Put on your Safety Equipment, Belt up and prepare for a White Knuckle Ride!

What is a Skeet?

This is a question I get asked a lot when I tell people that I shoot Olympic Skeet.  I’m not aware that there is such a thing as “a skeet”.  But “skeet” is a shotgun discipline where we shoot clays but not “skeets”!  The term “skeet” was the winning entry for a competition in 1926 to name a newly invented shooting discipline: it comes from the Norwegian word “skyte” which means to shoot.  The winner received $100!  

Don’t Count Your Chickens!

The story of the origin of skeet has a nice twist to it: it was invented in 1920 by two grouse hunters called Davis and Foster, both from Massachusetts, USA.  They wanted to practice their shooting skills outside of the hunting season, simulating the flushing of grouse.  So they set up a trap (manual in those days) on a tree stump, and marked a circle around the trap with a radius of 25 yards; the circle was marked off like the face of a clock with 12 stations from which to shoot, the trap being set at the 12 o’clock position.  This meant that although they only had one target, they could shoot it from all different angles.  They called the game “shooting round the clock”.   

In 1923 a chicken farm appeared next door and the farmer complained that he was losing chickens from all the shooting activity!  The problem was resolved by, you’ve guessed it, locating another trap at the 6 ‘o clock position containing all the shooting to one side of “the clock” halving the danger area. So the shooting was in the opposite direction to the chickens and the chickens were happy!  The second trap was placed on another tree stump 40 yards from the first.  This arrangement became a popular form of clay competition, shooting pairs from each station; it became a national sport and the first National Skeet Championships took place in 1926. Even the US Army used the discipline to teach their gunners the principles of lead and timing on a flying target. Foster was subsequently named the “Father of Skeet”.  

Skeet Selection

Three forms of skeet evolved:  English Skeet (ESK) – found only in the UK:  NSSA (National Skeet Shooting Association) Skeet – found mainly in the USA.  Olympic Skeet (OSK) – shot globally although it has to be said, it is not very popular in the UK!

A round of skeet, regardless of which version, consists of 25 targets.  OSK is by far the hardest of the three because of the more testing sequence, it is a gun down discipline, the targets are faster and there is a random delay on calling for the target.  

Ever Decreasing Circles!

As an Olympic Skeet Shooter, I spend my life going round and round in circles; or semi-circles at least!  The layout of the modern Skeet range is based on the original Davis/Foster set up; the two trap houses (equivalent to the tree stumps) are 40 yards apart facing each other; they are linked by a semi-circular track on which the seven stations are equidistant.  Station 1 is in front of the High House and Station 7 is in front of the Low House with everything else in between.  Station 8 lies in the middle between the two trap houses.  The direction of flight of the two targets is over the Centre Peg; the height, angle and speed of the targets is also always the same.

This is what an Olympic Skeet layout looks like…..

The Waiting Game

So, we know where the target is coming from and where it is going to, but we don’t know when it is coming because there is a random delay built in to the system.  You set up and call for the target when you are ready….. and then the target comes when it is ready!  It might be instant, but it may take up to 3 seconds to appear; this can feel like a lifetime on occasions, like in a competition!  You need to be able to hold your focus at a high level of intensity for this short period of time to cope with this.  Otherwise, it’s amazing what sort of rubbish can go through your brain in the space of 3 seconds!  Believe me, I know!  For instance, wondering if the target is really going to come at all on a long pull; or wondering if you will manage to hit the clay because you missed it last time or you hit the last ten in a row so can you make it eleven: or thinking about what someone said before you came on to the range; or what you are going to have for supper!  None of these thoughts are helpful, so you need a great deal of mental focus and an ability to reset your brain quickly.

I Feel the Need …… the Need for Speed!

Olympic Skeet targets are standard blazed clays travelling at about 58 mph!  That’s quite fast!  Consequently the targets need to be shot “quite fast” to hit them consistently, especially with a simultaneous pair when the targets are going “quite fast” in opposite directions!   Whilst it takes about 1.2 seconds for the High bird to pass the Low House and the Low bird to pass the High House, the reality is that the first target needs to be shot in 0.5 of a second, before it reaches the centre peg; this allows second target to be shot just after the centre peg and you can remain in charge.  If you are leaving targets late, way down the range, you have lost all control!  

Put the Gun Down!

Remember too, this is a gun down discipline and the stock of your gun is held somewhere near your hip!   The rules say that when your arm is relaxed and the lower arm held at right angles to the upper arm, the position of the bottom of the elbow defines where the top of the yellow ISSF strip sits.  This marks the level at which the stock of the gun must be touching before the target emerges.  At the point the target appears the gun mounting process can begin but not before!

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright….

It might seem an impossible task, in the space of half a second, to see the target, mount the gun from a low position, apply the lead and pull the trigger, but if I can do it when I took up Olympic Skeet aged 33 years old, you too can too.  The trick is:

  1. Having the optimum Ready Position 
  2. Having the optimum Hold Point
  3. Having the optimum Pick up Point 
  4. Seeing the target early
  5. Reacting to the target quickly
  6. Acquiring the target quickly
  7. Having good gun control
  8. Lifting the gun to face in accordance with the speed of the target
  9. Having a positively and consistent gun mount
  10. Using rotation of the hips to acquire the lead on the target 
  11. Crucial timing of the trigger pull ie the instant the gun comes to the face
  12. Having full focus and awareness of the target at all times

Of course, this is far too much to think about in half a second!  But with good coaching, understanding of the process, and precise practice it becomes a reflex reaction to the emergence of the target.  You are like a coiled spring, you have fire in your belly and you will hit that target, come hell or high water!  The movement is so well-honed, drilled from thousands of repetitions; you get that adrenalin rush as you mount the gun and at the target fire simultaneously.  It’s like a white-knuckle ride; both scary and thrilling at the same time!

