You can register at scorechaser.com in advance to reserve your start time and squad. Walk-ins are welcome the day of the shoot but squadding cannot be guaranteed. Hope to see you there!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What time should I get there?

A: We will have a shotgun start beginning promptly at 10:00. Please be at the club at least an hour before. You will need time to register, pay and make your way to your assigned station. Registration will open at 8:00.

Q: Can I register in advance?

A: Yes and it is highly encouraged. You can register at scorechaser.com or call (or text) Jason Wahl at 330-280-1006 and he will register you. If calling, please leave a message and he will return you call as soon as possible.

Q:  Can I bring my golf cart, side-by-side, etc.? 

A:  You are welcome to bring your side-by-side, four wheeler, etc. However, our course does not have a paved or gravel path so a typical golf cart will not have enough traction to make it around the course.  All vehicles should be kept at a walking pace while on club property.

Q: Where should I go and what should I do when I get to your club?

A:  You will need to register at the clubhouse at the far end of the driveway (up the hill on the trap range).  Parking is limited at the clubhouse and we ask that you leave these spaces for those shooters with walking difficulties (there will be designated parking areas at the bottom of the hill).  Bring your gun and gear with you since the first station is on the trap range and this will save you a trip.  DO NOT load your gun under any circumstances until you have been instructed to do so by your trapper.  Keep all actions open…safety first and always! 

Q:  What type of shotgun should I bring? 

A:  Any shotgun that is capable of firing two rapid shots may be used.  Most serious clays shooters use over-and-under shotguns, but autoloaders are also common.  Pump guns can be a fun challenge for those who can shuck shells quickly.  For that matter, you’re keeping your own score so if you want to bring your single shot and have us chuck out singles all day, that’s fine by us.  You can also use any gauge that you like, but keep in mind that the club only sells 12- and 20-gauge shells. 

Q:  What chokes and shells do you recommend?

A:  There are no particularly long shots on our course and all our targets can be broken with improved cylinder or skeet chokes.  While these more “open” chokes are recommended, don’t let the modified or even full choke in your gun keep you from coming out.  Chokes make a difference measured in inches while most people miss by feet.  #7-1/2 or #8 shot is recommended.  Nothing larger than 1-1/8 ounce loads are allowed (or are even remotely needed). 

Q:  How hard is your clays course? 

A:  We intentionally did not set out to make the most challenging course in the world.  We wanted to create realistic hunting-type shots that we’ve experienced while pheasant, quail, grouse and rabbit hunting.  There are no 60 MPH at 80-yard shots on our course.  Our course has a mix of electric and manual (Lincoln) traps and uses standard, rabbit, midi and battue targets.  We think that a new shooter will enjoy themselves while an experienced shooter will not shoot an easy 100. 

Q:  How many people can we have in our group?

A:   As many as you want, but we are squadding in groups of six whenever possible.  If you show up with eight people, you can decide if you want four in the first squad and four in the second, or six in the first and two in the second.  Putting more than six people in one squad slows down the entire course.  It’s the same reason why golf limits you to foursomes.  If things get slow later in the day, we will try to accommodate larger squads. 

Q:  What is a “report” pair versus a “true” pair?

A:  All of our sporting clays stations are setup to present targets in pairs and you will shoot either three pairs or four pairs of targets per station.  A “true” pair presents both targets in the air at the same time and it is up to the shooter to determine which target to attempt first.  A “report” pair presents the first target when the shooter calls for the bird and the second target is launched at the sound or “report” of the gun. 

Q:  What if the target breaks on its own coming out of the trap? 

A:  Every so often a target will break coming out of the trap.  This is called a “no bird”.  On a true pair if either target is a “no bird”, you will need to reshoot the pair (regardless of whether you broke the other target or not, no score is established).  On a report pair if you shoot at the first bird and the second is a “no bird”, the first bird is an established score.  On the retry, you must attempt to shoot at the first bird but only the second bird will be scored. 

