Shotgun target shooting has evolved a long way since it began as live pigeon shooting in England in the 18th century. Shooters shot at live pigeons released from cages called “traps” and that is how it came to be called trap shooting.
It became popular in the United States and different aspects were added, including increased distances to “handicap” better shooters and large competitions were held. For a number of reasons, live pigeons were replaced by artificial targets, with glass balls filled with feathers first being used before clay targets were invented.
Clay targets replaced the glass balls and trap shooting went through a period of significant growth in America, particularly following World War II, when soldiers returned home to a world with a 40-hour work week and weekends off to hunt and shoot. Famous trap shooters include Annie Oakley and John Phillip Sousa. There were a number of very good local trap shooters and the Athol, Orange and Petersham gun clubs established trap ranges. The Athol Club hosted very large Field Days with trap shooting competitions attended by hundreds in the 1960s
Meanwhile, skeet shooting was invented by Charles Davis and William Harnden Foster in Andover in the 1920s. Davis, an avid grouse hunter, and Foster, a hunter and artist, designed a shooting game featuring targets presented as “shooting around the clock” to imitate the bird-hunting shots of their favorite pursuits.
Both trap and skeet are now international sports and part of the Olympics. The Petersham Gun Club trap field opened in 1962 and the club has created a very impressive sporting clays course. As shooting sports have evolved, trap has waned somewhat, with sporting clays becoming popular.
The popularity is based on the sport becoming what some call “golf with a gun.” That is because sporting clays courses feature a number of stations and each has different clay target presentations. Those targets can be single or double targets sent in a single release, two simultaneously or “on report” when the second target is released as you fire at the initial offering.
Targets also can be different in size besides the traditional trap or skeet clay pigeon. They can be smaller and some are designed to be rolled to imitate a running rabbit. You travel from station to station and a round is usually 50 targets presented from every possible angle to try to imitate every possible bird or waterfowl flight.
What distinguishes the Petersham course is the extensive work – much of it funded by range improvement grants from the National Rifle Association – to improve the course and make it accessible to both handicapped individuals and also easy to travel with the hand carts and ATV vehicles that the very serious shooters often use.
Competitions at Petersham’s sporting clays course are very popular and very well attended. A great deal of credit needs to be given to the Petersham Gun Club’s board of directors and Club President Chip Page. They looked at trends in shooting and shooting clubs and have been very proactive in putting resources in facility improvements to make the club better for all users.
One major step was the creation of a top-flight 100-yard rifle range for shooters to sight-in and shoot their rifles and deer hunting shotguns, while also maintaining a quality handgun range. After looking at what was trending and what other clubs were finding to be popular, the decision was made to add a 5-Stand shotgun facility. 5-Stand is a compact and versatile clay shooting discipline that combines elements of trap and sporting clays. Shooters rotate through five different stands, each offering a unique set of target presentations, which are listed on a menu card at each station.
Targets are launched from six to eight throwers positioned at various angles, distances, and directions, simulating the flight of game birds. Each shooter fires at 25 targets per round, often in combinations such as singles, report pairs or true pairs. Two shots are allowed per target, and a target is scored as “dead” if broken by either shot.
5-Stand offers a wide variety of target presentations in a relatively small area, making it more time-efficient than sporting clays while providing more diversity than trap or skeet alone. Targets can fly straight, cross, or at angles, and the sequence is predetermined on the menu card. This variety makes 5-Stand an excellent practice for hunting scenarios.
One major factor in adding 5-Stand is the appeal to people whose schedules are non-traditional. With the very sophisticated control mechanism, any club member or group of members can access the 5-Stand at any time and shoot whatever targets they want. That is a huge plus, as is the ability of anyone to shoot the course without having to do any walking. It is truly handicapped-accessible.
As a bonus, the club’s trap field now has all stations covered as the 5-Stand is located on the same ground and you can shoot trap (or 5-Stand) under the new lights, protected from the elements. Very cool and a huge upgrade!
Right now, Tuesday at 5 p.m. is the time the range is manned and this writer checked it out and shot a round of 25. The targets are very diverse and a bit longer than skeet so my 28-gauge may not be the best choice. But even with my Franchi 20-gauge over/under with skeet chokes, a fair number of the targets were broken. Clearly an interesting shooting challenge is here at PGC. Also, don’t forget that PGC has an excellent 3-D archery range to get you ready for the bow season for deer which will be here very soon!
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, Counselor and Director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor for over 40 years and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.