There are 36 stations on this course. Each one is a split level deck giving various shooting positions. The two targets look completely different when shot from varying height shooting platforms.
Notice how the decks are solid and secure, giving a feeling of confidence to an experienced, or especially, a new shooter. The sound board to the left not only divides the stations, but has two other reasons. One is safety, this prevents the shooter swinging his gun too far to the left and endangering the neighboring station. The second reason is, this course is in a valley and there are several stations that follow this river, so they are basically in a straight line. The sound board is constructed with overlapping boards which breaks up the low impact noise from the shotgun being fired. If not there, the sound would funnel up the valley and be heard over a mile away.
Note the bridge; this gives access to several traps on the other side of the river. Using automatic traps that hold in excess of 400 targets, they should only need filling once a day.
Each station requires a "going away" distance of 300 yards (275 meters). This is the International Safety
Distance for a shotgun course; so we must have 300 yards from a station to the boundary fence or
property line, if shooting in that direction. Shotgun shot does not go this far (normally 210 yards
maximum), but this extra 90 yards is a safety zone. NOTE: You won't get insurance if you don't have this
limit for safety.
To sum up, a Sporting Clay Course normally has 18 - 36 stations, (used to be 12 stations, but as more
shooters join the sport, they want more targets to shoot instead of repeating the same ones on a second
go round.)
Let's now take an example station. This one is from my beautiful course at The Shooting Academy
Nemacolin Resort and Spa, Farmington, PA.
