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SIDNEY — The Arnold Trail Sportsman’s Association, 1659 Pond Road, Route 23, has taken sporting clays “five-stand” shooting to a new level.
The pyramid was built last fall using money from a cost-share Federal Range Improvement Grant administered through Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.
It is open to all sporting clay enthusiast and the public on Sundays from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m.
Unlike trap or skeet where the target presentations are exactly the same at shooting venues everywhere, five-stand sporting clay targets vary at each and every shooting event. Shown here is the newly-constructed shooting pyramid with five shot gunners who must shoot five clay targets (thrown by machines like Frisbees) from each of five stations trying for a perfect score of 25 broken targets, sometimes referred to as “birds.”
A sport often embraced by upland game and duck hunters, five-stand sporting clay shooters will likely see clay targets that simulate the flight of birds and ducks. During the May 12 competition held at Arnold Trail, participants saw “springing teal” targets that followed a tall arching trajectory, as well as “rabbits,” where the clay discs roll on their sides along the ground. There were crossers, incoming and dropping targets as well as tilted clay discs that curved.
In addition to five-stand sporting clays, the club also operates both skeet and trap fields. Safety is “job-one” at the club, and all shooters are required to wear both ear and eye protection. Also, all shotguns are always unloaded with “open actions” until the one person shooting at a time is taking his turn. The club always welcomes new shotgun enthusiasts, and there are several club members who will work with new shooters to get them up to speed. The club maintains a website; for more information visit www.arnoldtrail.com.
