When you break a target presentation down to the lowest common denominator (I didn’t pay much attention in algebra class, either), getting the proper read is all about speed, angle, and distance. In my mind, the most important of these elements is the angle of the presentation.

The importance of reading the angle of a target is no more apparent than on a skeet field. In that game, the targets must travel at the same speed, regardless of which trap they come from. They must cross the field at a certain elevation and travel a certain distance to be regulation skeet targets. While there is no speed variable, there is a slight difference in the distance that most shooters take the targets even though they all cross the center of the field at exactly the same distance from the gun on all the pads except number eight.

The most noticeable difference when shooting targets on a skeet field is in the angle of presentation. There is no question that lead pictures for shooters who prefer the pull-away or maintained-lead methods change as they move from pad to pad on a skeet field. For shooters who prefer the swing-through style, the speed of the gun will have to increase to compensate for the additional lead on targets as they move to the center pad on the field.

So let’s assume that you are going to shoot every target on a skeet field over the center stake of the field. You will find that the only variable is the angle of presentation. The top skeet shooters will tell you that the leads will change from as little as one foot of perceived lead to as much as four feet as the angles change. All skeet targets are taken at less than 25 yards. Imagine what the differences are on a sporting clays course where there are a wide variety of speeds, angles, and distances.

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