Shooting sporting clay

[bigbearbear]

I've always shot trap until now, and today, I went to California's Coyote Valley Sporting Clay to try out some Sporting Clay shooting. Long story short, I got my butt handed to me by many of the shooting stations.

It seems like it's the angle of the clay that really throws me off. I can hit fast moving ones which do not have curving angles, like rabbits, pretty well. But even slow moving clays which curves in the air makes me look an idiot.

The shooting course has 20 stations (I didn't managed to shoot at all of them), how do you guys learn and train yourself? Do you shoot at a station repeatedly until you're good at it before moving on? They also have a Practice Field, for those who are familiar with Coyote Valley Sporting Clays, do you think perhaps I should shoot there instead of using those stations? On their web site it says "There are special Safety Rules that must be observed, and this area is not recommended for beginners or anyone who is not experienced in Firearm Safety." so I didn't want to risk it today.

Thanks.

[NapalmCheese]

I've only ever seen 18 stations there, not including the mountain course. If there are an extra two, I've been missing something!

When I'm trying to get better, I pick two or three stations and just play at those all day until I get better. There's a few that I just really don't do well at.

IIRC station 17 is the practice station, it's fine for training new people about how to conduct themselves at the sporting clays course, or teach a couple of easier shots, but that's about it.

[alfred1222]

I've only ever seen 18 stations there, not including the mountain course. If there are an extra two, I've been missing something!

When I'm trying to get better, I pick two or three stations and just play at those all day until I get better. There's a few that I just really don't do well at.

IIRC station 17 is the practice station, it's fine for training new people about how to conduct themselves at the sporting clays course, or teach a couple of easier shots, but that's about it.

They recently added the other two stations officially. They existed as station 1b and station 16b, but now they have just been made station 2 and station 17, respectively.

Also, the practice field is at the very very end of the course, by the entrance to the mountain course. It has a wide variety of targets and stations, and you can shoot from anywhere in the field, which leads to shooters swinging their guns in wide arches. Inexperienced shooters more than likely cant do that safely, so that course is not recommended for them.

OP, if you want to get better, keep shooting the course, and learn your leads better. It takes time to master sporting clays. Once sporting clays is mastered, work on skeet, which is the toughest

[bigbearbear]

I've only ever seen 18 stations there, not including the mountain course. If there are an extra two, I've been missing something!

When I'm trying to get better, I pick two or three stations and just play at those all day until I get better. There's a few that I just really don't do well at.

IIRC station 17 is the practice station, it's fine for training new people about how to conduct themselves at the sporting clays course, or teach a couple of easier shots, but that's about it.

Thanks, I'll try this next time. Today's more like a sight seeing trip for me and I tried as many stations as I could, some I couldn't get to because of many people there.

I'm going to try this technique too along with selecting 2 or 3 stations to shoot at, which makes a lot of sense. Instead of me swinging the shotgun all over the place trying to track and lead all the way, I should've determined a break point ahead of time.

[bigbearbear]

OP, if you want to get better, keep shooting the course, and learn your leads better. It takes time to master sporting clays. Once sporting clays is mastered, work on skeet, which is the toughest

I hear ya man, I wish there's a way shots can illuminate themselves in the sky so I know where they went relative to the clay. That would've made corrections much easier.

I guess I'll put that membership to good use.

[ysr_racer]

Once sporting clays is mastered, work on skeet, which is the toughest

Umm, I think you have that backwards

[Tom-ADC]

I used to have a hard time with the raising teal if I didn't break it on the raise I had a hard time getting a lead as it dropped. Finally learned to break them when they stopped on the way up.
I've shot a lot of skeet with 12,20 & 28 gage have 25,50,75 with all three but sporting clays to me is a lot tougher game.

[alfred1222]

Umm, I think you have that backwards

Haha i know that would get your attention! its a matter of opinion, i shot sporting clays since i was a kid, so it comes naturally to me. Skeet makes me have to concentrate on my shooting a lot more.

I hear ya man, I wish there's a way shots can illuminate themselves in the sky so I know where they went relative to the clay. That would've made corrections much easier.

I guess I'll put that membership to good use.

