Skeet shooting and its related cousins, trap and sporting clays, is a competitive sport where participants try to break clay disks (pigeons). The neon colored “birds”  are flung into the air, at high speed, from a variety of positions on the shooting range. The shooter must quickly react, site and shoot at the pigeon with a shotgun.  The targets fly at different speeds, angles and trajectories, making it a challenging skill to learn.

The pigeons are clay discs that are just over 4 inches in diameter and usually bright yellow or orange in color.  Shooting sports originally used live pigeons but clay targets were introduced in the 1860s as a more humane alternative.

When the shooter is ready to be presented a target, they call out “pull”. Within fractions of a second, the target is launched and the shooter attempts to shot it before it hits the ground.

Here’s a great skeet shooting primer.

Skeet and trap shooting are Olympic sports and competitions at several levels occur at the center several times a year.

The Bull Run Center offers 5 different shotgun shooting games, including:

• Sporting Clay – Shoot at a series of 50 clay pigeons that simulate different hunting targets, such as various birds and rabbits. The targets are launched from 14 stations placed around the open field and woods. 
• Skeet – Shooters shoot from 7 positions on a semi-circle at targets launched from two houses on either side of the range.
• Trap – “birds” are launched form one station, as shooters move through 5 different shooting positions.
• Wobble Trap – Standing on a 5 station pyramid-shaped platform, shooters must react quickly to birds launched with unknown trajectories that simulate the flights of quail, pheasant and chukars.
• 5-Stand -  With five “stands” or stations to shoot from, multiple shooters shoot in turn at targets thrown from multiple launchers.

For the inexperienced, Learn To Shoot classes ($25.00), taught by certified instructors, are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 and 1:00. Instruction covers shotgun types, shotgun safety, shooting etiquette, how to to shoulder, point and fire, and a description of each clay or game thrown. The class includes ammunition, targets, ear and eye protection and gun rental.

The class costs $25.00 per student and reservations are recommended.

The center also has an indoor 20-yard archery range, but you need to supply your own equipment.

Bull Run Public Shooting Center
Bull Run Regional Park
7700 Bull Run Drive
Centreville, VA 20121 (map it)
703-830-2344

Dates and Times – Tuesday – Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday – 2:00 – 8:00, weekends 9:00 – 5:00, closed Monday.

Costs -

• Skeet or Trap (25 Targets) - $4.75 per round, discount ticket – 10 Rounds – $45.00, 25 Rounds – $100.
• Sporting Clays (50 Targets) – $19 per round, discount ticket – 5 Rounds – $80
• Five Stand Sporting Clays (25 Targets) – $7.25  per round, discount ticket – 10 Rounds – $65
• Shotgun Rental – Pump action or Semi Automatic – $6.00, Over and under $9.00
• Archery Range – $5.00 per lane/hr. , each add’l. shooter $1.00

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Taking Metro to the park is not really viable, but the Vienna/Fairfax,/GMU Metro station – Orange line, is the closest.

Parking – Free parking included.

Images – trap machine, archery target, all others from personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler