Distances for skeet shooting. Skeet shooting training in the Moscow region. The origins of clay pigeon shooting

Mastering marksmanship should begin on shooting stands. Fortunately, our ancestors took care of this problem, and today hunters have shooting complexes at their disposal that allow them to learn marksmanship in the “trap”, “skeet”, “sporting” exercises and participate in competitions in these types.

At the shooter’s command, the machine throws out plates; The angle and direction of flight may vary. Photo by Anton Zhuravkov.

The first competitions in shooting shotguns from hunting rifles at fast-flying targets took place in England in 1793. The shooting was carried out at pigeons located in special cages.

At the shooter's command, the handler pulled the cord, and the pigeon was thrown out of the cage. Such competitions began to be called “cage shooting”, and shotguns with a sharp and compact fire were called “cage shooting”.

The first mention of shooting pigeons in Russia dates back to 1737, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, who skillfully shot from a gun. The St. Petersburg Gazette of that time wrote about pigeon shooting competitions at the royal court, where expensive prizes were awarded.

Over time, protests by animal rights activists against such an inhumane sport forced cage shooting enthusiasts to replace birds with artificial targets. American Partlog from Boston invented glass balls with a diameter of 6.35 cm.

Using a leaf spring, they were thrown at a distance of up to 32 meters. The balls were filled with smoke, dust or feathers, which created a certain effect when hit.

LADDER

In 1880, the American D. Ligowski and the Englishman M. Caskey, being on opposite sides of the ocean, independently invented clay targets - plates - and the first throwing device.

The areas where throwing machines were installed in the trench began to be called stands, and according to the place of their installation (trench) - trench, which gave the name “trench stand”, that is, a ladder.

Skeet shooting was first included in the program of the Second Olympics (1900), where Roger de Barbarin (France) became the first Olympic champion.

In 1910, the International Olympic Committee eliminated live bird cage shooting and introduced shooting at artificial targets. The 1912 Olympics contributed to the spread of skeet shooting throughout Russia.

A modern trench site is a rectangle 25 meters wide and 24 meters long. There is a trench in front, in which throwing machines are installed on the foundation, three for each of the five shooting numbers.

In all groups, machines provide throwing targets to the right, straight and left, with side deviations up to 45°, and in height - from 1 to 3.5 meters. Their casting range is up to 85 meters.

15 meters from the trench along the entire width of the site there are 5 shooting rooms for shooting from a “place”, connected by a two-meter path. Each number has a microphone for giving commands to the shooter.

The Soviet government paid great attention to shooting sports, thereby solving one of the main tasks - preparing the population to defend the Fatherland. In 1923, the “Grand Prize” of the Moscow Union of Hunters was awarded in Moscow.

The First All-Union Spartakiad (1928) became a notable event in the sporting life of Russia. Her program included clay pigeon shooting. In the individual competition, the winner was Red Army shooter N. Batyr.

Since then, army athletes have taken the leading role in skeet shooting for a long time. But the Great Patriotic War broke out, and many leading athletes went to the front. Their experience and knowledge in shooting contributed to the accomplishment of complex combat missions.

The victorious volleys died down, and in the 1947 Military Hunting Society competition, Black Sea resident A. Sukharev achieved an outstanding result, hitting 299 targets out of 300, setting three USSR records at once.

The first post-war USSR championship among DSOs and departments took place in Moscow in 1948. Army shooters won team shooting and excelled in individual programs, with V. Leontiev being first in all trap exercises.

In 1950, the USSR national team made its debut at international competitions in Sofia. The first steps on global platforms were difficult.

At the Helsinki Olympics (1952), army player Yu. Nikandrov was only 16th, but already in 1955 he became the European champion. And from this date begins the triumphal march of Soviet stand-up artists around the world.

1960 Roman Olympics. S. Kalinin (SBI) wins the bronze medal.
1962 Cairo, World Cup. V. Zimenko, after repeated skirmishes, managed to put the squeeze on his opponent and win gold.

Events at the XVII Tokyo Olympics developed no less dramatically. P. Senichev (BOO) showed the same result with the American W. Morris - 194 out of 200. Shootout.

P. Senichev missed with the first shot and, being sure that the target was hit, lowered the gun. One can only guess how our fans and coaches felt. But Pavel, seeing that the saucer continued its flight, broke the almost falling target with a second shot and finished the series without a miss. Silver.

At the Moscow Olympics-80, R. Yambulatov hit 196 out of 200 plates in the trap exercise and took 2nd place. At the 1981 World Championships in Argentina, USSR athletes won 4 gold medals and one of them in the team competition.

A. Asanov became the world champion in this type of shooting. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, our athletes did not participate for political reasons. But at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, D. Monakov completed shooting with a score of 222 targets hit out of 225 and became an Olympic champion.

