What is Sporting Clays?
Sporting clays has its origins in England. The game is designed to simulate bird shooting in the field, except it is done using clay targets. Unlike the confined field of trap and skeet, Sporting Clays is set on a walking course in a natural environment. Shooters, in groups of 5 or 6 walk around a course that usually has 12 to 15 shooting stations. Each station is designed to simulate a certain species of game, such as crossing mallards, rising pheasants, quail, duck or rabbits. Target presentation names have root in game species such as “springing-teal” and “running-rabbit.” A round of sporting clays usually consists of 50 or 100 birds and is mostly done in a competitive challenging environment.
Sporting Clays at SGC
The Saskatoon Gun Club has a 16 station walk around sporting clays course with each station having 2 machines. The course is continually changed throughout the shooting season. The difficulty level has been designed so that there are target presentations for all skill level of shooters. We try to set it for 30% beginner, 50% intermediate and 15% challenging and 5% fairly difficult. It is laid out so that there will be a mix of these targets all throughout the course so that experienced and beginner shooters can shoot in a group. Some targets are “true-pairs” and others are “report-pairs.”
While a typical round is 100 targets, you are welcome to shoot as few or many targets as you choose from any one station. They typical shooting will be 6 targets from every station, with 2 stations you will shoot 8 targets. (** note you will need to purchase at least a 100 shots on your card for a full round of sporting clays at SGC – see pricing here)
The targets thrown are tracked by an electronic card system, so individuals can select which targets they shoot at and the system will deduct targets each time a target is launched. So if you want to sit at that challenging station trying to figure it out, or if you are a beginner and are enjoying hitting a particular target, that is totally acceptable. We just ask that when another shooter comes to the station you provide them with a turn to shoot, then continue having fun shooting.
There is a multitude of presentations, including rabbits, springing teal, midi, overheads, chandelle, battue, crosser, incomer, outgoing, quartering in and away, 2 towers.
The course is easy enough to walk (1.4 kilometers), however, for those who would like to have a comfortable experience, we have golf carts available to rent.
There is a bench and garbage at at each station. Please pick up your hulls after your group is done shooting at the station.
At this time, there are no washrooms on the course, you will have to hold it until you get back to the clubhouse.
Types of Sporting Clay Target Presentations
Each path has a rise, apex, plateau, and falling portion.
Incoming: Launched toward athlete.
Outgoing: Launched level or below the stand. Sends targets away between 11 and 1 on the clock.
Crossing: Nearly right-angles to athlete.
Quartering: Targets cross at other than right angles.
Passing: Target come from behind and pass directly overhead.