About $210. The fee varies slightly for each shooting range depending on material costs. Approximately $200 of the fee for each student includes the cost of two cases of shells and approximately 500 targets, instructions by qualified coaches and a picnic/fun shoot at the end of the season which includes food, refreshments and trophies for the winners in various categories. $10 of the fee goes to the MSHSCTL for administration cost associated with running the league. Some school teams are sponsored by outside organizations such as Pheasants Forever, FFA, 4H and others. The shooting range you participate at can help you identify potential sponsors in your area.

Do I or my school team have to join any organization to participate in the MSHSCTL?

No. The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League follows guidelines as established by the Minnesota State High School League. They have a rule that states no school or any student in a school shall be required to join an outside organization in order to participate in a school event.

How old do I have to be to participate?

Students must be 12 years and older and possess a Minnesota Firearm Safety Training Certificate. You can get more information about firearms safety classes through the Minnesota DNR by clicking here.

How long is the season?

10 weeks. The first three weeks are practice. The fourth week is what we call a “Reserve Week”. What that means is the scores shot that week are held in reserve and used if needed because of inclement weather. The next four weeks are competition with other schools. The ninth week is a “Fun Shoot and Picnic” and the 10^th week is the State High School Tournament. The league begins in April.

Can I participate if I am handicapped?

Yes. Most shooting ranges are handicap accessible.

Get the “5 Easy Steps To Join Our League” by clicking here or simply contact us to ask how.

How many students make up a team?

Five students is the minimum number for a team. Due to constraints of either time or capacity, some gun clubs/shooting ranges might ask schools to limit the size of their teams. If that situation arises, the head coach and the club/range manager should work together to arrive at the number of students the facility can safely and efficiently accommodate.

What school grades are eligible to compete?

Teams are made up of students from 6^th grade through 12^th grade.

Is this league associated with the Minnesota State High School League?

No. The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League is a non-profit organization formed under Chapter 317A as a 501C3 Corporation. If five athletic directors send a letter to the MSHSL requesting that trapshooting become a league-sponsored activity, the MSHSL will start the wheels in motion for accomplishing that. If any school would like to send such a request to the MSHSL, contact us to learn how.

Can we combine smaller schools to make one team?

Yes.

Are our students or school at risk of violating our No Weapon Policy?

No. It should be made clear to the students they are not to bring their guns on school property. Students can either go home after school and get their gun or have a parent or someone else bring the gun to the shooting range for them.

How do schools across the state compete?

Virtually. The MSHSCTL groups schools by conferences and schedules matches between the schools. Schools shoot at their local shooting range and then submit their scores to the MSHSCTL. Then scores, weekly results and overall standings are posted on the website so students can see how their school stacks up against others across the state.

Yes. Shooting range members are terrific volunteers. They have many years of experience in the safe handling of firearms and ammunition. They understand that the priorities of this program are SAFETY and MARKSMANSIP, in that order.

Can my kids shoot more practice rounds on their own?

Yes. It’s no different than a member of the golf team going to the driving range and hitting a bucket of balls or a member of the baseball team visiting the batting cage. The more they put into it, the more they’ll get out of it. Having said that, we’ll remind you of Vince Lombardi’s famous quote: “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect!”