Perestroika, the political troubles of 1991 and the subsequent economic crisis caused serious damage to the shooting sport. At the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics, Russian stand athletes did not achieve significant victories.

In subsequent years, one can note the successful performance at the World Championships (2001) of P. Gurkin (SBI). 3rd place. In the same year, A. Alipov announced himself at the World Cup in Seoul, taking 3rd place. And already at the Athens Olympics (2004), A. Alipov (BOO) wins gold with a score of 149 out of 150 plates. At the Beijing Olympics (2008), Alipov managed to win bronze.

As for our women, they also won more than one medal in competitions at all levels. In 1962, V. Gerasina (SBI) became the first female world champion. Yu. Klekova was also a world champion. In 2001, at the World Championships in Cairo, I. Laricheva (BOO) won a gold medal.

At the World Cup that same year, E. Tkach became the first among women with a result of 97 targets hit out of 100. I can’t help but mention Elena Rabay, Honored Master of Sports, five-time world champion, eight-time European champion, repeated champion of the USSR and Russia, senior women’s coach Russian national team. This is the “gangway” and the successes of Russian athletes.

SKIT

When hunting, you won’t walk around with a butt inserted into your shoulder, and you have to shoot game flying in different directions.

The need to create shooting training conditions that are more consistent with real bird hunting predetermined the appearance of a round stand (skete).

The origin of the round stand occurred in the USA between 1910 and 1914 in the vicinity of Andover (Massachusetts).

The farmers - father and son Davis and their neighbor B. Foster - were avid bird hunters and, although they were known as good shooters, sometimes they still made offensive mistakes, and in the simplest situations.

One of them came up with the idea of ​​installing a throwing machine in the field, taking a position relative to the flight path of the target in which the bird was missed, and shooting until a reliable hit was achieved.

Such shooting helped correct mistakes made during the hunt. But everyone soon got tired of walking around the machine. And the shooters built a circle with a radius of about 23 meters, with 12 shooting numbers located around the circle, like numbers on a watch dial.

On a small hill, behind the 12th shooting number, a single throwing machine was installed, throwing a plate in the direction of the 6th number. Shooting began from number 12, the hunters moved in a circle, taking on two targets at each number. The last, 25th target was taken from the center, which was not assigned a number.

During the shooting process, it became clear to the guys that the radius of the circle was large, and for this reason, after a shot, the target sometimes flew away intact, that is, the arrows fell into the so-called shot windows.

In 1923, the radius was reduced to 18.2 meters.

But B. Foster built a chicken coop near the 3rd rifle number. Because of him, shooting from rifle numbers 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 became impossible.

The site was again reconstructed. Number 6 was renumbered as number 1, and a second throwing machine was installed there; The 12th number became the 7th, and the shooting station in the center of the site was assigned the 8th number.

After some time, behind number 1, a platform 4.5 meters high was built and a throwing machine was installed on it. Thus, the shooting area took the shape of a semicircle with seven numbers and an eighth number in the center.

The new exercise in skeet shooting was called “skeet” (from the English skeet - sports skeet shooting). This exercise has crossed the oceans and has become widespread throughout the world. The created stand area, with minor geometric changes, has survived to this day.

Today, the area of ​​the round stand is a segment of a circle limited by a radius of 19.2 meters and a chord drawn 5.49 meters from the center.

The length of the chord is 36.8 meters; at its ends, 0.91 meters from the intersection with the circle, there are booths, each of which has a throwing machine. From the left booth the target flies out from a height of 3.05 meters.

The right booth is low, and the plate is released from it from a height of 1.07 meters. Unlike the trench test, target flights on a round stand have constant directions. They must fly over the center of the site so that they are above it at an altitude of 4.575 meters.

The deflection of the targets in the middle of the site, both vertically and horizontally, should not exceed 0.455 meters; the clay pigeons must fly through a ring with an internal diameter of 0.91 meters, mounted on a control pole 4.12 meters high.

When submitting a doublet, the targets must simultaneously fly through the control ring. Seven shooting numbers are located at the same distance from each other (8.24 m) along the arc of the segment, the 1st and 7th numbers are located at the ends of the chord, and the 8th in its center. All shooting numbers are connected by a path. Behind the 4th number, 2-3 meters away, there is an operator's booth.

Skeet shooting soon became so popular that in 1947 it was included in the program of the World Championship in Stockholm, where J. Kozhelin (Sweden) became the first champion with a score of 95 targets out of 100.

The first post-war championship of the USSR among VSD and departments took place in 1948 in Moscow. The team shooting event was won by the SBI athletes. They also excelled in individual exercises of the program.

Skeet shooting was included in the program of the national championship for the first time, and the first champion of the USSR was army man Ivan Abramovich Kantser (the author’s coach - Ed.).

Success came at the World Championships in Moscow (1958), where Soviet stand athletes in the team competition became winners on the trench and round stands. A. Kaplun won the gold medal in the individual championship on the round stand.

