Getting Started in Sporting Clays
Sporting clays is arguably one of modern shotgun history’s most popular sports. It is one that can be extremely challenging, yet it’s also a discipline a complete beginner can participate in and enjoy.
Read MoreUnderstanding Shotgun Chokes
When you pull the trigger of your shotgun, a column of round shot pellets leaves the barrel and spreads out into a “pattern.” This pattern widens as the group of shot pellets gets further away from the muzzle. At some point, that pattern will be spread apart too far to hit targets at the extreme edge of the shotgun’s effective range; there will be too much space between the individual pellets in the pattern, and all that space is opportunity for a target to escape unscathed.
Read MoreAn Introduction to International Skeet
The world of shotgun sports, including everything from American trap and skeet to International trap, skeet and double trap, is broad but enjoyed by many. Whether you are a competitive shooter or just enjoying any of the disciplines for fun with friends and family, it’s always a great feeling to watch those orange clay birds disintegrate before your eyes.
Read MoreShooter Profile — Theo Ribbs, Dripping Springs, Texas
Wearing Tiger Woods’ iconic red-and-black Sunday colors, Theo Ribbs pursues a similar path in the world of sporting clays. This young, African-American shooter witnessed a great example of breaking down sports barriers via positive attitude and skill from his father, Willie T. Ribbs, the first black driver in the Indianapolis 500 (1991). At 23, son Theo is building his own brand with the help from family and other great athletes before him.
Read MoreThe Remington Model 1100 Auto-loading Shotgun
The shotgun is a tool less precise than a rifle or handgun, but excellent for hitting objects that are flying or running. The single-shot shotgun has been a staple among entry-level shotgunners, but as the game birds pursued by hunters and the clay targets by competitors often present themselves in multiples, the advantage of more than one shot is easily understood.
Read MoreSkeet Shooting
Today, skeet is one of the most popular of all shotgun events. The National Skeet Shooting Association has thousands of members and hundreds of clubs in every state.
Read MoreShotgun Shells Explained
The shotgun is designed to throw a group or “pattern” of many small pellets called “shot,” which makes hitting a flying or moving target much more feasible than using a single projectile, as fired by a rifle or pistol. Because it utilizes numerous pellets instead of a single bullet, a shotshell is constructed differently than a cartridge for rifles or pistols. So, instead of the rifle or pistol cartridge’s brass case that contains primer, powder and bullet, the shotgun’s shotshell consists of a hull that contains the primer, powder, shot wad and an amount of shot. There are many different shotgun bore sizes or “gauges” (much like rifle and pistol caliber size), and gauges of differing shell length, and all can be loaded with a wide variety of shot sizes. Let’s break down some of these terms so you can better understand your shotgun or make a well-informed and safe purchase the next time you head to your favorite gun store or range.
Read MoreWhy You Might Like Sporting Clays
If you like to play golf, or even mini-golf, and you like to shoot skeet or trap, you’re going to love sporting clays. Or if you want more of a challenge than shooting at airborne clay targets, you’ll appreciate the change-up when a “rabbit” target zigzags across the field in front of you. Barbara Baird provides a look at sporting clays, commonly referred to as “golf with a shotgun.”
Read MoreMeet the Shotgun
Let’s take a look at what makes a shotgun a shotgun. If you rely on Hollywood for your information, a shotgun can never miss and is capable of knocking a 1970 Pontiac GTO clear across Hazzard County. In reality, they’re not quite like that, but a shotgun is one very versatile gun. Competition, recreation, hunting and home defense — a shotgun can do it all. Tom McHale provides a look at the types of shotguns and other things you should know.
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