SHOTGUN-SKEET
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Skeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun shooting at clay targets
(the others are trap shooting and sporting clays). There are two types of Skeet shooting,
including one with Olympic status (often called Olympic Skeet or International Skeet), and many
with only national recognition.
History and general principles
Skeet was invented at Glen Rock Kennels, Andover, Massachusetts, by Charles E. Davies, an avid
grouse hunter, his son Henry W. and William H. Foster in 1920. Originally a sport called
Shooting Around the Clock as the participants shot around a complete circle. Skeet
shooting evolved to its current setup by 1926. In 1926 a contest was held to name the new
sport, and Gertrude Hurlbutt named it skeet, which is derived from the Scandinavian word for
"shoot". During World War II, Skeet was used in the American military to teach gunners the
principle of leading and timing on flying targets.
Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where participants attempt to break clay
pigeons released into the air at high speed from a variety of angles. For the American
version of the game, the clay discs are 4 and 5/16 inches in diameter, one and 1/8 inches
thick, and fly a distance of 60 yards (+/- 2 yards). The international version of skeet uses
a target that is slightly larger in diameter (110mm), shorter in cross section
(25mm vs. 1 1/8 inches), and has a thicker dome center, making it harder to break.
International targets are also thrown a longer distance from similar heights (over 70 yards),
resulting in a faster target speed.
The competitive firearm of choice for this task is usually a high quality shotgun although
many shooters of American skeet and other national versions still use inexpensive semi-auto
and pump action shot guns with great success. The use of clay targets replaced the more
traditional target of live birds, as a cheaper, humane and more reliable alternative, one
reason they are also called clay pigeons.
The event is in part meant to simulate the action of bird hunting. The shooter shoots from
7 positions on a semi-circle, and an 8th position halfway between stations 1 and 7. There
are two houses that hold devices known as "traps" that launch the targets, one at each corner
of the semi-circle. The traps launch the targets to a point 15 feet above ground and 18 feet
outside of station 8. One trap launches targets from 10 feet above the ground (High House)
and the other launches it from 3 feet above ground (Low House). At stations 1 and 2 the
shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house, then
shoots a double where the two targets are launched simultaneously. At stations 3, 4, and 5
the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house.
At stations 6 and 7 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and
then the low house, then shoots a double. At station 8 the shooter shoots one high target
and one low target. The shooter must reshoot his first missed target, or if no targets are
missed, must shoot his 25th shell at the low house station 8. This 25th shot was once
referred to as the shooter's option as he was able to take it where he preferred. Now,
to speed up rounds in competition, the shooter must shoot the low 8 twice for a perfect score.
Olympic Skeet
Olympic or International Skeet is one of the ISSF shooting events. It has had Olympic status
since 1968, and, until 1992, was open to both sexes. After that year, all ISSF events have
been open to only one sex, and so females were disallowed to compete in the Olympic Skeet
competitions. This was somewhat controversial due to the fact that the 1992 Olympic Champion
was a woman, Shan Zhan of China. However, women had their own World Championships, and in 2000,
a female Skeet event was introduced to the Olympic program.
In Olympic Skeet, there is a random delay of between 0 to 3 seconds after the shooter has
called for the target. Also, the shooter must hold his gun so that the gun butt is at mid-torso
level until the target appears.
Another difference with American Skeet is that the sequence to complete the 25 targets in
a round of Olympic Skeet requires shooters to shoot at doubles in stations 3, 4, and 5.
Nationally recognized versions
American Skeet is administered by the NSSA (National Skeet Shooting Association). The targets
are shot in a different order and are slower than in Olympic Skeet. There is also no delay
after the shooter has called for them, and the shooter may do this with the gun held "up",
i.e. pre-mounted on the shoulder (as is allowed in Trap shooting).
Other national versions of Skeet (e.g. English Skeet) typically make similar changes to the
rules to make them easier.
Misuse of the term "skeet"
The term "skeet" refers only to the specific game and variants described above. A common
misuse of the term is to describe any form of shooting at clay targets as "shooting skeet"
or even to refer to the targets themselves as "skeets", but this usage is technically incorrect.
National Skeet Shooting Association