N. Durnev made himself known at the round stand, and in subsequent years he brought more than one medal to the USSR national team. At the 1959 World Championships, O. Losev (BOO) won gold in the skeet exercise. In 1963, he again achieved a high result at the European Championships, becoming the European champion.

He was one of the first to be awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Soviet athletes achieved world victories year after year. Thus, at the World Championships (1962), N. Durnev had no equal. He defeated his opponents with an amazing result - 200 targets hit out of 200 possible.

At the XIX and XX Olympic Games, E. Petrov won gold and silver medals under rather difficult conditions. They started talking about the highest skill of E. Petrov when in 1972 he won the “Shoot to Miss” competition with a score of 231 plates. His record has not yet been surpassed by anyone.

The homeland highly appreciated the athlete’s merits, twice awarding him the Order of the Badge of Honor, medals “For Labor Valor” and “For Labor Distinction”.

The most talented shooters and coaches are leaving the shooting ranges. Less and less often do we applaud the victories of Russian shooters in the World and European Championships and at the Olympics. Why? Coaches must find the answer.

At international competitions, all athletes have one task - to defeat the Russians. You have to learn to resist this.

Skeet shooting is a subtype of shooting sport. The competition takes place at an open shooting range. Smooth-bore guns are used, and cartridges for clay pigeon shooting must be equipped with spherical shot. Even if several pellets hit a target plate made from a mixture of cement and bituminous pitch, which is thrown into the air by a special machine, it will break.

The origins of clay pigeon shooting

After the invention of firearms, people appeared in different countries of the world who wanted to learn how to shoot accurately. This was necessary for fighting, hunting, and subsequently for participating in various competitions. At first, hunting shotguns were used in competitions, and competitors used them to shoot at fast-flying targets. The first competitions of this type took place in 1793 in England: shooting was carried out at pigeons sitting nineteen meters from the shooters in special baskets (boxes) called cages. A special person behind the shooter pulled the string on command, and the bird was thrown out of the cage. But it was not enough to wound or kill the pigeon; according to the competition conditions, it had to fall no further than thirty-one meters from the shooter. This type of shooting was close to hunting, it was called cage shooting, and guns with a compact and sharp fire also began to be called cage shooting.

The first inanimate targets

Societies categorically protested against such an inhumane sport (now such organizations protest against hunting in principle). As a result, live targets gradually began to be replaced by various objects equipped with special throwing devices. First, they used 64 millimeters in diameter, filled with bird feathers, smoke, paint and other materials. However, such targets often burst; often the pellets, when the edge of the scree hit the ball, ricocheted off the smooth surface. But a person’s inquisitive mind finds a way out of any difficult situation. In 1880, in America, in the city of Cincinnati, a shooter named Ligowski invented a clay target-plate with a flat profile (it is still called that to this day, although the material is now more durable) and a throwing device - a machine. Such machines began to be installed on sites called stands, and this is where the name “skeet shooting” was born.

Spectator sport

Such an accessible and cheap sport in comparison quickly gained popularity not only on the American but also on the European continent. Skeet shooting is more emotional and spectacular: spectators and shooters immediately see the result of the shot. If the target is hit, it flashes with an orange-red cloud; if not, the referee wearing a red sleeve raises his hand up, announcing a miss, and athletes in colorful original costumes move around the site. Everything happens slowly, sedately: here it is considered an indicator of bad taste to jump on each other and squeeze the winner in an embrace, or to shout in triumph after a good shot. In a word, skeet shooting is not football, such emotions as there are inappropriate, although, of course, athletes experience enormous nervous tension at tournaments. Everything is decided by psychological stability, endurance, and the will to win.

Integration

Over time, shooting enthusiasts began to unite in clubs, circles and societies, and in 1907 the International Shooting Union (abbreviated as UIT) was organized, which combined different types of bullet shooting. The states where skeet shooting was cultivated integrated into the International Federation of Shotgun Shooting (abbreviated as FITASK) in 1929. However, later, in 1947, the subtype of shooting sport we are considering left FITASK and joined UIT. Now all disciplines, both skeet and bullet shooting, are regulated by the International Shooting Union, all official competitions, including the Olympic Games, are held according to the rules approved by it and under its control. It must be said that FITASK also exists at the present time; it regularly organizes cage shooting championships, which are especially popular today in the countries of the Mediterranean basin: Spain, Egypt, Italy, France.

History of Russian clay pigeon shooting

The first mention of cage shooting (at pigeons) dates back to 1737. At that time, Anna Ioannovna reigned, known for her skillful ability to shoot not only with a gun, but also with a bow. The Empress had one passion: she loved to shoot at flying birds from the open palace window. On her instructions, pigeons were sometimes released from the cage under the window. Before the 1917 revolution, such entertainment as cage shooting functioned only in Moscow, Kyiv, Odessa, St. Petersburg and Warsaw. There were few fans of such events, because only very wealthy people could afford this fun. And the first information about shooting at artificial targets dates back to 1877. In 1910, the Denisevich spouses organized a skeet shooting club. It happened near St. Petersburg, in the village of Ligovo.

