Overview
Sporting clays is often described as “golf with a shotgun”—a dynamic shooting sport where each station offers a unique challenge across natural terrain. Unlike trap or skeet, which feature predictable target presentations, sporting clays replicates realworld hunting scenarios with constantly changing angles, speeds, distances, elevations, and target sizes.
River Bend Gun Club’s sporting clays course features multiple stations designed to provide a wide variety of single and paired target presentations. The course accommodates all skill levels: beginners can choose stations that match their comfort level and practice more challenging combinations, while experienced shooters will find plenty of advanced target scenarios to test their abilities.
Shooting Schedule
The Sporting Clays Course is open six days a week from sunrise to sunset:
• Monday & Tuesday: Members only
• Wednesday: Closed for maintenance
• Thursday–Sunday: Open to members and their guests
Please note: Club golf carts are generally not available on Mondays and Tuesdays. If a staff member is present in the clubhouse, a cart may be rented—but plan ahead in case you need to walk the course on those days.
How Shooting Works
Target Cards
All shooters must have a target-release card:
• Members: Issued Count Down cards. Members pre-fund their cards, and target fees are deducted automatically as targets are thrown.
• Guests: Issued Count Up cards, secured with a photo ID. The card tracks the number of targets thrown, and guests pay for their targets when returning the card to retrieve their ID.
On the Course
• Shooters insert their card and select their first target via a controller.
• Stations do not include free show targets.
• Show targets may be thrown, but each target launched incurs a charge.
• Shooters may walk, drive personal carts, or rent club carts (when available).
• Trailer parking is located at the bird barn above the club manager’s office.
• Please pick up spent hulls and dispose of them in the provided containers.
The RBGC Sporting Clays match is generally shot with a 12 gauge shotgun using a variety of choke tubes. Other gauge shotguns may be used but are a slight handicap because of fewer pellets in the shot load. The shotgun used is most often an over/under double barrel shotgun. Autoloaders are also used, but create challenges retrieving your spent hulls. Pump action shotguns create a handicap in shooting doubles targets. In addition to a shotgun, a shell pouch or vest is needed to keep shells at hand and keep the flow of the match moving smoothly. Safety glasses and hearing protection are required for everyone on the field. Sporting Clays is shot with lead target ammo with a shot size between 7 1/2 and 9.
Recommendations for Equipment
Sporting clays can be shot with any shotgun, though 12-gauge is most common.
Additional guidance:
• Choke tubes: Highly recommended for adapting to different target presentations.
• Shotguns: Over/under shotguns are most popular; auto-loaders are also common but require extra attention to hull pickup.
• Pump shotguns: Usable, but less ideal for shooting doubles.
• Ammunition: Lead target loads, 7½ shot or smaller.
• Safety gear: Eye and ear protection are required for all shooters.
• Accessories: A shell pouch or shooting vest helps keep the flow of the round smooth.
Getting Started
New shooters will find sporting clays easy to learn with any shotgun capable of firing two shots. River Bend members are welcoming and happy to help newcomers understand the course, target cards, and shooting etiquette.
For questions or additional information, contact Shotgun Hill at: shotgun@rbgc.org
