NSSA - National Skeet Shooting Association

The National Skeet Shooting Association is the world's largest organization dedicated to the sport of Skeet Shooting.

2021 Temporary Change to Defective Ammunition Rule

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As many of you know, there is a temporary lack of availability of factory ammunition which is impacting the 2021 shooting year. It is often difficult for shooters and clubs to obtain reasonable factory ammunition. With that said, the Executive Committee has approved a TEMPORARY rule modification for the 2021 SHOOTING YEAR ONLY as it pertains to defective ammunition.

While the overall rule does not change, this special note has been added to III-A-12-d:
NOTE for 2021 ONLY: If factory ammunition is not readily available at the shoot location, and a shooter has had two instances of defective ammunition, the shooter may obtain a different box of reloads and then is allowed two additional instances of defective ammunition. But the shooter is capped at 4 malfunctions a round with reloads. See full rule below.

III-A-12. Defective Ammunition

    a. Defective Ammunition will be defined as:

      1) Failure to fire, provided firing pin indentation is clearly noticeable.
      2) When a target is missed in the case of an odd-sounding shell, which in the sole judgment of the field referee does not deliver the shot the distance to the target, and therefore does not give the shooter a fair opportunity to break the target. NOTE: If a target is broken with an odd-sounding shell, it shall be scored dead regardless and will not be considered defective ammo. Odd-sounding shells where the shot does travel the distance to the bird and provide the shooter a fair chance to break the target will not be considered defective ammo and the results of those shots will be scored.
      3) Brass pulling off hull between shots on doubles.
      4) Separation of brass from casing when gun is fired (usually accompanied by a whistling sound as the plastic sleeve leaves the barrel).

     
    b. Wrong sized shells or empty shells shall not be considered defective ammunition.

    c. Repeated Targets – A target shall be repeated for each allowable instance of defective ammunition.

    d. Number allowed – A shooter will be allowed only two instances of defective ammunition from the first box of shells used in that round. After two instances of defective ammunition in a round or a shoot-off round, a shooter may obtain a FACTORY box of ammunition and is then allowed two additional instances per box of FACTORY shells in that round. If shells are not changed in a round after two ammo malfunctions have been ruled, the third and all subsequent occurrences in that round will be excessive. EXCEPTION: If a shooter is provided a proof shell by the referee and defective ammunition is ruled on that proof shot, that instance will not count against the shooter as defective ammunition.

    NOTE for 2021 ONLY: If factory ammunition is not readily available at the shoot location, and a shooter has had two instances of defective ammunition, the shooter may obtain a different box of reloads and then is allowed two additional instances of defective ammunition. But the shooter is capped at 4 malfunctions a round with reloads.

Do You Know the Rule on Colliding Doubles?

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It has been over a year since the updated rule on Doubles or Proof Doubles was proposed and approved by the Board of Directors. You can see the entire Rule III-E Doubles or Proof Doubles at right or see the Rule Book.

This change was made to reduce the inconsistency in how the rule is applied. Let’s start with the definition of a III-A-13 – Dead Target. “A Dead Target is a target from which, in the sole judgement of the referee, a visible piece is observed before the target hits the ground as a result of legally being fired upon.” With that said, on a double or proof double, if two whole targets collide before or after being legally fired at, the referee is prevented from observing the (first) target to the ground, and, therefore, it cannot be ruled as either dead or lost.

Rule III-E-2 now gives the shooter the benefit of the doubt when two whole targets collide on a pair before or after being legally fired at; the correct call is “No Bird, Proof Doubles to establish both birds of the pair.” The rule remains the same in the situations when both targets are broken with one shot (III-E-5-e), or a piece off the first target which was properly broken breaks the second target of a double (III-E-5-h). Both these instances will not be affected and will still be: “First target dead; proof double to determine the results of the second target.” The only change is when two whole targets collide on a pair before or after being legally fired at; and since the first bird could not be observed to the ground, the correct call would be “Nothing established, proof doubles to establish both targets.”

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