A friend of mine flew in to the Waco Regional Airport a while back, and on his way out of the parking lot, he heard the sound of gunshots ringing through the air.

“Nowhere but Texas,” he muttered.

The author lines up a shot during an afternoon of target practice at the Waco Skeet & Trap Club.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

It’s likely that those shots were being fired from the nearby Waco Skeet & Trap Club, which sits just a matter of yards from the airport and features some of the country’s best shooting facilities. In recent years, the club has attracted some of the world’s most prestigious shooting events, along with Olympic champions and world-class shooters.

It’s home to a number of club shoots, and hosted the U.S. Open in 2002. The Bradshaw Shoot, consistently ranked as one of the top 15 skeet shoots in America, attracts more than 350 participants to Waco annually. The club was named National Skeet Shooting Association’s Club of the Year from 2003 to 2005.

Despite all its accolades, the club has a down-home, friendly feel to it. Whether you’re a world-class shooter, a beginner, or anywhere in between, Waco Skeet & Trap will meet your needs. Like a lot of Central Texans, I’m less of an expert shooter than I am a recreational hunter, and all the trappings of a skeet range can take some getting used to. But a little time spent watching others shoot a round of clays will take the edge off and get your competitive juices going.

For those not familiar with skeet and trap shooting, the sport involves using shotguns to shoot and break clay targets. These clay discs are flung, either by hand-held devices or machines, at a variety of heights, speeds and angles to simulate the flights of birds. Each round of skeet involves a number of stations that shooters rotate through and shoot from. Stations vary in the number of targets thrown and height at which they’re propelled.

I enjoy the challenge of skeet shooting, and have found that I’m actually a better shot than my dove hunting trips would suggest. The clay targets are a lot more predictable in flight than the aerobatic doves I usually waste shells on. Wind is about the only factor that influences the direction or speed of a clay target. So on a recent calm day I went out for a little target practice.

It took a few targets flying past untouched before I got my depth perception in order, but once I had my hands and eyes on the same page, I was breaking clays left and right. And like almost anything, the more I practiced, the easier it got.

Some people compare skeet shooting with other target-based activities like darts, horseshoes and bowling. But the difference between skeet shooting and horseshoes is, to borrow from Mark Twain, like the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. Shooting clay targets involves skill and serious firepower. 

It also comes with some serious risks, and safety is a top concern at the club. American Bank Vice President Kyle Akin takes his 10-year-old daughter to the club to get her acquainted with firearms. “The facility is a perfect place for teaching her gun safety and how to properly handle a shotgun,” he said. 

Brandie Neal, a Pan American Games gold medalist who competed at Waco Skeet & Trap, recalled her first shooting experience.

“When I was 10, I shot a side-by-side 10-gauge and it knocked me down,” she said. Neal didn’t pick up another shotgun until she was 18. “My dad made me get back out there and shoot, and I fell in love with it,” she said.

Sometimes, skeet shooting isn’t an end in itself, though. A lot of bird hunters use Waco Skeet & Trap to get their hand-eye coordination tuned up before dove season opens each September. I plan to schedule a few rounds of skeet before dove season opens — both for practice and for improving confidence in my shooting skills. Athletes and military personnel also have trained using skeet shooting as a way to hone their timing and improve their ability to lead and hit a moving target.

But whether you shoot for personal improvement or to compete with friends, skeet is a good way to spend a little time away from everyday life.

“Skeet shooting in America dates back to 1920 and is a sport for all ages,” said Carl Hensch, director for the National Skeet Shooting Association. “You will see shooters in their teens to shooters in their 80s.” Clay target shooting is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. Roughly 20 million Americans of all ages participate in the sport.

If you’re wanting to settle a bet with your buddies, Waco Skeet & Trap features competitive shooting, too. League organizer Jared Jones says the club’s leagues are handicapped in a way that lets beginning gunners compete with accomplished competition shooters.

“It’s a great thing for families,” Jones said. “We have a father and son from Marlin who were both fairly new to shooting when they first came out. They’ve shown a lot of improvement and enjoy claiming the bragging rights from each other.”

Club manager Dwayne Culp prepares to shoot a skeet target while members Lee Hay (left) and Zane Hay watch.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

The son recently shot his first perfect round — quite a feat for someone who had been shooting skeet only a few months. Club members got together afterward to celebrate his accomplishment by blasting the hat that he had worn while shooting. He kept the hat and will always remember that day.

Akin said another way he uses the club is for an annual customer appreciation “dove tune-up” shoot courtesy of his bank. “We’ve held the event for the past six years on the week before dove season opens,” he said. “We invite customers out for food, fun, fellowship and, of course, shooting. Our customers love it and our attendance gets larger each year.”

Ducks Unlimited, 4-H teams, and a number of other clubs and organizations use the Waco Skeet & Trap Club for events and meetings. Baylor Law School professor David Guinn has organized a group of male and female law students that regularly shoots skeet at the club.

Whether you’re an Olympic gold medalist, a dove hunter, a person who likes a challenge, or you’re looking for a way to spend a couple of hours together with family and friends, WS&TC can meet your needs. “We offer a great opportunity for anyone to come out and learn to shoot skeet and trap and to improve their wing shooting ability,” said club Vice President Jay McGregor.

There are 17 skeet fields and seven trap fields, four of which are equipped with Canterbury voice-release systems. The club also features a five-stand sporting clays course that offers challenging targets coming from six machines. The clubhouse features a big-screen TV, plenty of beverages, and a large meeting room.

If you’re wondering whether this sport is for you, go out and visit the club. The public is welcome and there’s always a club member willing to give a tour. The club offers a safe, family-friendly environment with plenty of shade, and during tournaments, you’ll find concessions and outdoor-related vendors on hand.