SPORTING CLAYS - The True History of the Game

“Sporting Clays” – The Not So New Game of 1980

The history of our shooting sports is absolutely amazing and we should all pay closer attention to what was written in the old days if we really want to learn the truth about any topic.

For some years now, I’ve been compiling the history of the new game dubbed “sporting clays” when it was supposedly introduced in 1980.

Do a quick Google search of the “history of Sporting Clays” and see what you come up with. Every link you are directed to will explain that the sport was created in England, and that it was first shot in the United States in 1980. Every shooter enjoying this sport today believes these reports to be factual. But is it really true?

Some of my close friends can attest that a few years ago, I shared with them, a two-part article about the history of the game. Here’s what I said in my opening paragraph:

“Many writers note the sport was introduced to American shooters in an article about that appeared in the July 1980 issue of Field and Stream magazine. Others state that the first sporting clays shoot was held at the old Remington Gun Club, at Lordship, Connecticut, for the purpose of introducing the sport to writers for outdoor sports. Well, I’m sorry, but in my view; those writers just did not take the time to do a little research of our scattergun history.”​

My writing offered a slow-walk back in time, a descent from 1980 to 1913 describing different shooting courses across the country where every conceivable target presentation in sporting clays were challenging shots for shooters long before the so-called introduction of “Sporting.”

Yes, there were “quail walks,” tower shots, incomers, outgoers and crossing targets. About the only target angle I haven’t come across yet was the rising teal, but I would not be surprised to find an old article on it in the future.

To support my claims I’ll post a few reports, diagrams and pictures. I hope you find them interesting and welcome the true history of Sporting Clays, Duck Skeet, Single- Trap Gun Games, Multiple-Trap Gun Games, Skee, Scrap, Traphunting, Claybird Golf, Joker Trap, etc.

Let’s start with the 1970’s and ‘60’s when the Campfire of America organization, in Chappaqua, New York already had a sporting clays course on their grounds that featured tower shooting as well as upland game shooting. The fellow who told me about it said they played recordings of ducks just before a target appeared out of the tower and a quail recording just as a target appeared from the brush. This club has been in operation for over 100 years and in 1911 staged a “quail walk” event that was won by Eugene DuPont, one of the shooting brothers of the DuPont Powder Co.

Duck Skeet became a somewhat popular game in 1950. Here’s a diagram from a flyer I have in my library. I found articles showing this game was actually being shot in Indiana in 1940.

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The "Bob White Walk-Up" was introduced in an article in the Shooter's Bible No. 41 in 1950.

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The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (SAAMI) annually put out a booklet entitled, “Handbook on Shotgun Shooting.” I have several editions, the earliest year, 1939. Here’s how they constructed shooting stations back then.

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During the entire 1930 Grand American handicap at the ATA’s Valdalia, Ohio homegrounds, Russell W. Elliott set up a sporting clays course directly across the street. Great shooters and Hall of Famer’s such as Joe Heistand, Ted Renfro, Frank Troeh, E. F. Woodward and R. A. King and his son Rufus who won the Grand American Handicap that year at age 14, participated. The shooting game he created, he called “Traphunting.”

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In 1922, Russ Elliott patented his Artificial Quail Trap with Chamberlin Cartridge and Target Co. and that same year George S. McCarty (2nd ATA President) made a serious attempt to introduce a “grouse shoot” event into the Grand American Handicap program.

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And shooters began favoring a change in shooting conditions.

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Du Pont’s Trapshooting Club Handbook published in 1914 offered novel events designed to be more challenging as well as interesting.

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More To Follow​

 

Edward Cave designed a shooting course in 1913, calling it “Clay Bird Golf.” Shortly thereafter he utilized hand traps calling his new game “Modified Clay Bird Golf.” Stories of both these shooting systems appeared in “Country Life” magazine in September & November 1913.

As you will see, not only are there two towers but many shots are being made over water.

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The earliest Tower shooting event I have found happened in 1903. The Great Pinehurst Gun Club erected a tower and here's the report:

TOWER SHOOTING UNIQUE !
Addition to Trap-Shooting Equipment Pleases Sportsmen
C. A. Lockwood Wins Inauguration Event – T. Sterling Beckwith
and A. E. Lard Take Sweepstakes​

The winter’s program of trap-shooting fixtures was brought to a formal end Thursday morning, with a special event, thirty targets thrown from the new tower. The event was one of the most unique and interesting of the season, plainly indicating that the addition of this feature to the trap-shooting equipment is to be a permanently popular one. The attendance was large and in the company assembled were many women.
These towers are not uncommon in Europe, but it is believed that Pinehurst has the only one in the country. It has been built at the suggestion of Mr. Lard, who has found tower shooting decidedly popular across the water. The idea is to produce conditions like those the sportsman finds in duck and similar shooting.
C. A. Lockwood, of Brooklyn, N. Y., won the event, with a score of sixteen. A. E. Lard, of St. Joseph, Mo, and I. C. Bates Dana, of New York city, tied for second place, with thirteen and M. H. Wilson, of Cleveland, O., and Herbert L. Jillson, of Worcester, Mass., were tied at twelve. T. Sterling Beckwith, of Cleveland, O., was fourth with eleven, and Col. P. H. Mayo, of Richmond, Va., fifth with nine.
There were five events, five birds to the left, right, overhead, and unknown angles, and five pairs of doubles, in the order named.

Believe it or not, a “walk up” event was on the program for the 1884 Clay Pigeon Tournament” at Chicago, Illinois, sponsored by Ligowsky Clay Pigeon Company.