Achievements of Russian shooters

In 1912, athletes of the Russian Empire took part in the Olympic Games in Stockholm for the first time. Then Riga resident H. Blau performed well in the clay pigeon shooting competition and won bronze, hitting ninety-one out of one hundred plates. With his success, he paved the way for domestic stand exhibitors to the heights of world achievements. After 1917, competitions were held according to arbitrary rules from time to time. And only in 1927 in Ostankino (Moscow) they made the first stand with a trench, where the first throwing machine for clay pigeon shooting was installed. Subsequently, it was modernized and re-equipped, and it served Russian athletes for many years. In the 20s, similar sites appeared in Kyiv, Leningrad, Baku and other cities. The first USSR championship took place in 1934, and the day before the USSR Skeet Shooting Federation was created.

First successes

At the European Championships in 1955, Soviet stand athletes were blessed with victory: Nikolai Durnev (round stand) and Yuri Nikanorov (gangway) won gold. In 1958, at the World Championships, Ariy Kaplun won the gold medal in the round stand competition, and in the same exercise in 1968, Evgeniy Petrov became the Olympic champion of the Games in Mexico City. Speaking at round stand competitions of various ranks, among Soviet athletes the greatest successes were achieved by Yuri Tsuranov (three-time world champion in the individual competition, six-time and nine-time European champion in the team competition), Svetlana Demina (21 gold medals at the European and world championships), Larisa Tsuranova ( 24 gold), Elena Rabaya (18 gold medals).

Olympic program

Today, competitions in three disciplines are included in the Olympic program: skeet (round stand), trap (trench stand), double trap. Let's tell you more about them.

1. Trench stand

This discipline was included in the Games program for men in 1900, and for women in 2000. The ramp is a platform where five shooting numbers are located in a straight line. Shooting is carried out alternately at the plates flying out of fifteen throwing machines. The vehicles are installed under the shooting platform in a trench, at a distance of fifteen meters from the shooting number. A target for clay pigeon shooting of this type can have different flight altitudes; it moves away from the shooter to the right, straight or left, with a deviation of up to forty-five degrees. The casting range is 75-77 meters. The shooting series consists of twenty-five targets.

2. Round stand

The discipline was included in the Olympic program for men in 1968 and for women in 2000. The skit is performed on a site with eight shooting numbers located in a semicircle from the first to the seventh number, and the eighth is located between the booths in the center. Skeet plates for clay pigeon shooting of this type are similar to those used for trap shooting. However, they are produced by two machines, which are installed in low and high booths, located at a distance of forty meters from each other at the extreme points of the semicircle. Before the target appears, the shooter must hold the skeet gun with the butt against his belt, and shoot at the skeet with the weapon raised to the shoulder. The machine installed in the high booth throws the target from a height of 3.05 meters, and the one in the low booth throws it from a height of 1.07 meters.

In addition to the single-flying skeet, on all numbers except the seventh and eighth, paired targets (doublets) are also produced. They fly out of both booths simultaneously in the opposite direction. The flight of the plates in the monastery, unlike the ladder, has a constant direction. The targets must fly through a ring with a diameter of 90 cm, installed at the intersection of the flight paths of the clay pigeons. The flight range varies between 67-69 meters, while the permissible damage zone is determined by the boundaries of the site and is forty meters. The shooting series, as in the previous discipline, consists of twenty-five targets.

3. Double trap

The discipline was included in the Olympic program (for both men and women) in 1996. A double-trap is performed on the site from five shooting numbers by repeating doublet shots aimed at hitting two parallel and simultaneously flying plates, which have a flight path rapidly moving away from the shooter and slightly diverging. The flight range does not exceed 54-56 meters. The throwing machines are arranged in the same way as in the trench stand, but they use not fifteen, but only three devices installed opposite the third shooting number. The cars are lined up and located at a certain distance from each other. There are three different schemes (A, B and C) for setting the trajectory of the skeet. After the shooter’s command, the targets fly out in a pattern unknown to him from the same place. The flight path changes during the shooting series, and at the same time the shooting and viewing angles change, which depends on the specific shooting number. The series consists of thirty targets (fifteen doublets).

Competition regulations

All three disciplines have the same regulations. During the preliminary competitions, six finalists are determined, from which the winners and champion are determined in the finals. The points from the preliminary and final competitions are summed up. If, according to the results, several athletes score an equal number of points, they shoot off until the first miss. To increase spectator interest and reduce the likelihood of judicial error, in the finals shooting is carried out at special plates, when hit, a cloud of bright powder (often red, sometimes yellow) is thrown into the air.

