Top 5 Reasons to Love Skeet Shooting

As some of you may recall, last March I hosted a ladies’ day at the gun range with my skeet instructor and about twenty women. Everyone learned to shoot and we had so much fun! (You can see the pics and story here.) But one of the most memorable parts of the day was when my friend Jill picked up a gun for the very first time.

Knowing how much Jill disliked guns, I hadn’t expected her to even consider joining us, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw her walking towards me. Every time a shot rang out, she jumped. It was as if every cell in her body wanted to turn around and head home. Minutes earlier, she had just posted to Facebook, “Exiting my comfort zone — at Capital City Trap & Skeet Club”.

When my skeet instructor asked who wanted to go first, surprisingly it was Jill who volunteered. She hit her first two shots, and by the next time I checked on her, she was grinning ear to ear, radiant with a sense of accomplishment. As were all of the ladies who had shot that day. They were hooked on the thrill of skeet shooting!

What thrill? you may be asking. What could possibly be entertaining about shooting a gun at a clay disk?

So, to inspire you to hopefully try this sport one day, here are my top reasons why you should try skeet shooting.

1. It’s a social activity.

Whether you’re with your mother, brother, or significant other, everyone can join in. Yes, I have celebrated Mother’s day at the gun range…that’s how we roll in Texas.

Just a few occasions I deem skeet shooting to be perfect for:

• Date or double date
• Bachelorette party
• Group hang
• Christmas holiday entertainment
• 4th of July entertainment
• Political fundraiser
• Nonprofit fundraiser
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• Client appreciation

It’s kind of like golf–just the right amount of physical exercise, entertainment, and out-of-the-office fun.

2. It’s thrilling.

It’s completely thrilling to be able to blow a clay disk to smithereens. The thrill comes in part from it being a completely out of the box activity that you don’t do every day, part from the loud “Pop!” of the gun, and part from the satisfaction of hitting the moving target.

And it is possible to actually hit one! As the ladies proved at our shooting day.

3. It’s affordable.

One round usually costs $10-15, plus $8 for a box of shells…and that will last you at least 30 minutes. Conceivably, you could get out of the gun club for under $50 and have had a fun day!

4. It can be done inside the city limits.

So many outdoor activities are at least an hour’s drive away, but skeet ranges are often within city limits. In San Antonio, I can see Whole Foods from the skeet range!

5. Only takes an hour or two!

You completely set the pace. Life is so fast-paced these days, it’s nice to have an activity that fits in to the pandemonium.

I hope I have piqued your curiosity about this sport and tempted you to try it! If you’re like the many other women I have shared it with, such as Jill, you will likely find you love it too.

More info on this sport to come. For now, enjoy these previous posts on Whit’s Wilderness:

• What to Wear Skeet Shooting
• My Skeet Shooting Secrets
• Skeet Shooting Terminology

A point about safety

While Jill may have overcome some of her fear of guns that day, she still has quite a reverence for them. And that is what I encourage each of you to have…a healthy respect for the need to handle them safely. We like to say, “treat every gun as if it’s loaded.” Be sure your gun is unloaded when you’re not on a station and never point your gun in the direction of people or buildings.

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