Skeet shooting - a variety shooting sports. Skeet shooting competitions are held at outdoor shooting ranges. Shooting is carried out from 12-gauge smoothbore shotguns using shot cartridges (pellets with a diameter of no more than 2.5 mm) at flying clay pigeon targets. If even a few pellets hit the plate, it breaks. Targets are thrown into the air using special throwing machines. Currently, environmental technology for the production of targets is being developed and implemented, eliminating the use of components that are harmful to the environment.
History of skeet shooting
Skeet shooting dates back to the distant past, when nobles entertained themselves by shooting at a flying target. In the Middle Ages, live birds were used as targets, most often pigeons, which were thrown out from behind shelters. Later they began to be planted in holes, covered with a cap, which was pulled off with a rope, and the pigeon was able to take off. Over time, the hoods were replaced by special cage boxes equipped with devices for releasing birds at the right time. In the middle of the last century, shooting at artificial targets appeared, which were thrown with an invented device using a leaf spring at a distance of up to 32 meters. The targets were glass balls with a diameter of 6.35 centimeters and filled with smoke, dust or feathers, which, when hit, gave shooting a special effect. In 1880, first in America, and then in Germany and France, throwing machines and targets in the form of modern plates appeared. Soon, skeet shooting quickly spread throughout almost all of Europe. In Russia, in 1887, in St. Petersburg, on Krestovsky Island, the first special stand for shooting pigeons was equipped. Wealthy people who could afford this rather expensive entertainment were fond of this type of shooting. In the early nineties, skeet shooting was practiced in several big cities. The competitions were held on primitively equipped stands using simple throwing machines, the first samples of which were brought from abroad. Throwing machines were installed on boards secured to the ground with stakes. Targets were made locally from clay and sand. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, stands were installed in almost all provincial Russian cities.
IN Olympic program includes 5 exercises: “Trap, men”, “Trap, women”, “Trap, mixed teams”, “Skeet, men”, “Skeet, women”.
Skeet shooting is a type of shooting sport. Skeet shooting competitions are held at outdoor shooting ranges. Shooting is carried out from 12-gauge smoothbore shotguns using shot cartridges (pellets with a diameter of no more than 2.5 mm) at flying clay pigeon targets. If even a few pellets hit the plate, it breaks. Targets are thrown into the air using special throwing machines. Currently, environmental technology for the production of targets is being developed and implemented, eliminating the use of components that are harmful to the environment.
History of skeet shooting
Skeet shooting dates back to the distant past, when nobles entertained themselves by shooting at a flying target. In the Middle Ages, live birds were used as targets, most often pigeons, which were thrown out from behind shelters. Later they began to be planted in holes, covered with a cap, which was pulled off with a rope, and the pigeon was able to take off. Over time, the hoods were replaced by special cage boxes equipped with devices for releasing birds at the right time. In the middle of the last century, shooting at artificial targets appeared, which were thrown with an invented device using a leaf spring at a distance of up to 32 meters. The targets were glass balls with a diameter of 6.35 centimeters and filled with smoke, dust or feathers, which, when hit, gave shooting a special effect. In 1880, first in America, and then in Germany and France, throwing machines and targets in the form of modern plates appeared. Soon, skeet shooting quickly spread throughout almost all of Europe. In Russia, in 1887, in St. Petersburg, on Krestovsky Island, the first special stand for shooting pigeons was equipped. Wealthy people who could afford this rather expensive entertainment were fond of this type of shooting. In the early nineties, skeet shooting was already practiced in several large cities. The competitions were held on primitively equipped stands using simple throwing machines, the first samples of which were brought from abroad. Throwing machines were installed on boards secured to the ground with stakes. Targets were made locally from clay and sand. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, stands were installed in almost all provincial Russian cities.
The Olympic program includes 5 exercises: “Trap, men”, “Trap, women”, “Trap, mixed teams”, “Skeet, men”, “Skeet, women”.
Skeet shooting
Skeet shooting attracts people regardless of gender and age - it includes men, women, and children (the most young athletes twelve years old), and old people. Skeet shooting, or as it is also called, skeet shooting, is carried out from smooth-bore rifles at flying special targets - skeet.
Skeet
Skeet shooting is a fabulous pastime at corporate events and friendly outings. And if you shoot skeet with your sons, you will remember such moments for the rest of your life. After all, shooting has not only been a man’s activity since time immemorial, but also self-discipline and accuracy.
Shotgun shooting in Moscow and Moscow region
Skeet shooting in Moscow and the Moscow region has found a lot of admirers. Sports shooting clubs provide the opportunity to learn the skills of sporting, compact sporting, and double trap. Modern clubs clay pigeon shooting in Moscow and the Moscow region provide the opportunity to try all types of disciplines.
