When Red Mountain Trap and Skeet Range closed a few years ago, those of us living in the East Valley,  Scottsdale, Tempe,  and Mesa, no longer had a place within easy driving distance to shoot.  Now that the Rio Salado Sportsman's club has added to its offerings a Trap Range, that has changed.  This fall the club added a trap for 16’s,  handicap and doubles, and it is quite busy four days a week.  I was out there today and took some pictures to share with you. Jim Rasmussen the Shot Gun Range Course Manager makes a special effort for shooters to have a good shotgun shooting experience whether it be sporting clays, trap or five stand.  The Rio Salado Club also has rifle, pistol shooting among the activities one can enjoy here on the NE side of Mesa at the Usery Mountain Shooting Range. 

 

Usery Mountain Shooting Range, Rio Salado Sportsman's Club on Usery Road North of Ellsworth in East Mesa.

A short ways North of the main club house one will find the Club's Trap. Behind the 27 yard line is a covered area with seating for shooters and generally coffee and cookies. There is also a fire pit should the weather be on the cool side

Hal Robbins, AZ, Stan Johnson, AZ, Ben Ledbetter, ID and Betty Sackett, AZ. Stan after shooting registered targets for years including the Winter Chain now shoots mainly on practice at the Club. Ben a winter chain shooter for years  spends his winters in Mesa and regularly joins Stan at Rio Salado. Betty who broke her 50 singles this morning lives  just 5 miles from Rio, and is Secretary-Treasurer of the AZ State Association.

Not only Snowbirds shoot trap in AZ, this three some...Steve Lueck, Bob Dobbs and Mike Otter are AZ residents and shoot a lot of AZ trap. Bob likes to help out when clubs are holding registered shoots.  He is often seen squading and cashiering at Ben Avery, and a regular worker at Red Mountain before it closed.

Jim Rasmussen is the Shot Gun Course Manager at the Gun Club. Here he is going over the morning's squading with Jack Dunn, Ill.

Shooting 16 yard at the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club. The club has one trap that is open for Trap 4 days a week. The trap now offers 16 yard, handicap, and doubles. The trap is supervised at all times and the switch to doubles or handicap can be quickly made.

Dave Feder. AZ. Billy Justice, AZ, Howard Rinehart, Az and Neal Dressler, Wisc.. They are enjoying Barry's Spaghetti lunch.

Barry is serving a very tasty Spaghetti dinner. Most of the time Barry is seen supervising in trap range...loading targets and doing whatever else needs attention.

Tom Burns, NE, Gerry Reid, Col, Tom Collier, IA, and Roger Sackett, AZ. Gerry and Tom joined Betty Sackett in breaking 50x50 in the 16s this morning.