Originally designed to provide practice for field shooting, skeet and
trap are now sports in themselves.
Trapshooting was first mentioned in 1793 in an old English magazine,
"Sporting Magazine." For many years, in Europe and America, live birds
were used as targets, being released from under top hats by jerking the
hats off with a string. These shooters were known as the "High Hats
Club." Later, boxes were used much the same as top hats.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century public sentiment caused
legislation to prevent live bird shoots. Over several years a
progression of man-made targets was used. Many variations of glass
balls, some filled with feathers, were tried. In 1880, a fat clay bird
was used. With little change, this type target is still used today.
Cincinnati had trapshooting in 1831. In June 1900, 74 contestants
competed in the first Grand American Handicap Trap Shoot. Since that
year, the Grand American has become the largest trap shoot in the world.
Every trapshooter wants to attend and win at the Grand. In 1996,
approximately 5,000 shooters of all ages competed in the Grand American
Handicap, shooting at 100 targets each during one day of shooting. The
Grand lasts for some ten days.
The Interstate Trap Shooting Association, formed in 1890, organized
and regulated the sport in the United States until 1922. The present
Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) evolved from these beginnings in
1923. The ATA is headquartered in Vandalia, Ohio, where the Grand
American Handicap is held each year. The membership of the ATA in 1977
was more than 48,000.
Skeet shooting is a way of life-exercise for the body, mind, and soul
for more than 50,000 members of the National Skeet Shooting Association.
Through winter and summer they shoot at millions of targets-breaking
most of them-meet new people, and travel across the United States.
It all started on the grounds of the Glen Rock Kennels in the town of
Andover, Massachusetts, in 1920. It was there and then that a small
group of upland game hunters, including the late C.E. Davies, proprietor
of the Glen Rock Kennels, his son Henry W., and the Late William H.
Foster, all of Andover, were shooting at clay targets as a means of
obtaining wing-shooting practice with their favorite upland guns. Their
shooting gradually developed into a regular program that gave each
shooter the same series of shots so that the competition, which was
inevitable, might be even.
Originally, the arrangement was a complete circle with a
twenty-five-yard radius with the circumference marked off like the face
of a clock. The trap was set at "12 o'clock" and was set to throw the
targets over "6 o'clock." The competitive program consisted of shooting
two shots from each of the twelve stations. The shell that was left over
from a box was used, first as a stunt, to shoot at an incomer from the
center of the circle. This later proved to be a shot offering real
snap-shooting practice and has since developed into the plan of station
8 shots of the regulation skeet program.
"Shooting around the clock," as it was informally called, had most of
the elements of modern skeet shooting. But a commonplace incident then
occurred that had a distinct bearing on the present day program. In
"shooting around the clock," shots were fired to all points of the
compass, until a neighbor started a chicken farm in a lot adjoining the
kennels. That put a stop to shooting in that direction. Foster solved
the problem by producing a second trap and placing it at "6 o'clock" so
it would throw its target over "twelve o'clock." This gave the shooter
the same problems as were found in the original clockface, but reduced
the danger area by half.
Noting the appeal of this form of shooting, Foster became convinced
that development of the idea could be made nationally acceptable. He
therefore set about to complete a shooting program that would contain
all the necessary elements of wing-shooting practice and of a
competitive sport. Among the additions were the four sets of doubles and
the optional shot.
When details of the sport had been worked out and tested and a set of
rules had been drawn up, the idea was introduced to the public in the
February 1926 issues of both National Sportsman and Hunting and Fishing
magazines. At the same time, a prize of $100 was offered for the most
appropriate name for the new sport. It was won by Mrs. Gertrude Hurlbutt
of Dayton, Montana, who suggested "Skeet," an old Scandinavian form of
the word "Shoot." Some 10,000 entries were received in the contest.
The American shooter was apparently ready and waiting for a practical
form of wing shooting with the shotgun that would give him an
opportunity to test his skill any month of the year on a series of shots
similar to those encountered in hunting and, as evidenced by the
popularity of skeet shooting today, it has far exceeded the expectations
of its sponsors.
As the popularity of the sport grew, the forming of a national skeet
shooting association was inevitable. This came about and the first
National Championship Shoot was held August 16-31, 1935, at Cleveland,
Ohio. The 12 gauge (then called the all gauge) entry in that shoot
totaled 113 participants. This tournament became an annual fixture,
being rotated around the country, and the last championship under the
original association was held at Syracuse in 1942. Skeet then became
non-existent during World War II as far as civilian shooters were
concerned. Equipment and ammunition became unavailable. Most of the
participants had gone to war. Gun clubs ceased to operate and many
disappeared completely. However, the government quickly recognized the
value of the sport in gunnery training, and all branches of the armed
forces relied on skeet to teach servicemen the principle of loading
moving targets. Many of the great civilian shooters rushed into the
service and most of them were used as instructors.
With the end of the world conflict, a dedicated group of skeet
enthusiasts officially brought the sport back to the public with
organization and incorporation of the present National Skeet Shooting
association in December, 1946. This new association was financed in the
beginning by a substantial, nointerest loan from the National Rifle
Association. The National Championship Shoot was resumed at Indianapolis
in 1946. The home of the NSSA is now in San Antonio, Texas where the
National Matches and other large matches are held.
In addition to the regular skeet shooting program of 12, 20, 28 gauge
and .410 bore competition, there are the international style and
collegiate divisions, both with specifically designed regulations. The
international style features the previous low-gun position and
variable-timing target release required by NSSA rules up to 1952
Contrasted to the present cheeked gun position, this style is required
by the international shooting union, a worldwide shooting organization,
and the international olympic committee, producer of the Olympic games,
where skeet shooting was first included on the program in 1968.
The Trap and Skeet Shooting courses at Tennessee Tech are offered to
present these sports to the beginner and, if interested, carry this
person into the advanced stages of competition on a local, state,
national, and/or international level.
Beginning Trap and Skeet
Shot Gun Information
Shot Gun Hints
Glossary