You can shoot with a partner and have him watch the wad, and also, if you shoot low recoil stuff, sometimes you can even see the shot in the air. Also, youre a member at CVSC??

[bigbearbear]

I used to have a hard time with the raising teal if I didn't break it on the raise I had a hard time getting a lead as it dropped. Finally learned to break them when they stopped on the way up.
I've shot a lot of skeet with 12,20 & 28 gage have 25,50,75 with all three but sporting clays to me is a lot tougher game.

Yes!! I think I know which one you're referring, the clay launches from a pole high up and it curves up and then drops down right? I had a very difficult time hitting it. Once, it drop too much over the branches of a tree close by and I end up shooting the branches and leaves. Luckily no none saw me.

I'll try to watch where it peaks next time and try to hit it there, I was trying to hit it all over the place it didn't work too well for me.

[bigbearbear]

You can shoot with a partner and have him watch the wad, and also, if you shoot low recoil stuff, sometimes you can even see the shot in the air. Also, youre a member at CVSC??

I'll try that next time. And yes, signed up as a member today at CVSC, I'm now a card carrying clay shooting addict. Even bought a shooting vest so I look the part.

[mikea]

CVSC is my home course. They do offer private instruction. If you can find two other friends to shoot, they offer an experience package which includes 50 shells, 50 clays, gun rental and some basic instruction. They are less busy when they first open at 8am on sat and sunday that's when I like to go. Weekdays are less busy as well.

[bigbearbear]

CVSC is my home course. They do offer private instruction. If you can find two other friends to shoot, they offer an experience package which includes 50 shells, 50 clays, gun rental and some basic instruction. They are less busy when they first open at 8am on sat and sunday that's when I like to go. Weekdays are less busy as well.

I was there at around 9am and there was already a number of people shooting, I'll try to go earlier and arrive and 8am next time. By 1pm the place was absolutely crawling with people and I decided to call it a day.

Me and my team of engineers get together once a month for a technical meeting and we've been doing a "company shoot" event each time we do this. I think we'll do this next time at CVSC and have the instructor take us through the course. Should be interesting. We tried trap shooting the last time and everyone had a blast, I wonder how we'll do with sporting clay.

[mikea]

You can also start at the back half of the course.
Stations 10, 11, 14, 19 are the easier ones on the back half of the course.
Just like in golf, there is always a backup on station 1. I will start at station 2 because, it is usually open.

[alfred1222]

I'll try that next time. And yes, signed up as a member today at CVSC, I'm now a card carrying clay shooting addict. Even bought a shooting vest so I look the part.

Congrats!! memberships are worth every single penny, im glad i bought mine! I cant wait till i can get back out there, im spending all of friday out on the course, from open to close. If you want to join, feel free

You can also start at the back half of the course.
Stations 10, 11, 14, 19 are the easier ones on the back half of the course.
Just like in golf, there is always a backup on station 1. I will start at station 2 because, it is usually open.

When i shoot sporting, this is what i do. I go to the end and work my way around.

I was there at around 9am and there was already a number of people shooting, I'll try to go earlier and arrive and 8am next time. By 1pm the place was absolutely crawling with people and I decided to call it a day.

Me and my team of engineers get together once a month for a technical meeting and we've been doing a "company shoot" event each time we do this. I think we'll do this next time at CVSC and have the instructor take us through the course. Should be interesting. We tried trap shooting the last time and everyone had a blast, I wonder how we'll do with sporting clay.

Ya thats how it is during the weekends, thats why i get to the skeet field early and not leave. It lets the older/more experienced shooters hold the field for the day, and not have to wait in between games. Nothing is more annoying then a group of 20 new, inexperienced shooters who take an hour to play one round AND dont let other shooters join the group.

[bigbearbear]

Congrats!! memberships are worth every single penny, im glad i bought mine! I cant wait till i can get back out there, im spending all of friday out on the course, from open to close. If you want to join, feel free

Thanks for the invite, I can't do week days unfortunately, got to work. I just hired 2 new engineers and is pretty busy on weekdays as I have to train them.

But if I have a couple of vacation days to use up before the year end, I'll let you know if I can make it on a Friday or other weekdays.