For each issue, ORA Director of Competitions, Curtis Bohlman, shares about the various competitions available to participate in along with updates on ORA sponsored events.

 

In an effort to get some of you ammunition laden gun owners off of the couch (you know who you are), the Sharpshooter features, in less than 750 words, an informational article describing a shooting discipline along with a couple of places in the State where you can enjoy the competition. For most of these articles, I will offer little more than a cursory look at the rules and courses of fire, but enough explanation to hopefully whet your appetite. In my 36 years of competitive shooting, I’ve hardly scratched the surface of what the shooting sports have to offer, so I’ll be relying on a little bit of interweb research and some discussions with “experts” to fill in around the edges of my inexperience. If you happen to know the presented discipline inside and out and notice only an error or two in my writing, I feel like I’ve done well enough!

This issue’s disciplines are “Sporting Clays and 5 Stand”- As Oklahoma’s long summer days slip into autumn many hunters take to the field seeking dove and teel, quail and pheasant follow, then all matter of waterfowl, and finally rabbits. Yes, it’s that time of year again where so many of us test our “wing shooting” skills and hopefully put a little wild game on the table. Most of us must admit that our shot-gunning skills aren’t where they left off the season before, so sharpening those skills by breaking some clays may just be the remedy and both Sporting clays and 5-stand fit the bill.

Sporting Clays works like this: The setup is normally a path that winds through the terrain wherein target sets or stands are placed along the trail. These “stands” are normally comprised of a platform to stand on and a “window” through which the targets are engaged. Each stand has two clay target throwers setup in the vicinity to throw any of a variety of presentations. The presentations may be crossing shots, incoming or outgoing shots, overhead shots, etcetera. The pairs of clays will either be released at the same time on the shooter’s call (“Pull”), called true pairs, or the first will be released on the shooter’s call then the second is released on the report of the first shot, called report pairs.

When the shooter arrives at a station, he steps on to the platform, puts the gun’s muzzle through the “window”, which is a safety measure, and ask to see the targets. The target puller launches the two clays so the shooter can see the presentation. After that, the shooter loads 2 rounds in the gun, then calls for the targets. The pair is normally repeated a number of times (2 to 5) depending on total number of shots in the round of sporting clays which may be 50 or 100. When the shooter is through with the target set, the gun is cleared, and action is opened before the shooter pulls his shotgun from the window. The target puller and shooter then normally switch places so both can shoot, then off to the next target set. I have seen as many as 15 target sets in a round.

 

5-Stand, like sporting clays, is designed to replicate the many presentations a hunter may encounter in the field, but 5-Stand is set up in a much more confined area. Rather that walking down a trail to the target sets, 5-Stand has just five stands from which the shooter engages targets in a very confined area. The stands are usually several feet apart and in a line. In front of these stands is an array of numbered target throwers aimed in multiple directions to give each stand unique angles of presentation. In each of the stands hangs a sheet of paper with multiple thrower numbers listed on it. For example: 8, 3, 6-1(T), 4.

This example list indicates that when the shooter calls for his first target, thrower #8 would release a clay. If there was a shooter in the second stand, she would then call for her first target, then the third shooter, and so on, until the fifth sooter has taken their first shot. It’s then the shooter in the first stand’s turn again, who would call for his second target and thrower #3 would release. In this example, 6-1 stands for a true pair from throwers 6 and 1. When each of the shooters has gone through each of their five presentations, they rotate stands where they will find a different list of targets posted. When a shooter completes all 5 stands, 25 shots will be expended.

Now a word on safety. Shooters are required to wear safety glasses when anywhere near a sporting clays or 5-stand course. Hearing protection is highly encouraged, sometimes required. Most clubs don’t allow shot sizes greater than 7 ½ to limit the distance of shot fall. Actions are always open unless sitting in a gun rack or when placed through the window on a stand. Guns are never loaded with more than 2 shells at a time, and never loaded until the gun’s muzzle is placed through the stand’s window. These are the basics but be sure to check with the range operator for other safety requirements. ORA Affiliated Clubs that offer 5 Stand are The Oklahoma City Gun Club (Arcadia), and Tulsa Red Castle Gun Club (Sand Springs), and Tri-City Gun Club in Norman. The average fee is about $12. There are multiple commercial shotgun establishments in the State that offer 5-Stand and Sporting Clays.

Curtis Bohlman Competitions Director, Oklahoma Rifle Association