Summer 2016 | Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2016 | Page 86

then and now

The Shooting School is one of the oldest standing buildings on the Island.

Marksmen of all skill levels still practice at the Shooting School today.

ON TARGET

FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS, SEA ISLAND’S SHOOTING SCHOOL HAS HELPED BOTH
NOVICE AND EXPERT SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS.

a

proud
historical
landmark,
Sea Island’s Shooting School
dates back to 1929, the year
after the resort opened. One of
the oldest standing buildings on the Island,
it still boasts its early, rounded design.
“The viewing area was modeled after a
ship’s wheelhouse with lots of windows,”
explains Jon Kent, Sea Island’s director
of outdoor pursuits. “It’s a great place to
sit, watch and prepare for a lesson or
practice session.”
The Shooting School was one of the first
skeet clubs in the country, and for much
of its history, it was run by the legendary
Fred Missildine, a National Skeet Shooting
Association Hall of Fame inductee and a
30-time world champion shooter.
“Fred was a well-respected shooter and
instructor,” Kent explains. “He actually
established the Sea Island Invitational
[a historical shooting competition] here
decades ago.”
Though the Shooting School has seen some
updates through the decades, the overall

BY AMBER LANIER NAGLE
structure and mission hasn’t changed much
since Missildine was at the helm.
The facility still offers two skeet ranges
and a trap field. Twenty years ago, one of
the original skeet shooting ranges was
converted to accommodate a field for competitive five-stand, which Kent describes
as a compact version of sporting clays. As
always, the Shooting School boasts a team of
accomplished instructors—certified by the
National Sporting Clays Association and the
National Skeet Shooting Association—who
have more than 60 years of teaching experience between them.
“Strong instruction can make a big difference in performance,” Kent comments. “It
can turn beginners into skilled shooters, and
skilled shooters into experts.”
Lessons are given both privately and
in groups, and they accommodate all
skill levels. For newcomers to the sport,
instruction covers shotgun safety, effective
stance, gun mounting, general tips and
techniques. Younger shooters rave about
special activities aimed at their enjoyment

86 SEA ISL AND LIFE | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

and learning such as Air Rifle Bull’s-Eye
Hour (for children ages 6 to 12) and Targets
for Teens. Women love the Annie Oakley
Shooting Hour, specifically designed for
ladies to improve their skills.
“We believe we’ve introduced more people
to clay target shooting than any other facility
in the country,” Kent says. “Dads bring their
sons here before their first quail hunt. They
trust us to get them tuned up and ready.”
Thousands of beginners discover clay target
games each year at the Island.
But novices aren’t the only ones who come
to the Shooting School for tuneups. “The
Shooting School has seen its share of worldclass shooters over the years, too,” Kent
says. “Most come here to practice.”
From helping first-timers to being the
home of a world champion, the Shooting
School is rooted in the historical fabric
of Sea Island. It’s a role that the facility
will continue to play as it welcomes
each new generation of shooters to steady
their gaze on the targets before pulling
the trigger. m