Clay Pigeon Shooting - Guns

Guns

Clay pigeon shooting is performed with a shotgun. The type of shotgun used is often a matter of taste and affected by local laws as well as the governing body of the sport in competitive cases.

All types of shotguns are suitable for clay pigeon shooting, however the ability to fire multiple shots in quick succession is generally considered important. Some skilled shooters will use a single shot firearm in order to add to the challenge. Traditionally Over and Under and Side by Side shotguns have been popular, however semi-automatic and to a lesser extent pump-action have been making gains, particularly as the cost of reliable, accurate semi-automatics have come down over the last decade.

Over And Under

(sometimes shortened to OAU or O/U) As its name indicates this gun has two barrels aligned horizontally and stacked vertically. There is usually one trigger however some models have two. Within this type there are three sub-groups of specification: trap, skeet, and sporting. Trap guns are generally heavier and longer barreled (normally 30 in/0.76 m or 32 in/0.81 m) with tight choking and designed to shoot slightly above the point of aim. Skeet guns are usually lighter and faster handling with barrel length from 26 to 28 in (0.66 to 0.71 m) and with fairly open chokes. Sporting models most often come with an interchangeable choke facility and barrel lengths of 28 in (0.71 m), 30 in (0.76 m), and 32 in (0.81 m) according to preference.

Semi-auto

This is a single barreled gun that chambers a new shell from a magazine automatically after each shot, but which requires the shooter to press the trigger for each shot. This design combines reduced recoil and relatively low weight with quick follow up shots.

Side-by-side

(sometimes shortened to SS or SXS) Like the over and under, there are two barrels, however instead of being arranged in a vertical stack they are next to each other on a horizontal plane. Side-by-sides are harder to aim for new shooters, as the two barrels does not provide the same instinctive feedback as the single visible barrel of a semi-automatic or O/U. Modern production of SXS weapons is limited, in favor of O/U, and older weapons are usually not rated for steel shot, preventing their use on many shooting ranges.

Pump-action

This is a single barreled gun that reloads from a tubular magazine when the user slides a grip towards and then away from themselves. Pump-actions are popular with casual shooters in the US. It is far less common in Europe. The pump-action is inherently slower than all but the single barrel break action and thus follow up shots are more difficult. In addition to this they have the mechanical complexity similar to the semi-automatic but lacks the recoil reduction.

Single-shot

Virtually all single shot shotguns are break action; they operate similarly to the over and under and the side-by-side except they have only one barrel and can hold only one shot. They are very inexpensive, and not popular for clay pigeon shooting. Also their low weight and solid actions result in excessive recoil which further diminishes their appeal for high volume clay shooting.