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Shotgun permits the use of any smoothbore shotgun up to 12-gauge to shoot clay targets. The discipline includes four main competitions. Sporting Clays is usually held in a bush setting, with competitors shooting from six or seven stands and traps throwing targets to simulate hunting. 5-Stand has five stands separated by a couple of metres each, with traps throwing single or double targets in different directions. Low-Field and High-Field competitions are shot from pads level with or close to the trap house and the traps being above or below ground level.

  • History

    As the name suggests, the Shotgun discipline involves shooting a shotgun to break clay targets. This sport, as we know it today, has its origins back in the United States in 1880, when George Ligowsky of Cincinnati perfected a clay target and a machine from which it could be thrown. In the same year, an Englishman named McCaskey invented a target made of a blend of pitch and river silt that combined the qualities of durability and brittleness.

    Prior to the developments of clay targets, target shooters used to shoot at live pigeons, which were released in various ways, including from spring-loaded boxes and from underneath gentlemen’s top hats. Enormous amounts of money were often bet on the result of a single bird, and there were professional live bird shooters who made their living from travelling to various shoots both locally and internationally. This activity was very popular until it was banned in England, the United States and later in various European countries. It is also banned in Australia.

    To fill the gap left by the absence of live bird shooting, some very ingenious targets were made around 1866 from glass in the shape of a ball, which were filled with feathers or black powder and gave off a flash when well hit. There was plenty of experimentation with wood, leather and other materials, but nothing was successful or particularly realistic until the earliest clay targets were invented.

    Once clay targets were in common use, it was possible to conduct shoots that were fair to all, as consistently breakable targets could be thrown the same for each competitor. SSAA shooters are some of the beneficiaries of this research and today, we can get together with friends and have a great time breaking modern clays in various styles of competition or just socially for fun.

  • Subdisciplines

    There are many clay target shotgun competitions, which vary in the type of targets thrown, the angle, height and speed at which they are thrown, and the field layouts from which shooters shoot.

    Sporting Clays

    The area of clay target shotgun shooting that has shown the greatest growth worldwide in recent years is Sporting Clays. This competition is usually set up in a natural bushland setting, with the traps presenting clay targets that simulate hunting a variety of game such as ducks, rabbits, quail and pheasants. The traps can be concealed in the bush or on towers, with the targets only visible in cleared areas.

    The targets can be shot over a course of six or seven ‘stands’, where shooters are shown targets in singles or doubles of various sizes and colors, and shoot each station with their squad of five or six shooters in turn. Most courses comprise 25 targets and the degree of difficulty can vary from easy to extremely hard.


    The SSAA has an interesting variation of Sporting Clays called 5-Stand. This is a clever and space-saving way of achieving much the same as a traditional Sporting Clays course, but in a much more economical space. 5-Stand has five shooting stands or stations that are lined up in a straight line close to each other. The stands are surrounded by six to eight numbered traps, which throw targets in every possible direction, including from behind, towers, vertical shots and rabbits, with all targets generally converging in an area in front of the stands. Competitors rotate through the five stands and receive an identical mix of targets in a random order, with single and double targets presented. This provides a real test of a shooter’s ability to read targets quickly and shoot them before they get beyond the effective range of a shotgun.

    5-Stand is conducted with a computer and the course can be as easy or as devious as the course-setter decides. One round comprises 25 targets, and because the competition is compact and relatively quick to shoot, it can be very tempting to shoot five or six rounds in a day. There are several other versions of 5-Stand, including COMPAK and Birdbrain, where the rules vary slightly.

    Low Field

    Low Field (or Field) Shotgun is shot off pads that are either level with or 1m back from the front of the trap house. They may also be 1m either above or below the trap. There are 10 shooting pads, five on either side of the trap house, that are placed 1.2 to 1.8m apart. The shooting pads are 3 to 5m from the trap house. Squads of up to six competitors shoot alternately from their designated positions. Competitors will rotate over the 10 positions, five at a time, until the competition is completed.

    High Field

    High Field Shotgun has similar shooting positions and routines as Low Field; however, the trap is located in a tower 10m above the ground, enabling competitors on both sides of the tower to look up and backwards to sight the target as it leaves the trap.

    Trap and Skeet

    Many SSAA members enjoy participating in other variations of clay target shooting, including Trap and Skeet. In Trap or Down the Line (DTL), a trap is concealed in a house and throws rising and going away targets at unknown angles in front of shooters, who shoot from handicap positions on five lanes radiating from behind the trap house.

    Skeet shooting is shot over nine shooting pads positioned in a semicircle between a high tower trap 3m above ground on one side and a low trap at ground level on the other side. The flight and speed of the targets is fixed, but as shooters move around the shooting pads, they are presented with a variety of single and double targets at different angles.

  • Targets and firearms


    In the Sporting Clays and 5-Stand events, targets are thrown at various speeds, in singles, doubles or in pairs, from in front of, behind, low, high or above, straight away, crossing, quartering, incoming from either side, in the open or partly hidden by trees, bushes or other obstacles. The targets themselves may include standard and rabbit targets, as well as those of smaller diameter, such as midi, mini, super mini, battue, rocket and flash targets. SSAA rules require that all targets must be set to be shootable within 40m of the competitor’s position and be visible for sufficient time for a competitor to fire up to two aimed shots at each one.


    SSAA rules permit the use of any smoothbore shotguns, providing the gauge does not exceed 12-gauge and the barrel/overall length complies with the state or territory laws. The most commonly used shotgun is the 12-gauge as there is a wide selection of cartridges available that are generally cheaper to purchase.