Terminology

Skeet shooting uses specific terminology, knowledge of which is essential. Let's define the basic concepts:

• The hijack target is the one that flies in the direction of the shooter.
• An oncoming target is one that flies towards the shooter.
• A torn target is one that is destroyed when released from a throwing machine.
• Target “in the smoke” - hitting a plate with shot, when all that remains from it is “smoke” - fragments ground into the smallest dust.
• Timer - delay of target departure after the shooter's command for up to three seconds.
• The dead zone is the distance that the clay pigeon flies from the moment of launch until the shooter’s first reaction to it.
• Target processing is a sequence of actions, including the perception of the target, a raise (in a round stand), a leash (movement of the barrel relative to the flight path of the plate), advance (the distance along the trajectory by which you need to get ahead of the target during the shot, so that after the shot leaves it will be hit), a shot while maintaining the angular velocity gained by the gun.

Shotgun shooting in Moscow

Currently, everyone who wants to acquire the skills and abilities of clay pigeon shooting has this opportunity. Perhaps there is a lack of shooting ranges in the regions, but in Moscow it will not be difficult to find a suitable club for yourself. Doors for novice shooters are always open at the Council of the Central Administrative Okrug, the Moscow Secondary Specialized School of the Olympic Reserve No. 1 and No. 2, the Bitsa Equestrian Sports Complex, the Zamoskvorechye Sports and Technical Club and many other institutions.

Total articles

A hunter is not just a man with a gun; first of all, he is a man with a big soul.

Training on a shooting range or at improvised shooting ranges turns a mediocre shooter into an accurate hunter!

Many people say that targets don’t fly like ducks and don’t quack. I will answer: it doesn’t matter that the targets don’t fly like living ducks, much less quack. It is important to learn how to wield a weapon, correctly determine the distance to the target and choose the right lead.

I note that the result of hunting game is influenced not only by the skill of the shooter, but also by the hunter’s knowledge of the habits of the game, the correctly chosen place at dawn, the ability to camouflage and conceal the game.

I will give a number of tips and introductory exercises for gaining the skill of shooting while hunting, through training on a bench or shooting from portable throwing machines (MM).

The recommendations are intended primarily for hunters and are slightly different from the requirements for training athletes. If there is a stand nearby, the training will take place without problems, and where there are no permanent stand sites, buy for yourself or in a pool a throwing machine and several boxes with skeet targets. As a result, it will not be so expensive, and in this case you can practice shooting with at least two people. A portable throwing machine, even of the simplest design, will be quite enough to obtain good flying shooting skills, and with a thoughtful approach to training and using the following recommendations - even without the help of an instructor.

Before you start shooting

The first thing to do before you start shooting is to adjust the gun (there is a lot of literature and articles on this subject). Pay special attention to the length of the stock, the height of the comb and the pitch (using the pitch you can adjust the point of impact of the center of the shot scree; it is desirable that the center of the shot scree falls below the target). For hunting, the stock may be a little short, better than long, and the height of the comb (the butt is bent) should not leave the aiming bar open; when the cheek is “pressed” into the ridge of the stock, the front sight may even “sag” slightly.

For “hunting shooting” the gun must be held 20 -25 cm above the hip; the rules for the position of the gun when shooting on a round stand should only be kept relatively and slightly pushed forward to the level of the shoulder cavity, which will make it easier and faster to raise the gun, especially for beginners.

The hands serve only to lift and hold the gun; all turns, both in horizontal and vertical directions, are carried out only by the body. When throwing up, try to ensure that the ends of the barrels do not “nod” down and remain after raising the gun at the level of the initial position or the intended flight path of the target (game), the barrels follow the flight path and only the butt rises to the shoulder.

The general position of the gun is at an angle of about 45 degrees to the shoulder line

The finger on the trigger lies tightly, and the shot is fired without stopping the gun during the firing process.

How to study correctly

The course of study should be divided into several stages. Once you have mastered one technique, move on to the next.

If you encounter difficulties in performing any exercise, do not try to immediately obtain a positive result by repetition. It’s better to stop, take a break, try to analyze your actions and possible mistakes.

The first stage is shooting at a stolen target

Practicing shooting at a stolen target on the 7th number of a round stand or from a throwing machine (MM) located next to the shooter (to avoid injury, install a protective shield between the MM and the hunter) to gain general shooting skills at flying targets.

Initially, shoot from the shoulder at a hijacked (flying away) target, with the barrels aligned along the target's flight path. The aiming point is along the bottom edge of the plate. Don't fuss, but fire immediately after aligning the front sight with the aiming point, and the hits will follow one after another.

