The game of Skeet was originally started in New England during the early 1920’s to practice for wingshooting. It evolved quickly into a game, and while it still can be a great game to use to warm up for hunting season, it is now a very formalized competition of its own, and variations of the American game of Skeet is played around the globe!
For the American version of the game, we use 110mm ‘standard clays’ and the targets fly at speeds between 45 and 50 mph. The scattergun of choice for this task is usually an over and under shotgun with 26- to 32-inch barrels and very open choke. Often, shooters will choose an improved cylinder choke (one with a tighter pattern) or a skeet choke (one with a wider pattern), but this is a matter of preference. Some gun shops refer to this type of shotgun as a skeet gun. Skeet chokes are designed to be a 30-inch circle at 21 yards distance. Many shooters of American skeet use semi-auto and pump shotguns.
The event is in part meant to simulate the action of bird hunting. The shooter shoots from seven positions on a semicircle with a radius of 21 yards, and an eighth position halfway between stations 1 and 7. There are two houses that as “traps” that launch the targets, one at each corner of the semicircle. The traps launch the targets to a point 15 feet above ground and 18 feet outside of station 8. One trap launches targets from 10 feet above the ground (“high” house) and the other launches it from 3 feet above ground (“low” house).
At stations 1 and 2 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house, then shoots a double where the two targets are launched simultaneously but shooting the high house target first. At stations 3, 4, and 5 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house. At stations 6 and 7 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house, then shoots a double, shooting the low house target first then the high house target. At station 8 the shooter shoots one high target and one low target.
The shooter must then re-shoot his first missed target or, if no targets are missed, must shoot his 25th shell at the low house station 8. This 25th shot was once referred to as the shooter’s option, as he was able to take it where he preferred. Now, to speed up rounds in the competition, the shooter must shoot the low 8 twice for a perfect score.
Shooting a perfect score of ‘25 straight’ is generally a memorable milestone for a shooter, and not a task to be taken lightly, though experienced competitors often shoot several perfect rounds a day in competition.