Try Shotgun Sports

If you appreciate a new challenge every time you go shooting, then sporting clays is for you. This game takes place over a course—just like golf—with multiple shooting stations along the way and targets launched at all conceivable angles, heights and distances.

Developed by a couple of Massachusetts grouse hunters to improve their skills in the woods, the game of skeet today has thousands of followers. Picture a half a pie, with a high house on the left side of the center line and a low house on the right side. You’ll start by standing right under the high house, taking a high bird, a low bird and then a pair. Once your squadmates have had their turns, you’ll each shoot seven more stations around the half-pie, with No. 7 right next to the low house door. Your final two shots—coming at you fast and hard—are taken from the middle of the center line. Skeet is about mastering the angles and making perfect scorecards of 25 Xs, and if you’re very, very good, you might just find yourself heading to the Olympics.

One of the oldest shotgun games around, trap today is a fiercely competitive sport, with the very best going to the Olympics. Squads of five shooters take turns rotating across a slightly dished line of five shooting pads, calling for birds launched from a trap with an oscillating arm in front of them and out of sight. Call “Pull!” and you’ll get a hard left, hard right, straight-away flier or something in between rising up and going away. Once you’ve mastered the 25-straight hits on the front line, the challenge increases as you take shooting positions farther back from the trap—and 27-yard handicap line is a challenge indeed!

NSSF’s First Shots program is an introductory shooting and firearm ownership course. That includes classroom and “live fire” training. You’ll leave knowing how to safely handle, operate and store a firearm. Find a seminar near you and give shooting a try.

Rifle shooting is a rewarding activity that starts with choosing the right firearm and learning safety basics, like treating every gun as if it’s loaded and keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. Focus on proper stance, grip, aiming, and trigger control to improve accuracy. Practice at a local range and consider taking a beginner’s course to build confidence and skill.

Pistol shooting is an accessible way to get started with firearms, focusing on selecting a pistol that fits your grip and shooting goals. Safety is essential: always treat every firearm as loaded, keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and be mindful of where the muzzle is pointed. Practice proper stance, grip, and sight alignment at a local range, and consider a beginner’s class to develop confidence and accuracy.