For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to become a police officer. I also knew that I would be working with guns later in life which sparked a strong interest to learn about, go shoot guns, and in general be comfortable around guns. So, since I was young probably around 10 or 11 years old I would always ask my father to take me to a gun range. Being from New Jersey there were not many ranges close by so we always made a whole day of going to the range.
When I came to Tucson, I discovered the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club — a great shotgun range in the southwest part of Tucson. The partial dirt roads you have to drive and the dust kicking up behind you as you drive over it is not something I was ever really able to see back in NJ.. The couple of times I have been to the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club brings back memories of how my father and I used to go and was overall a fantastic and enjoyable experience. When I came out to Tucson in my sophomore year after I transferred here, I was looking for a place to go shoot and after a quick google search, I came across the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club. The few times I have been there having always been a great place to go for the day to practice my trapshooting.
What’s Trap and Skeet Shooting?
Trapshooting is when you stand in one of five spots of a half-circle at a time, and after you say “pull” a clay bird shoots out of a ‘house’ one at a time and the direction is usually away from the shooter. The other form of shooting is Skeet which is on the harder side. Just as in trapshooting you yell “pull” however with skeet two birds are launched, instead of just the one, and you have to quickly adjust from one bird to another which is difficult as they sometimes fly away from each other and other times they cross paths. This form is usually for those who have had much practice or just want more of a challenge than traditional trapshooting. The clubhouse is located on an extraordinary piece of land which has a great view of the mountain ranges that you can see while shooting and from the clubhouse. Moreover, the clubhouse is a quiet area where members and non-members can hang out between shooting rounds and it even has a little cafe to get food.
Arriving on the Scene
As you make your way up the desert road you are met with the thunderous sounds of gunfire. The closer I made it to the Clubhouse the sounds become almost deafening and even more consecutive than before, almost as if it were a coordinated volley of gunfire. I saw each person geared up on the shooting lanes with their shotgun in hand ready to aim. After seeing this sight I could not wait to get out there as soon as possible.
Making my way inside the clubhouse I was greeted with not only the welcoming staff but also an old cabin feel which I do enjoy. Having not been here for a while they suggested I watch a quick less than 5-minute safety video about how to safely call for your shots and how to handle the shotgun with care and responsibility. After having watched the safety video I made my way to the gun counter where I retrieved a rented shotgun and ear protection. With a shotgun in hand and ear protection in, I made my way into the sunny open field to my designated shooting lane where I was then ready to commence the first “practice” shots as I was fairly rusty and stiff with my shots from not going in the recent months. I knew my first couple of shots would be off-target as I needed to get back into my ‘groove’.
Besides my uncoordinated first couple of shots, I felt as though my muscle memory came back and allowed me to hit most of the remaining clay birds. This past time I went I opted for the style of trapshooting over skeet as I was looking for an easy way to return to shooting and of the two traps is a fair bit easier.
My Time to Shine
My shooting area had a couple of other enthusiasts in it, which is normal, and they were all fairly friendly. We would joke about each other’s shots and no one felt uneasy about advising on how to stand or when to fire because the timing of the shot is almost as important as getting sights on target. They made a couple of jokes about me ‘trying to save the birds’ due to my missed couple of shots and we all had a good laugh over that because the next round it was me who was able to make the joke back at one of them the other guys. Ha, revenge!
Overall, my shooting buddies were very helpful and made the time just fly by. While we were talking we decided to do another round together after this one concluded because of how satisfying it was to joke around and shoot. In the end, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. I was very ready to head home as spending the majority of the day in the sun took a toll on me and I was ready to go home and relax.
While there I saw a couple of pictures that were on the wall of tournaments they have hosted which really intrigued me, so while I was home lying on my bed I got to searching for some events and I came across an article which said the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club hosted a selections match for the U.S. Shooting Team. This was a qualifying event to see who would go on to represent the U.S. in Peru and Italy later in the year 2019. This was very interesting to see that the place I had just been hosted matches for the U.S. shooting team, it made me feel as though if I try hard enough I could come back for a qualifying match. That idea is far-fetched as I do not even compare to their skill level, but hey anything is possible right?
The drive home seemed like forever as there was a bit of traffic but all in all, I got home and just sat down for a while I was content with how I spent my day and couldn’t wait until I was able to go back again.
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Alex Gruppuso is a senior at the University of Arizona majoring in criminal justice studies in hopes of one day becoming a police officer.