2025 National Sporting Clays Championship

October 18-26, 2025

National Shooting Complex, San Antonio, Texas

 

The National Sporting Clays Championship is the largest annual event in Sporting Clays, and a trip to the National Championship is a bucket-list item for almost everyone who participates in the sport. We want you to enjoy every minute of it and get the most from your trip to the National Shooting Complex. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions from first-timers at the National Championship.

Who can participate

Any NSCA member in good standing can participate! You can even join upon arrival. NSSA members are also welcome to participate using their Crossfire number.

Entering the facility

Navigate to the National Shooting Complex to reach the main entrance at 5931 Roft Road, San Antonio, TX 78253. After entering the gate and driving a short distance, turn onto the road on the right and follow it downhill to the clubhouse. If you are facing the front of the building, the Beretta Registration is across the road; look for “Registration” in big red letters.

Once you have registered, you may also enter through gates that take you to parking areas near the courses. You’ll find an entrance north of the main entrance on Roft Rd. and two entrances from Gass Road. See the event map to determine the best place to enter and park, depending on where you’re shooting.

Preparing for the National Championship

Aside from practicing and preparing mentally and physically for Nationals, here are some key steps you should take before arriving at the National Shooting Complex:

• Prepare your gear. In addition to your favorite shotgun and shooting gear, keep in mind that eye and ear protection are required at all times when you’re in shooting areas. Also, weather in South Texas at this time of year can range wildly – in the same day. Bring layers of clothing and prepare for hot and cold, wet and dry weather.

• Study the program. Each year, we post the program on our National Championship page at least two months prior to the event. You can find it here and in the Events App. You’ll find most anything you need to know about the shoot in the program, including a detailed schedule of events. Most of your questions will be answered there.

• Download the NSCA Events App. This is your most valuable tool for knowing what’s going on throughout Nationals. You’ll find the event program, schedule, food truck menus, event map, and much more in the app. You’ll also receive notifications through the app, including reminders about events, announcements about weather delays, and everything else you need to know. You can download the NSCA Events app from the Apple App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).

• Review your schedule. After signing up, you should have received confirmation from Score Chaser by email, and you would have received an email if anything changed. Make sure you understand which events you’re registered for and the days and times you are shooting.

First things to do upon arrival

• Go to Registration. Make this your first stop. At Registration, you’ll receive your shooter packet, get physical printouts of your paperwork and schedule, and have an opportunity to ask questions of the knowledgeable, experienced staffers working there. If you have pre-ordered event merchandise, you’ll also pick it up in the General Store in Registration.

• If you’ve brought a cart, get a permit. If you’ve previously requested a permit, make sure it’s in your registration packet. If you haven’t, get a cart permit in Registration. You will need to complete a form and provide a driver’s license and proof of insurance.

• Buy your ammo. Once you’ve entered the property and drive down the hill, you’ll see the Ammo Barn on your right. (Gun storage is also on the left side of that building.) While we will have ample supplies of ammo, it is sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, and we don’t take pre-orders, so we cannot guarantee your choice’s availability at the time you arrive. Thus, it’s a good idea to buy your ammo once you’ve registered.

• Pick up your rented cart. If you are renting a cart from Dever and shooting on the day you arrive, go to the cart area (at the pavilion at the top of the hill) to pick up your cart. You will pick up a cart each day for which you’ve reserved one.

• Go to the Pro Shop, where you’ll arrange for your practice needs. If you’ve brought an RV, you’ll also handle check-in and get any RV-related information at the Pro Shop. (RV spot assignments can be found in the Events App under the RV button.)

• Learn the lay of the land. You can review the digital map in advance (on our website and in the NSCA Events App), but there’s nothing like looking around the property to find the courses where you’ll be shooting and get a sense of distance and proximity to parking. You don’t want to arrive for your first day of shooting and realize you didn’t allow enough time to get to your course.

Ammunition

We will have a good supply and variety of ammunition for sale. Here is our list of offerings and prices. All ammo purchases are on a first-come, first-serve basis. We do not take pre-orders, and we cannot guarantee that your choice of brand or load will be available when you arrive. We recommend that you buy all the ammo you will need for the events you’ve registered for, practice, and potential shoot-offs all at once. However, we do not give refunds, so count carefully.

