The second time I've ever picked up a shotgun was this past weekend at Tucson Trap & Skeet Club. My friend Kristin convinced me to go skeet shooting with her for the day (a recent hobby she's picked up). We took our husbands out there too, convinced we could shoot better than they could. The drive there was surprisingly short, about 20 minutes from downtown, even though it sits outside of the city limits. The range is tucked away and barely noticeable from the road, even though it sits on 80 acres of land (apparently one of the largest facilities in the country)!

When we first arrived, I met Al, a Tucson resident who's been shooting skeet/sporting clays/trap for more than 25 years. He's a family friend of Kristin's, so he gave us a private lesson. Feeling very brave, we challenged the guys to a round of skeet (25 shells are shot per person in one round). It was neat learning about the sport, as I'd never been around anyone that has shot competitively. Al warned the guys that women tend to pick up the game more easily than men, so that gave me the courage. I came in first place in our first round with 12/25 clays shot!

After I decided to quit while I was ahead, I talked to Al for a bit about his history with shooting. When he can sneak away from managing his roofing business, he travels around the country taking part in shooting competitions. He really loves the sport. He did say that the Tucson Trap & Skeet Club is one of the best he's come across in the country, especially the club house restaurant (the same one I'd heard two other folks out there talking about earlier in the day). He said he likes how accommodating they are of groups out there, and that they book private groups and teach them shooting techniques, allow them to show off their skills with the rented shotguns, and then send them on their way for the day.

It was definitely an experience I'd recommend to anyone feeling like trying a new sport for the day!

On top of their normal hours, Tucson Trap & Skeet Club is open in the early mornings and some evenings too. Make sure to check out their website before you head out there.