Dear GMGC Shooters,
I hope everyone has had an excellent summer and early fall. Before you know it, the shooting season will be in full swing.
Following tradition, the season will begin with the annual Links, Lock & Load. Because of course aeration, this 2-day event will be held October 24th-25th. As the event has grown, it was hard to finish by dark, so we will continue to extend the tournament to two days. This also gives participants more flexibility in timing.
On Saturday, November 14th, we will hold an instruction shoot for members interested in picking up the sport. The Cross-Country Golf Tournament will be on Saturday, November 21st, so the range will be closed. The next event is the Turkey Shoot on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 22nd). This is a handicap event with a frozen turkey on the line. The following event is the Black Friday Family shoot (November 27th). This is a casual shoot. Beginners and family members home for the holiday are welcome! After the shoot, we will host a dog party. If your dog is afraid of gunfire, please plan to bring your dog after the shoot is complete (3 pm).
In January (1/9/27), we will bring back the very popular Annie Oakley shoot. This is a two-person event, and experienced guests are welcome.
The next event will be the Wobble Trap/Altimus Team event, held on Saturday, February 13th. Last year, we had two ten-person teams. We will wrap up the season with the Club Championships. The Handicap Wobble Trap will be held on February 27th, the Handicap Altimus Championship on February 29th, the Wobble Trap Championship on March 6th, and finally the Club Championship on March 7th.
ForeTees sign-up has been very helpful for staff planning and for members' time efficiency. We will use ForeTees again this season.
New this year, we will have a new season-long event. We will track each member's high score for Altimus, Wobble Trap, and Trap Doubles on a newly installed chalkboard hanging in the Shooting Hut. A season-long award will be given out at the end of the season.
The Gulph Mills shooting program has a long and strong track record of safety. Experienced shooters have helped newer shooters both improve their technique and, importantly, demonstrate proper safety habits. The shooting program is not designed to accommodate new participants. Several excellent facilities are nearby where instructors are available. For parents who want to get their children involved, or for members who are a little intimidated by the sport, I will offer my shooting simulator from time to time. The simulator uses a real gun but no ammunition. Olympic teams use it to train in the off-season. Please reach out if you're interested.
With a commitment to safety, please note the following rules and protocols:
- Only shotguns with an action that can open are allowed. No semi-automatic or pump shotguns are allowed on the range.
- At all stations, always ensure your gun is unloaded before leaving the station.
- At station 1 of Altimus, make sure you load your gun, pointing towards the ground away from the trap house in front of you.
- On the Wobble Trap field, all participants must have their own gun. Walking between stations to share a gun will not be tolerated.
- On the Wobble Trap field, when leaving station 5, please turn to your right, away from other shooters, when walking to station 1.
- On the Wobble Trap field, do not leave your station until all participants have finished shooting at their assigned station.
- If your gun misfires, aim the gun at the ground and wait 30 seconds before breaking the barrel.
- Safety is paramount. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure safe gun handling by all shooters. If you see anything that makes you uncomfortable from a safety perspective, immediately inform the Range Officer.
- All guests must be approved by a member of the Shooting Committee.
- Anyone who participates in shooting activities must review the safety cards at the shooting hut and sign a waiver.
We know there are many rules, but we must enforce them to protect the staff, members, and the program. The round fee will change slightly this year to more closely reflect the cost of a round. Please see the new fee schedule below. These fees are very competitive compared to other clubs in our area.
| 2026-2027 Clay Bird Shooting Fee Schedule |
| |
|
|
| Altimus with ammo (25 + birds) |
$25 |
| Altimus without ammo (25+ birds) |
$18 |
| |
|
|
| Trap with ammo (25 birds) |
$18 |
| Trap without ammo (25 birds) |
$10 |
| |
|
|
| Trap Double with ammo (50 birds) |
$31 |
| Trap Double without ammo (50 birds) |
$23 |
| |
|
|
|
A separate sign-up email will go out to the GMGC Shooting Community for each event. If you are not on the email distribution list and would like to know more about upcoming events, please sign up here or contact Mason Flinn.
We look forward to another successful shooting season, and we hope to see all of you on the range.
Respectfully,
Chair of the Shooting Committee
Mason Flinn
Shooting Committee:
John Cuddeback
Hattie Laveran
Britt Murdoch
Carlton Neel