United States Helice Association

ABOUT US

The mission of the USHA is to promote the growth of Helice, an exciting form of artificial target shooting which is rapidly becoming more and more popular, especially in Europe and the United States.

Helice shooting — also known as ZZ and Electrocibles — is a particularly challenging shotgun sport.  The small targets, called ZZ Birds, consist of a central "witness cap" equipped with winged plastic propellers on either side; the wings simulate the erratic, unpredictable flight of a live bird.

An oscillating electric motor in the helice launcher spins the target at high revolutions and launches it, either on command, at regular intervals, or randomly.

Once the zz bird has been launched, the competitor has two shots to hit the target, and only scores points if the witness cap is dislodged from the propellers and lands within a fenced area (ring).

Helice rings, illustrated at left, are where the actual shooting takes place.  Helice rings typically include five or seven box launchers, which are arranged in a semi-circle in front of the shooter's position.

Twenty-one meters beyond the launchers is a semi-circular fence, twenty-four inches high, marking the outside border of the shooting area (into which all scoring targets must fall).

The Helice competitor does not know which launcher will fire the next zz bird.  Target flight times are short and unpredictable, compounding the difficulty, so speed and accuracy are at a premium.

The video at right, shot during the 2010 British Helice Grand Prix, illustrates the fast action of the helice ring.

For more information about the background of this sport, including current competition rules and regulations, click Helice Rules.