Every year, the Grand American—the Amateur Trapshooting Association’s flagship championship and the biggest trapshoot on the planet—finds a way to impress. There’s the sheer scale of it, with a line of trap fields running for miles. There’s the international reach: 99 competitors made the trip from Brazil alone this year. And there’s the job the ATA and its partners pull off in administering what effectively becomes one of the larger cities in southern Illinois for 11 days straight. If the Grand isn’t on your bucket list, it should be.
I traveled to Sparta last week with NRA Media Senior Digital Producer Jake Stocke, and I brought my camera. Between our work on an upcoming ARTV segment about the Grand, I was snapping away—there was no shortage to document. Here are 11 of the best.
At its core, the Grand American is a massive trapshooting championship, with more than 20 events on the program plus a slew of special competitions. And unlike most world championships, there's no qualifying required to enter.
The trap fields at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex stretch for miles—121 of them, running roughly three and a half miles. The facility also boasts a full-service campground, the ATA Trapshooting Hall of Fame and much more.
Squads move field to field from morning until evening. Age, experience and home state matter far less here than what happens over the next 25 targets—juniors and 50-year veterans regularly find themselves on the same squad, shooting for the same titles.
The large central building in the background handles match administration, with plenty of space for registration, squadding and more. There’s also a sit-down restaurant and food kiosks on site.
White Flyer is the official target of the Grand American, with the company’s Orange Dome targets flying for the duration of the tournament. Sister brand Winchester serves as the ATA’s official ammunition.
The Grand American moved to the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in 2006 from its longtime home in Vandalia, Ohio. The ATA works closely with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which administers the facility.
The NRA’s presence is felt in full force at the Grand American, with a permanent building on the grounds and its own space among the vendors, where you can join or renew your membership.
The National Rifle Association of America also sponsors the NRA Singles event on the tournament program.
The Annie Oakley shoot Thursday is one of the Grand’s best-loved side events—a single-elimination format where one miss sends you off the line. Sponsor banners line the walkways behind the firing line all week. Along with the NRA, Winchester, Fiocchi and the sport’s two magazines—Trap & Field and TrapShooting USA—dozens of companies and organizations back the Grand each year.
Weather is part of the deal in southern Illinois in August. Rain moved through more than once during the week, and competition kept right on going.
A southern Illinois sunset never disappoints. This one came Thursday, after a thunderstorm-filled day of competition, and was the last photo I took before packing up and heading back to Virginia.
Be on the lookout for the American Rifleman TV episode featuring the Grand American later this year. Watch new episodes of ARTV on Outdoor Channel Wednesday nights at 8:30 and 11:30 p.m. Eastern.
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