Clay target

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Clay targets also known as clay pigeons or skeet, are discs, made of pitch primarily used in skeet shooting or trapshooting as moving targets. They are brightly coloured (usually orange or yellow) so as to be as visible as possible.

Both sports use a shotgun, and are sub-classified by the type of game the clay target represents (pigeon, rabbit, etc.). The two primary methods of projecting clay targets are airborne and ground (rolling.) Rolling or "rabbit" style is usually considered the more difficult.

Clay targets are thrown after the shooter calls "pull," or something similar. This convention is not only for safety, but also allows the shooter to prepare for the moving target.

Naturally, the simplest method of throwing a clay target is by hand, either into the air or along the ground. This method is somewhat dangerous, as the person throwing has to be near the person firing the shotgun. A multitude of devices have been invented or appropriated to make this task safer and more reliable. A plastic sling-like device is the simplest, though modern shooting ranges will usually have machines that throw the clay targets in consistent arcs at the push of a button.