47 skeet shooting terms defined, including high house, pull, no bird, lead and sporting clays, each explained in a single line.
Skeet shooting terminology is short, loud and practical, because most of it has to be shouted across a field while a clay is in the air. Below are the words related to skeet shooting that get used on every station, and the skeet shooting glossary underneath collects the words associated with clay target shooting more widely, the clay shooting terms that carry over to trap and to sporting clays.
Must-Know Skeet Shooting Terms, Phrases and Slang:
- Bird
- Break
- Call
- Clay
- Double
- Gauge
- High house
- Lead
- Low house
- Over-under
- Pull
- Shotgun
- Skeet
- Station
- Swing
- Trap
- Wobble
- Shot
- Single
- Reload
- Round
- Safety
- Score
- Shell
- Shot pattern
- Skeet field
- Spreader load
- Station
- Sweep
- Target
Skeet Shooting Glossary: Every Term A to Z
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Backstop | On an enclosed or indoor range, the bank or wall behind the target area that catches the shot. Outdoor skeet fields use an open shotfall zone instead. |
| Barrel | The tube the shot travels down. Skeet guns commonly have two, stacked or side by side, so two chokes are available. |
| Bird | The target. It is a clay disc, but everybody calls it a bird, and the calls of dead bird and lost bird follow from that. |
| Break | Hitting the clay so that it visibly comes apart. A break is what scores. |
| Call | The shooter's signal for the target to be released, traditionally the word pull. |
| Choke | The constriction at the muzzle end of the barrel that decides how tight the shot pattern stays. Open chokes for close targets, tighter ones for distance. |
| Clay | The target itself, pressed from pitch and limestone so it flies true and breaks cleanly. |
| Clay pigeon | The other everyday name for the target, and the reason the wider sport is called clay pigeon shooting. |
| Dead bird | The referee's call for a target scored as hit. |
| Double | Two clays released at once from the high and low houses, to be taken in quick succession. |
| Doubles | The rounds or stations at which targets come in pairs rather than singly. |
| Gauge | The bore size of the shotgun. Skeet is shot in 12, 20, 28 and .410, and the smaller the bore the less shot in the air. |
| Gun mount | Bringing the gun up to the shoulder and cheek in one repeatable movement. Almost every miss can be traced back to it. |
| High house | The taller of the two target houses, on the shooter's left, throwing targets from about ten feet up on a descending line. |
| Lead | How far ahead of the moving clay the shooter points, to allow for the time the shot takes to arrive. |
| Lost bird | The referee's call for a target that was not broken. |
| Low house | The lower target house, on the shooter's right, throwing from about three feet up on a rising line. |
| No bird | A target thrown wrong or broken on release. It does not count and is thrown again. |
| Option shot | The extra twenty fifth shot in a round of skeet, taken after the first miss or, if nothing is missed, repeated at the last station. |
| Over-under | A break-action shotgun with the two barrels stacked vertically, the common choice on a skeet field. |
| Pull | The word shouted to have the target released. |
| Puller | The person operating the release, also called the trapper. Their timing is part of the round. |
| Reload | Putting fresh shells into the gun between pairs. |
| Round | A full course of 25 shots over the eight stations of a skeet field. |
| Safety | The catch that blocks the trigger. It stays on whenever the gun is not pointed at a target. |
| Score | Targets broken out of targets thrown. A round is out of 25. |
| Shell | The cartridge: plastic case, primer, powder, wad and shot. |
| Shot | The pellets themselves. Size and load decide how dense the pattern is at the distance you break targets. |
| Shot pattern | How the pellets spread out at a given range. Choke and load shape it, and patterning the gun on paper is how you check. |
| Shotgun | The smoothbore firearm the sport is shot with, throwing a spread of pellets rather than a single bullet. |
| Single | One target thrown alone, from either house. |
| Skeet | The discipline itself: clays crossing from two houses, taken from eight stations set around a half circle. |
| Skeet field | The layout: eight stations in a semicircle between the high and low houses. |
| Sporting clays | The discipline of walking a course of varied stands, each presenting different target lines. Often described as golf with a shotgun. |
| Spreader load | A shell built to open the pattern quickly, for targets taken very close. |
| Station | One of the eight marked shooting positions around the skeet field. Each gives a different angle on the same two target paths. |
| Straight | A round shot without a miss. Twenty five straight is the perfect score. |
| Sustained lead | Holding a set distance ahead of the target through the swing and firing without changing it. One of the three standard lead methods. |
| Sweep | The smooth arc of the gun following the target line through the shot. |
| Swing | The movement of the gun as it tracks the clay. Stopping the swing at the trigger pull is the classic cause of a miss behind. |
| Swing-through | Starting behind the target, catching it up and firing as the muzzle passes through it. |
| Target | The clay disc thrown from one of the houses, and the thing every other word here is about. |
| Trap | The machine inside each house that throws the clays. Trap is separately the name of a different clay discipline. |
| Trap house | The structure the throwing machine sits in, one high and one low at either end of the field. |
| Trap shooting | The discipline in which clays are thrown away from the shooter from a single house, as opposed to skeet's crossing targets. |
| Wad | The plastic cup inside the shell that holds the shot together down the barrel and then peels away. |
| Wobble | A trap setting that varies the angle and height of each throw, so no two targets repeat. |
#1 Bird
Also known as the clay pigeon, the “bird” is the target in skeet shooting, a small, circular clay disc that is flung into the air to be shot at. Its nickname comes from its bird-like flight path when it’s launched.
