Sporting Clays
The Lemon Grove Gun Club is proud to offer this fast growing shooting sport on the fourth Sunday of each month. Registration opens here on-line 7 days before the event.
Who: Members, and open to the public.
When: Fourth Sunday of the Month, Shooting starts at 8:00 AM and lasts to approximately 1:00 PM. Be sure to check the calendar for this month's date and time.
Cost :
50 birds is: $15 for juniors, 17 and under, $25 for members, $30 for non-members.
100 birds is: $20 for juniors, 17 and under, $40 for members, $45 for non-members.
There is one FREE squad for Junior members or Youth Trap participants. Sign up at Youth Trap for this squad.
NSCA Registered Targets
50 birds: $5.00 additional charge for Registered Target
100 birds: $10.00 additional charge for Registered Targets
For More Information Contact: Frank Saunders, Shootmaster
Sporting Clays History of the Game
Around 1925 the game of sporting clays was developed in England. This was approximately the same time that skeet shooting in the U.S. became a reality in Andover, Mass. English Sporting as it was called, was developed to duplicate the actual conditions that a hunter would find in the field or in a waterfowl blind. Natural settings were used to improve the hunter's skills in the field. Because of the different station and clay target presentations, the game has been called shooting golf. Courses and target presentations are different at every club. In the late 1960's, a game called "Hunter Clay's" was introduced and the NRA and NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) were asked to be involved. The late 1970's saw some American shooters trying different games including a "Quail Walk". These games were introduced at Winchester's Nilo Farms and at Remington Farms. The Orvis Co. Generally is credited with sponsoring the first sporting clays event in the United States in 1983. By 1985, the United Sporting Clays Association was formed in Houston, TX. This organization eventually gave way to the NSCA (National Sporting Clays Association), a division of the National Skeet Shooting Association in San Antonio, TX. The 1989 formation of the NSCA was, and is, guided by an advisory board comprised of volunteer range owners, shooters and the shooting industry.
Rules and Regulations for Sporting Clays
As with any sporting activity, sporting clays has some basic rules and regulations for the participants. Courses must provide maximum safety for the trap personnel as well as the shooter. Given the forgoing, however, target presentation is up to the imagination of the course designer considering the terrain and area provided by the Lemon Grove Gun Club.
Eye and ear protection is mandatory at all shooting events at the Club. Participants may start with the gun in a "gun down" position, with the gun being shouldered only when the targets are visible (this is not required). All firearms must be open and unloaded when the shooter is not in position and ready to call for the target. Shot size may not exceed 7 1/2 with a maximum weight of 1 1/8 oz, 2 3/4 dram equivalent. There are a variety of targets that may be used for sporting clays. They may also be used in combination and as pairs simultaneously thrown. Targets are as follows: A regular 135 mm target (Trap and Skeet), a 90 mm midi (fast), a 60 mm mini (aspirin tablet at 100mph), a battue (a flat disc-like target with a unique flight) and a rabbit target which is thick and suitable for rolling on the ground. Target colors vary from white to orange, green, and black. Target presentations are single target, simultaneous pairs, report pairs (when the first target is attempted, the second target will be released) known as a report pair, and true pair where the trapper releases both birds together.
Each month our sporting clay course is different and gives the shooter a variety of targets and target presentations. The targets are thrown from a number of stations designed to resemble hunting situations. With this variety, the game has been compared to golf or "golf with a shotgun". The course consists of approximately ten shooting stations with a total of fifty targets available, for 50 bird squads. Normally there are five targets at each station consisting of one single target then two pairs, for 50 bird squads. It is recommended that each participant bring a minimum of sixty shells as the single may be fired at twice. Pairs are engaged with one shot each. Your equipment should include eye protection, ear protection, something to carry your shells in, and your favorite shotgun (any gauge/any action). The course will provide the challenge and humility. Participants sign in at the sign up shed where squads are formed consisting of four to eight shooters. The participant is required to walk the course with his squad and rotate the shooting order on the squad at each station. The total possible score is 50, which has only been achieved once on our course by Steve Clanch, in February 2003. Shooting in the forties is excellent and a feat accomplished by only a few. Shooting in the thirties is good shooting. Beginners can expect to shoot in the teens or twenties. This is a challenging sport and simulates actual field shooting. If it takes you two shots to bring a bird to bag in the field, that is 50% shooting and will only get you 25 of 50 at sporting clays.