Skeet Vs Trap

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Boomer44

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The age old question... Which one is more demanding ??? Yesterday at the skeet field I had a friend join us... He is a strong supporter of trap shooting and said "trap is more demanding"... Well it opened a whole can of worms...

So I thought I would put it out there for all to comment.
 
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In order of difficulty from top to bottom:
1 - Live Box Pigeons
2 - Helice
3 - FITASC
4 - Super Sporting
5 - (tie) - Sporting Clays, International Skeet, International Trap
6 - American Trap
7 - American Skeet
 
In my view....( the 4 common games we see in the US )...

American Skeet is a little more difficult than Trap singles....but its sort of a toss up...../ Skeet requires a move that is a little smoother and more timing on stations with pairs of targets. But both games will help you become better at bird hunting and sporting clays....

Continental Trap is a step up in difficulty ... ( targets are smaller and faster than Trap singles )....and angles are much different than Trap singles...

Sporting Clays is more difficult typically ...but it depends on the course. Most sporting clays courses will throw 4 or 5 different sizes and colors of targets...in a variety of presentations that you will never see on a Skeet or Trap field.
 
The reason I listed American Skeet as easiest, is because the targets are exactly the same everywhere. What makes it difficult is running several straights in order to get to the shoot off. Since trap uses an oscillating machine, it might not be the same for each shooter, and some clubs use different color targets depending on their background.
 
Shoot an NSSA .410-bore event and an ATA 27-yard event and then draw your own conclusions. Which is more "demanding" has a lot to do with your individual abilities. Comparing practice rounds of 12-ga. Skeet and 16-yard trap isn't very telling.
 
In my mind, the best way to find out is go shoot both and see.

I'd call Skeet and Trap prescriptive shooting sports, like Steel Challenge, High Power, Bianchi Cup. You can go and practice all elements of the sport at your home range (granted minor variations in Trap) whereas Sporting Clays is not prescriptive, or should not be.

When I first went to shoot Trap (16 yards), after about 10 hours on the trap range, I had figured out what I needed to do, and how to do it, to break 25 targets. I am of course not saying I broke 25, but I had the prescription figured out and then it was practice. After shooting about 1200 rounds, I broke 25 for the first time. I shot twice that many on the Skeet field and only managed a best of 22.
 
I kind of agree with BigJimP..and zippy13

"Skeet requires a move that is a little smoother and more timing on stations with pairs of targets."

"Which is more "demanding" has a lot to do with your individual abilities."

I think both statements are on Target.. No pun intended..:) Everyone is different in their skill sets and they will gravitate to which ever game they do best at.
 
One of the old timers said that he could get across the basics of Trap sooner, but it would take longer to get to AA than in Skeet.
 
The challenge in American trap and skeet is all about not missing any so you get to the shootoff with several others. Sporting clays or FITASC, on the other hand, is about trying to hit as many as you can. The number of perfect scores in sporting clays can be counted on both hands and you'll have fingers left over.
To ME, that makes it more challenging (and more fun) as every course is different and every target presentation is only limited by the creativity of the target setter
 
I think it comes down to the individual shooter; I shot 24/25 my very first round of trap, and just seemed to "take" to it naturally. On the other hand, I tried to shoot skeet for almost 2 years before it clicked in for me, and now I find skeet almost hypnotic, to the point where it's almost like I'm sitting in a chair behind myself watching myself swing through the targets...pull..swing...click...dust. I think I'd rather be shooting sporting, then skeet, and then trap.
 
Skeet, especially when...

its windy and you start with "lo gun" position. Now you're talking!

I've seen birds catch a strong head wind and JUMP up like "Daffy duck".
 
I'm a skeet shooter have been for more years than I care to remember, I do shoot trap now and then with friends, have always found that skeet shooters prefer skeet and trap shooters prefer trap. Back when I used to also bird hunt I'd tune up on both.
That said Sporting Clays is harder we are getting a new 5 stand soon, thats fun also.
 
Keeping to the original Question "SKEET Vs TRAP" After looking at everyone's posts.. I agree that some people are naturally better at one than the other..(either skeet or trap) And they will gravitate to the one they are best at. I think that is the answer in a nut shell.
 
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I just like shooting shotguns and the social aspects of it as well. I would prefer to shoot more sporting, but at roughly $40-$50 per hundred it is more than twice what I pay for skeet and trap targets ($16/100).

At our club we have a wobble trap where the pin on the skeet field 1 should be. It is really fun shooting the wobble targets from the skeet positions. Sometimes they will also throw a skeet target as well, so you get a crosser and a wobble bird as a pair.
 
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