ClaysUp Journal
Clay shooting knowledge, organised by subject. Choose a theme to explore the editorial collection.
How to Shoot Sporting Clays — Beginner's Guide
A beginner's guide to shooting sporting clays: safety, gun mount, stance, watching the show pair, building a plan for each station and the habits that raise your score.
Read article→- Learn
How to Read a Clay Target — Speed, Angle, Distance & Line
How to read a clay target before you shoot it: judging speed, angle, distance and line from the show pair, and turning those four readings into a station plan.
- Improve
Lead Methods Explained — Swing-Through, Pull-Away & Sustained
Swing-through, pull-away and sustained lead compared: how each method creates forward allowance, where each one works best, and how to choose per target.
- Gear
Sporting Clays Shotguns — Over/Under vs Semi-Auto
Over/under versus semi-automatic shotguns for sporting clays: how each action works, weight and recoil, choke flexibility, maintenance and how to choose for your shooting.
- Learn
5-Stand Explained — Format, Targets & Scoring
What 5-stand is, how the five cages and shared traps work, how menu cards define each shooter's sequence, how it is scored, and how it compares with sporting clays and skeet.
- Competition
Your First Sporting Clays Competition — What to Expect
A practical walkthrough of a first sporting clays competition: entering, what to bring, squadding, how a stand runs, etiquette, safety and how to keep the day enjoyable.
- History & Culture
NSCA, NSSA, ATA, ISSF & FITASC — Who Governs What?
A clear guide to the main clay shooting governing bodies — NSCA, NSSA, ATA, ISSF and FITASC — which disciplines each administers, and why rules and classifications do not transfer between them.
Learn
Fundamentals, disciplines and beginner guides.
Improve
Technique, training and performance.
Gear
Shotguns, ammunition, chokes and equipment.
- Sporting Clays Shotguns — Over/Under vs Semi-Auto
- Shotgun Fit for Clay Shooting — LOP, Cast, Drop & Pitch
- Sporting Clays Chokes Explained
- Clay Shooting Glasses — Lens Colors and When to Use Them
- Hearing Protection — Electronic vs Passive
- Clay Shooting Shot Size — #7.5 vs #8 vs #9
- 12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge for Clay Shooting
- Shotgun Shell Velocity — Does Faster Really Mean Better?
- How to Pattern a Shotgun for Clay Shooting
- Light vs Heavy Loads for Sporting Clays
Competition
Rules, formats and competition preparation.
- Your First Sporting Clays Competition — What to Expect
- How Sporting Clays Scoring and Classes Work
- Pre-Competition Routine for Clay Shooters
- How to Handle Pressure and Shoot-Offs
- How to Manage a 100-Target Sporting Clays Event
- Sporting Clays vs FITASC Sporting
- American Skeet vs Olympic Skeet
- American Trap vs Olympic Trap
- How to Choose a Sporting Clays Club
- Your First Visit to a Clay Shooting Club
- The National Shooting Complex — A Clay Sports Landmark
- Iconic Sporting Clays Grounds in the United States
- Major Clay Shooting Championships and Where They Are Held
- Barnsley Resort & Beretta Shooting Grounds — Georgia
- Nemacolin Rod & Range Club — Pennsylvania
- The Lodge at Primland — Virginia
- The Greenbrier Gun Club — West Virginia
- Sea Island Shooting School — Georgia
History & Culture
History, governance and traditions.