Can someone please explain to me the difference between skeet, clays, and trap??

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sgt.rock

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Hi, I do not exactly know what the differences between them are. I thought it was all "skeet shooting", but I know there is much more to it.
Maybe some of you can shed some light on the similarities and differences...............
Also, what kind of shotguns excel at each discipline? What kind of features are desirable for a shotgun in each discipline? Pump, O/U, SxS? Long barrel or shorter barrel? Rib? semi or pump? weight restrictions?
Thanks in advance!!!
 
Here's a link that explains the differences among the most commonly found games.

http://www.claytargetsonline.com/about-the-games/

The games can be shot with any shotgun but there are guns that are better for each game.

Trap is almost exclusively 12 gauge and favours longer barrelled, heavier guns with tighter chokes. O/u, specialized single barrels and semi-autos would be the most popular guns followed by pumps.

Skeet favours shorter guns with more open chokes. O/u and semis are the most common. Competition is shot with all 4 gauges.

Sporting clays is in between. Guns are usually longer than skeet guns. Because the targets are at varying distances interchangeable choke tubes are usually recommended.

There are no weight restrictions but shell limitations. Shells no more powerful than 3-1/4 dram, no shot larger than 7.5, shot weights limited depending on the game.
 
great , thanks for the info!!! You say in skeet that "all 4 guages" are used. 12, 20, 28, 410?? or 12, 16, 20, and 28? Just asking , as I am the least proficient with my shotguns (vs my rifles of course) and being my weak point, I am not too "up" on all the equipment used.
Is trap shooting exclusively with 12guage due to the distance you are away from the targets? (I mean further than skeet, as the shots are all shooting AWAY from you rather than side to side with the other disciplines)
 
sgt.rock said:
great , thanks for the info!!! You say in skeet that "all 4 guages" are used. 12, 20, 28, 410?? or 12, 16, 20, and 28? Just asking , as I am the least proficient with my shotguns (vs my rifles of course) and being my weak point, I am not too "up" on all the equipment used.
Is trap shooting exclusively with 12guage due to the distance you are away from the targets? (I mean further than skeet, as the shots are all shooting AWAY from you rather than side to side with the other disciplines)
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12, 20, 28, .410. No 16 gauge.

Trap favours the 12 and tighter chokes due to the distances. You can smaller gauges in trap but you're generally at a disadvantage compared to the 12.

For the casual shooter you can shoot just about any shotgun with target loads.
 
At my club, almost nobody shoots all 4 gauges unless it's an organized match. Most guys pick a gauge, usually 12 or 20, and they compete against themselves.

For that matter, if you are shooting for fun or to get ready for real birds, most clubs will allow you to run a 16 if your loads meet the club rules.

Too bad the 16 is not a regulated gauge for clays, I much prefer it in the field over all other gauges.
 
Claven2 said:
At my club, almost nobody shoots all 4 gauges unless it's an organized match. Most guys pick a gauge, usually 12 or 20, and they compete against themselves.

For that matter, if you are shooting for fun or to get ready for real birds, most clubs will allow you to run a 16 if your loads meet the club rules.

Too bad the 16 is not a regulated gauge for clays, I much prefer it in the field over all other gauges.
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The 16 gauge is perfectly acceptable for skeet but in competition you have to compete in the 12 gauge class.
 
Claybuster said:
The 16 gauge is perfectly acceptable for skeet but in competition you have to compete in the 12 gauge class.
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Yup. Biggest problem, imho, is that most factory 16 ammo is sold in either 4 or 6 at full game loads. You can sometimes find 7.5, but it's tough to locate in my experience. And even the 7.5's are game loads, not target loads.

Some guys roll their own :). I aspire to hand loading in 16 one day soon.
 
Just to clarify, there is no such thing as a "skeet" . Skeet is a game, just as hockey is a game, and calling the clay target a skeet, would be no different than calling the hard rubber disc a hockey. Now if you go to the store and ask to purchase a box of skeets, and they look at you funny, imagine how they would look at you if you had asked for a box of hockies. I have heard many people talk about being out skeet shooting, and in reality, most of them have never shot skeet, and they don't even know what skeet is.

