Safety, Terminology & Etiquette - Mid-Valley Clays & Shooting School

SAFETY AT MID-VALLEY CLAYS & SHOOTING SCHOOL

Use of eye and ear protection at all times by shooters and spectators is mandatory.
Shooting under the influence of any intoxicant is prohibited.
Always assume a shotgun is loaded and treat it accordingly.
Never point a shotgun at anyone at any time.
The “action” or chambers of shotguns must be open unless actively shooting.
Finger should only be on the trigger when you are ready to call for the target.
Shooting is performed from designated shooting “stands” or stations only.
While moving from one shooting position to another, the shotgun must be unloaded with the action open, carrying over/unders and side-by-sides with muzzles/barrels in front of you, and all other shotguns with muzzle/barrel to the sky or ground. Never carry a shotgun with the muzzle/barrel pointed behind you.
“Back-up” shooting is prohibited (more than one shooter shooting at the same target).
Maximum of two shells to be loaded in a shotgun at any time.
Shotgun shells used on premises must be target loads containing 7-1/2, 8, 8-1/2 or 9 shot size; maximum length of 2 3/4-inch, maximum shot weight of 1-1/8 ounce, and maximum powder weight of 3-dram (or “handicap”).
Please also read our Ammunition page if bringing your own –>
Dogs must be well-behaved. Dogs should be kept on a leash or contained behind the firing lines established throughout the shooting range. The gun club is not a ‘free-for-all’ dog park. Ask the staff where dogs can roam safely off-leash.

TERMINOLOGY

American Trap (ATA – American Trapshooting Association) A discipline in clay target shooting where a single trap is used to release a clay. The squad of five shooters stand in a line behind the trap and each take it in turn to shoot at a target released from the trap. Each shooter will eventually shoot at 5 targets from each stand.

Battue (Plate) Special type of flat target used in all forms of sporting English Sporting (known as Sporting Clays in the USA), 5-Stand Sporting, Sportrap and FITASC Sporting

Bead Generally a small white, round object which is situated on the very end of the barrel on top of the rib. It is used as almost a subconscious ‘sight’ for the shooter. Sometimes there is another bead in the middle of the rib as an additional sight to help you line up the front bead and your eye.

Broken The state of the gun when not in use, i.e. the chambers are visibly empty and the barrels are not closed up to the stock. Guns should always be in this condition unless one is on the shooting stand and ready to shoot.

Cartridge (shot shells) The ammunition used to break the clay. A cartridge contains a primer to ignite the shot powder which propels the shot out of the muzzle of the gun.

Choke The constriction at the end of a shotgun barrel that determines the diameter of the shot string after it leaves the gun.

Clay Target The round dish-shaped target made of pitch and lime varies in sizes from 60mm through to 110mm. Varies in color – can be black, orange, white or pink.

Double When a shooter must shoot at two targets (i.e. one shot at each target) in the games of Trap and Skeet. They can be sent out simultaneously (two targets released from two different traps at the same time – one on each trap), following pair (i.e. one after the other along the same trajectory) or on report (the second target is thrown immediately the first shot has been fired at the first target). Two targets can also be loaded on one trap that has one (or two) ‘arms’ and thrown as a simultaneous pair – this would be from a manual trap.

Hearing Protection (“Ears”) It is important to protect the ears from damage from the report of the cartridge being fired. Ear protection takes the form of either sponge plugs/plastic plugs which are inserted into the ear, or earphones which cover the whole ear. Ear protection is compulsory in all shooting disciplines for shooters and spectators alike.

Etiquette Among other common courtesies, shooters may not touch another person’s firearm unless given permission by the owner. Guns are carried with actions open at all times. Guns are not pointed at anything except targets or down range. Shooters must wait until the last person has finished shooting before moving off the range.

F.I.T.A.S.C. Federale Internationale de Tir Aux Armes Sportives de Chasse – the international governing body for F.I.T.A.S.C., which is the international version of Sporting Clays. A type of sporting discipline where targets are shot in rounds of 25 or 20 over 3 or 4 stands. Each stand will have a different sequence of singles and doubles (pairs). The shooter must not mount the gun to the shoulder until the target has been called for and is visible to the shooter. The gun must remain at 25cm below the shoulder until the target can be seen.

Glasses (“Eyes”) It is mandatory for all shooters and spectators to wear eye protection while on the club grounds to protect against stray shot, clay fragments and powder burn. Specialty glasses will also help the shooter to see clays more easily by cutting down glare from the sun or by creating greater contrast.

Gun Fit Very important for all shooters to have their gun “fitted” to them. It ensures that the sight picture the shooter sees is perfectly straight and that the gun does not ‘kick’ when used.

Dead/Lost When a target is hit (i.e. a visible piece is seen to come off the clay in flight) it is announced as a “dead.” If, when a target has been fired at and missed, it is referred to as “lost” or “zero.”

Lead Sometimes referred to as “forward allowance”- the amount of space which you shoot in front of, below, or on top of clays in motion in order to break them.