#2 Break
The term “break” refers to the successful act of hitting and fragmenting a clay target mid-air with a shotgun blast. A clean break indicates precise aim and timing, and is the goal of every shot in skeet shooting.
#3 Call
“Call” is the term used by shooters to signal the person operating the trap to release a clay target; traditionally, shooters shout “pull!” This step requires concentration and readiness for the quick action that follows.
#4 Clay
The “clay” or clay pigeon is the standard skeet shooting target made from a mixture of limestone and pitch. Skeet shooters aim to accurately shatter these eco-friendly discs to score points.
#5 Double
In skeet shooting, a “double” refers to two clay targets thrown simultaneously from the high and low houses, challenging the shooter to hit both targets in quick succession.
#6 Gauge
The gauge of a shotgun indicates the diameter of its barrel; common gauges in skeet shooting include 12, 20, 28, and .410, with smaller numbers indicating larger barrels. The choice of gauge can affect the difficulty and strategy of the sport.
#7 High house
In skeet shooting, the high house is one of two structures from which clay targets are launched. Located to the left of the shooter, the high house is higher off the ground than the low house, launching targets from approximately 10 feet above the ground level, giving the targets a downward trajectory.
#8 Lead
In skeet shooting, “lead” refers to the distance ahead of a moving target where a shooter must aim to hit the bird. This compensates for the time it takes for the shot to reach the clay.
#9 Low house
Opposite the high house, the low house is the second structure from which clay targets are launched in skeet shooting. It is situated to the right of the shooter and lower to the ground, launching targets from about 3 feet above the ground level, resulting in an upward trajectory.
#10 Over-under
An over-under is a type of break-action shotgun with two barrels stacked vertically. It is favored by many shooters for its balance and the ability to have two chokes for different shot spreads.
#11 Pull
The term “pull” is used by the shooter to signal the trapper to release the clay pigeon. It’s an essential command that initiates the target’s flight and the ensuing shot.
#12 Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm designed to shoot a spread of shot pellets and is the primary weapon used in skeet shooting. It comes in various gauges, suited for hitting small, fast-moving targets.
#13 Skeet
“Skeet” is a shooting sport involving participants shooting at clay targets thrown at various angles and speeds. The word also refers to the clay targets used in the sport.
#14 Station
In skeet shooting, a station is one of the fixed positions or markers around the semicircular skeet field where shooters stand to aim and shoot at targets.
#15 Swing
“Swing” in skeet shooting refers to the motion of the shotgun as the shooter tracks the flying target. A smooth swing is critical for maintaining aim and timing the shot effectively.
#16 Trap
In the context of skeet shooting, the “trap” refers to the machine housed within the high house and low house that throws or launches the clay targets into the air. The term can also apply more broadly to refer to the sport of trap shooting, which is similar to skeet but has different rules and target launch patterns.
#17 Wobble
In skeet shooting, wobble refers to a trap machine’s setting that adds random vertical and horizontal movement to the flight of the thrown target. This unpredictable motion challenges shooters, simulating more realistic flying patterns.
#18 Shot
A “shot” in skeet refers to the individual pellets that make up the load fired from a shotgun. The size and distribution of the shot determine its effectiveness for breaking the clay targets at various distances.
