Is Clay Pigeon Shooting a Good Step Toward Becoming a Hunter?
Without question. If you’re going to go hunting, you need a certain proficiency because you’re going to be shooting live animals and birds. At the end of the day, the best way to do that is to go to a shooting school, learn how to perform on artificial targets, and then take that skill into the field and execute your hunting trip properly.
Many years ago, when game populations were higher, some hunters became highly skilled shots without ever shooting a clay target. Today, opportunities to hunt are limited while clays are available to just about everyone. You owe it to the animals you hunt to shoot as well as possible.
Sporting clays and skeet were designed to help you do just that. Skeet was invented by American grouse hunters hoping to practice on quick, short-range targets. To this day, sporting clays offers targets that replicate flushing pheasants, crossing doves, and running rabbits, among others.
Both games have evolved into distinct sports with formal competitions, but you don’t have to sign up for tournaments to shoot skeet or sporting. They’re still excellent for hunters who want to improve.
This article is adapted from 28-time world champion George Digweed’s videos on shooting, available at claytargetinstruction.com
