Trap may be the oldest form of clay pigeon shooting, but it is not the only one. Skeet shooting and sporting clays are the other clay target games, and several key differences define the three shotgun shooting sports.

Originating in England in the late 1700s, the sport came to America around 1831. The first targets were actual live birds that were released from the trap, but George Ligowsky of Cincinnati created the clay target in 1880. From a single trap box in front of the shooter, targets are released at a variety of angles, and shooters shoot from five different positions. There are two trap shooting events in the Olympics: Olympic Trap (one target) and Double Trap (two targets). These two international versions differ from the singles and doubles disciplines sanctioned by the Amateur Trap Association in a variety of ways, but the integrity of the sport is the same.

Skeet shooting differs from trap in the number of release points and shooting positions. In trap, all five shooting positions are in a straight horizontal line, but skeet shooting includes eight shooting positions arranged in a semicircle. On each end of the semicircle, a skeet house releases the clay target. The "high house" releases targets that fly about 10 feet off the ground; the low house releases targets at about 3 feet. Like trap, skeet shooting is an Olympic sport, and the game has changed little since its inception in New England during the 1920s.

The newest form of clay pigeon shooting was created to closely simulate actual hunting conditions. Unlike trap and skeet, in which targets are released from consistent positions, sporting clay targets are thrown in a variety of different angles, speeds, trajectories, elevations and distances. Courses have anywhere from five to 18 stations that release the targets, and each station releases a pair of targets that can come from different angles, making each unique. Like its older cousin trap, sporting clays originated in England and came to America later. It was not until 1985 that the first national championship competition was held in the states, but the game is becoming very popular with veteran and novice shooters alike.

While the targets may be the same, the three sports are different, and each shooter finds his or her favorite.