted prior to calling for the target. Athletes are permitted to load one or two shells for singles unless only one target is to be shot. Athletes should be expected to call for their target within 10 seconds of the moment they step on the station. Failure to do so could result in warnings and/or penalties from the referee.

 

A match of skeet consists of 100 targets in each gauge. The National Skeet Shooters Association (NSSA) regulates American skeet.

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Sporting Clays

Sporting clays is the discipline that most simulates hunting live game. The course and target trajectories are designed to resemble the flush or flight of game. Target presentations are achieved by using a specific type of target and the position of the launcher. Sporting clays—sometimes referred to as “golf with a shotgun”—has various station set-ups. When squads shoot sporting clays together, usually as two teams of three athletes, the athletes will all shoot at one station before moving on to the next. Also, athletes choose their choke tubes for each station, just as a golfer chooses a club for each shot. Athletes must know how to interpret a target, so they know how to break it.

 

A sporting clays course may consist of 10 to 18 stations for a 100-target match, and targets may be thrown in multiple ways, such as:

• Singles: One target from the designated launcher is thrown.

• Simultaneous Pair: Two targets are launched simultaneously from two different launchers.

• Following Pair: Two targets are launched from the same launcher as quickly as the machine cancycle.

• Report Pair: The second target is launched from the second machine at the firing of the first shot.

 

Sporting clays, unlike the other disciplines, has multiple types of targets. Common target types include regular domed, midi-domed, mini-domed, rabbit, battue, and the rocket. Not only are there different types of targets, but there are different flight paths these targets can take. The common paths are incoming, outgoing, crossing, quartering, passing, rising, and falling. Because of all the variations, sporting clays is considered by many to be the most difficult of the three main disciplines. The National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) regulates American sporting clays.

 

Figure 3: Sporting Clay Trajectories

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Image credit: Clay Shooting Magazine

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Figure 4: Sporting Clay Trajectories

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Image credit: Clay Shooting Magazine

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Content from SCTP Best Practices Manual.