Make the exercise more difficult by deflecting the gun from the target's trajectory over long distances in different directions during preparation and bringing the barrels (with the body) to the desired point; you need to bring the barrels from below to the target. Five, at most ten shots, and now the plate is confidently hit. The target throwing range is 50-60 m, and the flight height 20 m from the machine is 4-5 meters. Having mastered these movements, proceed to shooting with the gun positioned before the target takes off near the waist.

If you practice jumping (home training) before shooting, the results will be no worse, and the perception of the target’s flight will be much simpler. Look initially at the plate with both eyes and only after throwing up, slightly squint your left eye (right-handed), if in the open state it interferes with aiming (if you can clearly see the target with two open eyes, then there is no need to squint your left eye).

The second stage - a target flying past

Main for hunting waterfowl. Let's start by shooting at the second shooting station of the round stand at an oncoming target or at a MM target flying to the left of the shooter approximately 15 meters away.

The MM is installed 30-35 meters from the hunter. When installing the MM and marking the shooting positions, if possible, be guided by the dimensions of the round stand area; To simulate shooting from a tower, if the terrain allows, install the MM on a hillock.

Manufactured, the gun is 20-25 cm above the hip, the barrels are slightly to the left of the target's departure. After the target takes off, perform a rearing (without jerking) and leash (smoothly and working only with the body) behind the target, go forward 30-40 cm (a little more is possible) and, without stopping the gun, fire a shot when the target has approached the optimal distance. This simple exercise is easy to master.

Then move to number 6, and when using the MM, position yourself so that the target passes to the right of the shooter. The movements on an oncoming target are similar, only turning the body to the right is somewhat more difficult (for a right-handed person) than moving to the left, so “twist” the body a little, positioning yourself in the shooting zone (the left leg points with the toe in the direction of the shot), and then turning the body towards the departure targets without stepping on your feet.

To avoid “sagging” of the plate and shooting from above, the leash passes slightly below the target’s trajectory and exits at the point of the shot. Then master counter targets on numbers 3 and 5 on the stand or increase the distance from the flight path of the target from the MM to 20-30 meters; leads will accordingly increase to 100-120 cm. Shoot at an oncoming saucer in the 1st and 7th places, or one fired from a MM at 30-40 m and flying from the shooter at 5-10 m.

The difficulty here is caused by the fact that the distance with the plate is rapidly decreasing, and the movement (rotation) of the body will be accelerated; The only difficulty is this, but the lead is minimal - 10-20 cm. In most cases, it is more rational to shoot at an oncoming target (game) at the shortest distance, when the direction of the shot is perpendicular to the target trajectory, so the visible leads coincide with the true ones, which makes it easy to control, even by yourself the shooter, both his mistakes in the amount of advance, making the necessary corrections, and the correct actions.

Let me note that on the most massive hunt, such as duck hunting, if you don’t yawn, then 90 percent of the shots will be at flying ducks. If oncoming targets are practiced, then success at duck dawns is guaranteed.

The third stage - hijacked targets on a trench stand

It is better to start practicing hijacked targets on a trench stand with a reduced distance of 5 meters and a short target throwing range - about 50 meters.

Shooting is carried out from the shoulder, the barrels are aimed at the target's departure or slightly higher, the gaze is focused approximately 5 m beyond the departure and slightly above the place where the plate appears.

After the target appears, determine the target’s flight path, calmly make a movement with your body, as if drawing under the target and taking a lead depending on the angle of departure of the target. Fire the shot without stopping the gun; if you miss the first time, try to quickly make the necessary correction and fire the second shot. Naturally, on straight (hijacked) targets or with small deviations, the leads are small and mostly only vertically.

Under no circumstances should you “aim” the stolen targets, as well as the left and right targets; the shot should sound as soon as all the movements to practice the target have been completed. Don’t fuss, don’t rush right after the target, when you are too ahead of the target (game) and have to slow down, and this is usually a shot from behind when the gun involuntarily stops.

The movements of the gun on the left or right stolen targets on the trench stand (from under the cop's stance) are, as a rule, accelerated. When practicing shooting hijacked targets from MM, shoot from a distance of 5 to 15 meters from the departure, changing shooting positions so that the angle of the skeet’s flight path with the continuation of the “shooter - MM” line to the left and right is from 0 to 45 degrees; also change the target's flight altitude.

At a shooting distance of 15 m from the MM, depending on the angle and casting distance, the visible leads range up to 100-120 cm, this is not so far from the target. Having achieved 50-60 percent of hits on a trench stand, practice shooting at stolen targets on a round stand, at the beginning on 6 and 5 then on 2,3 and 4 places, and with MM - first on stolen targets going to the left and then to the right.

When aiming at a target, use the skills learned from handling skeet when shooting in the trench.

The position of the gun on the circle when shooting at hijacked targets is slightly further from the departure than when shooting oncoming targets, but the gaze is directed at the place where the target appears. Since you are preparing for a hunt, distribute the weight of the hunter-shooter on both legs, and at the moment of throwing up, leading and shooting, try not to strain and work only with the body.

