Disclaimer: I've never shot a real round of skeet and I only know what I've learned from reading the forum and watching youtube videos of Gil Ash and John Shima and Chris Batha and Anthony Matarese and NSSF.

Unfortunately this is the nature of the writing business. Anyway, I'd like to provide a useful article and would like feedback/resources from the forum if you were going to start someone off from scratch, what do they need to know, and what can be conveyed in an article of 1000 words or less? I will heavily disclaim all tips and recommend professional instruction in any case.

I've seen conflicting fundamentals from several instructors (on youtube and elsewhere) so there's obviously more than one right way to do it. But if it's possible to cover the very basic starting points I'd really appreciate your insights.

TIA

I suggest you consider writing a story about something within your area of expertise.

Decide what you are going to write about, shooters, the game of skeet, shotguns, etc. Then take a trip out to the nearest skeet range for half a day and ask a lot of questions of managers, safety personnel if any, and shooters. Shoot a couple of rounds, too. Avoid the major mistakes of calling the clay targets "skeets" and confusing the game with trap and sporting clays. And the game is shot with shotguns, not rifles. Have fun!

Ideally, absolutely, But believe me, I'm far more appropriate for this article than their previous freelance writer, who didn't know which end of a gun was dangerous and got all of her (mostly incorrect) info from wikipedia. I'd appreciate any helpful advice/tips/fundamentals the forum could share.

Thanks. There are other articles dealing with basic info about shotguns, defensive use, ammunition, hunting, etc. so this one will be assuming the reader has a basic understanding of shotguns and clay targets and will be an introduction to the specific game of skeet shooting.

I understand it's akin to writing an "article about golf" but that's what they want.

Start shooting skeet!

Good advice!

I wrote a basic primer on the various shotgun sports for the ar-15 forum a couple of years ago. When i get home tonight i’ll try to find it and provide a link.

Start here:

https://nssa-nsca.org/

It's the National Organization for the game and will give you the basics. The skinny is that it's a fun but challenging game of trying to hit 4 1/4" diameter fragile disks traveling at approx 45 mph thru the air with a shotgun with open chokes. The game is shot with the following 4 gauges: 12, 20, 28 & .410. The game was designed to mimic the flight and presentation of game birds in the field as practice for hunters and morphed into a competitive game. But I agree with the others who say; get your butt out there and give it a try and talk to some of the guys. It's called doing the research.

IMHO if someone looks at Chris Batha's YouTube series on skeet, and follows his tips, if they know anything about shooting a shotgun they should be able to go out and shoot in the mid to high teens.

Thanks, I'd appreciate that.

Thanks. Definitely want to get out there. Time and money are short.

Well, it will not be the first article ever written about how to shoot skeet by someone who does not know how.

I would give you some pointers but then, I do not really know how to shoot skeet either.

LOL that's for sure

Not sure how helpful it will be, but here it is . . .

https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Clays-Skeet-trap-and-other-things-to-do-with-a-shotgun/1-426141/

If you have specific questions, or want to check something, please IM me. I've shot a lot more skeet since I wrote that intro. (I also write professionally, so I get what you're doing).

The invention and development of the game of Skeet is an interesting story and would be a good place to start.

Are you primarily focused on competitive skeet or is there room in your article for the benefits of an informal game?

Skeet is a great game, it's affordable and it was originally set up for bird hunters. It provides a much wider range of shot angles (than trap) that every bird hunter can appreciate. Those angles are repeatable so a guy can stay at a station and work on a shot that he is having difficulty with.

If you add up the shots taken at each station- 4 shots at stations 1,2,6,7 and 2 shots taken at stations 3,4,5,8 you'll end up with 24. Skeet has an "option" shot that makes it a 25 clay game. In regulation skeet, you call for your option target on the first clay missed. In informal shooting we've always used it on a station that you'd like a little extra practice on. Shooting it anywhere on the course. I prefer to shoot crossers and will usually take it at one of the stations between 3-5.

New shooters to the game are always most intimidated by station 8. At that station, the shooter is in the middle of the field between the high and low trap houses. The target is shot nearly overhead and presents quickly.

I've spent a lot of time on a skeet range and I've never shot a round of competitive (registered) skeet. I'm just a guy who likes to bird hunt and shoot. Skeet is a relaxing and social shooting game that makes you a much better wingshooter. I believe I represent the average shooter that you'll normally find on any given skeet range.

I'm sure the intent of the article is for new shooters and as you say an "informal game" would be entirely appropriate. Thanks so much for your insights! And thanks to all who have provided info/help.

Who is the article for, what publication? You want us to write an article for you, and then you get the credit and the money?

Having only recently taken up both Skeet and Trap, I can agree with the guys who tell you to .....Shoot a Round or two.

Anyone who has watched a dozen skeet videos can talk all they want about the process.

A few minutes after missing what appears to be a slow clay pigeon seemingly flying right toward you ...it is only then that one can appreciate the sport, IMHO.

If someone would let you borrow their gun (many will), and then take fifteen minutes to walk you around an active skeet field, you will have a lot to write about. (if you were nearby, we could do that tomorrow morning).

Without that experience, I think you will be simply regurgitating what someone else wrote or said on a video.

At age 80, I believe that a new sport should be experienced, not read about or watched.