So Let’s get this Straight …..

There are 25 targets in a round of OSK.  You might not know exactly when the target is coming but when you walk on the stand you know which target you are calling for and with a simultaneous pair which target you have to hit first, and it is important to hit them the right way round!   The sequence is:

Station 1          Single high bird

                                    Pair, high bird first

Station 2          Single high bird

                                    Pair, high bird first

 Station 3          Single high bird

                                    Pair, high bird first

Station 4          Single high bird

                                    Single low bird 

Station 5          Single low bird

                                    Pair, low bird first

Station 6          Single low bird

                                    Pair, low bird first

Station 7          Pair, low bird first

Station 4          Pair, high bird first                              

                                    Pair, low bird first

 Station 8          Single high bird

                                    Single low bird

So you’ve got that?  25 out of 25, a straight?   Easy, hey?

Day In, Day Out ….  Same Old Routine

As boring as it sounds, you need a solid routine for this job!  You need simple repeatable physical routine and a simple repeatable mental routine.  There is a 30 second time limit on each stand to do all your shooting, so you can’t faff about too much!  You need to be able to load up and get in to “the zone” quickly and keep the demons away for those few moments whilst you are on the stand.  A strict no-nonsense routine will help you do this and get you in the right mindset to do the job.

Competition Time!

For the British Shooting Shotgun Series, World Cups and Olympics, the competition is out of 125 targets (75 on Day 1 and 50 on Day 2 plus a final).  There are also the less formal 100 target registered competitions that happen over a day with no final. 

To perform to a very high level, you need to repeat the same targets over again, drill, practice, then pressure train, and shoot rounds and competitions.  The mental side of the sport requires a lot of attention as well as the technical aspects.  In addition you need to consider the environmental and tactical side to the discipline as well.

The top 6 shooters from the qualifying rounds enter the final, but their scores are reset to zero.  Athletes shoot rounds of pairs and reverse pairs on Stations 3, 4 and 5.  An athlete can start off in 6th place but still win the competition. 

Choose Your Weapon!

It is important to have the right tool for the job ie a “skeet shaped gun”, and one that fits you: gun fit is extremely important for this discipline.  The characteristics of a dedicated skeet gun are:

–           28 inch light barrels (possibly floating barrels or vented side rib)

–           Fixed skeet/open chokes 

–           Wide parallel rib

–           Pistol grip

–           Beaver tail forend

–           No barrel selector – shoots bottom barrel first

–           Probably manual safety

Alternatively you can use a multi purpose gun preferably with 28 inch barrels and multi chokes; I personally use Improved Cylinder and Quarter chokes.

Top Gear!

Apart from you sacred skeet gun, you will need all the usual shooting kit including:

            Skeet vest – needs to be well fitted not baggy

ISSF Strip – purchased from ISSF website or any OSK coach worth their salt!

            Cap

            Glasses

            Ear muffs/plugs

            Gun slip or solid gun case for travelling abroad

            Cartridges – 24g 9 shot

The Lone Ranges!

There are not so many OSK ranges in the country so access to a range can be a challenge.  A few of the main shooting grounds that cater for OSK are as follows:

            National Clay Shooting Centre, Bisley Camp

            Doveridge Clay Shooting, near Uttoxeter

            South Wales 2000, near Newport

East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground, near Beverley

Nuthampstead Shooting Ground, near Royston, Herts

Gloucester Clay Shooting Club, near Gloucester

Edgehill, near Banbury

Barby Sporting, near Rugby

Tythe Farm, Colmworth, Bedfordshire

Auchterhouse, near Dundee

National Shooting Centre, Falkirk, Scotland

Shooting Stars!

The field for OSK is so much smaller than for other shooting disciplines so, in theory at least, it is easier to make the team.  The discipline is hard though and the standard is high, but the opportunities are there for the ambitious, driven and dedicated shooters.  There are great opportunities for both Senior and Junior women and we have the fantastic role model of the phenomenal Amber Hill!

I Go Beyond

British Shooting is the umbrella organisation for the shotgun, pistol and rifle NGO’s.  They run the Talent Pathway that provides a structured route for talented athletes from Development Academy level up to Podium along with the coaching resources to allow the athletes to develop and succeed.  Their strap line is “I go beyond!”

Friends for Life

Although OSK shooters are a little bit nerdy and a little bit perfectionist – if you think about it they have to be to stand on one Station and repeat the same thing over and over again – they are also speed junkies and get a thrill out of hitting fast targets very fast!  Quite a few drive quite fast as well (I won’t mention how many speeding points I have had or my passion for driving my little Z3!).  The bonus for being part of this discipline is that the OSK shooting community is like one big family.  Everyone knows each other and they are a friendly and supportive bunch from all parts of the country and backgrounds and will travel miles for a competition!  Some shoot competitively and some shoot for social reasons, but even they are usually still secretively competitive as well!  And we welcome newcomers with open arms!

Written by Nicki Wakeford, former Olympic Skeet GB Ladies Team member, shooting coach and CGUK member