Shotgun Shooting

Named for its five shooting stations, 5-Stand is a compact, high-energy event that delivers incredible variety.

Shooters move between five cages, each offering a different angle and flight path of clay targets.

Up to eight traps can send targets in any direction – overhead, crossing, incoming, curling, or rolling along the ground like a rabbit.

Each round includes 25 targets, with competitors never knowing what’s coming next – creating a realistic, field-like experience.

SSAA’s 5-Stand adds an extra twist by presenting targets in a random order, adding excitement and unpredictability.

Sporting Clays is often described as “golf with a shotgun.” Shooters move around a natural course, stopping at each stand to shoot a new layout of targets that simulate real hunting scenarios.

Targets can mimic anything from ducks and quail to rabbits and partridges – high, low, fast, crossing or curling.

Every course is different, testing reflexes, judgment and consistency.

A round includes 25 targets, with singles or doubles released from traps in varied directions and speeds.

Field Shotgun events are shot from pads level with or slightly behind the trap house. There are ten shooting stations, five on each side of the trap.

In High Field, the trap sits in a tower about nine metres high, while Low Field events are at or near ground level.

Shooters must keep the gun out of the shoulder (“gun-down” position) until the target appears, adding to the challenge and realism. Each round includes 25 targets.

Some SSAA clubs also host additional shotgun events such as Down the Line, Skeet, or Tower matches, depending on available facilities and equipment.

You don’t need an expensive shotgun to start. Many successful competitors shoot with reliable second-hand or mid-range sporting models. What matters most is gun fit and comfort.

Shotguns suited for 5-Stand and Sporting Clays usually have sporting-style stocks and variable chokes.

• Ammunition: Up to 32 grams (1 ⅛ oz) and shot size no larger than No. 6.
• Popular loads: 28 grams (1 oz) are widely used for less recoil.
• Reloaded cartridges: Permitted under SSAA rules.

Safety comes first. All participants and spectators must wear hearing and eye protection and enclosed footwear.

A shotgun vest is recommended for comfort, cartridge storage, and recoil reduction. Many shooters use coloured lenses in glasses to improve target visibility under different light conditions

Each year, SSAA hosts State and National 5-Stand Championships, rotating between states. Top competitors are selected for the SSAA Australian Shotgun Team, which represents Australia at the New Zealand 5-Stand Championships and competes for the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

To qualify for team selection, members must:

1. Be current SSAA members.
2. Compete at their State Titles and National Championships.
3. Hold or be eligible for an Australian passport.
4. Be available to travel to New Zealand in February.
5. Uphold professional and sportsmanlike conduct.

• It’s one of the most sociable and inclusive shooting sports.
• Great for beginners, families, and seasoned competitors alike.
• Fast-paced and varied, no two targets are ever the same.
• Builds coordination, focus and confidence while having fun outdoors.

Shotgun Rule Book No 5.0 – Revised Nov 2023

SSAA official practice targets

5 Stand shotgun

Field Shotgun

Discipline posters 2019 Shotgun

SSAA Standard Rules No 9.2 Rev Nov 2022

2025 Shotgun 5 Stand National Results

2017 SSAA National 5-Stand Championships

2017 SSAA National Sporting Clays Championships

SSAA WA Sporting Clays State Titles and SSAA National Sporting Clays Championships

2016 New Zealand Compak Championships

2017 SSAA 5-Stand State Selection Shoots

2016 SSAA National Sporting Clays Championships & SSAA WA 5-Stand and Sporting Clays State Titles

SSAA National 5-Stand Championships

SSAA National 5-Stand Championships

SSAA National Sporting Clays Championships

SSAA NSW 5-Stand State Selection Shoots 2016

SSAA NSW 5-Stand State Titles

SSAA NSW 5-Stand State Titles

SSAA NSW 5-Stand State Selection Shoots 2015

New Zealand COMPAK Trans Tasman Championships

SSAA Sporting Clays National Championships

SSAA NSW Sporting Clays State Titles

SSAA 5-Stand National Championships

SSAA NSW 5-Stand State Selection Shoots 2014

2026 SSAA WA TRAP SHOTGUN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

2026 SSAA WA Shtogun Skeet State Championships

2026 SSAA WA TOWER SHTOGUN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS