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Sid Tomlinson Shooting Instruction
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Rates:
- Junior's < 16 yrs: Free
- Adult's > 16yrs: $50.00/hr
- Recommendation: Get a group together and splitting the costs and instruction time.
For more information please contact Mr. Tomlinson (See below).
Idaho Statesman Article: Boise Gun Club now offers sporting clays and extended hours
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(The following Article was published March 29, 2008 in the Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com/, by By Roger Phillips.)
Shooting opportunities, which are open to the public, also include five stand courses.
No offense to trap and skeet shooters, but the guy who sets up your courses probably doesn't refer to himself as a "mad scientist." That's what Boise Gun Club board member Ernie Richardson compares himself to when he's setting up the club's five-stand courses because he likes them to be lively and unpredictable.
That's the difference between five stand and trap and skeet. Trap and skeet are standardized so any range in the country will be the same.
Five stand is designed to constantly evolve.
"I change the course every week so you never see the same thing twice," Richardson said.
He also sets up two different five-stand courses so one can be geared for expert shooters and another for novice and intermediate shooters.
While expert trap shooters can break 100 straight birds, sporting clays courses typically are designed so even the best shooters usually can't break all the targets in a 25-shot round.
Richardson also can rearrange the throwers to create a sporting clays course, which is often referred to as "golfing with guns" because you walk to stations spread over several acres.
Sporting clays shooting originally was designed to mimic the kind of shooting a hunter might encounter in the field, with clay targets replacing live birds. It's a great way for hunters to stay tuned during the off season.
Boise Gun Club, located off Kuna/Mora Road east of the Pleasant Valley Road intersection, has long been a gathering place for shotgun shooters. Last year, it underwent extensive renovations and improvements and added sporting clays and five stand to its shotgun shooting menu, and also lights for night shoots during winter hours.
The club is open to the public, and a $50 annual dues gets you discounted fees for shooting. But nonmembers also can shoot for a couple of extra bucks, depending on whether you're shooting trap, skeet or sporting clays.
The club also sells shotgun shells and other shooting supplies and has a snack bar for food and drinks.
Club president Drew Jossis invites people to see the improvement at the club and shoot, even if they've never done it before.
"Come out and spend $6 and give it a go, or just come out and look and see if it's something you want to try," he said. "Nobody should be afraid of being a beginner - we all were."
The club also has a certified shooting instructor who volunteers his time to help beginners, and you can call the club to set up an appointment.
Shooting leagues are forming now that run from six to 12 weeks and prizes are awarded at the end for top scores.
Ernie Richardson of Boise shoots a five-stand course he set up at the Boise Gun Club. The club offers trap, skeet, five stand and sporting clays.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIVE- STAND AND SPORTING CLAYS?
Trap and skeet are pretty familiar to most shotgun shooters, but sporting clays is a different style of shooting.
Sporting clays shooting is typically a series of stations where shooters walk to different areas and shoots pairs of targets thrown from a variety of different angles.
The golf comparison arises because the course is usually spread out over several acres.
Five-stand is sort of a hybrid between skeet and a sporting clays course, or a condensed version of a sporting clays course.
Shooters line up side by side at five stations. About 10 throwers are placed in front or behind the shooters. Each shooter gets five or six targets thrown from different angles at each station.
The throwers are controlled by a switchboard, and the range operator calls out which thrower the targets will be coming from before each person shoots. The shooter gets different combinations of targetsduring a round of 25 targets.
Because shooters only move a few steps between stations the game is more fast-paced than a sporting clays course.
“THE PRIMER” (March 2008) - The Offical Newsletter of the Boise Gun Club
“THE PRIMER” (November 2007) - The Offical Newsletter of the Boise Gun Club
Impressions Of Sparta - By Thor Fin-Kelson
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(The following Article was published in the December 2006 issue of, On Target Magazine.)
Yes trapshooters, there is a trap heaven, it's called Sparta, Illinois. Our journey started when Tim Hill was turning 50 in July and his family gave him a trip to the Grand American. Tim's son Nick put together the accommodations and the squad and it was all kept secret until his birthday. What a surprise! We rented a farmhouse in the middle of a cornfield 15 minutes from the shooting facility, it was our field of dreams. Southern Illinois is very rural and agricultural and the home town people were extremely hospitable and everywhere we went we were treated wonderfully.
The ATA facility in Sparta is awesome. It's hard to explain looking down 3-1/2 miles of traps. It's a feeling of awe and sight to behold. Vendors row was an experience, there isn't anything a trapshooter wanted that he could not find. The food and service was also excellent, we found several places that were outstanding. The homemade ice cream gets an A plus.
The Shoot itself ran like a well oiled machine. Trap numbers were large and bold. There was no lollygagging so you'd better not be late. Our fifth man was Mike Stears, so we all knew each other, which made for 1000 rounds of excellent shooting.
My only caution is to be prepared for the humidity. The weather was hot the entire time and we went through several shirts a day and drank lots of liquids. Our farmhouse had a pool and we used it daily.
Thanks to Tim for such a timely 50th birthday. Without it the four of us wouldn't have had such a wonderful trip, one of th highlights of our lives.
From left to right; Tim Hill, Nick Hill, Thor Fin-Kelson, and Art Voorhis
at the entrance to the World Shooting Recreation Complex
BGC Policy Changes (Effective October 8, 2006)
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ALCOHOL POLICY:
Except for beer purchased from the Club cashier, and consumed within the club house or on the benches directly in front of the club house, open alcoholic beverage containers are prohibited on the property and premises of the Boise Gun Club.
The loading and/or discharge of firearms on the premises of the Boise Gun Club by any person under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is prohibited. Any person observed to be in violation of this policy will be asked to cease and desist, or leave the property.
Reasons for the Policy:
The club has been at risk for some time from an insurance and legal standpoint due to the lack of a formal policy regulating the consumption of alcohol by persons using the club's shooting ranges for practice or competition. Litigious repercussions from just one alcohol related firearm injury or death at the Boise Gun Club could result in the permanent closure of the club.
The policy was unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors during the October 3, 2006 meeting. The cooperation of all members and guests of the Boise Gun Club is abiding by this policy will be greatly appreciated and necessary to allow the Boise Gun Club to continue to maintain a retail beer license for the benefit of members and guests who enjoy a beer after their guns are put away for the day.
Non Member Practice Tickets:
With the costs of targets and other operating costs increasing it is important to the financial condition of the club that regular patrons become members. Membership in the Boise Gun Club has been declining each year for the past several including this year. However, the decline in membership has not been accompanied by a reduction in the number of people using club facilities, or the number of Trap and Skeet targets thrown. Many of the people who have not renewed their annual membership continue to be "regulars" at the club.
At current member vs. non-member prices there is little incentive to become a member. League tickets are the same for members and non-members. At current practice ticket prices non-member can annually purchase 85 practice tickets for the same out of pockets cost as members. To encourage regular patrons to become members, and avoid passing on increased operation costs to members at this time, the Board of Directors unanimously approved increasing non-member practice tickets to $6.00 effective October 8, 2006
Trap and Field Article: "Romin' The Ranges" by Richard Owen
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Published by permission of Trap & Field from June 2005
Click here to read the Article.
Kent Harris Retiring from West Junior High
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Boise Gun Club Life Member and Shooting Sports Supporter Kent Harris is retiring from
West Junior High in Boise Idaho.
After 25 years of teaching and 30 years of coaching, Kent Harris is retiring from West Junior High and packing up his dry ice, gunpowder, coffee cans, and fire experiments. He hopes that most of the 5,000 plus students and athletes he taught and coached had fun and learned something about themselves and their world. Special thanks to the Boise School District, West Junior High, and all the wonderful people I worked with over the years. Gratitude goes to my parents and my wife Liz, who supported the many activities necessary in the teaching profession. I would also like to recognize people who in many ways mentored me during my school and working years: Mrs. Beeman from Whitney, Miss Fisher from South, Mr. Neal from Borah, and great Grabbo from West, and Dr. Harry K. Fritchman from Boise Junior College. There was a part of each of you passed on to every child I worked with. God bless you all! To my students, co-workers, family and mentors: "Thanks for the great memories!" |
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BGC Board Asking For Donatations To Recondition Trap Pads
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Boise Gun Club making great strides -- Idaho Press Tribune Article
Boise Gun Club making great strides
May 3, 2004Shooting: Range offers both trap, skeet targets
BOISE -- Visitors to the Boise Gun Club can participate in trap and skeet shooting. Since I already reviewed trapshooting in my first column, let's discuss how skeet shooting works.
