• Be sure your shotgun gun is safe to operate. Know how to use the shotgun safely. If you cannot competently operate your shotgun, don’t shoot! Use only the correct ammunition.The muzzle is to be controlled and pointed in a safe direction at all times.
• The muzzle cannot be rested on any part of the body, including but not limited to the foot area, chin, hand, and arm (even if you “know” it’s unloaded, treat all firearms as if they were – in a safe direction). Do not point the shotgun at anyone or anything other than the designated target.
• Actions must be open at all times when not on station and prepared to shoot. Break open guns may be closed when placed in a gun rack but must be opened immediately upon removal.
• Know your target and what is beyond
• The use of alcohol or mood-altering substances before or during the handling of firearms is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
• No shotguns may be stored on the premise of the Club.

Ear and eye protection are required by everyone on the course – shooters – spectators – club personnel. No Exceptions!

We are conservation-minded and only use steel shot….no exceptions. Legal ammunition for 12, 20, 28, and .410 cannot exceed shot size greater than #7 shot – #8, 8 1/2, or #9 shot is OK. Factory ammunition only – no reloads allowed! No Exception! The Club sells appropriate ammunition for members and guests.

• “RANGE HOT” – Shooters must first ensure there is no one down range; when the range is declared “HOT” by the Referee, shooters are permitted to commence firing.
• Shout “CEASE FIRE” if you witness a safety violation. Immediately stop shooting when anyone calls “CEASE FIRE.” ANYONE can call a “CEASE FIRE” if you see or believe there is something unsafe going on (i.e., the muzzle not pointed in a safe direction, someone walks forward into the line of fire, etc.) Upon hearing “CEASE FIRE,” stop firing immediately, unload the firearm and open the action, and wait for further instructions from the person who called the “CEASE FIRE” or the Referee.
• Shooters are not permitted to leave a station until the Referee commands, “BREAK AND ROTATE.”
• If any boat or vessel enters the range, any shooter or the designated range safety officer shall call “BOAT,” and all shotguns shall unload, open the action, and be made safe. All barrels shall then go vertical and not be pointed downrange.

• When not on a shooting station or when moving around Club grounds, carry shotguns with the action open, unloaded, and with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
• For safety reasons, members and guests not shooting may not approach the Skeet Stations.
• Shotguns shall not be loaded until the shooter is properly positioned on a shooting station. Loading is defined as putting a shell into any part of a firearm.
• Loading of more than two shells is not permitted.
  Keep finger off the trigger until in the station, muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and ready to shoot.
• Only one shooter may shoot at a time.
• If you drop a shell, leave it on the ground until after you have shot your turn, your shotgun is open, and it is safe to bend over to pick it up.
• If delays occur while shooting, the shooter shall unload the shotgun and open the action until the delay has been resolved.
• Shooters are not permitted to leave a station until the Referee commands, “BREAK AND ROTATE.”
• When preparing to leave a station, open the action and unload the shotgun with the muzzle pointed downrange.
  Empty shell casings shall not be retrieved until the round is completed.

• If someone must check the trap machine, each shooter needs to unload and put their shotgun into a safe (open) condition.
• Do not walk or stand in front of any active trap machine. Targets leaving these machines travel more than 40 mph and WILL CAUSE INJURY. No one should be handling the thrower control when shells are being picked up, or the trap machines are being loaded or serviced.

• When a gun malfunctions, there is the potential of 2 hot ends – muzzle and action. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange and the action/chamber pointed down and away.
• Wait 30 seconds – unload the gun with both ends pointed in a safe direction. Shooting can continue after the gun is cleared and safe.
• Hangfire – refers to an unexpected delay between the triggering of the shotgun and the ignition of the propellant. Wait 30 seconds. Unload the gun with both ends pointed in a safe direction.
• Squib loads – in which a fired projectile does not have enough force behind it to exit the barrel, and thus the wadding becomes stuck. This type of malfunction can be extremely dangerous, as failing to notice that the projectile has become stuck in the barrel may result in another round being fired directly into the obstructed barrel, resulting in a catastrophic failure of the shotgun’s structural integrity. Ramrods are provided on all courses and ranges.

Guests are permitted so long as they sign the club’s  waiver of liability and have been briefed on proper gun/range safety by a credible source or have completed a range safety briefing from a Sagamore range safety officer.

Guests must be accompanied by an experienced shooter at all times. 

The minimum age to shoot skeet at Sagamore YC shall be 16 years old. Minors shall be accompanied by an adult and shall have completed a shooter’s safety course.

To participate in skeet, Sagamore members and their guests must sign a copy of the Assumption of Risk; Waiver and Release of Liability; Indemnification; and Hold Harmless Agreement. Copies will be available on shooting days.

1. Be respectful to others.
2. Show good sportsmanship.
3. Pickup all used shot-shells from the skeet field after the round.

Our absolute highest priority is safety. Members interested in shooting skeet must participate in a shooter safety course offered by the Club, another club, or the state. If you cannot show evidence of participation in one of these programs, you will not be allowed to shoot. Safety FIRST!