Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1547024
ALL SIZES AND COLORS With so many different types of clay target shooting sports, there are many different s i z e s o f t a r g et s. T h e s m a l l e st t a r g et — called a dove—is only 60mm wide. That's just a bit bigger than two quarters placed end to end. The clay targets used for the league are 108mm across, and they weigh 100 grams. Clay targets also come in a wide variety of colors. While most League athletes are familiar with the bright orang e-domed targets, clay targets also come in colors like white, black, green, and even hot pink. WHEN CLAY ISN'T CLAY Did you know that clay targets aren't really made of clay? A standard clay target is actu- ally a mix of pitch—a thick black petroleum resin—and limestone or chalk. Pitch by itself is really a thick, slow-moving liquid. In fact, it's so thick and slow moving that if you took a spoonful of it and held it upside down to drip, you'd have to stand there for about a decade (give or take a year) to form just one drop! In order to make the targets easy to break, the pitch is heated and mixed with limestone or chalk. That mix is then put into a mold and cooled before painting and packaging. More recently, biodegradable clay targets that are safer for the environment have come to the market. Those targets aren't made with pitch. Instead, they're made with limestone, sulfur, and other ingredients; even a type of sugar. THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE... Some might say that the best part of clay t a r g et s h o ot i n g i s t h e f r i e n d s h i p s y o u make on the line, or the honor you feel as you represent your school each League night. But for some of us, the truth is that the best thing about clay target shooting is blasting those bright orange targets right out of the sky. ✪ I t's a bright, sunny day. The birds are chirping, cottonwood seeds are drifting in the air, the bees are buzzing to and fro, and it's your turn to shoot. You close the action of your shotgun, raise it up to your shoulder and take a breath. You call for the target, and just a couple seconds later the shotgun bucks as you pull the trigger and watch with satisfaction as you crush that clay target into tiny pieces. Student athletes in the USA Clay Target League will blast away at over 60 million targets this year. Obviously, clay targets are important in a sport that revolves around shooting them out of the air, so what are they? And how are they made? DID YOU KNOW? C L AY TA R G E T S A R EN ' T R E A L LY M A D E O F C L AY. A S TA N DA R D C L AY TA R G E T I S AC T UA L LY A M I X O F P I TC H A N D L I M ES TO N E O R C H A L K . BREAKING DOWN CLAYS STANDARD LEAGUE TARGET 100.00 g 108 mm A CLOSER LOOK AT CLAY TARGETS THE FIELD S C ORING TA BL E 36 PULLUSA MAGAZINE FALL 2026