Sporting (large) is characterized by a huge variety of trajectories and a long firing range.
A distinctive feature of compact sporting is that a set of 25 targets is produced in limited areas.
With a double trap, a pair of targets fly out along almost parallel trajectories.
Most hunters, having cleaned their guns and put them in cabinets, wait for the opening of the spring hunt, only occasionally taking them out to check if they need re-cleaning and, twirling their “treasures” in their hands, mentally counting the weeks until the opening of the hunt.
Such passive anticipation of the spring season sometimes results in misses on a calmly pulling woodcock, geese walking towards the profiles, not to mention annoying misses on a grouse lek or on a drake with a decoy.
The first thing it is advisable to have is specially prepared cartridge cases with spring-loaded capsule sockets; such things have appeared on sale, at least in metropolitan stores, and, with some metalworking skills, you can make such a “cartridge” yourself. The bronze (brass) fungus, which fits freely into the capsule socket (the most difficult), is spring-loaded from the inside of the cartridge case with a fairly strong spring, secured by rolling the barrel neck. Such a device will preserve the spring of the firing pin and the firing pin itself, eliminating the use of spent cartridges, which should not be fired more than three times for training. As a last resort, hard rubber inserts can be inserted into the capsule socket.
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Prepare 5-6 cardboard target circles with a diameter of 5-10 cm and the same number with a diameter half the size, pins and thin ribbons of 1.5-2 meters. It’s a good idea to purchase a laser sight or make one yourself based on a laser pointer, which will be much cheaper, a shot direction indicator that matches the standard sight (front sight in the middle of the closed sighting bar), which would be nice to turn on when you press the trigger, or a ready-made light training “cartridge” which was advertised, but I did not see it for sale.
There are electronic simulators that simulate shooting on a bench, but for most they are inaccessible, and to gain skills in handling a gun, you can limit yourself to the minimum, only paper targets. We will assume that the gun is adjusted and fits in size.
So, let's get started home workout . First of all, you need to invest correctly, i.e. place the gun in your shoulder. If the stock matches the hunter’s physical characteristics, then left hand bent at an angle of about 100 degrees, holds the forend by the middle or slightly closer to the ends of the barrels, the cheek does not lie very tightly on the ridge of the butt, while the head does not fall to the right, the butt plate is as high as possible, the look through the middle of the closed sighting bar and the front sight is directed quite straight , and not sullenly, providing good review. The ends of the trunks are at shoulder level or slightly higher; from this position, without changing the position of the head, with the movement of both hands, move the butt to the 3-4 rib, leaving the front sight at eye level.
It is convenient to perform this exercise in front of a mirror and in tight clothes (T-shirt, thin sweater). When you gain confidence and ease of execution this exercise, and this will happen literally in 15-20 minutes, perform this movement in reverse order(from hip to shoulder), and in a maximum of an hour everything will work out well. So, the raising of the gun and the tab have been mastered, but in order to master the throw, these movements must be performed no slower than 0.5 s; try not to force the process; you will achieve the desired temporary result soon enough.
To control the correctness of the jump, periodically perform the exercise with your eyes closed. Once the gun is in the shoulder, look where the front sight is, and if it is in the middle of the closed rear sight, then everything is fine. Number the circles 1,2, etc. and hang them with pins at height level, a little higher, a little lower, half a meter apart from each other. Invest in and move the body to move the gun to one of the circles, then move the butt to the belt and, raising the gun, try to get the front sight on the target.
Having achieved a positive result, repeat the exercise with the following targets. Then ask your assistant to call the numbers of the circles in random order and immediately jump into the corresponding targets, you can press the trigger, when everything starts to go exactly, complicate the exercise by hanging the targets more widely.
It would be useful to pay attention to the position of the feet; the toe of the left foot, with a turn to the right of about 10 degrees, is directed towards the preparation, and right leg located at an angle of about 45 degrees; stand without tension in your legs, the distance between your heels is within the shoe size. At targets spaced apart from each other, you will have to raise the gun at the target simultaneously with turning the body in the horizontal and vertical directions.
At first, some difficulties may arise, but be patient and everything will work out, don’t try to master everything at once. When something stubbornly doesn’t work, take a break. desired result usually comes unexpectedly, when internal connections between the head and hands are established, and automaticity appears in performing a certain exercise.
So, you have completely mastered the jump on circle targets, now you can move on to practicing leashes. To do this, separate additional circles of smaller diameter, connecting them in pairs with ribbons to large targets; during training, change the position of both circles, on command, throw the gun at the large target and, in the direction of the ribbon, pass the barrels through the small circle, fixing the passage by pressing the trigger . This is where you will need a red laser dot.
It should be taken into account that with a side leash, pressing the trigger should occur with some anticipation, when the gun passes a small target and a small gap appears, exactly the same size as you determined for a given turn; continue movement without braking while simulating a shot. Exercises with a gun are also gymnastics for the muscles of the lower back, arms and shoulders, which will benefit your health, not to mention the results on the hunt, which will certainly pleasantly surprise you, even if there is no opportunity to consolidate the acquired skills on a stand.
Let’s not forget about processing equipment: strikeout shooting
With this method of shooting, it is usually recommended to make ONE QUICK CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT in the direction of flight of the bird (intended target) cross out her silhouette with a front sight and the moment she overtakes him, immediately press the shutter release.
In my deep conviction, this method of shooting should be strongly recommended to all novice shooters and those who have not yet decided and are looking for one. I will list its advantages:
- A shooter will NEVER STOP the gun before firing for the simple reason that this is impossible to do by definition.
- The likelihood of making an error in determining the correct lead value is reduced to a minimum.
- Shooting with strikeouts is surprisingly fleeting, which makes it extremely different from other shooting methods.
- The possibility of making such a mistake as OVER-AIM is reduced to a minimum, that is, delaying time for aiming, as a result of which the target leaves the zone of guaranteed destruction.
- Mastering just this method of shooting will help the shooter ultimately shoot offhand effectively. In other words, I want to make the following somewhat unusual conclusion: shooting offhand is not a separate method of shooting. This is the same strikeout shooting, which is only performed at the highest possible speed.
The advantage specified in paragraph 2 deserves, in my opinion, a more complete explanation. Firstly, readers should not get the false impression that when shooting with strikeouts there is no need to take lead at all. WARNINGS MUST BE PRESENT! And although with this method of shooting they are minimal, the question still remains: what should they be, and in what ways is this achieved? IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPEED with which the front sight overtakes the target.
With the passage of time it is true men's occupations and there are fewer and fewer hobbies left. One of these largely untouched hobbies on the part of the fair half of humanity remains hunting. For thousands of years, men went into the forests to get game or meat for their families.
Now that meat can be bought at your local supermarket, hunting and owning a gun has become more of an enjoyable pastime rather than a gendered obligation. Moreover, in the conditions of city life, you can’t really run through the forests after ducks and deer, so natural hunters simply replaced all this with a special sport - clay pigeon shooting.
What is clay pigeon shooting?
Skeet shooting is a type of shooting sport using shotguns. The main task of the shooter is to hit the plate so that its visible part breaks off from the base. Firing takes place in special open spaces. The plates, made of bitumen pitch and concrete, are released at the command of the shooter from special machines using the principle of a catapult. In addition, with tendon shooting is endless educational process, even after 10 years of practice there will be a flight that you will not understand the first time and which you will, with the excitement of a beginner, take apart piece by piece among friends and masters.
The history of clay pigeon shooting
The official chronicle of shooting sports dates back to the 18th century from references to “cage shooting”. In European countries, so-called cage hunter clubs arose. One of the first was the English club of the city of Hornsey at the Old Hats tavern. At the shooting range, the holes with pigeons were covered with old hats, and at the command of the shooter, who was preparing to shoot, the attendant pulled the cord tied to the hat, the pigeon took off, and its further fate depended only on the shooter’s accuracy.
In the late thirties of the 19th century, an American shooter from Boston, Portlock, proposed shooting at an artificial target he invented - a glass ball with a diameter of about 6.5 centimeters. Soon his compatriot Bogardus invented a special machine with a flat spring that threw the ball at a distance of up to 35 meters. In order to better see the result and make shooting more effective, the balls were made of colored glass and filled with feathers, paint, smoke or fine dust. Glass marble shooting has gained great popularity not only in America, but also in France, England and Canada. Some gardening clubs also used flat, thin, well-fired clay plates as targets.
Despite the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century in most countries where cage shooting was cultivated, artificial targets were widely used instead of live pigeons, at the Games of the Second and Fourth Olympics the competition program also included shooting at live pigeons. However, in 1910, the International Olympic Committee condemned this type of shooting as inhumane and excluded it from the competition. So cage shooting gradually turned into skeet shooting with humane clay pigeons. Although in Egypt, Italy, Spain, France and other countries, competitive shooting of live pigeons is still carried out. There is even an international federation that organizes world championships.
Types of clay pigeon shooting
Types of clay pigeon shooting can be divided into two groups: olympic events and sporting sports.
