Clay pigeons or clay targets as they are also known, come in a variety of different shapes and sizes depending on the discipline they are being used for. Here is your quick guide on the different types you’ll encounter the next time you’re at the clay ground.
Today the targets used are disk shaped and made from a mixture of pitch and pulverised limestone rock, however before this the targets were made from clay, and before the use of clay targets live pigeons were released from traps. This is how the sport gets the name clay pigeon shooting (this is also why the machine that releases the clay targets is still called a “trap”). The modern “clay” pigeons are designed to withstand being thrown from these traps at high speeds whilst still being easily broken when hit by only a few shotgun pellets. Typically the targets you will encounter are black or fluorescent orange, however other colours, such as tan, white, or yellow, can be used to ensure the shooter can make them out against varying background or light conditions.
There are many different disciplines of clay target shooting (things have moved on considerably from just mimicking a pigeon released from a trap, as have the guns and accessories to go with it) but these are the types of “clays” that you will be shooting the next time you go clay target shooting:
Standard
This is the most commonly used clay target. For International competitions it must weigh 105g, have an overall diameter of 110mm and a height of 25-26mm. The standard clay target will generally fly on a reasonably true path, however strong winds can affect it.
Midi
This is the same shape as the standard, however it has a diameter of 90mm. This clay pigeon is faster than the standard in the early part of its flight, but it will slow down dramatically seemingly falling out of the sky at the end. Due to its size it can be easy to misjudge the distance of the clay and shooters often give them more lead than necessary due to this.
Mini
Even smaller than the midi, this target has a diameter of just 60mm and a height of 20mm. This is generally thought to be a trickier target than the above due to its small size. As it leaves the trap it will appear to be very fast, however this is due to the size of the target – it is actually the slowest of them all.
Battue
It is a thinner, flatter target and has a diameter of 108-110mm. This clay target flies very fast and falls very suddenly, this is a challenging target. Due to its profile it can travel up to two and half times faster than a standard clay target. Edge on this target can be very hard to see in the sky, but as it travels it will start to twist on its axis exposing its face. The battue can be loaded into the trap either way up and this will have an effect on the flight characteristics of the target that you are presented with.
Rabbit
This clay target needs to stand up to rolling and bouncing along the ground to mimic a rabbit. It is thicker in construction but had a standard diameter of 108-110mm.
With thanks to Shooting Star for the images seen on this page.
