Founder Range Day
You've been to enough coffee meetups. Come try something a little more adventurous!
Join a handful of other business owners from Austin, and learn to shoot sporting clays while building valuable connections, and enjoying the breathtaking scenery of Marble Falls.
What are sporting clays, you ask?
Think Top-Golf meets shotguns. The shooting club has a series of shooting stations set up along a picturesque ridge line with stunning views off to the horizon.
After morning coffee and a brief safety orientation, you'll be placed in a group of four founders based roughly on shooting experience. The four of you will move from station to station – ten stations in all.
At each one, you'll take on six different "birds."
The targets mimic the challenge of shooting live game. Swooping in from different directions, arcing at unpredictable angles – sometimes even rolling across the ground our bouncing up into the air.
It's a ton of fun, and a great story to tell in your next client meeting.
There will also be a prize for the best and worst shooters of the day.
No experience necessary. If you've shot before, great. We have plenty to keep you busy. But the sport is very beginner-friendly, and there will be range staff on-site to help every step of the way. So if you've never shot, you'll still feel right at home.
The day looks like this:
9:30AM-10:30AM: Sign in, coffee, and mingle.
10:30AM-12:30PM: Shooting
12:30PM-1:30PM: Catered lunch, and mingle more
Then you're out and on the road before rush hour.
You will shoot a total of sixty clays. This is the perfect number. Enough to get the hang of it, but not so many that you start to get tired. It takes about two hours.
Along the way, you'll have plenty of time to chit chat, and swap insights with other business owners in the groups. And we'll end the morning with a big catered lunch so the whole group can swap stories and connect.
Your ticket includes
Entry to the event
Shotgun & all ammo
60 Targets (the perfect number)
Catered lunch + snacks and refreshments throughout
About Your Hosts:
Ethan Brooks has been building communities for founders for years, first as a writer at The Hustle, then at Hampton, and now, as the owner of The Austin Business Review.
Carl Grant IV is COO at Capital Raise, a SaaS enabled service platform for companies, connectors, and investors. He's also a competitive shooter, and has lots of useful insights to share with attendees.
FAQ
Below are a few of the main questions people have asked. We’ve tried to be detailed to address any questions that may come up, but the short version is, dress comfortably, and come prepared to have fun. Everything is taken care of for you!
What should I wear?
The only requirement is that you have closed-toed shoes. Other than that, we recommend comfortable clothes (jeans and a t-shirt are common), and a light jacket in case of wind.
You will be moving between shaded shooting platforms, and will spend about half your time in the sun, so sunscreen and a ball cap may be a good idea if you prefer those types of things.
We recommend not wearing dangly earrings or hoops as they can be a little uncomfortable with the hearing protection (studs are fine though).
Glasses are fine too, and if you have sunglasses you like, consider bringing those.
Do I need my own shotgun?
No. Your ticket includes the use of a rental shotgun, provided by the shooting range, as well as all ammo, targets, hearing protection, etc. You don’t need to bring anything.
Shotguns will be pre-placed at each shooting stand by the range staff, so you don’t need to think about carrying them from place to place. You’ll merely walk from one position to the next, and everything will be there for you, including range staff to help load or give pointers.
If you have your own shotgun, you’re welcome to bring it. Standard safety rules apply (e.g., it must be unloaded and open when not actively shooting.) Your ticket includes 60 rounds of ammunition, or you can bring your own if you prefer.
Does the shotgun kick hard?
If you’ve never shot before, don’t worry about the kick. There will be two choices of shotgun available throughout – called 12 and 20 gauge.
While a 12-gauge has a bit of a kick, a 20-gauge is smaller, and is often used to teach kids how to shoot. With the proper technique, it’s quite comfortable.
We are also only shooting ten stations (60 targets), which is the perfect amount. Enough to get the hang of it and have fun, but not so much that you get tired.
What about safety stuff?
Safety is a key focus of the event. There will be a safety briefing in the morning before we shoot, where everyone will learn how the sporting clays work, and the basics of how to use a shotgun safely.
Expert range staff will be on-hand throughout the event, there to help with every step, answer questions, and make sure everyone has a great time.
Everyone will receive ear and eye protection. If you wear glasses, or have sunglasses you like, you can feel free to bring those, and use them as eye protection instead.
There will also be plenty of drinks and snacks on hand to keep you hydrated.
The main risk is really just sunburn, so just keep that in mind when choosing your clothes for the day.
What should I expect when I get there?
Below is a map showing the property, and the three main places you’ll be spending time throughout the morning…
Entrance: When you arrive at the park, you’ll stop near the entrance, fill out a brief form on your phone, and be given a parking tag for the day. There’s no fee. This is just how they keep track of entrants.
Clubhouse: From there, you will head up the hill to the clubhouse to meet the group. We’ll have coffee and get everyone checked in, then head up to the sporting clay course.
Sporting Clay Course: This is where we’ll spend most of our time, starting with a brief safety talk, and demonstration. Once you’re ready, you’ll walk from hut to hut, trying your hand at six to eight shots each.
Along the way, you’ll have plenty of time to chat with fellow attendees, and after the shooting, we’ll have lunch together at a shady picnic area near the sporting clay course.
There’s no check-out needed. Once you’re done with lunch, you can leave directly from the picnic area, and we scheduled this so everyone could be on the road well before rush hour.
Again, the TL;DR here is that we’ve worked hard to make this as simple and fun as possible, so you can show up, make some new friends, try a fun sport, and go home with a cool story to tell your clients or loved ones.