Disciplines

With skeet the shooter is presented with targets from both a high and low traphouse. Shooting in squads of six, the shooter moves from position to position so that the targets are presented at different angles. Targets are normally shot between 11 and 24 metres from the gun.

Skeet was invented both to hone wing-shooting skills for hunting and as a casual recreational sport and as such is recommended as a “first step’ for novice shooters.

Down-the-line (DTL) or Trap shooting derived from the shooting of live birds originally hand thrown. In the most simple of the modern event, targets are thrown 48 metres across varying angles from a single trap above ground level 15 metres forward from the shooter.

The targets are normally shot between 30 and 40 metres from the gun.

Trench or Olympic Trap requires 15 traps set approx. 1 metre apart in a trap house which is positioned below ground level 15 metres forward from the shooter. Each trap is set to throw a target 76 metres with a varying elevation of 1.5 to 3 metres above ground level in various horizontal angles from 0 to 45 degrees.

Ball trap uses a single oscillating trap in a trap house which is below ground level that throws a target approx. 75 metres with a varying elevation of 1 to 4 metres above ground level. The trap is located 15 metres forward of the shooting mark.

Similar to DTL but the clays are presented as simultaneous pairs.

Sporting (and Compak Sporting) are clay target disciplines developed to simulate the great variance of target possibilities that may be found in the field. Crossing, receding, approaching targets of varying speed and complexity are all covered in these disciplines, with every field setting being up to the creation of the target setter.

Over time the sporting disciplines have evolved to cater for everything from a social fun with friends, to fiercely competed World Championships. In New Zealand we shooting both Sporting and Compak under FITASC rules, with everything from our Sporting Grand Prix development series Sundays, through to National Championships available throughout the country.

For certain competitions at Hutt Valley, the club uses a handicapping method to allow shooters of varying experience and ability to compete on an equal footing, similar to handicapping in golf. For Sporting and Compak handicapping, targets are added to a shooters round depending on their known ability from the percentage in their handicap book. The targets in (per round of 25 targets) are shown below:

Handicapping for Sporting Clays and Compak:

Targets in handicap per round of 25 targets, based on the same process as the NZCTA Skeet handicapping system

Note that the highest percentage of the last two rule off’s is used:

• 96% and above – 0 targets in
• 92%-95.9% – 1 target in
• 88% – 91.9% – 2 targets in
• 84%-87.9% – 3 targets in
• 80%-83.9% – 4 targets in
• 76%-79.9% – 5 targets in
• 72%-75.9% – 6 targets in
• 68%-71.9% – 7 targets in
• 64%-67.9% – 8 targets in
• 60%-63.9% – 9 targets in
• Under 60% – 10 targets in