Your point is well taken. I am fully aware of the utility of using a shotgun for close quarters work as well as GI's being trained to deflect grenades flying in air (they were trained in WWI to do this but no accounts of the tactic being used in acutal combat are available).
Militaries currently and throughout that last 200 years have focused on the use of the rifle which is clearly more useful in most engagements. Not too say that sporting clays are not an endeavor which can help one in aquiring skill sets useful in combat (it's no secret that shotgunnners make great AA gunners and machine gunners as they tend to require less training in leading moving targets) but rifleshooting is still much more appropriate to training soldiers.
What is shameful is the dearth of opportunities throughout our land that would allow young people to develop good rifle skills. Municipalities and other property (land) controlling organizations are much more willing to set land aside for trap and skeet than they are too allow that establishment of high power rifle ranges.
We are supposed to be a nation of riflemen but I am afraid that day has gone. I am afraid that most of the trap/skeet/waterfowl crowd could care less.
Fear not! Reports of the demise of the Nation of Riflemen are highly exaggerated and premature.
Best regards,