A WALKING SHOOTING MATCH​

At the great clay pigeon tournament in Chicago next May, match No. 6 for the Ligowsky sweepstakes, entrance $5, double birds, fourth notch, is to be shot under the following novel conditions: Five traps screened to be placed at irregular points in front of the score, which must be placed 30 yards for farthest trap. The trap judge will prepare 13 strips of folded paper, containing each a number from 3 to 15 respectively, from which the shooter will draw one slip, which the judge will privately examine, and allow the puller only to see. The shooter is to walk in a general right line, from the score toward the traps, upon receiving the reply ‘yes’ from the puller to his query “are you ready?” When the shooter is underway the number of steps indicated on the drawn slip, the puller will pull any two traps, one after the other.”
SPORTING LIFE, December 5, 1883, page 7

So, the next time someone tells you that new game called Sporting Clays was introduced in the United States in 1980 . . . kindly explain to them that we've been shooting this sport for over 125 years.

Enjoy Our Sport !

 

Great and informative article HB !

Thanks, and I plan on sending this to many of my Sporting Clays friends.

Dave

 

WOW, the man is amazing .... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Great info Ken. Very interesting.

 

What a great post and fun to read. Thanks HB. I agree with WPT that you are amazing!

 

Let's all offer our thanks to those who did it and those who recorded it.

I'm only a messenger who likes to compile and present a few reports which will allow folks to look at subjects from another angle.

I feel I'm being given far too much credit. I don't feel "amazing," but I do feel honored each time somebody says how much they enjoyed reading what I wrote.

Thanks everyone.

 

Nice

 

Chuck Dryke, father of olympic skeet shooter Matt Dryke, held the American Shotgunning Championships at Sunnydale shooting grounds for many years prior to 1980 with 180 ft tower shots, stations on top of the skeet high house, crazy 50 yard crossing true pairs and a wide variety of other fast, long and difficult shots. Approximately 125 targets each day over three days. Money was paid to the high guns on each station rather than overall score, although there was a Calcutta for high overall. This was followed by a day of flyers both as 25 traditional box birds from low gun (international skeet rules) and triple rise team events and ending with several 5 bird races.

 

Thank you jlmccuan,

I appreciate learning of more novelty shooting events held prior to 1980. From early on trap shooting was found to be monotonous, especially when it went from tournaments of several 5,10, 15, 20 and 25 target events to 100 and 200 target events. Shooters wanted tougher shots and a better way to practice for hunting season. So, they devised games and ways to have more competitive target presentations.

I have one story on file of shooters standing on the roof of the clubhouse shooting at targets from the trap field.

Truly appreciate your post.

HB

 

Fantastic article on "clay bird golf." Who would have guessed there were shooting games designed such as this as far back as your history lesson indicates.
Great work History Buff !!!!!!!

 

Great history on the "Williams" family too. Had no idea the family was so into promoting the shooting sports to so many. I used to visit their store many years ago, when I lived nearby. They had everything under one roof.

 

funny note i must post about the campfire club, ny.
i wanted to visit them on one of my trips home years ago.
they have a website, but never answer any inquiries.
i wrote letters to the president requesting an invite. no answer.
i called. no answers.
so, i just drove up and entered the open gate, and went to the main desk to inquire. theentire entrance to the club has 10' security fences with barbed wire. seriously.
the duty range officer was away and the president was elsewhere, so i asked about arranging an 1 day invite to the club members milling around the office.
first words out of the members mouths were, youre trespassing and must leave. i explained the situation but it fell on deaf ears. my last words were..."ive been thrown out of better places than this!"
so, regardless of the amount of history of the club holds, current membership is anything but stellar when it comes to promoting the sport and being friendly.
maybe they should have invested in fixing broken gates that wouldnt close remotely.

i ended up driving 10 minutes down the road to another trap range and had the time of my life with hundreds of shooters, who informed me that they all had their heads in the sand over at campfire club.

 

Bobski,

Sorry to hear your experience at the Campfire Club.

In the early '70's I was a member, and although most members were of a very wealthy background, and I was just a youngster from modest means, yet I was welcomed with open arms.

Most names elude me now, but one in particular always stood out. For one, I initially had no idea who he was, and two, he and his older friends treated me like a long lost child.

His name was Earl Angstadt (President and Chairman of Abercrombie and Fitch). I spent most of my first 4 days with Earl as he took me all around meeting people and showing me the place.

Each and every one of these members welcomed me as I arrived, and never asked my background.

Sorry to hear that the Club has gone the way of the Elite who won't welcome a prospective member into their facility.

Unfortunately, I have seen this snobbier than thou attitude also at some clubs.

I attempted to reach out to the club officers a few years ago, and same as you, I received NO REPLY.

I have not been back there in MANY years, and I guess nobody would know me any more anyway. Sounds like I would not be welcomed either.

Glad you made friends with the other club down the road, and those guys would be my kind of people today.

 

for the record....the friendly club is mount pleasant r&g club.
truly a great bunch of guys. many there are members of campfire, and offered to escort me to a day of shooting. i cant wait to take them up on it...just to see the faces of those that turned me away.

 

Lots of great info !!!!

 

Does anyone remember some kind of a shooting ground across the road from Road America? I think it was a group from Chicago Region SCCA. I discovered sportscar racing at RA in 1957, skeet shooting at Rockford Country Club in 1963, and soon started to pack my Model 12 along for the twice a year visit to RA.
I never managed to secure an invite to the shooting ground, but there was a green and yellow sign on the highway.

 

Can you give me a specific year you know the gun club was in operation? It might help to narrow searches.

The closest club I found was the Rhine-Plymouth Field & Stream Conservation Club in the year 1968. I believe it was about 5 miles north of Plymouth which would be just south of RA.

What was the location of the club you are trying to recall?

HB

 

Had to be early 60 's, across the highway from RA..... maybe 63 to 66, best as I can recall