u/Ok-Spinach-1692

Manuel Ricardo stock on order hopefully another 2-3 months 🤞🏼

Discovered sporting clays this year, and somewhere along the way I learned that my 9-year-old has an absolute fire for competition. Since then, we’ve been shooting and competing together, with my 7-year-old getting in on the action here and there too.

We’ve spent the summer traveling around to all the local-ish courses we can find, shooting tournaments and just enjoying the time together. We recently traveled across the country to my home state so we could compete in their state championship, and this winter we’re planning to go all the way to Puerto Rico with my parents to compete there too.

Selfishly, I don’t think this could have come at a better point in my own life. I found something I genuinely love doing, but somehow ended up with something even better: my boys genuinely LOVE doing it with me. The competitions and traveling are great, but getting all that time together has easily become my favorite part.

And then there’s an unexpected bonus to the whole thing.

At our local course, the retired general manager of 30 years—who is also a certified shotgun instructor/coach—has absolutely taken a liking to my 9-year-old and has basically become his coach, completely free of charge. He’s also become a close friend of mine.
From what I understand, his longtime shooting buddy passed away, and he hadn’t been getting out and shooting nearly as much over the past decade. Since we met, we’ve gotten him back out there quite a bit this year. My boys and I even got a stuffed gibbon monkey (the official spirit animal of us as we are big affectionate love bugs) named George Jr. That we take with shooting and traveling when George isn’t with us.

So somehow this hobby has turned into three generations of my family traveling and competing together, my boys and I making memories I hope they’ll carry with them forever, and an older gentleman finding a reason to get back out and enjoy something he’s loved his whole life.
Sporting clays was supposed to be a way to brush up for hunting season and has turned into something a hell of a lot more meaningful than that.

Can’t wait til they get their first birds!

Nice mix of targets and various terrains. People were awesome. Main event is tomorrow with a crab feast. Looking forward to it!

Context: This was prelim course, ran 5 pairs on report and this was the “true pairs event”, shot on the prelim course. If you listen, my son encourages me and then I drop and catch the shell 😂. I might not be the best shooter, but you can’t teach that!

Wild how different it has been than all the clubs I’ve been to on the east coast, and not in a bad way. First time shooting black rim targets. Make-a-break #1 bird was RIPPIN. Main event was as spicy as I’ve seen. Very few “unfair”, if any. Seriously happy I attended.

Spicy targets today. Got a couple buddies out who don’t normally shoot including a first timer who shot impressively well. Ran the first station! Only took one video and happened to run the station 😃

Can’t say enough good things about the place and people. People have complained about target price increases but they still throw the cheapest registered events around. They should have two 14 station courses by next year 🤙🏼

Complex certainly is a accurate depiction. Full restaurant and bar, onsite lodging, pistol and rifle ranges including 600 yards.

Two full sporting clay courses. Spicy targets. Good vibes.

Have seen mixed answers. Looking to swap my front sight on my 688 with a small midbead sized bead (.067)

https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/shotgun-parts/shotgun-sights-parts/shotgun-sight-bead-kit-c-with-shoulders/?sku=080001005

One of my favorite shoots this year target wise. Challenging but fair and scores reflected that. Was fortunate to shoot well in the morning and respectable in the afternoon. Second time at Kidd’s and they have my favorite targets in the Raleigh area but I’m still a fan of deep river. I have only shot 5-stand at drakes landing as it seems they don’t throw as many events.

There is a story behind the monkey….

https://www.fitasc.com/en/competitions/967?tab=results

Can’t seem to find the live scores posted…help?

Different course for sure, lots of quartering birds of all degrees. Pretty location and fairly spread out. Overall a good mix and happy I checked it out. Will be back in a few months for another shoot.

SSS - July Heat Wave. 100 sporting in the morning and 100 super sporting afternoon.

Awesome experience and had a great time with so many great people. Learning how to compete. I feel like I’m on the cusp of a breakthrough and I’m going to keep grinding 💪🏾

First time checking it out and was super pleased. 15 stations each with 4 traps. A/B corporate/novice C/D birds tournament difficulty. They threw a bunch of different types of clays, battues, rabbit, rabbue, minis, and midis which is always welcome.

My older son’s first scotch double and then the little guy seems to be moving with the target a bit better.

High for the day at that point was 4….i managed a 1 and 2. Saw a few master class shooters go 0 for.

First perfect round of skeet. Started shooting clays this year and primarily shoot sporting but enjoy all clay games and like it for visual pickup.

Felt super rushed but got it done. Told myself after my first two rounds “control the target” and got it done. Had my favorite shooting buddy trapping for it too!

First time here. Everyone is friendly and targets are a little spicy but overall fair. Having a great time and mentally in the game! Great weather for it 😊

119 shooters and HOA was an 81 so some spicy stuff. He broke 33. Didn’t beat himself up. Positive self talk is everything in everything we do. 7 year old was able to trap for us at a station. Older gentleman is the retired GM of the club (Old Forge-and an NSCA lvl II instructor) and has taken a liking to us and has been shooting with us the past 6 weeks or so. Great weather and a great event. A high note is he had his personal best on wobble (15). There will be plenty more to come from this guy.

He might be as addicted as I am. Second pic is him reading Straight Shooting, by Anthony Matarese Jr., for some light bedtime reading to his brother.