Here are a few of the terms and there definitions that you may hear when you are talking to people at the trap club and as your kids learn more about the sport they will start using them as well.

If you have any questions about anything please do not hesitate to ask, we are always glad to answer questions you may have.

---

5-Stand – A compressed version of Sporting Clays; shooters rotate through 5 shooting positions shooting 5 shells, singles, report and true pairs. Each 5-stand has between 6 – 15 different targets to be thrown in a variety of combinations.

Action – The moving parts that allow you to load, fire and unload your shotgun.

Barrel Selector – Determines which barrel of a double barrel gun you will fire first.

Battue Clay Target – A clay target that is the same diameter of a standard target (108 mm) but is wafer thin. Faster through the air as a result of design, but slows quickly and falls rapidly and is more susceptible to wind changes.

Bird – Another name for a clay target

Blacking/Blueing – The blue coloration applied to protect the metal on guns.

Bore – The interior diameter of a gun barrel, which will vary according to the gun’s size (gauge) and intended use.

Breech – The end of the barrel nearest to the stock.

Break Open – In a hinge type gun, where the barrels are dropped open and clear of the action, exposing the chambers to view.

Butt – The rear of the shoulder end of the gun’s stock.

Clay Pigeon – The target; comes in a variety of sizes and colors.

Comb – The side of the stock that fits against your cheek.

Chamber – The part of the action, at the breech end of the barrel, into which the shot shell is placed.

Chandelle – Also called “loopers” this target presentation is characterized by the target rising and falling in a large and high arc.

Choke – The degree of narrowing or constriction of the bore at the muzzle end of the barrel. Intended to increase the effective range of the gun.

Cross Dominancy – When a right-handed shooter’s left eye is stronger (more dominant) than the right eye or when a left-handed shooter’s right eye is stronger than the left eye. This causes the sight picture of the shooter to be off; this is corrected with practice, with tape for the dominant eye, or by switching shooting sides. Ex: right-handed, left-eye dominant shooter shooting left-handed, thus allowing the left eye to remain dominant and correcting the sight picture.

Crossing Target – A target presentation where the target is thrown across the shooters field of vision.

Dead – Term used for a target broken by the shooter. Must be a visible piece broken from the target to count as dead.

Ejector – The mechanism on shotguns by which spent shot cases are automatically ejected from the gun when it is opened after firing.

Flash Clay Target – Same shape as a Standard target, but a bit bigger (110 mm). Has a pouch of fluorescent colored powder underneath or on top of the dome. Explodes on impact providing a puff of colored smoke; used for televised or night events.

Following Pair – Used mostly in sporting clays, this is when the puller throws the first target, and immediately upon hearing the fire of the gun, throws the same target again. (similar to report pair, but with the same target)

Forearm – The part of the stock that lies under the barrel — also called a forehand.

Full Choke – The tightest constriction or narrowing of the bore, producing the greatest effective range.

Grip – The narrow portion of the stock held with the trigger hand.

Gauge – The term used to describe the interior diameter of the bore. The smaller the gauge number the larger the bore size.

Hinge – A type of action in which a hinge mechanism separates the barrel from the standing breechblock, providing access to the chamber.

High House – Fixed position of a clay target-throwing machine located 10 feet above the ground for the game of “Skeet”. Positioned across from the “Low House”.

Improved Cylinder – Least constricted or narrowed choke causing shot pattern to widen relatively quickly.

International Clay Target – Target used for International competitions including the Olympics. Diameter is 110 mm, and weighs 105 grams. Due to size, it can be thrown harder and thus farther and faster than a standard clay target.

Jam – When a shell doesn’t eject properly, thus preventing the gun from continuing to fire.

Junior – Shooter under the age of 18.

Lost – Term used for a target that is not broken.

Low House – Fixed position of a clay target-throwing machine located 3 feet above the ground for the game of “Skeet”. Positioned across from the “High House”.

Malfunction – Includes misfires, jams, or gun problems. Shooter is allowed to have the target re-thrown.

Midi Clay Target – A smaller version of the Standard and Sporter clay targets, but with a diameter of only 90 mm. Used in Sporting Clays, these targets are often used to create optical illusions, as they can appear to be farther away than they actually are.