Q:  Why do you say I should bring 125 shells if I’m only shooting at 100 targets?

A:  See the question above…you will need extra shells to reattempt the targets.  Having exactly 125 isn’t important…you just don’t want to come up short. 

Q:  What do I do if I squeeze the trigger and the gun doesn’t go off? 

A:  Keep the gun pointed down range in a safe direction and call out “safety” so that your trapper and others in your group can hear.  Count to ten while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction, then open the action while keeping the breach pointed away from you and others. 

Q:  What if the target breaks against a tree before I shoot? 

A:  Part of the game is that you need to shoot target before it hits any obstacle, so any target that breaks against the tree (or ground) is scored as a loss.  There are exceptions if the trapper considers the trajectory of the target to be wrong, at which point the attempt will be repeated. 

Q:  I’ve seen clays shot on TV and they shooters always start from a low (unmounted) gun position.  Do I have to do that? 

A:  No.  FITASC competition requires a low gun until the target can be seen but USCA dropped that requirement in 1997.  Most experienced shooters will start with a low gun because it is a little easier to see the bird and it often helps with their timing.  Most beginners mount the gun before calling for the bird.  In either case, we are not a registered shoot so do whatever you want. 

Q:  What’s the rule on “show” birds? 

A:  Only the first shooter in a squad gets to see a pair of “show” birds before attempting to shoot.  If the station is a true pair, these will be launched as a true pair.  If a report pair, the second bird will be launched when the shooter says “bang”.  Only the first shooter has the option of viewing the show birds with a mounted but unloaded gun.  Up to two pairs of show birds will be thrown per station, but we ask that if you don’t need to see the second pair that you don’t call for them.  This helps save targets and keep your cost low.   No other shooter in the squad will get to call for show birds since they have the advantage of seeing the first shooter’s attempts.  Out of fairness, shooters should rotate shooting positions (who shoots first) from station to station.    

Q:  What kinds of payments do you take?

A:  We only take cash the day of the shoot, $45 per round of 100 clays.  If you register on scorechaser.com, you will have the option to pay in advance by credit card.

Q:  What else should I know?

A:  Here are a few tips: 

• Our course is a nice loop through fields, ponds and woods.  While this should provide some nice shade, you can also expect bugs so bringing bug spray is a good idea. 
• About half of our path that connects stations is grass, so boots are advised if it has been raining or there is dew in the morning. 
• Our concessions stand will be selling sandwiches, snacks and drinks for breakfast and lunch.  We will have a water station at the halfway point. 
• There are restrooms at the clubhouse but not on the course. 
• You will be required to sign a copy of our liability waiver before shooting on our course.  This only needs to be done once a year and will be kept on file for subsequent rounds or shooting dates.  Minors will need to signature of the adult accompanying them on the course. 
• If you’ve had a good time, don’t forget to tip your trapper. 

The sporting clays station…how it’s done:

• Make sure you have at least ten shells in your vest/pouch/pockets before you step into the shooting box.  Note that the target type, target presentation and number of pairs will be posted on the shooting box. 
• Keep your gun unloaded and action open until you are in the box and your gun barrel(s) are over the bar.  If you are the first shooter, leave your gun empty when viewing any show birds. 
• When the trapper is ready, he will call out the target presentation (“True pair!” or “Report pair!”) and the words “Trapper ready!”  Only then should you load and close the action of your gun. 
• Put your gun into a ready (mounted or pre-mounted) position, set the gun’s safety to the fire position and call for the bird(s) by yelling “Pull!”  Your trigger finger should stay outside of the trigger guard until you see the target. 
• If you have a “no bird” situation, open the action of the gun and restart the sequence.   
• Immediately report any safety concerns to your trapper. 
• If you drop any shells, empty hulls, etc. do not pick them up until everyone in your groups is done shooting. 
• Never leave the marked path or shooting stations when you are on course.