Also known as clay shooting, skeet shooting traces its origins to England in the mid-19th century.

2. Also known as clay shooting, skeet shooting traces its origins to
England in the mid-19th century. While shooting at
pheasants, birds, and other small creatures had been an
entertainment of the wealthy for years prior, it took until the
1860s for a contraption that could launch targets into the air to
be invented.

3. A glass ball filled with feathers served as the original target of
skeet shooting. This creation allowed more people to participate
in leisure shooting, as people unable to afford hunting
weekends could fire guns at these inexpensive items.
Moreover, even the Victorian elite found skeet shooting to be
good practice before they went on to hunt live animals.

4. By the end of the 19th century, flat discs made of clay became
another target option. Fans of skeet shooting gave it the name
“sporting,” and the first British Open Championship for
sporting occurred in 1927. Later advancements in the tossing
mechanism enabled clay pigeons to mimic the flight patterns of
birds.

5. About the Author
The Medical Director at the Center for Advanced Women's
Medicine in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Dr. Montgomery Johns
specializes in gynecology and laparoscopic surgery. During his
spare time, Dr. Johns enjoys skeet shooting.