The closest thing I've ever been to a skeet range is a mechanical thrower in a gravel pit. It helps. I was a pretty fearsome shot on grouse back in the day when my eyesight and reflexes were closer to their peak. Not so much nowadays.

LOL.When I was realy into shooting skeet,I shot 1000 rounds a week.Once a year one of the clubs I was a member of would have a shoot off between the skeet shooters and he trap shooters.We all would shoot one round of each,then tally up the total scores.Us skeet shooters always crushed the trap shooters.We could hit trap targets all day long,but the trap shooters had problems hitting our angled skeet birds.

I know skeet shooters that have shot skeet so much they can point the gun in one spot for each stand and still shoot a perfect score. Never have to track the skeet at all, the clay flys the same every single time, lol. Then again I love duck hunting with them in a pit because it’s the pits limit, not individuals. They have trouble with anything with feathers, lol.

I have competed in them all. However I enjoy watching a practiced, accomplished, fast paced trap team. Few very good ones around and its impressive how fast they can get thru a round. I miss good doubles action.

Osky

If your bird hunting is primarily walking in on a point, I can see the value of trap. For waterfowl and running flushing dogs, there are some outbound targets...the ones you already missed twice

I’ve done very little of any of it. Don’t understand the difference between them.

Add a little wind to the equation and that 'dead gun' approach starts to fall apart real quick. I'll have to keep my eyes open for those problems with feather objects to happen LOL !

I was taught when skeet shooting to keep the gun moving even as the trigger is pulled. Swing the gun from behind the pigeon and pulling the trigger as the gun is pointed at the clay bird. The swing continuing as the gun fires. Never heard of anybody holding the gun still and shooting as it passes by. People who can consistently shoot a perfect score have shot a lot of shotgun shells at them.

Part of the practice, for me, is shouldering the gun. I start with the gun down, shoulder and shoot. But, I'm not shooting to brag about my score.

One of the most beneficial things you can do is practice shouldering your gun. The most important aspect of them all which I haven't seen mentioned is gun fit.

https://www.theyorkshiregent.com/shooting/gun-fitting-guide-fit-shotgun/

Correct Danny. That dead gun stuff will OFTENTIMES work with high house 1. And it might work with low 7............sometimes. But in general, if your gun is not moving you are going to miss the bird.

I enjoy them all but nothing compares to a good dove flyway or pheasants on a extremely windy day.

1) flyers
2) fitasc

and helice is fun too

Just ride on up to PRESQUE ISLE FISH AND GAME CLUB. They shoot skeet & some trap every Sunday morning.

Trap shooting works best for me. Skeet & Sporting are more of a social event compared to a completive event like trap & they are tooooo slow. Most days at a trap shoot we shoot 300 targets. It seems to me that it would take a week to do that with Skeet or Sporting. A year or two ago I went over 500,000 registered trap targets so I do know a little about it. BTW: I live where we had lots of pigeon shoots. Only one club still having them on a regular basis. Back 20 years ago we could shoot them almost any Saturday or Sunday all winter.

I don't subscribe to the idea that reflexes slow with age. At 72 I'm still one of the fastest trap shots at a shoot. BTW; I have competed in every Grand American since 1977 & even managed to break a 200 in one of the evens last year.

I've never doubted you. When I mentioned slow reflexes, I was talking about grouse hunting. I can't get on the birds the way I used to. As you know, you have about three seconds from the time the bird flushes to hear the bird flush, pick it up and get off a shot before it's behind cover. I don't knock them down the way I once did.

At the first sound of a flush just come-up shooting, hit some miss some. I haven't shot any for the last few years. Good luck of your next hunt.

Try shooting Flurry if your bored with trap or skeet. Helps to have a good partner

Update: Good news. Popularity seems to be increasing

https://www.weau.com/2024/05/05/black-river-falls-shooting-tigers-host-invite/

For myself, it's sporting clays and 5 stand; followed by skeet. When I completed, glad I didn't have to buy all my shells. Getting expensive today!

Love shooting clay birds...