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OLYMPIC PROGRAM The Olympic program includes competitions in three disciplines: round stand (skeet), trench stand (trap) and double trap. On a round stand, moving from one shooting station to another (there are eight in total), changing the shooting angle relative to the trajectories of flying targets, the participant fires at the clay pigeons flying towards each other. Targets take off at different heights. In addition, the round stand differs from other exercises in the delay in the departure of the target after the shooter’s command, which automatically varies from 0 to 3 seconds. At the trench stand, the athlete shoots at clay pigeons thrown out of the trench in a random direction (left, right or straight). Until the moment of departure, the shooter cannot know where the target will fly. The double trap is conducted in the same way as the trench competition, except that the skeet are thrown in pairs and the shooting is done in doubles. In the double trap exercise, since 2004, a target delay after the shooter’s command has also been introduced from 0 to 1 second. |
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SPORTING Sporting types of skeet shooting are not Olympic. They also host World and European Championships, and are often even more spectacular. For compact sporting, you can use round and trench shooting platforms; it is enough to install an additional machine on them to launch a “hare” target, which does not fly into the air, but jumps on the ground. Big sporting involves the use of a large area with rugged terrain; it is also called a “hunting route” or “hunting trail.” Big sporting is the most diverse in terms of target trajectories and the difficulty of shooting at them. The athlete does not see the departure of some targets (bushes, trees, folds of terrain). There are very few venues for big-time sporting in Russia, and they are highly valued by professionals. |
Shooters' equipment and clothing
Hunters are practical people, so the key quality of clothing for clay pigeon shooting, as for all sports, is comfort. Each element of the shooter’s equipment meets strict practicality and allows the athlete to be concentrated on the targets and not be distracted by trifles.
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Ear protectors One of the key and important elements equipment, without which, according to safety rules, you will not be allowed to enter the stand. There are two types: passive and active. Passive headphones can be special earplugs or simply soundproof headphones. Active - headphones that work through built-in microphones that suppress the sounds of gunfire, but transmit the sounds of human speech without any problems. |
In addition to the accessories listed above, shooters often use a tongue attached to their shoes, into which the gun barrels rest while the shooter waits for his turn. And also gloves for shooting in cool weather, which you can happily wear on the streets in the cool autumn.
Manufacturers of clothing and equipment
In addition to the hunting brands featured in , which enjoy cool-weather shooters, there are several brands that have made skeet shooting a key or high priority. These include Beretta, Perazzi, Blazer, Zoli, Musto and others. It is interesting that even here Italian companies (Beretta, Perazzi, Zoli) are flagships in the design of clothing and accessories for shooting and, of course, in guns.
Billy Reid video on shooting clothing
Products of these brands can be purchased in Russia in sports stores. shooting clubs(“Fox Hole”, “Olympian”, “Nevsky” and others) or in gun stores. And scarce sports and shooting goods are available in Western online stores. But their prices are steep; for example, the Perazzi online store will ask you 100 euros for sending goods worth 70 euros by plane to Russia. It is often more economical to shop in small British stores, like Sporting Lodge, where there are additional markups on goods, but delivery will cost 5–15 euros.
Barbour Vintage Cup video highlighting classic clothing
arrow and beautiful guns
How and where to shoot
How to shoot correctly in general and at a specific target in particular is a huge topic for fireside discussions among shooters after training and competitions. There are many schools of skeet shooting, the leading and generally recognized among them is the classic English one, which dates back to the first cage clubs. But, in fact, there is no standard set of techniques that will help you always hit 100 percent of the plates.
Shooting is an individual matter, you can be taught a stance, a tab, the rules of working with a specific target, but still this set of knowledge is projected onto your physical data, plasticity, reaction, vision, endurance, morale, etc. Thus, it is important to get to an experienced master who can not only impart book knowledge to you, but also help your hands produce results. Shooters are mostly open people and are happy to share their knowledge with less experienced colleagues. Therefore, frequent debriefings in the literal sense of the word at the table in large companies in shooting clubs are commonplace. This is where you can gain the most valuable experience in this matter.
It is also worth considering that shooting is not just a shot, it is a certain complex of your “homework” and the conditions in which you shoot. At the moment you pull the trigger, success or failure depends on many factors, both controllable and not under your control, all converging on one point: did you eat a good meal, did you clean the gun, did your right boot get wet, was there a strong wind, how quickly did the machine operator you're a target.
In Russia, compared to Western countries, where clay pigeon shooting is a classic discipline, while there are not many shooting sports clubs. But in Moscow and St. Petersburg you can still find a place that would suit you both in terms of price tag and location. Full list such establishments are possible. It is believed that one of best clubs- this is the Moscow “Fox Hole” and the St. Petersburg “Olympian” and “Nevsky”.
Text: Igor Makhno
