Sporting Clays Vacation Options

Devlin

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My wife is chasing me to pick a vacation spot somewhere hot and tropical. Hawaii and spots like Jamaica keep coming up as options, we've done Mexico and aren't going back anytime soon. She is happy to sit on a beach and watch the world go by, for me though I need to do something. Sporting clays is my preferred shotgun game and some quick googling shows that Hawaii has some options around this.

https://kauaiclays.com/

Looking for any other suggestions from this crowd on anything you may have come across, prefer a place with rental guns as I'd like to avoid the hassle of flying with guns if I can (it's not a huge hassle honestly, but prefer to avoid it) would also like to avoid rental guns that are 100 year old single shots with a hardened hockey puck for a butt pad. Doesn't have to be a Krieghoff but something of decent quality ideally.

Interested in any feedback you folks may have.
 
I just returned from a Florida trip in the Vero Beach/Okeechobee area. I shot at OK Corral Gun Club that had two 15 station sporting clays courses (a beginner/intermediate and a "competition" course) along with Trap, Skeet, 5-Stand, a wobble deck and pistol/rifle ranges. I only shot the clays and wobble deck but was able to rent either a Beretta S/A in 12 or 20 or a Browning O/U. They have lots of ammunition and golf carts available for a reasonable fee. There's also Vero Beach Sporting Clays (formerly Indian River) in the area and of course Quail Creek Plantation where they just held the Gator Cup (those courses were impressive and vendors row included Beretta, Guerini, Blaser, Cole's Fine Guns, DuPont Krieghoff, Briley, Pure Gold Chokes, Muller chokes, a custom stock maker and a few ammo dealers as well). Vero Beach is also home to DuPont Krieghoff, the worlds number one Krieghoff dealer. I stopped in there for a visit and was blown away by how many 100K guns you could pick from !!!

I drove down so I also hit Amelia Shotgun Sports (owned by the people who make Muller chokes) in Yulee (Jacksonville area) but didn't shoot because there was thunder/lightning. Lots of clubs open to the public on the gulf coast as well. I know it's not Hawaii but there's lots of options in Florida ....
 
I just returned from a Florida trip in the Vero Beach/Okeechobee area. I shot at OK Corral Gun Club that had two 15 station sporting clays courses (a beginner/intermediate and a "competition" course) along with Trap, Skeet, 5-Stand, a wobble deck and pistol/rifle ranges. I only shot the clays and wobble deck but was able to rent either a Beretta S/A in 12 or 20 or a Browning O/U. They have lots of ammunition and golf carts available for a reasonable fee. There's also Vero Beach Sporting Clays (formerly Indian River) in the area and of course Quail Creek Plantation where they just held the Gator Cup (those courses were impressive and vendors row included Beretta, Guerini, Blaser, Cole's Fine Guns, DuPont Krieghoff, Briley, Pure Gold Chokes, Muller chokes, a custom stock maker and a few ammo dealers as well). Vero Beach is also home to DuPont Krieghoff, the worlds number one Krieghoff dealer. I stopped in there for a visit and was blown away by how many 100K guns you could pick from !!!

I drove down so I also hit Amelia Shotgun Sports (owned by the people who make Muller chokes) in Yulee (Jacksonville area) but didn't shoot because there was thunder/lightning. Lots of clubs open to the public on the gulf coast as well. I know it's not Hawaii but there's lots of options in Florida ....

Florida would be hard to beat in North America. New Zealand would be my number 1 choice.
 
I'm pretty sure in Florida you're never more than a 1 hour drive from a decent club. I have a place in Bradenton so I'm less than 45 minutes to Sarasota Gun Club but any time I visit friends in other spots they're also close to ranges. A friend in St. Augustine has a local club and they sell ammunition from vending machines !!! I'd never seen that before.

I'm looking forward to retiring soon so I can winter and shoot there.
 
What would a round cost $ shooting in Florida ? Considering gun rental, shells and cost per round ?

Quail Creek Plantation just held the Gator Cup. A large club, $50 for 100 clays, Gun rental $25. Shells likely $10. Not sure how they manage gun rentals for non-residents.
 
There are a couple of sporting clays courses in the Phoenix area, namely Rio Salado and Ben Avery. They're nice courses and are as cheap as any place, usually about 35 to 40 cents per target plus ammo and gun.
Maui has sporting clay's but the last time I was there it was closed for a few days so I'd check in advance if you decide to go there.
 
One of the places I shot (a very well maintained and professional club) was OK Corral Gun Club. Prices there are .59 cents a target for non-members, you get a plastic target card that you place on the Pro-Matic target stand set-up and it counts how many targets you throw from each station (you leave your drivers licence to make sure you return). When done you return the card and pay for what you used so the price of a "round" may vary. Shotgun rental was $35 for the day and a choice between Browning or Beretta. Shells are $9.00 a box, I was using Clever, 1oz loads of #8 @ 1245fps so at least it's quality stuff. Golf cart rental is $14.50. The courses have restrooms and water stations every few presentations and there's a decent restaurant on site.

Other clubs are cheaper, I've seen rental guns as low as $10.00 and cheaper ammunition, but some are more expensive. For non-members, the process to shoot is pretty easy. You must first fill out a waiver that says you won't shoot yourself (or anyone else) or be a numpty on their course and shoot up stuff that's not supposed be shot (like wildlife or clay throwing equipment). I always figure, it's a vacation so I know it's going to cost more but it's worth it for the experience. On top of that, you meet a whole lot of friendly people who are like minded.
 
Depends how "tropical" of a vacation your looking for, but a couple years ago I won a rewards trip though work to San Antonio, TX.
Home of course to the National Shooting Complex.
All clay disciplines there. Great people, welcome to guests etc..
Lots of neat things to do in the area aside from shooting.
Really enjoyed my time there. I'll definitely be back.
Just a thought and not a huge amount of money and daily direct flights to San Antonio from YYZ.
And following...
 
4 of us from Quebec and my friend from Connecticut shot the Martinique FITASC Grand Prix in February. As it is France, no permits for shotguns are required. A 200 target GP is usually 200 Euros. For 150 Euros, we had: Friday night dinner, continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday, baguette sandwiches for lunch both days, free water and coffee all day, free beer, wine or rhum in the afternoon, free supper both days, free 1/2 liter of fine Clément rhum for every entry. One can fly direct from Montreal AC or Norwegian Airways. We are all planning to go back next year.
 
Tampa bay sporting clays in Tampa Bay area is always welcoming to visiting shooters. As well there is a state run course called Tenaroc within 1hours drive from Orlando area. Then you have the above mentions courses in FLA. Florida is a good destination to go for clays.

cooner
 
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