Twenty-five shots separate a shooter from the start of a competition to a perfect score; and when they hit that goal, it’s one of the sport’s greatest thrills, according to Ron Campbell. 

Campbell joined the Bonners Ferry Gun Club several years ago because he wanted his daughter to learn how to shoot. 

“I’m one of those dads who wants to be a part of what their kids are doing,” Campbell said. “When she would come out to shoot, I’d shoot with her.” 

He soon began working as a coach and eventually became head coach of the Claybusters and president of the gun club following the passing of former coach and club president Lonny Jelinek. 

The team was founded by Jelinek and Terry Michael “Duke” Guthrie, whose nickname led to the team’s name, Duke’s Claybusters. 

“Lonnie loved kids and felt that if he could save even one kid from drugs or something else, the whole thing would be worth it,” Campbell said. “That’s my philosophy, too.” 

Though there are 14 kids on the team, only three scores are submitted to high school competitions, creating healthy competition. Each week, the top shooter receives a gift card and at the end of the season Campbell pays the entry fees for the top three shooters competing at state. 

While shooters must be at least 12 years old to be on the team, Campbell allows children to train at an earlier age. 

“I don’t care if they come out early. If they’re nine years old, let them come and I’ll teach them and let them shoot because they’re just going to be better when they can be on the team,” Campbell said. “If their parents are willing to bring them every Saturday, then I’m here for them.” 

Campbell is an NRA-licensed coach and considers safety the most important part of his job, both as a coach and as the club’s president. 

“I’m pretty strict with the kids here and there’s no cussing or anything like that,” Campbell said. “If they throw a fit because they missed, they’re sitting on the bench. I’m also really strict about safety. If they’re doing something they’re not supposed to be doing, everything stops and we talk about it as a team.” 

“When I first started coming here, it was kind of a drunken place, with everybody out there,” Campbell said. “When I took over as president, we stopped the drinking and if people want to sit by the fire and not shoot, they can have a beer, but they’re not going to be out on the range shooting.” 

Participation requires a significant commitment, with weekly training held nearly year-round. Becoming a core member requires strong shooting skills. 

“This last year we had 14 kids come try out and only four came back and the year before that we had 27 show up and only three came back,” Campbell said. “To earn a hoodie, they have to hit 16 or better at least twice and that puts them on the JV team. To be on varsity, they have to consistently hit over 20. Right now, most of the kids are on varsity.” 

A core tenet of Campbell’s teaching is focusing on proper technique rather than missed targets. 

“The first thing I tell the kids when they start shooting is that I don’t care if they miss, because the misses don’t matter to me,” Campbell said. “All I care about is that they’re going through the motions correctly, from mounting the gun to looking down the gun to calling the bird and moving to the bird, because the hits will come.” 

The adult league has also seen strong results this season. 

“I’m really happy with the adult league this year, because it’s the first time in a long time that most of the shooters are hitting over 40 out of 50 targets on average,” Campbell said. “It’s just been phenomenal.” 

Campbell said the club’s strong sense of community is one of its greatest strengths. 

“All the parents are fantastic and very supportive of the team,” Campbell said. “A lot of them come out and shoot and when their kids see that they want to try it too and I help them get involved, including several parents who now shoot in the adult league.” 

Campbell said the club was founded in 1975 and originally located in Deep Creek. It moved to its current site northeast of Bonners Ferry in 1982 and recent years have brought improvements to the main building, which serves as the club’s gathering place.