No-Target Often referred to as No-Bird – is when a target comes out of the trap broken, on the wrong trajectory or not at all due to machine malfunction.

Skeet A game where target fly at hard angles to the shooter and generally at closer distances than that of Trap and Sporting Clays.

On Report In all forms of sporting clay disciplines, this term is used when the shooter first shoots at one target and then on the firing of the first shot, the next target is released.

Over & Under A shotgun where one barrel sits on top of the other, joined together by “side ribs.”

Pull! The command the shooter issues when they are ready for the clay to be released. Some shooters call “ready”, others just grunt! Some Americans call “hup!”

Range The place where shooting takes place.

Rib The flat piece of metal on top of the barrels. It is non-reflective so that there is no glare to distract the shooter when mounting the shotgun to shoot.

Round Generally 25 targets are shot per round in Trap, Skeet, or 5-Stand. Sporting Clays are typically 50 or 100 targets per round.

Scoring All scoring in Clay Target Shooting is 1 point per target hit.

Semi-Automatic Shotgun It is a single-barreled shotgun where the recoil from the firing of the first cartridge loads the second cartridge from the magazine. It is very important for the shooter to adhere to the safe carrying of this type of shotgun. The semi-auto should be carried with the barrel pointing upwards with action open.

Shooting Vest Normally a sleeveless jacket with pockets to hold cartridges and a leather patch on the shoulder from which the shooter will shoot. The leather patch absorbs some recoil and allows the gun to slip into the shoulder easily.

Shotgun A shotgun is the firearm used in Clay Target Shooting and hunting. Its barrel has a smooth bore that uses a cartridge filled with pellets.

Side-by-Side A shotgun where the barrels (two of them) sit side by side.

Single When a shooter shoots at one target only.

Sporting Clays Different types of targets are used to simulate live game shooting. Therefore, virtually any trajectory, speed, angle and distance can be used. The clay types are standard, mini , super-mini, battue, rocket, rabbit.

Squad Refers to the group of shooters who shoot a round of clays or a competition together.

Stand The position from where the shooter will fire their shots.

Swing Used to refer to the movement of the gun when the shooter shoots. It is important to have a smooth swing and follow-through (as in golf and tennis.)

Trap The machine which launches the clay targets into the air. Also is the name of the sport in which targets are thrown away from the shooter at shallow angles.

MVC ETIQUETTE

Eye and ear protection is required by all shooters and spectators at all times while on the range.
Have a vest or pouch to carry your shells and/or empty hulls.
Shell requirements are:
- 12 ga, 16 ga, 20 ga, 28 ga or .410 bore shells.
- 3 drams (equivalent) or less. This is the measure of powder in the shell. Anything more than 3 drams of powder can potentially travel too far on this property.
- 7-½, 8, 8-½ or 9 shot size. This is the size of shot in the shell. Anything larger than 7-½ will travel too far on this property.
- 1-1/8 ounce or less. This is the weight/amount of shot in the shell.
If the trap machine is malfunctioning or throwing broken targets, stop what you are doing and flag down a Range Officer or call the Pro Shop for assistance. Our phone number is listed on the score sheets and on the target key.
Please do not touch someone else’s gun without asking.
Be kind to new shooters and observers. Remember, you were there once.
“Loss” or “Lost” call means the target was completely missed or had dust come off of it with no visible breakage. Uh oh, better luck next shot!
“Dead” call means the target had a visible piece break off of it. That a way, you’re on your way to greatness!
Have fun!!!

Trap Etiquette

Load one shell at a time. You can have a shell in the chamber and the action open as you wait, then close the gun when it’s your turn.
To call for your target, say “Pull” clear enough so it can be heard through ear protection.
When using the voice-activated throwers, be otherwise quiet during the round; voice-activated systems are quite sensitive and can inadvertently launch a target with other vocalizations.
Some gun clubs require you to pick up your empty shells (hulls) when you are done shooting. Not the case at MVC, but if you do, we appreciate your help!

Skeet Etiquette

If you would like to chat between shooters and shots, that’s fine but keep it down when someone is actually shooting.
Don’t load your gun until it is your turn and you are standing on the concrete pad.
Load one or two shells for the singles on stations 1 through 7, it’s up to you. Load only one shell at a time at station 8.
Some gun clubs require you to pick up your empty shells (hulls) when you are done shooting. Not the case at MVC, but if you do, we appreciate your help!

Sporting Clays Etiquette

Bring a bag and/or a shooting vest. Sporting clays can take anywhere from 1.5-3.5 hours to complete. So, you will want something to carry all your shells, beverages, and snacks. You might consider renting one of our push carts or golf carts too, they come in handy!
Review your scorecard to see how many pairs you will be shooting at that station and put your scores in the appropriate area.
Each squad, not each person, is allowed a “show pair.” Make sure everyone is ready to watch.
Toss your empty hulls into the receptacles if they are provided at the stations. For those shooting semi-auto shotguns, don’t worry about picking up your empties.
If you are familiar with your squad mates feel free to offer advice, encouragement or talk a little smack. If you are not familiar with your squad, just say “nice shot” and see how it goes from there.