Shotgun sports are alive and firing it up in Sydney – and the Alpine Hunting & Target Shooting Club is an excellent Registered Gun Club of choice.  We have a strong history of shotgun membership within our Club.  Alpine shotgun events are conducted at Sydney International Shooting Centre (Cecil Park).  At Alpine you can access years of shotgun expertise and rub shoulders with past and present shotgun enthusiasts.  We offer a friendly and comradery-centered environment.  Best of all, you can sharpen your skills and enjoy the excitement, fun and challenge of all shotgun sports – whether for the first time or as a veteran shooter.

What is shotgun?

Shotgun, as the name suggests, refers to a range of shooting sports using a shotgun. There are 3 main shotgun sports: Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays. Each has their own rules and technique, but the aim stays the same – to shoot down the clay target (a brittle clay disc) with accurate and skilled shotgun shooting. Here’s a run-down on each shotgun sport:

Trap

The oldest shotgun sport, a trap is a device that launches the clay targets into the air in front of the shooter. Shooters use a shotgun to aim, shoot and break the target. To make things more interesting, the trap rotates so targets are shot at a variety of angles. A round of trap consists of 25 targets spread over 5 stations, or traphouses. Shooters get one chance to shoot down the target, making this an exhilarating and high-stakes sport.

Skeet

A spin-off from Trap, Skeet adds another layer of complexity as traphouses are set at two points on either side of the shooter, called the High House to the left and the Low House to the right. This means that clay targets are launched diagonally in front of, or away from, the shooter, one at a higher level than the other. 25 targets are still the norm for a round and 7 stations are set in a semi-circle on the shooting field plus the most challenging station 8 located in the centre of the field.

Clay Target Shooting Sydney

This course-style target shooting sport is designed for shotgunners to experience real-life bird shooting scenarios but with clay targets. Like a golf course, each trap is set in a different, natural setting and presents a unique challenge. Targets are launched in a variety of ways to simulate a bird’s flight path – there are usually 5 or more stations to move through. The clay targets could be standard size, smaller or flatter, adding to the unpredictable and exciting nature of the course. Since no two courses are the same, there are lots of opportunities for travel to experience new sporting clay courses.