Skeet, the grandfather of simulated bird hunting, has been around for about 100 years. Skeet consists of two target houses. One is high and one is low. From these houses, targets are thrown at various angles. When the shooter moves to a different post, the angle changes.
There are eight different posts at the club's range to shoot from. Shooters take aim at two singles, one high and one low, and at a true pair dispensed simultaneously, one high and one low, from posts 1, 2, 5 and 6.
At posts 3, 4, 7 and 8, shooters aim at a single target from each house. This only adds up to 24. If shooters miss a target along the way, their automatically thrown another target, which makes the total 25. If shooters are straight, meaning they didn't miss a target, then they shoot an additional target off of post 8, which makes their total 25 as well.
Skeet is a great game to try if you want to improve your game bird skills.
The Boise club also offers a full line of trapshooting. Right now the club's spring 10-week league is under way, but it's not too late to join. In trapshooting, shooters target 25 singles and 25 handicap, similar to the Caldwell Gun Club. Or shoot two rounds of skeet to post a weekly score.
League shooting costs are $50 for a sponsor fee and $8 per shooter each week to help pay for targets and league prizes, one of which will be a Ruger 10/22.
The Boise Gun Club is a full-service range that also offers a gracious kitchen menu. The club is also a National Skeet Shooting Association, P.I.T.A. and A.T.A. sanctioned club.
After speaking with club President Russ Westerberg and board members Jay Frazier and Brad Dick, it is obvious that this club has really made some strides.
The addition of 12 new squad huts and scorer stands will really benefit shooters. Because if the scorer isn't happy, nobody's happy.
Club volunteers continue to make things better for shooters, with a newly sodded lawn and a permanent outdoor canopy to be added soon, it can only get better.
The club will not only be hosting league and fun shoots on a regular basis, but they also plan to host the P.I.T.A. state shoot May 28-31. And the week prior, May 21-23, will be the Great Potato Head Shoot. Shooters from around the world come to get a shot at participating in this event.
Watch for my next visit to the Melba Gun Club. And don't forget to complete and mail in the free shooting round drawing form in today's Outdoors page.
Jim Payne, of Caldwell, enjoys shooting and works at Larry's Sporting Goods in Nampa. He can be reached at outdoors@idahopress.com.
Special thanks to Jim's Nampa Beverage for supplying this week's target fees and Larry's Sporting Goods for providing the ammunition. And thanks to our readers for the positive feedback received on this column.
Getting there
The Boise Gun Club is located at 2350 Kuna Mora Road. Take Interstate 84 to the Blacks Creek exit, turn south and follow the road to the club, which will be on the right side of the road. Or take Cloverdale Road until intersects with Kuna Mora, then turn left, a few miles down the club will be on the left side of the road.
Open from noon to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays; from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Call 208-342-0892.
Tree Fund -- In Memory of Dean Williams
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| Jim Ripley |
Art Voorhies |
| Bob Barnes |
Brad Dick |
| Pat Fughum |
Shaun Scott |
| Richard Bell |
Drew Jossis |
| Don Young |
Scott & Bonnis Willis |
| Russ & Diane Westerburg |
Wayne Faude |
| John Booth |
Guy Johnson |
| Jay Frazier |
Tim Ault |
| Chuck Wright |
Marv Turner |
| Thor Fin-Kelson |
Nathan Walters |
| Mel Robey |
Mr. X |
| Gary Wright |
Larry Wetzel |
| Chuck Terry |
Brock Cromwell |
| Wayne Britton |
Roger & Carol Seibert |
| Dick Clark |
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In Memory of Dean Williams |
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Message From The President:
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Since taking office last August, I along with the other eight relatively new members of the
Board have been busy trying to reuvenate the club's facilities in preparation for the State
ATA Trap Shoot May 28 through 31, and to make the club more appealing and enjoyable for
members and guests. If you have visited the Boise Gun Club lately you might have noticed
some changes. The old wooden light poles in front of the club house have been replaced with
concrete piers and steel towers, and lights have been installed on trap 1. Five new squad huts
have been constructed, and twelve new score keeper chairs sponsored by individuals members have
been built. Weeds have been removed from the trap fields and parking area and an all weather
access in front of the trap houses have been created. Thanks to Mel Robey, and the members
who helped, the club house interior has a fresh coat of new paint.
The improvements to date have made possible only by the dedication and hard work of every member of the Board of Directors and individuals members like Don Nicely, Art Voorhis, Cal Kidney, Joe Barnhill and Abe Wilson to name just a few of the many that have willingly responded when asked to help. Thanks are also due Tom Harris of Western States Equipment for donating the use of a fine Caterpillar motor grader and Holly Hatten of Quality Sand & Gravel for the Donation of several loads of road mix.
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Seven more squad huts are under construction and need to be completed by April 1. Jay Frasier,
Charlie Woodruff, and I assisted by club members Frank Burgess, Dennis Dursteler, Gary Gould,
and Mike Downer are the ram rods for this project.Gary Drury of PPG Industries is donating the
paint. Consolidated Concrete donated concrete for four of the seven additional squad huts. Money
for the materials for the squad huts has been donated by individual members who will by recognized
by name on the walls of each squad hut. Leroy McDonough will be leading and effort to give the
skeet houses and fields a needed facelift. Members should expect a call from Jay, me, or Leroy
during the month of April to assist the completion of the remaining squad huts and skeet house
restoration.
Brad Dick who has been doing such an outstanding job running the trap and skeet fields as well as making sure the club house is always clean and inviting is the person in charge of putting in a a new lawn and sprinkler system. This is a major project that will add tremendously to the appearance of the club. It is also a project that must be completed in short order. Brad will need assistance from the membership to make this improvement a reality. Please respond if you get a call from Brad.
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We had a very successful fall hunters and trap league and the winter league is concluding. Thanks
is due director Steve Deweese and members Charlie Whipple, Marv Turner, and Bill Sturdivan for
their dependable help in managing the leagues. The Spring League begins with "Reserve Night" March 31.
Help make Wednesday fun! Shoot the Spring League.
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You can't help but have noticed that cheerful attitude that greets every shooter at the cashier's
window. Nancy Dick who stepped forward when the need was great is doing a marvelous job as cashier.
I can't thank her enough. She and Brad are the real work horses that keep the club open. The next
time you go to the cashier's window, make a point of telling Nancy how much you appreciate the job
she is doing.
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Without going into detail here, it is sufficient to say the club's financial situation is sound and
improving each month. Club Treasurer Chester Carter deserves much of the credit. Chester puts in
countless hours making sure every penny that comes through the window is accounted for, and bills
are paid on time.
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Beginning April 3rd, the club will be open again for Trap and Skeet Practice on Saturday from noon
until 5:00 PM. It's your club. Be part of it. Enjoy it. Shoot often, and help out when asked.
Boise Gun Club President
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You might notice some of the improvements to the grounds at the Boise Gun Club. This is a result of
both monetary and time donations by many of the club members. The membership as built a very nice
steel framed squad hut that should outlast most of us. This was the first of many such structures
planned. The cost of the materials to build this structure was just shy of $1000. Concrete has been
poured toward the west to build more structures once we have either business sponsorships or cash
donations.
We have also replaced the lights at 3 of the trap houses. They used to be placed on wooden telephone poles. The wind used to shake them so badly that we had to replace broken light fixtures and bulbs on a regular basis. The wooden poles have been replaced with steel poles on concrete pillars. This should weather much better from now on. Again, this was all voluntary labor and materials.
If you are interested in soliciting donations from businesses, donating either time or money to further this effort please use the Contact Us form and let us know.
You can view the photos of these improvments please look under General Photos on our Photos Page