    In the early days of competition, many shooters made do with their Trap or Skeet shotguns, but they soon realised they needed a shotgun that was a compromise of the two. A shotgun that shot high was a problem where targets were falling or target presentations required quick shooting that didn’t allow the shooter time to compensate for the varying trajectories and shot placement of a shotgun that shoots high. Trap shotguns were often modified by lowering the stocks and boring out the barrels to allow more spread of shot for closer targets. Today, the Sporting Clays shotgun is every bit as specialised as any Trap or Skeet shotgun. It is designed to make the shooter’s job easier on the infinite variation of targets thrown. Shotguns suitable for Sporting Clays and 5-Stand generally have sporting-style stocks and variable chokes.

    With the advent of screw-in chokes and shotguns specifically stocked for Sporting Clays competition, which centre patterns at 30m, shooters now have appropriate shotguns to cope with the infinite variety of rising, falling, incoming and outgoing targets. Simulated field targets can be thrown in any direction, which places particular demands on the shooter and means that a shotgun that shoots very flat is a great advantage.

    While there are many very expensive shotguns around, a top-of-the-range gun is not essential. As with all shotgun shooting, gunfit is very important. New shooters will find the more experienced shooters and shooting coaches willing to give advice on gunfit, style and technique to help them choose a suitable shotgun. Good secondhand guns are available at most gunshops and this is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in trying clay target shooting.

    Other rules

    A maximum of two cartridges is allowed in the shotgun at any one time. Shotgun cartridges may be up to 32g (1 1/8oz) and shoot no larger than No. 6 size shot. Many competitors use 28g (1oz) cartridges very effectively. Reloaded cartridges are permitted and often encouraged. Black powder cartridges are not permitted in competitions.

    A shotgun vest is a very important piece of equipment, as they have several large pockets for cartridges and shoulder padding to dampen recoil. Hearing and eye protection is strongly recommended, as is enclosed footwear. Some competitors wear glasses with a variety of colored lenses to improve the visibility of clay targets in certain conditions.

  • SSAA Shotgun International Team Selection Criteria

    The criteria and selection process for inclusion in an Australian Shotgun Team will be as follows:


    (a) Be a current financial SSAA member;
    (b) Meet the requirements of the Competitor Agreement Form, and         
    (c)  Fulfill the requirements of the selection process.

    Selection Process

    Competitors will be required to compete in the following 5-Stand shoots:

                       a) State Titles; and
                       b) the National Championships.

    Only scores from shoots using SSAA 5-Stand Rules will be included.

    Competition selection points

    At each of the above shoots all competitors will receive selections points calculated on their score being converted to a percentage of the highest score in each shoot, regardless of their grade or category, before any shoot-offs, with the highest score receiving 100%.

    Tied scores will receive identical percentage points.

    Example:  In a 100 target 5-Stand shoot the best score is 92/100.

    Shooter A with a score of 92 = 100%

    Shooter B with a score of 90 = 97.8%

    Shooter C with a score of 86 = 93.5%

    Shooter D with a score of 85= 92.4% Shooter E with a score of 85= 92.4% etc, etc

    Shooter X with a score of 46 = 50%

    An MS EXCEL spreadsheet is available from the Assistant National Chairman – Shotgun Discipline for State Chairman to record and compute the scores.  Once competitor’s names and scores are entered, this spreadsheet will calculate the percentages automatically.  The Assistant National Chairman will compile and keep a record of all eligible competitors’ scores each year. State Chairmen or the host club should forward a copy of each SSAA competitor’s name and their score to the Assistant National Chairman after each qualifying shoot for inclusion in the national database for each year. The Assistant National Chairman can provide each State Chairman with a copy of the current selection points for competitors from their state.

    To qualify, percentages achieved at the State Titles and the National Championships will be added, with those competitors with the highest overall percentages being selected for teams.

    Teams   Two teams maybe selected on alternate years to compete at international championships.

    Open or “A” Team  The five competitors with the highest scores, regardless of grade or category.

    Graded or “B” Team  The competitor with the highest score from A, B and C grades, Ladies and Veterans categories with the grade or category to be the grade or category the competitor nominated in at the National Championships, regardless of any other grade placement in previous shoots. A Super Veteran will be considered for the Veteran position.

    A list of reserve team members will be maintained.

    Other selection conditions:

    1. Competitors may compete in a State Title in another state, especially if their home state doesn’t hold a particular shoot. However, where a competitor competes in several identical shoots e.g. two State Titles, the points gained from the State Titles in his/her home state or the first one, if not a home state, will take precedence.
    2. SSAA may sponsor an “A” Team to compete in the New Zealand COMPAK Championships every second year. The Shotgun Discipline may support a “B” Team to compete in the same championships. Selection for these teams may be made from performances at shoots in any year. 
    3. During the years when teams are not being selected to compete at the NZ COMPAK Championships, selection points will still be compiled and recorded with national teams for that year announced. Should opportunities arise at other times for the need to select any type of Australian Shotgun Team, then the selection points for that year will be used to form the team.
Competition Results
National Discipline Chairman
John Norris
Mobile: 0427 216 521
National Assistant Chairman
Darren Macartney
Mobile: 0429 802 621
Australian Capital Territory
David Whiteman
Mobile: 0401 695 187
New South Wales
Greg Allen
Mobile: 0409 444 955
Michael Norris
Mobile: 0412 813 302
Eddie Magee
Mobile: 03 5250 2573
Western Australia
Neil Cobb
Mobile: 0404 040 357

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