It's a sport that relies on precision, accuracy and concentration. It includes competitors from all over the country, and the participants are willing to spend their own money to travel and compete.

Though skeet shooting is relatively obscure, the sport has a loyal following in Delaware.

"I really enjoy it," said Wilmington resident Mike Stasio, who has been shooting for about 20 years. "It's different from other sports in that we all go out there and push each other. We hope we all excel."

The local skeet shooting season runs from April to October. Delaware will hold the General Vetter Memorial event July 8, the Tri-County Championships Aug. 3-5 and the Delaware Skeet Shooting Championships Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. Each of those events will take place at Eagle Wing Skeet and Sporting Clays at Dover Air Force Base.

To compete in an event, a person must be a registered member of the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA). Membership costs $35 a year.

Of the 22,000 NSSA members, nearly 60 are from Delaware. The sport is popular in the South, especially in Florida and Texas. Regionally, Virginia and Maryland, which has seven major skeet shooting facilities, are the states with the most participants.

One local shooter said skeet, which began about 1915 as a method for hunters to hone their skills, has blossomed as a sport.

"The game has taken on a life of its own," said Bob Miller, national director for the NSSA for Delaware. "A lot of people that shoot competitive skeet don't hunt at all."

The game requires shooters to fire from eight stations at clay targets launched into the air. The targets come out of two houses about 25 yards apart. The shotgun is the weapon of choice. In a typical four-round event, shooters fire at 100 targets in each round.

The game is more than just point and shoot. Many shooters have their own philosophy when it comes to skeet shooting.

"The name of the game in skeet is to keep that gun swinging," Miller said. "You have to maintain the swing to stay out in front of the target."

Others have a simpler approach.

"For me, it's keep your head down, keep your eye on the target and ... don't miss," said 19-year-old Andrew Engel, of Newark, a seven-time sub-junior and junior All-American who now competes in the sport's collegiate bracket.

Beyond dedication and focus, skeet shooters said their sport requires one thing that prevents some from becoming involved -- money.

Miller said most shotguns used in competition cost at least $2,000. Other equipment, such as tubes used to change the gauge of the shotgun, can cost more than $1,000 each.

Engel said he paid about $6,500 for his gun, tubes and carrying case.

On top of that, shooters pay for their own travel, meals, hotel accommodations and event fees. Many events have cash prizes, but those prizes rarely cover expenses.

"There's an old joke in skeet. The best way to make a small fortune in skeet is to start with a large one, because you're always losing money," Miller said. "You're not doing it for the money. You do it for fun."

New shooters can buy skeet shotguns for as little as $600. Most practice rounds of skeet cost about $3 per 25 targets.

Delaware skeet fields include Eagle Wing Skeet and Sporting Clays and Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center near New Castle.

"The most rewarding part of it is the friendships you get out of skeet shooting. The people are absolutely great," Engel said. "That makes the whole sport."