JACKSON GUN CLUB STARTS TRAP LEAGUE

Cape Girardeau County's only gun club devoted entirely to shotgun sports has formed a trap and skeet league open to members and non-members.

The Cape Girardeau County Gun Club kicked off its league March 11 with one of two planned qualifying rounds. The final qualifying event is set for 1:30 p.m. March 26 at the gun club's trap and skeet range three miles west of Jackson on Highway 72. Those interested in taking part in the league need only qualify one time.

Participants will shoot rounds of trap and skeet, with 25 clay pigeons thrown at both stations. Members and non-members will be charged $5 per day to take part in the competition.

According to treasurer Vince Joggerst, the club will consider the scores recorded during the qualifying rounds and use them to pair less skilled shooters with more experienced ones. The club hopes to provide a league which is fun for all involved and which provides both experienced and amateur wingshots the chance to improve their skills.

"If two of the best shots in Southeast Missouri get paired-up, the less experienced shooters would quickly get disgusted," said Joggerst in explaining the team system. "[The league] is mainly for fun but we hope it will also allow us to get some improvement in our shooting."

With qualifying rounds completed March 26, shooters will begin competing in regular league events in April and continue through October, depending upon the interest shown by local competitors.

Joggerst said two league shooting events will be scheduled each month. In order for those who may have to work one or another weekend day, the first event of the month will be scheduled on a Saturday afternoon while the second will take place on a later Sunday. After qualifying rounds are completed next weekend, the first full-fledged league shoot is scheduled for Saturday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. A second shoot will take place Sunday, April 23. League participants need only shoot in one event each month.

The trap and skeet league is one of a number of activities the Cape Girardeau County Gun Club has planned in an effort to boost membership and the popularity of clay sports in Cape Girardeau and surrounding counties.

The gun club was founded in 1961 with seven charter members, one of which was current member Richard Wood.

Wood, a former member of the National Guard's rifle and pistol team, met in Jackson with six other Cape County gun enthusiasts at the Oklahoma Street repair shop of the late Bob Kurre and formed the organization.

The club at one time had two ranges, one for rifles and pistols and a second with trap and skeet equipment for wingshooting enthusiasts. However, strict guidelines concerning rifle ranges forced the club to close its rifle and pistol facilities, said Wood.

The club suffered from lack of exposure during the 1980s and membership waned. Its roster has been on the rise since 1990, when the current facility was constructed on leased land.

The club is now wholly devoted to shotgun sports. With wingshooting and sporting clays growing in popularity, the club hopes to turn more local scattergun enthusiasts on to trap and skeet shooting. To this end, a number of barbecues and free shooting events have been hosted in an effort to re-introduce the club to area shooters.

The organization hopes to attract new members during its trap and skeet tournament and other planned events.

If membership grows adequately, the gun club hopes to purchase a permanent site for its trap and skeet range, said Joggerst.

In trap shooting, trapshooters stand at one of five stations behind a sunken "traphouse" from which clay targets are thrown straight out in front of the shooter at speeds as fast as 60 mph. After shooting five shots from a particular station, shooters rotate to a new station and fire five more shots, eventually shooting a total of 25 shots.

Skeet shooting is different in that shooters face crossing shots rather than the straightaway targets thrown in trap. In skeet, the shooter stands at one of eight stations and attempts to hit clay pigeons thrown from a low-house trap, set at ground level, and a high-house trap, raised about 15-feet off the ground.

Joggerst said trap and skeet shooting are excellent forms of recreation and provide a good opportunity for hunters and competitive shooters to hone their skills. In addition, the facility makes for a controlled environment where experienced shooters can school beginners in the principles of proper gun handling and safety and the rudiments of hitting moving targets with a shotgun.

The club invites anyone interested in shotgun sports to join. Those interested in becoming a part of the organization may attend club meetings held the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson or by phoning Joggerst at 334-5364.

Dues are $50 per year with a $10 initiation fee for new members. Annual dues go toward leasing the property and upkeep and equipment costs.

As a National Rifle Association affiliated organization, all members are required to join the NRA.

Club members receive a key to the facility and may shoot whenever they like, at a cost of $2 per 25 targets. When a club member is present, the general public is allowed to shoot on the skeet and trap ranges at a cost of $3 per 25 clay pigeons.