Workout at home

The ability to control your body is not always as simple as it seems. In front of the mirror, try raising the gun to your shoulder with your hands, so that your shoulder remains in place. It may not work out right away. Quickly move the barrels by turning the body to various designated points; at first it will definitely be difficult to do this.

Conclusion, before you start shooting, do some home training.

Home training is very important when shooting offhand.

This shooting technique is often used when hunting snipe, grouse in the forest, and autumn woodcock.

To gain more complete skeet shooting skill, vary your training, including approach shooting, shooting from awkward positions, different MM settings, and double shooting.
If the stand is equipped with sports grounds nearby, then this is not difficult at all.

Safety precautions during training

When practicing on your own, do not forget about safety precautions: after firing and when reloading the MM, unload the gun and always keep it open, and a semi-automatic with an open bolt, and do not point the barrels of even an open gun towards people.

Install the MM so that the unaffected plates fall onto the tall grass and are reused without breaking.

When practicing shooting, it is advisable to use sports cartridges (less fatigue from recoil), headphones or earplugs to eliminate the negative impact of a strong shot on the training process.

When the time comes for hunting, at dawn, having calmed down after a possible couple of misses, using the acquired skills of skeet shooting, without difficulty and with great pleasure from correct shooting, you will shoot the amount of game allowed for hunting.

Most hunters, having cleaned their guns and put them in cabinets, wait for the opening of the spring hunt, only occasionally removing them to check whether they need re-cleaning and, twirling their “treasures” in their hands, mentally counting the weeks until the opening of the hunt.

Such passive anticipation of the spring season sometimes results in misses on a calmly pulling woodcock, geese walking towards the profiles, not to mention annoying misses on a grouse lek or on a drake with a decoy.

The first thing it is advisable to have is specially prepared cartridge cases with spring-loaded capsule sockets; such things have appeared on sale, at least in metropolitan stores, and, with some metalworking skills, you can make such a “cartridge” yourself. The bronze (brass) fungus, which fits freely into the capsule socket (the most difficult), is spring-loaded from the inside of the cartridge case with a fairly strong spring, secured by rolling the barrel neck. Such a device will preserve the firing pin spring and the firing pin itself, eliminating the use of spent cartridges, which should not be fired more than three times for training. As a last resort, hard rubber inserts can be inserted into the capsule socket.

Prepare 5-6 cardboard target circles with a diameter of 5-10 cm and the same number with a diameter half the size, pins and thin ribbons of 1.5-2 meters. It’s a good idea to purchase a laser sight or make one yourself based on a laser pointer, which will be much cheaper, a shot direction indicator that matches the standard sight (front sight in the middle of the closed sighting bar), which would be nice to turn on when you press the trigger, or a ready-made light training “cartridge” which was advertised, but I did not see it for sale.

There are electronic simulators that simulate shooting on a bench, but for most they are inaccessible, and to gain skills in handling a gun, you can limit yourself to the minimum, only paper targets. We will assume that the gun is adjusted and fits in size.

So, let's start training at home. First of all, you need to invest correctly, i.e. place the gun in your shoulder. If the stock corresponds to the physical characteristics of the hunter, then the left hand is bent at an angle of about 100 degrees, holds the fore-end by the middle or slightly closer to the ends of the barrels, the cheek does not lie very tightly on the ridge of the butt, while the head does not fall to the right, the butt plate is as high as possible, the gaze through the middle of the closed sighting bar and the front sight is directed quite straightly, and not from under the forehead, providing a good overview. The ends of the trunks are at shoulder level or slightly higher; from this position, without changing the position of the head, with the movement of both hands, move the butt to the 3-4 rib, leaving the front sight at eye level.

It is convenient to perform this exercise in front of a mirror and in tight clothes (T-shirt, thin sweater). When you gain confidence and ease in performing this exercise, and this will happen literally in 15-20 minutes, perform this movement in the reverse order (from hip to shoulder), and in a maximum of an hour everything will work out well. So, the raising of the gun and the tab have been mastered, but in order to master the throw, these movements must be performed no slower than 0.5 s; try not to force the process; you will achieve the desired temporary result soon enough.

To control the correctness of the jump, periodically perform the exercise with your eyes closed. Once the gun is in the shoulder, look where the front sight is, and if it is in the middle of the closed sight rib, then everything is fine. Number the circles 1,2, etc. and hang them with pins at height level, a little higher, a little lower, half a meter apart from each other. Invest in and move the body to move the gun to one of the circles, then move the butt to the belt and, raising the gun, try to get the front sight on the target.

Having achieved a positive result, repeat the exercise with the following targets. Then ask your assistant to call the numbers of the circles in random order and immediately jump into the corresponding targets, you can press the trigger, when everything starts to go exactly, complicate the exercise by hanging the targets more widely.

