Sporting Clays is a challenging clay target game designed to simulate field shooting. On a Sporting Clays course, shooters are presented with a wide variety of targets that duplicate the flight path of gamebirds, such as flushing, crossing, incoming and other angling shots.

Courses are laid out in natural surroundings and typically include 8 to as many as 15 shooting “stations” with shooters moving from one station to the next to complete the course. Each “station” presents shooters with a different type of shot. At a “grouse station,” for example, shooters might face flushing “birds” that zip in and out of the trees. At a “decoying duck” station, incoming targets may float in toward the shooter.

Five Stand is very similar to Sporting Clays in that a wide variety of targets are thrown. No two five-stands are exactly alike. There are five “stands” or stations to shoot from. There are usually somewhere between 6 and 8 traps that throw targets. Participants shoot in turn at each of the 5 stands and various combinations of targets are thrown from the traps. Usually there is a menu card that will advise the shooter of the sequence of targets. Five Stand is a great way to get a Sporting Clays like experience in a small amount of space, with very little walking.