Clay pigeon shooting

Clay pigeon shooting is a sport in which participants use shotguns to break airborne targets launched by mechanical traps. Its main disciplines differ in target paths, layouts, and rules.

Shotgun shell: A shotgun cartridge containing a primer, propellant, wad, and shot or a single projectile. Its pellets form the pattern used to break a clay target.
Live pigeon shooting: A competitive shooting sport in which participants shoot live birds released from traps. Clay targets emerged as a substitute for the live birds used in earlier competitions.
Olympic skeet: An Olympic shotgun event in which competitors shoot crossing targets from fixed stations. It is the international competition format for skeet shooting.
Practical shooting: A shooting-sport family that tests firearm handling across timed courses and varied scenarios. It emphasizes movement and course execution rather than breaking airborne targets.
Shot: Small spherical projectiles loaded in shotgun shells, commonly made from lead or steel. A cloud of shot gives the shooter a margin for striking a moving target.
William Harnden Foster: An American sportsman credited with promoting clay targets as substitutes for live pigeons in shooting practice. His advocacy helped establish artificial targets for recreational shooting.
Olympic trap: An Olympic shotgun event in which competitors shoot targets launched away from them at varying angles. It is the international competition format for trap shooting.
Rifle shooting: Target shooting with rifles, typically using a single projectile aimed at fixed or moving targets. Its single-projectile aiming differs from the shotgun’s spread of pellets.
Shot pattern: The distribution of pellets produced by a shotgun shell at a given distance. Pattern density and spread affect the chance of breaking a target.
Trap shooting: A shotgun discipline in which targets are launched away from competitors, often at changing angles. It developed as a formal discipline around targets thrown from traps.

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