[Sander]

Hi all,

According to American Skeet rules, if you call for a bird and don't shoot at it (not a malfunction, I mean you just don't shoot), does that count as a miss?

Common sense would make you think, Of course!

But what if, for example, you're leading a bird and the wind suddenly catches it and it takes a steep dive. Let's say you absolutely don't have a shot on it. Well, if you don't pull the trigger, are you allowed to call for another clay?

Sorry, I do have the skeet rules bookmarked somewhere, but I'm too lazy to try to look it up...

thanks

 

[skeetshooter68]

On page 48 of the official rules and regulations of the National Skeet Shooting Association it says, " Any circumstance beyond the shooter's control which unduly affects his/her opportunity to break any particular target is interference." It is up to the referee to rule interference. the sun is NOT considered as interference, but the wind is sometimes. If a shooter shoots at a target, he/she accepts it.

 

[dervari]

Check again...Page 9, section F. Prevailing winds aren't a factor unless the bird fails to fly through the hoop.

And how can you not have a shot at a bird? That's what is kind of funny about some skeet shooters. If the bird isn't exactly where they think it should be, 90% of the time it winds up being lost.

I was shooting skeet with some NSSA guys one time. I shoot sporting clays 95% of the time and am used to birds acting strange. Big gust of wind? On a SC course, tough luck unless you can compensate. It was really windy that day, and I wound up shooting a 23/25. Next best was a 18/25.

 

[Roger Gascoigne]

In Chicago we used to call that 'Sporting Skeet' and I agree the guys who shoot from memory have a hard time dealing with it, whereas the Sporting Clays shooters see nothing wrong with it.

Roger

 

[Sander]

Yeah, the "not having a shot at the bird" was just an example... Windy day shots aren't really an issue...

What I'm really trying to find out is just the "technical rule". So I gather from your responses that, according to the rulebook, it counts as a miss.

It's just something my shooting buddy and I were trying to figure out...

thanks

 

[skeetshooter68]

Not always. Prevailing winds aren't a factor "unless" Thats the key word. As always the referee is the judge. If a referee call a no bird, then it a no bird. True skeet has a flight pattern, speed pattern and has very little tolerances. Page 9 also covers NO WIND setting condition. There are times when prevailing winds during a shoot may cause the bird not to pass through the setting hoop, That key word "unless" comes ups again. Thats means that there are times when it is a no bird.

 

[dervari]

True skeet has a flight pattern, speed pattern and has very little tolerances.

This is the very reason I prefer Sporting Clays to skeet or trap.