It would be useful to pay attention to the positioning of the feet; the toe of the left foot, with a turn to the right of about 10 degrees, is directed towards the preparation, and the right foot is located at an angle of about 45 degrees; stand without tension in your legs, the distance between your heels is within the shoe size. At targets spaced apart from each other, you will have to raise the gun at the target simultaneously with turning the body in the horizontal and vertical directions.

At first, some difficulties may arise, but be patient and everything will work out, don’t try to master everything at once. When some technique stubbornly does not work, take a break; the desired result usually comes unexpectedly, when internal connections between the head and hands are established, automaticity appears in performing a certain exercise.

So, you have completely mastered the jump on circle targets, now you can move on to practicing leashes. To do this, separate additional circles of smaller diameter, connecting them in pairs with ribbons to large targets; during training, change the position of both circles, on command, throw the gun at the large target and, in the direction of the ribbon, pass the barrels through the small circle, fixing the passage by pressing the trigger . This is where you will need a red laser dot.

It should be taken into account that with a side leash, pressing the trigger should occur with some anticipation, when the gun passes a small target and a small gap appears, exactly the same size as you determined for a given turn; continue movement without braking while simulating a shot. Exercises with a gun are also gymnastics for the muscles of the lower back, arms and shoulders, which will benefit your health, not to mention the results on the hunt, which will certainly pleasantly surprise you, even if there is no opportunity to consolidate the acquired skills on a stand.

Let’s not forget about processing equipment: strikeout shooting

With this method of shooting, it is usually recommended to make ONE QUICK CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT in the direction of flight of the bird (intended target) cross out her silhouette with a front sight and the moment she overtakes him, immediately press the shutter release.

In my deep conviction, this method of shooting should be strongly recommended to all novice shooters and those who have not yet decided and are looking for one. I will list its advantages:

1. A shooter will NEVER STOP the gun before firing for the simple reason that this is impossible to do by definition.
2. The likelihood of making an error in determining the correct lead value is reduced to a minimum.
3. Shooting with strikeouts is surprisingly fleeting, which makes it extremely different from other shooting methods.
4. The possibility of making such a mistake as OVER-AIM is reduced to a minimum, that is, delaying time for aiming, as a result of which the target leaves the zone of guaranteed destruction.
5. Mastering just this method of shooting will help the shooter ultimately shoot offhand effectively. In other words, I want to make the following somewhat unusual conclusion: shooting offhand is not a separate method of shooting. This is the same strikeout shooting, which is only performed at the maximum possible speed.

The advantage specified in paragraph 2 deserves, in my opinion, a more complete explanation. Firstly, readers should not get the false impression that when shooting with strikeouts there is no need to take lead at all. WARNINGS MUST BE PRESENT! And although with this method of shooting they are minimal, the question still remains: what should they be, and in what ways is this achieved? IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPEED with which the front sight overtakes the target.

Skeet shooting is a type of shooting sport. Skeet shooting competitions are held at outdoor shooting ranges. Shooting is carried out from 12-gauge smoothbore shotguns using shot cartridges (pellets with a diameter of no more than 2.5 mm) at flying clay pigeon targets. If even a few pellets hit the plate, it breaks. Targets are thrown into the air using special throwing machines. Currently, environmental technology for the production of targets is being developed and implemented, eliminating the use of components that are harmful to the environment.

History of skeet shooting

Skeet shooting dates back to the distant past, when nobles entertained themselves by shooting at a flying target. In the Middle Ages, live birds were used as targets, most often pigeons, which were thrown out from behind shelters. Later they began to be planted in holes covered with a cap, which was pulled off with a rope, and the pigeon was able to take off. Over time, the hoods were replaced by special cage boxes equipped with devices for releasing birds at the right time. In the middle of the last century, shooting at artificial targets appeared, which were thrown with an invented device using a leaf spring at a distance of up to 32 meters. The targets were glass balls with a diameter of 6.35 centimeters and filled with smoke, dust or feathers, which, when hit, gave shooting a special effect. In 1880, first in America, and then in Germany and France, throwing machines and targets in the form of modern plates appeared. Soon, skeet shooting quickly spread throughout almost all of Europe. In Russia, in 1887, in St. Petersburg, on Krestovsky Island, the first special stand for shooting pigeons was equipped. Wealthy people who could afford this rather expensive entertainment were fond of this type of shooting. In the early nineties, skeet shooting was already practiced in several large cities. The competitions were held on primitively equipped stands using simple throwing machines, the first samples of which were brought from abroad. Throwing machines were installed on boards secured to the ground with stakes. Targets were made locally from clay and sand. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, stands were installed in almost all provincial Russian cities.

The Olympic program includes 5 exercises: “Trap, men”, “Trap, women”, “Trap, mixed teams”, “Skeet, men”, “Skeet, women”.