as 1884, and probably earlier. Equipment and safety Because the sport is popular with a wide variety of shotgun enthusiasts, the shotguns used do not fit an exact standard; however, every shotgun used for sporting clays must be capable of shooting two cartridges of 12 gauge or smaller. The most popular shotgun configurations are over-and-under, semiautomatic, and pump-action, using traditional cartridge shot sizes of 9, 8, or 7.5. Safety is an important part of sporting clays. Proper ear and eye protection are mandatory, and firearms safety procedures, as listed in the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) Rule Book, must be followed at all times while on a course. Course layout and play A typical course consists of 10 to 15 stations, with each station presenting targets from trap machines. Usually 6 to 10 targets are shot at each station by a squad of up to six shooters for a total outing of 50 to 100 targets per person. Targets are thrown in pairs. A pair of targets may be thrown as a true pair (or sim pair, i.e., thrown at the same time), as a following pair (thrown sequentially), or on report (the second clay launched on the firing of the shooter's gun). Numerous hunting conditions can be simulated by combining various speeds and angles with different types of clay targets. Each station is unique. Throughout a course, the shooters might see targets crossing from either side, coming inward, going outward, flying straight up, rolling on the ground, arcing high in the air, or thrown from towers. The possible target presentations are limited only by safety considerations, the terrain, and the imagination of the course designer. The configuration of the stations is often changed to maintain interest for the shooters and for environmental preservation of the course. Variations References 6. ClayShootingUSA article on the History of Dporting Clays in the United States. https://www.dropbox.com/s/fisjtkq413jdd0b/History%20of%20Sporting%20Clays-2.pdf?dl=0 External links National Sporting Clays Association Clay Pigeon Shooting Association Shooting Academy Sporting Clays Scottsdale NSCA Rulebook in Adobe PDF Silver Willow Beaver Hill Sporting Clays Coyote Clays Shotgun shooting sports Clay pigeon shooting fr:Ball-trap