Ed,
The rules for shooting a "clay" Pigeon Ring vary between the clubs operating them but in general they try to simulate live pigeon rings.
1. A trap mounted on a rotating platform.
2. The platform is on an angle so that targets released toward the shooter fly high but will eventually land short of the shooter.
3. Targets thrown to the left or right have medium elevation but travel farther.
4. Targets thrown directly away from the shooter travel low and fast much like a straight away trap shot.
5. The trap is hidden from the shooters view and is rotating.
6. The shooter calls "pull" and the target is released (ususally with a short delay) in a direction that the shooter should not know.
7. There is a circle or "ring" around the trap. The size MAY be 17 yards in front and left and right of the trap and 27 yards behind the trap.
8. A 6" piece of engineer tape (non-sticky brightly colored plastic streamer 1" wide) is folded up and taped to the underside of the targets.
9. The shooter may shoot twice at each target.
10. The piece of the target with the engineer tape/streamer must fall within the ring.
Note: Ideally the trap should be below ground level so that those keeping score will have a clear view of if the tape falls inside or outside the ring. Often wind will blow those in or out adding to the excitement!
Of course when just starting to shoot a pigeon ring, the ring and taped targets are not necessary because those clays are darn hard to hit!
PS: Many thanks to the Sagola Township Mighigan Sportsmens Club, host of the Upper Penisula Side-by-Side Classic,
http://www.stsportsmen.com/ for allowing me to copy their World-Class pigeon ring set up!
Our ring at Lapeer County Sportsmans Club in southeast Michigan will never equal that of our Yupper friends! It will however be a lot of fun and will also serve as a warm up for shooting the Yupper rings!
Respectfully,
Mark