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.
Last year, we added some new events, which were well-received, so we plan to keep these events on the calendar. The season will begin with the annual Links, Lock & Load. This is a 2-day event with golf on Saturday, November 1st and Shooting on Sunday, November 2nd. With the growth in the event, it was hard to finish by dark, so we extended it to two days. This also gives participants more flexibility in timing.
On Saturday, November 15th we will have an instruction shoot for members that are interested in picking up the sport. The next event will be the Turkey Shoot on the Saturday before Thanksgiving (November 23rd). This is a handicap event with a frozen turkey on the line. The following event is the Black Friday Family shoot, which is a causal shoot. Beginners and family members home for the holiday are welcomed! After the shoot, we will host a dog show. If your dog is afraid of gunfire, please plan to bring your dog after the completion of shooting (@ 3pm). The dog show will have two categories. First will be which owner and dog look most alike. The second category is what dog and any member look most alike. Dressing your dog and/or yourself is encouraged. We will also offer a women day shoot on Sunday, December 6th. Hattie Laveran will spearhead this event.
In January (1/10/26) we will bring back the very popular Annie Oakley shoot. This is a two-person event (guest are allowed) that was well received last year.
The next event will be the Wobble Trap / Altimus Team event. Last year, we had two ten-person teams. We will wrap up the season with The Club Championships. The Handicap Wobble Trap (new event) will be held on February 28th, The Handicap Altimus Championship on March 1st, The Wobble Trap Championship on March 7th, and finally The Club Championship on March 8th.
The ForeTees sign-up has been very helpful for planning purposes for the staff and time efficiency for the members. ForeTees will once again be utilized this 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 in the sport. There are several excellent facilities not far from the Club where instructors are available. For parents who would like to get their children involved or 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. It's a system that Olympic trap teams use to train in the off-season. Please reach out if you have an interest.
With the 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 to 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 Ranger 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 these rules must be enforced to protect the staff, members and the program. The cost for a round will be $23 with ammo and $17 without ammo.
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.
The first regular Altimus shoot will be on Sunday, October 26th to give Links, Lock & Load participants a chance to dust off the rust.
We look forward to another successful shooting season, and we hope to see all of you on the range.
Respectfully,
Mason S. Flinn
Chair of the Shooting Committee
Shooting Committee:
John C. Cuddeback
Hattie Laveran
John Lisle
Carlton B. Neel