Shooting Options

The 50-target course is a pleasant walk through the woodlands offering 13 different shooting fields. Sporting Clays emulates hunting using clay targets instead of live game. Clay targets can be thrown to simulate the flight patterns of low-flying ducks, teal coming off the water, or woodcock zipping through the trees. They can even replicate the pattern of a hopping rabbit. Each shooting field has two traps and the popular presentation is a report pair. The shooter calls for the first target and when the shooter fires, the second target is thrown (on the report of the shotgun).

Eye and ear protection are required and shot size must be 7-1/2, 8 or 9. Shotguns are available for rent and ammunition is available for purchase. Click here for a complete set of Grounds Rules.

Sporting Clays is a shotgun sport for the whole family and an excellent option for business entertaining. With minimal coaching, even someone who has never shot before can enjoy a round of Sporting Clays. And the sport offers opportunities for conversation and fellowship set in the relaxing outdoors.

In the early 1900s, a number of British shooting schools adopted the use of clay targets to practice for driven-game shoots. Clay target shooting quickly attracted a large following. It became a stand-alone sport as actual game hunting in England diminished. Sporting Clays was imported to the United States in the mid-1980s where it has enjoyed growing popularity across all segments of American society, with the fastest-growing segment being women.

The game is comparable to golf in two ways. 1) Just as a golfer goes from hole to hole, a Sporting Clays shooter goes from one station on the course to another. At each station, the shooter encounters a different kind of shot which mirrors the wild game of the area. 2) The layout and design of the Sporting Clays grounds depend on the natural habitat and terrain of the area, providing each course with its own challenges and character.

Sporting Clays takes shooting one step farther than its cousin shooting sports, Skeet and Trap, by removing the predictability of the clay's path and offering the shooter variety that changes at each station. This makes the sport challenging enough to be stimulating, but it is not so difficult that it becomes discouraging. A shooter does not need to have a brilliant score to get a terrific amount of satisfaction. Perfect scores are extremely rare.

THE SPORTING CLAYS COURSE

THE WOBBLE DECK / 5-STAND

To offer a new clay shooting opportunity, Deep River added a Wobble Deck to the property in 2012. This is a raised shooting platform over an international wobble trap which throws clays out from under the platform in a variety of directions. In addition to the Wobble, other options include high-incomers, crossers, and rabbit.

This is a great opportunity for families with younger shooters and is also good for practice and warming up for the Sporting Clays course.

Eye and ear protection are required and shot size must be 7-1/2, 8 or 9. Shotguns are available for rent and ammunition is available for purchase.

THE PISTOL PAVILION

To offer a new shooting opportunity, Deep River added the Shooting Pavilion for members. An eight-lane, covered pistol range that allows shooting up to 40 yards from the firing line. The Shooting Pavilion can accommodate most caliber handguns.

(The only rifle caliber permitted is .22 rimfire. Orientation is required before usage, and can be scheduled Wednesday through Sunday.)

The Shooting Pavilion is open to members for a daily lane fee of $25. Family members, husband, wife, and dependent children under age 22 accompanied with the member shoot for $10 each. Shooting is permitted as long as the member stays on Deep River property, and is guaranteed for 1 hour.

Members can also purchase a discount card for use by all family members who are covered by the membership. Discount cards of 10 prepaid Shooting Pavilion fees are available for $234. Additional targets are available in the Pro Shop for $2/each.

Deep River allows members to bring guests to the Shooting Pavilion. A member can bring a maximum of two guests on any given day. Guests will be required to complete the safety orientation program. Guest lane fee is $24 plus a one-time $10 orientation fee. Guests who are students or active duty military can shoot for $21 plus a one-time $10 orientation fee.

NON MEMBERS can acquire access to shoot at our Shooting Pavilion through one of three ways (all three require that guests go through our range orientation, available Wednesday through Sunday).

NON MEMBERS can be a guests when accompanied by a member. (Members can bring up to two guests per visit.)
NON MEMBERS can do a private lesson with our instructor.
NON MEMBERS can take the concealed carry handgun class at Deep River.

Upon successful completion of the orientation, the NON MEMBER will receive a Shooting Pavilion Privilege punch card that will allow a total of four additional visits. The NON MEMBER lane fee of $24 will be charged each visit. The NON MEMBER must bring the privilege card to be punched each visit, with no exceptions.

Only the person named on the privilege card is eligible to use that card, but we hope that after four visits he or she will consider joining the Deep River family so that spouse and dependent children under 22 can be made eligible to use the Shooting Pavilion for handgun or .22 caliber rimfire rifle target shooting.

The Shooting Pavilion is available for private parties. The host must employ a Deep River shooting instructor as the Range Safety Officer for the duration of the party. The cost of the instructor is $100 per hour (15% discount for members). Lane and orientation fees apply as well.

Eye and ear protection are required. Handguns are available for rent and ammunition is available for purchase. Click here for a complete set of Shooting Pavilion rules.

Deep River Sporting Clays & Shooting School offers a variety of instruction opportunities for handgun training. We have private instruction to NRA-approved classes in Basic Pistol and Personal Defense, and the North Carolina Concealed Carry Training class.

Deep River is a family-friendly range focused on providing respite and fun to shooters of all ages. Both the Sporting Course and Wobble Deck / 5-Stand are open to the public and the Shooting Pavilion is available for Deep River members and their guests.