Please note that reloads are not allowed. If you are shooting FITASC, you are not allowed to shoot over 1-oz. loads, nor are you allowed to shoot 3-inch loads.

Food

There will be several food vendors with a variety of food types on the property. We have posted their menus on the Events App. Food trucks will be parked in the vicinity of the Winchester Pavilion and clubhouse (Food Court #1) and at the intersection of Skeet Street and Don Snyder Blvd. (Food Court #2). We have many food and drink sponsors who support our event; be sure to check our sponsor lists to see who they are. In addition, there are almost unlimited dining options nearby. Follow Roft Road to its intersection with FM 471/Culebra Rd. and turn right to reach an area with many restaurants. Watch for our Target Talk EATS email for more guidance on food choices.

We know a trip to Nationals isn’t cheap, so to offset some of your expenses, we have arranged for our food and beverage sponsors to provide evening receptions and parties. Every evening except Thursday, Oct. 23 (the evening of the Hall of Fame Banquet), we will have complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided by our sponsors at the Winchester Pavilion/Clubhouse area. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Oct. 24-25, we will have Championship Parties with dinners and cocktails. All shooters and your guests are welcome!

Gun Storage

We provide a gun storage facility and urge every shooter to use it to eliminate the possibility of your gun being stolen from a vehicle or hotel room. The gun storage facility is located on the left side of the Ammo Barn. The cost is a bargain at $5.00 per gun per day for storage, security, and insurance, and you can come and go as many times as you’d like during each day. You do not need reservations – just show up with your shotgun. Unfortunately, we are not able to store other equipment or ammo; shotguns only. Your gun must be in a case – at a minimum, a soft case – and no more than two guns per case.

Options

When you go through registration, you’ll need to make decisions about options. These are pay-to-play opportunities to earn additional money above the normal mandatory class purse. Most events have their own options offered; see the Main Event options on page 47 of the program and other event pages in the program for side events.

As you’re considering which options to play, here are a few suggestions:

• Lewis Class is a good option for anyone to play, as everyone has an equal chance to win, even if you have a bad day of shooting. Winners are determined by chance. Here’s a detailed description.

• Class and Concurrent. If you feel you’re at top of your class and concurrent and have a good chance at winning your concurrent and/or class, play that. Otherwise, don’t. These options pay the top 10 in class or concurrent, respectively.

• Winner Takes All is not a good option for a first-timer, as it is betting that you’ll win the championship. Open Course option is also not a great option for first-timers, as it pays to the best on each course.

Parking/Transportation

Parking is available near (within walking distance of) each course, and many shooters elect to walk the courses. Understand that you will have some long walks if you choose to do that. You may bring your own cart if you wish, in which case shooters generally park their trailers in our designated trailer area (see the map) for the duration of the event, then drive about the complex in their carts. If you don’t yet have a permit for your cart, go to Registration to handle that.

If you are renting a cart through Dever, you will pick it up for each day it is rented at the pavilion at the top of the hill.

If you have in mind being dropped off at the headquarters/clubhouse area and walking to your courses, that is not a good plan. Remember that this is a 700-acre property, and most courses are not generally considered to be within walking distance prior to a rotation. While we have a shuttle service, it is used on an as-needed basis; it does not run on a schedule. If you need a ride to your course, go to Registration and request a shuttle. Give yourself an extra 10-15 minutes, as you may have to wait for the shuttle. When you are finished shooting, ask the course manager to radio for the shuttle to pick you up or call 210-254-1506.

There are some parking restrictions in the Registration-Headquarters-Clubhouse-Vendor Row areas. Many spaces are reserved, and you cannot park in a space with a name on it, nor can you park in vendors’ reserved spots. Some areas near Registration and the clubhouse are marked for carts only. If you park your car or truck there, it will be towed.

Photography

Much of the event will be memorialized in photos and video. Because there will be photographers, videographers, social media content producers, and other members of the media at the event, we have press policies to ensure that nothing interferes with what you’re here for -– enjoying shooting and competing at your highest possible level. Here is more info on our expectations for photographers.