I shoot skeet, sporting clays and trap, and the only time that I use a 12 gauge is for trap, I usually use a 20 gauge for sporting clays, and a 28 gauge for skeet.
 
Clay sports favour heavier guns. While there's nothing wrong with using a light hunting gun (such as the 5lb, 10oz, 20ga SxS that I played with at skeet today), such guns don't have the weight to encourage a smooth, even swing or to absorb the effect of 100 shots on your shoulder.
 
Speaking of 16ga, I have a near new Remington 11-48 Skeet gun in that gauge. Iirc, it was made 1958.
 
stubblejumper said:
Just to clarify, there is no such thing as a "skeet" . Skeet is a game, just as hockey is a game, and calling the clay target a skeet, would be no different than calling the hard rubber disc a hockey. Now if you go to the store and ask to purchase a box of skeets, and they look at you funny, imagine how they would look at you if you had asked for a box of hockies. I have heard many people talk about being out skeet shooting, and in reality, most of them have never shot skeet, and they don't even know what skeet is.

I shoot skeet, sporting clays and trap, and the only time that I use a 12 gauge is for trap, I usually use a 20 gauge for sporting clays, and a 28 gauge for skeet.
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So that happens in Alberta too. I thought it was just a northern BC thing. I met a couple of gentlemen the other day who were going to shoot some "skeets". As you say, they didn't even know what skeet was, let alone trap or sporting clays.
 
Similar nomenclature issues at the local Canuckian Tire. I couldn't find the clays so I asked one of the employees. She looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face as I tried to explain what I meant by clay targets. "Oh. You mean skeets!" She exclaimed. Sure enough they even rang up as clay skeets at the register. f:P:2:
 
You missed five stand, which is a bit like compact sporting clays.

Claven2 said:
Yup. Biggest problem, imho, is that most factory 16 ammo is sold in either 4 or 6 at full game loads. You can sometimes find 7.5, but it's tough to locate in my experience. And even the 7.5's are game loads, not target loads.

Some guys roll their own :). I aspire to hand loading in 16 one day soon.
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Both Remington and Federal make 1 oz. loads in #7.5 and #8 shot. They are considered hunting loads but they work for target shooting. I prefer the Federal loads as they seem easier on the shoulder in my light 16 gauge SxS.

ninepointer said:
Clay sports favour heavier guns. While there's nothing wrong with using a light hunting gun (such as the 5lb, 10oz, 20ga SxS that I played with at skeet today), such guns don't have the weight to encourage a smooth, even swing or to absorb the effect of 100 shots on your shoulder.
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I only own field guns so I tend to use lighter loads. I load 7/8 oz. low recoil loads in 16 and 20 gauge. Once I get some powder, I'll be loading a 7/8 oz load for my 12 gauge shotguns.
 
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diemaco said:
Similar nomenclature issues at the local Canuckian Tire. I couldn't find the clays so I asked one of the employees. She looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face as I tried to explain what I meant by clay targets. "Oh. You mean skeets!" She exclaimed. Sure enough they even rang up as clay skeets at the register. f:P:2:
Click to expand...

Proof positive that the people working at Canadian Tire are clueless.
 
ninepointer said:
Clay sports favour heavier guns. While there's nothing wrong with using a light hunting gun (such as the 5lb, 10oz, 20ga SxS that I played with at skeet today), such guns don't have the weight to encourage a smooth, even swing or to absorb the effect of 100 shots on your shoulder.
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Some of my guns are really light, because they are all field guns- even m 12's are vintage gun that did not use the heavy charges of today.
I shot trap and skeet only to keep in shape for bird hunting and to enjoy my guns, s0 I shoot lighter charges in them.
The still break skeet and trap birds just fine.
If I was going to shoot for the game would have kept my Kriegoff.:d
Cat
 
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