SAFETY RULES
- Carry your shotgun with the gun or action open at all times.
- Handle and carry shotgun with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
- Load shotgun only when you are at the firing point on your assigned shooting station.
- Unload your gun if moving from one station to another.
- Stay on your stand and keep the gun muzzle downrange as you eject and reload
- Do not step back or bend down between shots.
- In the event of a delay, unload your shotgun.
- No alcohol on the shooting range.
- Hearing and eye protection are mandatory for everyone on or near ranges.
- Only authorized personnel may enter the trap houses.
- Absolutely no unsupervised children at any time on the premises.
PROCEDURES AND SEQUENCE
Regular skeet is shot in a "round" of 25 shots at targets thrown from a high house and a low house, and the shooter rotates from station-to-station around the semicircular skeet field. Since pairs are shot at several stations, a shotgun that loads two shells is reqired. The eight stations on a skeet field are shot as follows:
Station 1: Shoot a high house single, followed by a low house single. This is followed by a pair of doubles....shooting at the high house target first.
Station 2: Same targets and procedure as Station 1.
Station 3: Shoot only a pair of singles ... high house first.
Station 4: Same targets and procedure as Station 3.
Station 5: Shoot only a pair of singles ... high house first.
Station 6: Shoot a high house single, followed by a low house single. This is followed by a pair of doubles ... shooting at low house target first.
Station 7: Same targets and procedure as Station 6.
Station 8: Shoot only a pair of singles ... high house first.Upon the shooters first missed target, an "option" shot is taken at the target missed. If no targets are missed, the option is taken at an additional low house target on station 8.
AMMUNITION
- Lead shot size between 8 and 9.
- Maximum of 1-1/8 oz of shot
- Maximum velocities of 1200fps (feet per second)
ETIQUETTE
- Most shooters also carry a few extra shells in case they drop one. It is necessary not to pick up any dropped shell, or other item, until after the 5th shooter has fired his 5th shot of the station and the squad is about to rotate to the next position.
- Idle chatting between shots, vulgar calls, and unnecessary movement can be generally disruptive. Things are considerably more relaxed during a practice squad, but one should use some discretion.
- Once a shooter takes his place on the station, he is expected to remain in place and should not swing the gun around or hold it in a field-style position while waiting.
National Rifle Association (NRA) gun safety rules