One of the most interesting and enjoyable shooting sports is skeet shooting. It takes immense skill and concentration to aim and shoot at the targets and the learning curve isn’t too narrow.
If you’re looking for good skeet shooting galleries and trap shooting ranges in North Georgia, or just passing through and looking for fun activities to do, we’ll talk about some popular locations in North Georgia.
This is a great pastime for you and we’ll also mention some tips, skeet shooting requirements, and how to prepare for skeet shooting.
What is Skeet Shooting?
Skeet shooting is a marksmanship sport where you shoot targets made of clay (also known as ‘pigeons’) as they are thrown into the air by traps – machines designed to propel the targets in the air, and you have a limited amount of time to shoot them off the air.
It was developed around the 1920s in Massachusetts, by famous grouse hunters Charles Davis and William Harnden Foster, as a form of practice for hunters.
The weapon of choice is usually a semi-auto 12-gauge shotgun. Shooters also use rimfire rifles in non-competitive shooting ranges
There’s also similar trap shooting but instead, the two targets are thrown diagonally in front of the shooter, away from his vision.
It sounds simple, but it’s fun and requires a steady hand and fast reflexes. With skeet shooting, competitive shooters can hone their skills and develop better muscle memory for shooting.
If you want to learn more about the basics and requirements of skeet shooting, here’s a simple guide from the Nation Skeet Shooting Association. Here is another guide I have put together myself.
You are also welcome to join the National Skeet Shooting Association to learn more and you can also be eligible to participate in skeet shooting and trap shooting tournaments.
Popular Skeet Shooting Locations in North Georgia
Here are some very interesting skeet shooting locations in North Georgia that offer a wide range of activities with spectacular landscapes and decent price ranges and memberships.
We’ll mention one of the most popular North Georgia locations for skeet, trap, and sporting clay shooting right here:
Beretta Shooting Grounds at Barnsley Resort
Barnsley Resort, located in Adairsville, Georgia, offers great shooting sports and activities for a great price.
Barnsley Resort has a partnership with the Beretta brand and John Burrell’s High Adventure Company which is one of the most popular organizations for high-end shooting activities.
With the Beretta Shooting Grounds, you get rental Beretta firearms, ammo, and 3,000 acres of open fields under a natural woodland canopy, in which there are multiple activities including skeet shooting galleries, quail hunting, team-building competitions and tournaments, and other shooting events.
Shooting activities are only available Mondays and Tuesdays. They also have private shooting lessons with an NSCA instructor that go for $175 per hour, per person.
You can check the prices here.
Etowah Valley Sporting Clays
Etowah Valley Sporting Clays is a traditional go-to place for skeet shooting and clay shooting in the greater Atlanta area. Established in 2004, Etowah Valley Sporting Clays have courses suitable for professional sport shooters and amateur skeet enthusiasts.
Etowah Valley Sporting Clays is located on the Appalachian mountain range foothills where you can enjoy trap and skeet shooting, five-stand shooting, with 25 to 50 clay targets in 7 different stations to choose from, and they have youth programs as well.
They offer shotgun rentals, memberships, ammo and equipment, and shooting lessons from NSCA-licensed instructors. You can also organize corporate meetings, weddings, and reunions in their pavilion.
This is a shotgun-only shooting range, and there’s no need for reservations – they have a first come first serve policy. Check out their rates here.
Garland Mountain Sporting Clays
Garland Mountain Sporting Clays is another shotgun-only shooting location with a cozy lodge, spectacular natural landscapes, and great competitive clay shooting galleries. It’s located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.
It’s active since 2016 and has become a very popular destination for visitors searching for fun sporting and shooting events and great sceneries.
They have sporting clay courses with crossing targets and trampoline shots, the fast-paced wobble trap, five-stand shooting, and the Sporting Clays Pines and Trail courses with 14 shooting stations perfect for both beginners and expert shooters. They also offer gun rentals and shooting lessons.
Noontootla Creek Farms
Tourists, skeet shooters, and fishing enthusiasts flock to Noontootla Creek Farms.
Located near Blue Ridge, the privately held Noontootla Creek Farms boasts 1,000 acres of fun and farm. They have a cozy lodging with picturesque mountain landscapes.
What’s great about Noontootla Creek Farms is that they offer fishing enthusiasts great fun. You can participate in guided fly fishing, guided quail hunting and pheasant hunting, and of course a good old-fashioned five-stand, wobble trap, and skeet shooting with sporting clays.
If you want to learn a thing or two, Noontootla Creek Farms offer the whole package – shooting lessons, hunting lessons, self-defense, gun safety and survival tips and tricks. They also have gun rentals for a decent price.
You get to enjoy skeet shooting with 100 rounds in one of the 12 shooting stations, and they use golf carts for transportation. Wingshooting season is open from November until March.
River Bend Gun Club
River Bend Gun Club is located in Dawson County, and it’s a private club for members only, but they have all kinds of shooting ranges and bays. Located on the rolling hills of Dawson County, near the Etowah River, River Bend Gun Club has 380 acres of shooting facilities.
They offer a variety of shooting ranges and events including a 600-yard rifle range, 500-meter Silhouette range, bullseye pistol ranges, and a 200-yard and 100-yard multi-purpose archery and plinking bays.
Check out their membership info here.
Tom Lowe Trap & Skeet Range
Tom Lowe Trap and Skeet Range is a great place if you want to learn new tricks and hone your skills and muscle memory. They have a trap and skeet range open for the public and are great for newbie shooters, recreational shooters, and professionals.
Their ‘learn to shoot clinic’, as they call it, is opened on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m., and they offer free shooting instructions.
Summary
These are one of the most popular skeet shooting locations in North Georgia, but you can also check out the National Firearm Industry Trade Association’s directory if you’re looking for a range near your location.
– Brady Kirkpatrick is the Editor-in-Chief of Gun Made.