Mini Clay Target – Smallest clay target; used in sporting clays. The flight pattern is initially fast, but they rapidly lose momentum.

Misfire – The failure of a gun to fire; can be due to ammunition or the gun itself.

Modified Choke – Moderate constriction or narrowing of the bore.

Muzzle – The end of the barrel from which the shot exits.

No-Bird – The call given by a puller or referee that indicates that shooter should not fire at the target. Ex: target that is thrown from a trap machine broken, or a when the trap machine doesn’t throw a bird.

Over-and-Under – A two barreled shotgun with one barrel placed over the other.

Pheasant Clay Target – See “Standard Clay Target”.

Primer – The small cap in the base of the shell that the firing pin hits to set off the reaction inside the shell. See “shot shell” for picture.

Puller – The person who releases the target from the trap machine.

Pump – A type of action that loads and ejects shells by “pumping” the forearm of the stock back and forth

Rabbit Clay Target – A clay target that is designed to roll across the ground, not be thrown in the air. Same diameter as a standard target (108 mm) but has a tougher outer rim designed to withstand the shock of the ground.

Report pair – A target presentation involving two separate targets being thrown one after another. The trapper throws the first target and immediately upon hearing the “report” of the gun, releases the second target. There is no reloading between targets.

Rise – The front point of the stock before it tapers into the grip.

Safety – A safety device that, in the “on” position, prevents the gun from firing. In many field guns the safety is automatically engaged when the gun is opened; in other guns, particularly competition grades, the safety must be manually opened.

Semi-Automatic – A type of action in which gas from burning gunpowder in the shell automatically ejects the spent shell that loads another.

Shot – Round projectiles, usually of lead or steel. See “shot shell” for picture.

Shot Pattern – The concentration of a shot measured in a circle at a given range, usually 30 to 40 yards.

Side-by-Side – A shotgun with two barrels sitting side by side.

Single – One clay target thrown at a time.

Skeet (American), game of – A clay target discipline involving 2 different targets, one each thrown from a “high house” and “low-house.” Consisting of singles and pairs, the shooter moves through 8 shooting positions shooting a total of 25 targets for one round.

Skeet (International), game of – A clay target discipline similar to American Skeet but shot in a different pattern. The targets are thrown faster and there is a 1 – 3 second delay between the call of pull, and the target being thrown. This is one of the shotgun events in the Olympics.

Slug – Shotgun shells can contain a slug, which is usually a single solid projectile. See “shot shell” for picture.

Stock – The “handle” of the shotgun, the part held to the shoulder, comprising the butt, comb, grip and forearm.

Shot shell or Shell – The ammunition fired by shotguns, consisting of five components: the case, primer, powder charge, wad, and shot/slug.

Sporter Clay Target – Much like a standard clay target, but weighs a bit less. Used mostly in Sporting clays, but can also be utilized for trap and skeet.

Sporting Clays, game of – A clay target discipline that has no standardized distances, angles or target sizes (like skeet and trap). Shooters move through a course, usually comprised of 10 or 20 stations (much like golf), shooting different targets at each station.

Standard Clay Target – Used in trap, skeet and sporting clays. 108 mm in diameter, 100 grams. Comes in orange, green, white, black and more.

Teal – A high rising target, named after the flight pattern of the teal duck.

Trap (International), game of – See Trap (Bunker).

Trap (American), game of – A clay target discipline usually involving 1 target thrown from the same oscillating machine in a trap house. Shooters rotate through 5 different positions, shooting 5 shells at each position.

Trap (Bunker), game of – Also known as “International Trap,” this is one of the clay target disciplines that are a part of the Olympics. Shooters rotate through 5 shooting positions shooting a single target that is thrown farther and faster than American Trap. Target can come from any one of 15 machines that are in a “house” or “bunker” that is level with the ground.

Trap (International), game of – See Trap (Bunker).

Trap Machine – The machine used to propel the target.

Trap house – The structure that houses the machine for the game of Trap.

Trigger – Finger pulled lever——single, double and release——that drives the firing pin forward and fires the gun.

True Pair – The simultaneous release of two targets at the same time.

Wad – The plastic cup inside the shotgun shell that holds the shot and is pushed out of the casing when the powder is ignited. See “shot shell” for picture.