Shotguns, in my opinion, are one of the most versatile firearm platforms available. With so many different types of ammunition (slugs, birdshot, and buckshot) as well as other novelty rounds (Dragon’s breath and beanbags, among others), the shotgun is adaptable to many situations.
Clay Bird Games
Skeet
Skeet is a game in which shotgunners take aim at individual clay birds thrown one or two at a time from a “high” house and a “low” house. Eight stations are positioned around a semi-circle field, and shooters take shots from each station.
Diagram of a skeet field.
The United States has some of the best skeet shooters in the world, notably, five-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode (one gold and one silver, along with two more golds and a bronze in double trap) and two-time Olympic gold-medalist Vincent Hancock. Sergeant Hancock shoots for the US Army Marksmanship Unit.
Five-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode. Photo courtesy of USA Shooting.
Vincent Hancock shooting skeet in the London 2012 Olympics. He went on to win a gold medal. Photo courtesy of USA Shooting.
There are American and international versions of skeet that are both a lot of fun. The vast majority of skeet shooters use an over-under, break-action shotgun with a 26- to 30-inch barrel.
However, I encourage you to try shooting skeet with whatever shotgun you may have. If you end up liking skeet, you can always purchase a proper skeet shotgun.
Trap
There are many flavors of trap as well, including “Singles” and “doubles” trap in both American and international versions. The general concept is that there is a single “house” that is positioned in front of one to five shooters who are at five stations. The house throws either one or two birds (aka “clays”), and each individual shooter can take one or two shots to destroy the targets.
Diagram of an Amateur Trapshooting Association trap field.
With both trap and skeet, the international versions throw the birds much faster, and the shooting sequence is somewhat different. Trap shooters also use an over-under, break-action shotgun with a 30- to 32-inch barrel.
American Glenn Eller is a four-time Olympian who won a gold medal in Men’s Double Trap at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Sergeant Eller shoots for the US Army Marksmanship Unit. Photo courtesy of USA Shooting.
The angle the bird is thrown at varies with each trap game, and there are many great resources available if you want to learn more of the details. You should also feel free to try trap with whatever shotgun you may have. Trap is a very fun game that is also good practice for bird hunters during the off-season.
Sporting Clays
The best way to describe sporting clays is that it’s like golf with shotguns. Two clay throwers are set up on eighteen different holes (like in golf), and shooters walk or cart to each hole. Each shooter gets two shots to take out two birds. The birds come from every direction.
Shooters typically use an over-under, break-action shotgun, but a semiautomatic or pump shotgun also works fine.
Sporting clays is a very exciting game to play, and I encourage you to check it out.
Hunting
Shotguns are used to hunt many animals, including deer, turkey, rabbit, and many types of birds. Slugs, birdshot, and buckshot are all used, depending on the type of animal being hunted. Pumps, semiautos, and break-actions are all popular choices for hunting.
I suggest consulting a hunting friend, your local gun shop, or your state’s department of fish and game for more information on hunting in your area.