SPORTING CLAYS

SPORT GOVERNING BODY:
The International sport governing body of Sporting Clays is the National Sporting Clays Association headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

THE BARRIE GUN CLUB ADVANTAGE:
Recently, we developed and constructed a modern and state-of-the-art 5-Stand Sporting Clays / Compaq range. We have a dozen machines consisting of both Auto-Sporter and Lincoln traps, and throw numerous specialty targets including minis, midis, battues, and rabbits. This is out fastest-growing shotgun sport, and we look forward to increased participation and improvement in this discipline in the years ahead.

ABOUT SPORTING CLAYS:
Sporting Clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting. Often described as golf with a shotgun, the sport differs from trap and skeet shooting in that:

The original idea behind sporting clays was to create an experience that more closely reflects actual hunting conditions. Whereas top-tier trap and skeet professionals may have hit ratings nearing 100%, the best sporting clay shooters hit their targets only about 93% to 95% of the time.

Although the sport is challenging, it is quite popular with novice shooters and ordinary hunters. While many shooters opt for expensive double-barreled shotguns, the game is equally enjoyable with an inexpensive pump-action shotgun or autoloading (semiautomatic) shotgun.

Naturally, safety is paramount. Proper ear and eye protection and firearms safety procedures are required while on a course.

A typical course will consist of 10–18 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 (called simo pairs on the east coast, and true pairs on the west coast), while novice or intermediate shooters can opt for the clays to be thrown on report (the second clay launched on the report of the shooters gun, hence the name report pair). Targets are thrown at different angles and speeds; sometimes across the shooters view (crossers), towards the shooter (in-comers), or away from the shooter (out-goers). The shots are intended to simulate hunting for quail, grouse, pheasant, pigeon, 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 — this does not simulate any particular animal, but it is usually a challenging target.