#19 Single
A “single” in skeet shooting is when one clay target is thrown from either the high house or low house. Shooters must react quickly and accurately to hit the target before it falls out of range.
#20 Reload
To reload in skeet shooting involves refilling a shotgun’s chamber with ammunition after firing. This skill is crucial for shooting successive rounds swiftly and maintaining a smooth rhythm during a sequence of shots.
#21 Round
A “round” of skeet involves completing a predetermined course of shots at 8 stations on a skeet field. A standard round comprises 25 shots, with shooters aiming to hit as many targets as possible to achieve a high score.
#22 Safety
“Safety” in skeet shooting refers to the mechanism on a shotgun that prevents accidental firing. It is essential for all shooters to engage the safety when not actively shooting to ensure the well-being of participants and bystanders.
#23 Score
In skeet shooting, ‘score’ denotes the number of targets hit out of the total presented. A perfect score is typically hitting all 25 targets in a standard round.
#24 Shell
The ‘shell’ is the ammunition used in skeet shooting, consisting of a plastic casing that holds the shot, gunpowder, and primer. It’s ejected from the shotgun after firing.
#25 Shot pattern
The ‘shot pattern’ describes the distribution of shotgun pellets after they are fired at a target. A tight pattern increases the chances of hitting the clay bird squarely.
#26 Skeet field
The ‘skeet field’ is the designed area where skeet shooting takes place, typically featuring eight shooting stations in a semi-circle around two trap houses.
#27 Spreader load
A ‘spreader load’ is a type of shotgun shell designed to create a wider shot pattern, making it easier to hit moving targets in skeet shooting.
#28 Station
‘Station’ refers to the eight different positions on the skeet field from which shooters take their shots. Each station provides a unique angle and challenge for hitting the clay targets.
#29 Sweep
Sweep refers to the movement pattern of the shooter’s gun as they track and shoot at the flying targets. It involves smoothly swinging the shotgun in a controlled arc, following the path of the target, and timing the shot so that the shotgun’s blast intercepts the moving clay.
#30 Target
In skeet shooting, the target refers to the clay pigeon, a small, circular disc made from a mixture of pitch and chalk designed to mimic the flight of a bird. The target is launched from the high or low house and the objective is to shoot the target out of the air with a shotgun.
FAQ
What are the clay targets in skeet shooting called?
Birds, clays or clay pigeons, all three in everyday use. They are discs pressed from pitch and limestone, and a target scored as hit is called a dead bird while a missed one is a lost bird.
What do you shout to have a target released?
Pull. It is the standard call on a skeet field and the reason the person operating the machine is called the puller. Some shooters use a shorter grunt or a nod, but pull is what the rules assume.
What do you call the person who releases the targets?
The puller, or the trapper. They sit at the release for the squad, and their consistency matters, because a delay between the call and the throw changes the whole shot.
What is a round of doubles in skeet?
A round shot with two clays in the air at once, one from each house, rather than single targets. Doubles are part of the standard 25 target round at several stations, and doubles-only rounds are shot as a separate event.
What is another name for skeet shooting?
Skeet is one discipline within clay target shooting, also called clay pigeon shooting. The other two main disciplines are trap, where targets go away from the shooter, and sporting clays, shot over a varied course.
What is a perfect score in skeet shooting?
Twenty five out of 25 in a standard round, known as a straight. At club level a straight is a good day; at registered level competitors are expected to shoot several in a row and shoot-offs decide the rest.
They split into the targets (bird, clay, single, double, no bird, dead bird), the field (high house, low house, station, trap, skeet field) and the gun (gauge, choke, shell, wad, shot pattern, gun mount). The glossary above has them in one list.
What are some Skeet Shooting terms for beginners?
“Pull,” “Bird,” and “Trap” are some Skeet Shooting terms beginners should start with. These are key fundamentals for understanding the sport’s action and equipment.
What are some funny Skeet Shooting terms?
“Wobble” and “Spreader Load” are some funny Skeet Shooting terms. They add a bit of character to the sport, with wobble describing unpredictable target movement and spreader load referring to a wide shot pattern.
What is a famous Skeet Shooting phrase?
“Dead bird!” is a famous Skeet Shooting phrase, exclaimed when a shooter successfully hits and breaks the target, marking a successful shot in the sport.
