Shotgun sporting clays - a part of our morning ranch adventures.

Sporting Clays at Marble Mountain Ranch are an opportunity to experience a sample of the Western Firearms tradition in a sporting “non-kill” venue.    Our predecessors considered firearms to be an essential tool for survival here, and in our remote setting, we still consider the firearm to be an equally necessary tool.   Most of our guests find our sporting clays trap course to be both an educational and a highly thrilling addition to their Western Frontier vacation experience. 

Many of our novice shooters compare the trap course to “golf with a shotgun”.  There are some strict and technical differences between the games of skeet, American trap, and sporting clays, but we take an informal approach and try to run the course in a safe fashion that enables guests to break the most number of clay pigeons.   Sporting clays is perhaps the non-kill shooting sport that most closely resembles the shots normally encountered by a “wing shooter” in hunting quail,duck, pheasant or other fowl.

Shotguns, ammo, safety gear and instruction is all included in your shooting adventure.

Sporting Clays simulates a real life "wing shooting" hunt.

Age and skill appropriate shooting teaches safety and firearms respect

We provide lighter shotguns (410 gauge and 20 gauge youth models) for smaller participants. The minimum age for participants is determined on a case by case basis (typically at 7-8 years minimum) with input from the guardian in attendance. Ultimately our trap-master makes the decision with safety as the prime directive, and with compliance with course rules absolutely required by the participant. If the trap course is deemed inappropriate for a particular youth, we offer an alternate introduction to shooting safety with bb guns or single shot .22 rim fire rifles. Again, safety is the prime directive at the California Guest Ranch with education as a secondary goal.

Many of our guests arrive from countries that do not allow the sportsmen to own and shoot firearms on a recreational basis. We take great pleasure in enabling the global public to experience the challenge and thrill of competition shooting. We also find it rewarding to watch our visiting guests gain an insight into the proper recreational use of firearms as they shed preconceived notions of what a firearm is.