ALL ABOUT SKEET

Skeet shooting was invented in the early 1920s in Andover, Massachusetts by bird hunters looking for a way to practice wing-shooting during the off-season. Originally called "shooting around the clock," the sport used a single trap launcher with shooters moving to different positions on a circle.

The modern two-house layout we know today was developed shortly after, and the sport was formally named "skeet" in 1926 — derived from an Old Scandinavian word meaning "to shoot."

The National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA), the sport's governing body in the United States, was founded in 1946. Today, NSSA sanctions tournaments across the country, including the events we host here at High Desert Sportsmen.

A standard round of skeet consists of 25 targets shot from 8 different stations arranged in a semicircle between the two houses. The "high house" is on the shooter's left and launches targets from approximately 10 feet above the ground. The "low house" is on the right, launching from about 3.5 feet up.

Targets are thrown at fixed angles and speeds, with the flight paths crossing at the center of the field. Shooters engage both single targets and pairs (called "doubles") depending on the station.

Competitive shooters aim for perfect scores — breaking all 25 targets in a round is the goal, and hitting all 100 targets in a full event (4 rounds of 25) is the mark of a top shooter.

For American skeet, which requires two shots in rapid succession, there are three main types of shotguns:

Pump Action: The shooter manually cycles the action by pulling the forearm back and pushing it forward between shots. Pumps are the least expensive repeating shotgun, but require speed and consistency that can be tough on the skeet field.

Semi-Automatic: Uses gas or recoil from the first shot to cycle the action automatically. Shoots well when clean, but can be prone to jamming when dirty or with unusual ammunition. They largely replaced pumps in tournaments during the 1960s because they require less shooter management.

Over-and-Under (Two Barrel): The gold standard in tournament skeet. Two stacked barrels give the shooter two shots as fast as they can pull the trigger twice. Least fussy about ammunition and the surest method of getting two fast shots. The narrow sighting picture is an advantage.

A full American skeet tournament consists of five events, typically shot over multiple days:

Four gauge events: 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge, and .410 bore — each usually consisting of 100 targets (4 standard rounds of 25).

Doubles event: Usually shot first, featuring pairs of targets launched simultaneously at stations 1-7, then from station 6 back through either station 2 or 1 depending on the round. Maximum gauge permitted is 12.

With perfect scores often required to win modern tournaments, the margin for error is razor-thin. Combined scores of 395-400 out of 400 are common at the top of major shoots, and a perfect 400 remains a rare and noteworthy achievement.

Since tournaments require four different gauges, serious skeet shooters face a challenge: how do you maintain consistent feel across four different-sized shotgun shells?

Four-barrel sets: The historical solution — four matched weight barrels that fit one action. Expensive, but reigned supreme through the 1970s-90s and remain competitive.

Tube sets: The modern dominant approach. Thin metal tubes are inserted into 12-gauge barrels to adapt them to smaller gauges (20, 28, .410). This allows one gun to be used across all events with consistent feel — though weighting differences between tubed and un-tubed configurations remain a consideration.

Today, tubed over-and-under shotguns dominate American skeet tournaments.

New to skeet? Welcome — it's one of the most welcoming shooting sports out there. Here's how to get started:

1. Come to a Monthly Fun Shoot. We hold one on the last Saturday of every month at 9:30 AM. All skill levels welcome, and experienced shooters are happy to walk you through the basics.

2. Borrow before you buy. Don't worry about owning a fancy tournament gun. Most members are happy to loan you a shotgun for your first few rounds to see if you enjoy the sport.

3. Take a lesson. A few pointers from an experienced shooter can dramatically flatten your learning curve. Ask around at the club — we're happy to help.

4. Join the NSSA. If you want to shoot registered tournaments, you'll need an NSSA membership. It also gets you the Clay Target Nation magazine.