TRAP
This is the original type of clay pigeon shooting. It began in the 18th century and for decades used live birds. Artificial targets—glass balls and then clay discs—were introduced in the late 1800s. By the first World War, trap shooting had evolved into the two main ways it's practiced today. Practiced at most shooting facilities in the U.S. It uses a single launcher located in a low trap house to throw clay targets away from shooters standing in a line of five stations. The trap house is in front of this line of shooters. As the game progresses each shooter stands at a station, fires at a series of targets (each presented at different angles), and moves right to the next station.
SKEET
Is the second oldest type of clay pigeon shooting. It was created in the early 1920s by a grouse hunter looking to sharpen his skills. In 1926, a shooting magazine introduced the sport to America and offered $100 to anyone who could come up with a name for it. "Skeet", derived from the Norwegian for "shoot", won. There are two types of skeet: American and Olympic. Both use a pair launchers set in two different height towers positioned across from each other. As shooters follow a course from one tower to the other, the launchers throw clay pigeons at a variety of angles designed to simulate the shots upland hunters encounter in the field. Compared to trap, Skeet targets are thrown closer to the shooters and in a wider variety of scenarios.
SPORTING CLAYS
The third major type of clay pigeon shooting and the youngest. Sporting clays were developed in the U.K. and brought to America in 1980. Since then, it has exploded across the country to become one of the most popular shooting sports in the country.
Sporting clays are shot on a course made of 10-15 stations. These stations are laid out one after another, like holes on a golf course. Some stations feature one, two, or more clay-pigeon launchers, all throwing targets at different heights and angles. There are no official rules regarding how these launchers must be positioned, so no two sporting-clays courses are the same.
Compared to trap and skeet, sporting clays offer the widest variety of hunting-style shots. This makes it a great way to sharpen your skills for the season or to keep them sharp all year..
FIVE STAND
If you were to put trap, skeet, and sporting clays in a blender, Five Stand would pour out. It features a line of five "stands" for shooters and a number of launchers arranged in front of the shooters, to their sides and even behind them. Shooters are presented five targets at each station, 25 targets in all.
Five stand is more exciting than trap and throws a wider variety of patterns than skeet. For hunters, it's a great game, giving you the chance to work on shots simulating everything from fleeing rabbits and flushing quail to ducks dropping into a set of decoys.
Steel Shooting
The steel shooting berm located on the west side of the upper 5 stand shotgun area is now open. Members that want to be approved for steel shooting will need to follow the procedure below:
Shooters must provide their own approved steel targets and stands. AR500/400 or equivalent. (EGC has AR500 targets for a donation of $135)
On the first visit to shoot steel, members must contact the RSO on duty.
The RSO will:
Inspect the steel targets and stands that will be used on the designated range.
Provide a steel shooting rules sheet.
Require members to sign a one time release of liability form for EGC Steel shooting.
Observe members safely shooting steel.
Once inspection and observations are successfully completed, will give the member a special "STEEL" sticker to place on the membership card.