The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is an organization that governs international shooting sports. The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of proficiency (accuracy and speed) using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns. Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event (albeit only once, in 1900). The shooting sports are categorized by the type of firearm or target used.
As a competitive sport, shooting can be divided into two disciplines, clay pigeon and target.
Clay pigeon
The art of shooting at flying clay discs, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun. The discs are propelled upwards at various angles by a spring mechanism.
Target
Shooting using air rifles and pistols to hit specified targets. Clay pigeon shooting, also known as 'skeet shooting' originated from 'trapshooting', releasing small birds from traps as practice targets. Trapshooting began in the USA in 1830 and quickly spread to Europe. The use of live birds was banned in Britain in 1921, and the substitution of clay discs (in use since the founding of the Inanimate Bird Shooting Association (1893) created the modern sport.
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