A Geek Goes Skeet Shooting
Apr 20th, 2009 by Alex
I went skeet shooting yesterday.
When I think of skeet shooting, I envision very wealthy men wearing forest camouflage gear and bright orange shooting glasses, lugging a shotgun around a grassy field. Afterward they retreat to the club and indulge in snifters of scotch and top-shelf cigars, reveling in their awesomeness.
I watch too many movies.
In real life, there’s something inexplicably cool about seeing a clay disc shatter after you’ve hoisted your shotgun, tracked the target and pulled the trigger. A simple sense of accomplishment, no matter how many you missed before hitting your first one. It’s a social event, the group cheering at every hit and offering constructive advice after each miss (”a bit too late” or “aim a little bit ahead of it”).
As far as a day-trip is concerned, it’s pretty affordable. One of my friends bought an old disc thrower at a yard sale. A box of 135 bright orange biodegradable clay discs costs $13 at Bass Pro. A box of 100 12-gauge shotgun shells suitable for skeet costs $25. Then all you need is a family-owned field and a shotgun. This being Maryland, neither are too far away. For the amount of enjoyment you get shooting at moving targets (versus a trip to the shooting range) combined with a perfectly warm spring day, skeet shooting can’t be beat.
But that’s all my opinion. Here is what I know to be fact.
- I hit one clay disc. I don’t know how many I attempted, but the rest of them fell to the ground unharmed.
- I was out in a field for several hours and didn’t pick up a single tick. Several of my friends picked off a couple that afternoon and at least one this morning. I’m not sure why ticks exist, exactly.
- My chest is slightly bruised, despite taking care to hold the stock of the shotgun tightly.
These are the facts.
After a brief read through Wikipedia’s page on skeet shooting, I’m not sure what the difference is between skeet shooting and clay shooting. I know that our informal shoot yesterday was pretty basic compared to a formal facility with different stations, but I still had a lot of fun.
Couldn’t agree more! A good (or bad) day shooting skeet or trap with good friends is one of life’s most enjoyable things. Time goes way too fast while out in the field partaking in the joys of this activity. Even if you aren’t shooting you still have so much fun just being around good friends and cheering each other on to greater heights.
Glad you had a good time. Wish I had a family field nearby!
One of my all time favorite ways to spend an afternoon. Lots of people have lots of misconceptions about clay shooting, which is unfortunate. There are a handful of jerks out there, but most of the folks who enjoy the sports (skeet, trap, sporting clays — all are subtly different) are genuinely good folks who encourage each other.
You hit the nail on the head — “there’s something inexplicably cool about seeing a clay disc shatter after you’ve hoisted your shotgun, tracked the target and pulled the trigger”
Glad you enjoyed it.