Me and my 14 year old kid want to shoot in a tournament or 2 for fun this summer. I really know very little about it. Never thought about it before, but this guy at Elm Fork last weekend was saying we should and was telling me about it. Never thought I was good enough, but he said you start out with other newbies in D class, then you move up the better you shoot.

I shoot mainly 5 stand, I feel like I’m on the verge of being good. I have taken several lessons over the last 5 years, so I know how to shoot correctly. I think my best score is 23, and there are times I shoot consistently in the 18 to 21 range (which is good for me) when I relax and focus on the target. If I start thinking about lead and where my barrel is relative to the target I start really messing up, and can shoot as bad as 12 out of 25. 18 or better and I feel good, but if I can just get my head right, I think I can shoot in the 20’s consistently (90%+). I shoot every weekend 50 to 150 targets, would like to shoot more just dang expensive.

Let’s hear about your shooting, I would like to hear, what tournaments you shot in, what was your score, what class are you in, how long you been tournament shooting, anything you got to say I want to hear. Thanks.

I used to shoot registered sporting clays all the time, it just got too expensive.

Go give it a whirl, Guy. You and your son will have a blast!!!


For the record: I was (and still am) in MASTER class.

I shoot most weekends in a tournament somewhere around the metroplex

4h father and son maybe?

I shoot on a league. It is a hoot, especially if you(everyday) or someone on the squad is having an off day.

By the way, I suck at it most of the time, but I still have a ton of fun.

I shoot most weekends.

I also shoot registered. I'm keeping a low profile right now because of the heat. It's fun and gets pricy.

The targets are 50% more expensive than if you just go shoot and the only people making any money on it are the range owners. Oh and I forgot to tell you that you are shooting for "punches". I won a few but was never able to see or touch a punch

The targets are much harder than average and shooting tournaments will make you a better shot but it is going to cos you a bunch more.

Best advice I can give you is go to Fossil Pointe, ask them which course has more of a tournament set and go shoot it. That will give you an idea about what you will see and cost you 50% less money. Average weekend shooting clay tournament is 120 for 200 targets, 50 for your cart, 55 for shells and your gas to and from. It is a rich mans game...I took almost all the money I was spending shoot clays and have a nice duck lease

Try joining a 4-H shooting sports club for your son. I did it when I was younger, and my brother is currently shooting with the Hays county club. they have tournaments all over the state.

The best part is most ranges give discounts to 4-H members.

You can and will have a lot of fun shooting with your son..It is
expensive...I shot and refereed to defray the costs because I w/
shooting about 15,000 or more reg. targets a yr...but I did get to enjoy shooting with my older son John Miller while he was in
school and at several reg. shoots...If you want 4H will expose your son to some competition and cheaper shooting, but it may not
put him in the hunt in open competition in his group..Private lessons can get pricey..but there are some really great shooters
in your area, and most are willing to help new shooters, especially the kids...Good Shooting...remember it's for fun Don

My son actually did do 4-H at Elm Fork a couple years ago, the manager quit and it all fell apart, so my son lost interest in that, but I hear 4-H is up and going again there. And yes they did give a $1 discount per 25 targets. I think we will just do a few tournaments next season at Elm Fork for fun. And I want to try Fossil Pointe, thx Judd.

I am the Texas state champion trap shooter. 2nd in state in sporting clays and placed 3rd in skeet. Dallas gun club has many tournaments I shot the big d open. Red hot open. And state there. Elm fork has well organized tournaments but very poor pay out. I placed 1st 2nd and got 2 3rd place in a tournament and received 37 dollars -_- I'm a regular at elm fork and Jamie is a good friend of mine talk to him about some lessons out there. I'm 15 and could probably show your son a thing or 2. Get ahold of me and let's go shoot some weekend I'm always out there and very happy to help

I try to shoot twice a month in the summer. Little more when it cools down

Nice, we will have to hook up for a shoot!

Not in the class of some of the shooters here but for several years shot sporting clays, skeet and trap leagues. Really loved it when shooting was mostly paid for from a rec-club at work.

You two get out there shooting and do not be supprised when your son starts shooting better than you do.

kmon my son started shooting better than me when he was 10 yrs old lol. I was paying for him to take lessons, he got better than me, and I was ok with that untill he started talking smack about it. Then I said the heck with that I'm taking lessons too, I got better than him and have out shot him till this summer he beat me a few times. But if he shot as much as I do he would smoke me no question.

My son has been shooting for 3 years, he's 12 now. Wanting to get him in tournaments but do not know where to begin. Have asked a few no one seems to know. He finally beet me at Skeet, last week. 18/25 I finished with a 17, which is low for me. We shoot sporting clays too.

Any advice getting him into tournaments in the Houston area let me know.

Have you looked into 4H?

I will look into that more, but it looks like a more instructional type environment. We are looking to shoot in events. Possibly join a club.

No, see link below, they got state wide leagues. Scroll down and read some of the links like "2012 Trap & Skeet Postal League Information" etc... The 4H kids travel all over the state and shoot in tournaments. Need to find a good club to join in your area. Maybe some of the others know more and can help you out. My son was in 4H a year or so, he did not compete he jojned just for fun to shoot with other kids, but all the other kids in our club did.

http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/shootingsports/events

I REALLY DISLIKE this guy. I have shot clays with him more times than I care to count, and I have never seen him shoot worse than a 97 out of 100. I could have my best day on the course (beating Judd of course), and still not even come near his score. If hit 80, I was happy.

Go to shooterspage.com
There is a drop down menu for Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays broke down by state.
Gunsmoke in Snook has a charity tournament next weekend that's price pretty good.

Robert

Goldy you good shot too from what I remember, I like it because you say pull with gun unmounted, you get bonus points for that. I tried shooting with gun unmounted one off season experimenting to see if I shot better, I shot worse, it might have been that one year I shot with you. Watching you shoot made me go back to shooting unmounted. It is the only way I shoot now. 70% is average for me, 80% I feel real good about. I do best when I pull the trigger when gun hits my face, when I wait and think about lead and all, I shoot about 50%.

I used to shoot in college for my school. The best advice i can give is reload your own shells, and DONT THINK JUST SHOOT. I wish I could find more weekend tourneys to go to so that I could get back into it. You guys in the metroplex that are weekend warriors need to have a thread that informs of all shoots upcoming. I would come to a lot of them if I knew about them.

Guys..Dallas has the Dallas Gun Club which is a lot of really
great shooters..Houston has the same...San Antonio has San Antonio Gun Club, Bandera,ect..and all have champion shooters in
them...as does Corpus..most are more than willing to help young
or new shooters..and most are quite good, plus if really serious
there are paid instructors one can hire..Many have 4H programs
to defer some of your costs..but if you are serious, plan on spending time and money if you wish you children to win..and they
have to be serious about it also..Don Dial, Bandera Gun Club