Recreational Sport Shooting

Southwest Florida provides its residents and guests a wide variety of activities to enjoy. Whether they live here fulltime, are seasonal residents or have just come for a couple of months the opportunities abound, regardless of their interests. 

Those interests can range from golf, tennis, bocce, racquetball, swimming, boating, radio-controlled boating or airplanes and a wide variety of other activities both inside and outside. It really doesn’t matter whether they are accomplished competitors in those areas of interest or not, our weather and the abundance of sunshine allows for opportunities galore for those seeking the enjoyment of a sport of their choice. 

Another sport that has steadily grown in popularity over the last several decades has been recreational shooting. Sports such as hunting and competitive shooting are widely practiced in the United States. Firearms ranges often offer shooter safety and other classes for beginners, as was the case when we visited the Louland Gun Club at the Port of the Islands recently. 

On many Saturday mornings, you can follow a steady line of traffic as it winds its way along Tamiami Trail, as recreational shooters work their way to the popular gun club east of Naples on U.S. 41. There you will find individuals and families who enjoy target, clay, skeet and competition shooting. Their interests and numbers vary, depending on the day you visit. 

You also will find those interested in instructional training. Men, women and children come to learn how to safely handle firearms. On a recent Saturday, you could find a variety of family members being instructed under the tightest of safety protocols regarding all aspects of handling firearms, from revolvers, semi-automatics, rifles and shotguns. 

This is a no-nonsense operation, where instructors and range masters take their responsibilities very seriously. From ensuring participants utilize proper hearing and eye protection, to the proper way to holster a firearm to trigger and muzzle discipline, that portion of the instructional phase of the training is run with military precision. Jeff Street from Step by Step Gun Training would provide those detailed instructions, which include a short prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before beginning their sessions for the day. 

Today, more than 50 million men and women enjoy sport and target shooting activities in the United States alone and their number grow annually. 

Karen and Mark Williams, who now reside in the Naples area, were at the range that Saturday morning. They enjoy the hobby of shooting and are frequent visitors to the range out at Port of the Islands, as well as another range they belong to in South Carolina when visiting there. 

Kathy Lowers and her daughter Catalina were also out at the range for their introductory visit. “My daughters and I wish to become proficient in the handling of firearms. These folks out here will customize a program for us to ensure we are comfortable and safe while handling of firearms,” said Kathy Lowers referring to Robin Street from Step by Step Gun Training. Street and her husband were providing range supervision that day and doing the instructing. 

The one thing that is quite evident as you visit the facilities there off of U.S. 41 is the professionalism and serious nature of both the instructors and participants.  

Separate ranges are provided for handguns as well as long guns. Three other ranges, one for trapping, skeet and sporting clays were also provided within the complex.  

To learn more about the Louland Gun Club, visit their website at www.gunrangenaples.com or their partners at www.gulfcoastclays.com to learn more about the offerings regarding trap, skeet and sporting clays. 

Information regarding Step by Step Gun Training and their programs can be found at www.stepbystepguntraining.com.