Alright, so I want to get into shooting skeet in tournaments. Does anyone have any experience in doing this? What are the requir

[Panfry101]

Alright, so I want to get into shooting skeet in tournaments. Does anyone have any experience in doing this? What are the requirements? Average entry fees? How much time should I expect to put into it a week for me to be able to hang in there with the better shooters? What about mandatory gear? All help will be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[buckhunter]

I have shot a lot of skeet over the past several years. I learned there is very little skill that separates the beginners and experts. It is simply practice and timing.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

At the top of the mandatory gear is a healthy bankroll. It's not a cheap sport. Might want to check that aspect out before you commit to it.

[canvasbackhunter]

The best way to learn is to find someone at your local club who is familiar with shooting skeet and practice with them, they can tell you how the targets fly and tell you what you are doing wrong. Visit the NSSA-NSCA website for the fees, regs, gear you might need.

[Panfry101]

Thanks guys, and Ontario, what are the chances I can get a sponsor? How would that work? I also reload my shotgun ammunition so that should hopefully cut down on costs?

[99explorer]

You might try the White House for a sponsor. They shoot skeet "all the time" at Camp David :-)

[Ncarl]

I dont know about skeet but in ATA registered trap your gonna need to be a full time shooter. The ones with sponsors are ranked at the top in the nation. I suppose it may correlate a bit.

[canvasbackhunter]

Ncarl, I have a friend who got sponsors to shoot. He isn't any better than you or I. He just asked some local mom and pap bait shops and gun shops. Our local club let our team collect hulls during shoots, so we sold them to pay for our targets. Our league also had a sponsor who donated shell for everybody the whole year. Other than ATA and AIM dues, we shot for free.

[Ncarl]

Well thats pretty cool. I wasn't thinking about those smaller sponsorships. I was thinking of sponsorships from winchester, federal, gun companies ect.

[scratchgolf72]

as far as practice i know a few guys that years back wanted to get very good at sporting clays to compete with the best of the best. they went to the range at least once, but usually twice a week and fired at minimum 300 shells PER TRIP. i hope this gives you an idea of what you have to do compete with the best of the best. these guys will break 98/100 on championship clays courses.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Seems the local stock car racers back home in Montana never had trouble finding local sponsors. Skeet shooting can't be any harder on money that that sport! A sponsor could at least help with the expenses so you don't have to carry the load entirely. I think it would work better for you if you offered to share the costs say on a fifty/fifty basis. That way they know there's some incentive on your part to not waste money. Ah, what do I know? Canvasback seems to be the voice of experience here.

[rickyno5]

I used to shoot a lot of trap competitions, almost every weekend. I later decided that although it was a lot of fun and I always had great company, it just cost way too dang much. If you shot every even at a trap shoot it was 300 targets. So figure how much it would cost you for 300 targets and 300 shells. Entry fees weren't too much, usually around twenty bucks. Then you figure in gas to get there, lunch, you're new gun since you have to keep up with the Jones, your new fancy shooting vest etc. lol and the cost of it all gets way up there. I have a lot of fun throwing birds by hand in the yard with friends every once in a while and it's a heck of a lot cheaper....I win a lot more often too!!! haha