Practice

We have three practice courses, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Practice will be available starting Wednesday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 26, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Go to the Pro Shop (inside the clubhouse) for a practice card that will track the number of targets you shoot. When you are finished with practice, turn the card in at the Pro Shop and pay for all rounds of practice at once.

RVs

Our on-site RV park includes electrical and water hook-ups. If you have a reservation, you’ll find your space assignment in the Events App. The park usually fills up for our largest events, so you should make a reservation or get on the waiting list as soon as you make plans. It’s a good idea to make next year’s reservations while you’re at this year’s National Championship. Learn about our RV policies. If you are unable to get a space in the NSC RV park, other camping options for RVs are nearby, and we can refer you to them.

Scorecards

You will get scorecards from the referee/trapper at your starting station, and at the last station of every event, the referees will collect them. At the last station, we suggest you take a photo of your scorecard, then return it to the referee.

Scores

All event scores are posted in real time at scorechaser.com when a rotation is over. The easiest way to access scores is through the link in the Events App. There are no printed scoreboards.

Shoot-offs

If there’s a chance you may be in a shoot-off, you should be present on the grounds at the time of shoot-offs and listen for the PA system. Shoot-offs are also noted on scorechaser.com under each event. We do not send text messages for shoot-offs.

Spectators

Non-shooting spectators are welcome at the National Sporting Clays Championship. Just keep in mind that they are required to follow the same safety rules and etiquette as shooters: They must wear eye and ear protection while in shooting areas, stay well behind the shooters, keep out of the shooter’s line of sight, don’t make disturbing noises, etc.

If you bring family members or friends, they are also welcome to join you at the evening functions, such as parties, dinners, and hors d’oeuvres, and at the First-Time Attendee luncheon.

Squadding

If you did not ask to be part of a particular squad, you will be randomly placed in a squad where there is space available. If you have requested a particular time, we will do our best to accommodate. If you and friends ask to be squadded together but you don’t have a full squad, those remaining positions will be filled with others who are not part of a group.

Time

To have time to register, buy ammo, learn your way around, warm up, etc. before competing, especially if your first event is in the morning, it’s best to arrive the day before your first event. If you are arriving on the same day, you should allow a minimum of 2.5 to 3 hours before your event. You don’t want to start the National Championship in a rush! On subsequent days, you’ll know how far you have to travel for your event, but allow a liberal amount of time. Traffic can sometimes be heavy in some areas on the way to the National Shooting Complex, and it could take more time than expected to arrive.

Vendors

Visiting our vendors is one of the highlights of the National Championship for most people. You’ll have the opportunity to see – and make purchases from – many gun, ammo, and accessory brands and service providers on Vendor Row and elsewhere on the property. You can probably even test a gun you’re considering. However, each gun company and distributor has its own policies, hours, and opportunities, so visit the vendor and talk with them if you’re interested in testing a gun.

Water

While many shooters like to bring their own cooler of water or sports drinks to keep on their cart, and you are welcome to, we will have water and snacks available for shooters at two hospitality tents at each course. Plan to make the tent your first stop before starting the round and replenish as needed.

Some Final Tips

Here are a few random tips to help you make the most of your trip to the National Sporting Clays Championship.

• Ask questions. You’ll find the other shooters to be universally helpful and eager to make sure you have a good time, so don’t hesitate to ask them questions. You can also stop by Headquarters or Registration anytime for help, or stop any staffer on the grounds.

• Do everything. Play the games, shoot side events, attend the parties, visit the vendors. Stay for the shoot-offs and evening activities; if you shoot and leave every day, you’ll miss much of the social aspect of the sport and the event.

• Make new friends. We regularly hear stories about members becoming close friends after being randomly squadded together or otherwise meeting at the National Championship. Our surveys confirm that the camaraderie among shooters is one of members’ favorite aspects of the sport. Even if it isn’t your natural inclination, step outside your comfort zone and reach out to meet others. Join someone at a table on the patio, sit by a stranger in the stadium, and get to know any new people in your squad. Staff you’ve possibly communicated with and your NSCA Executive Council members will also be here throughout Nationals, so say hello to us as well.

• Buy event merchandise early. If you didn’t pre-order any event merchandise you want, buy it as soon as you’re finished registering. Merchandise goes quickly, and if you wait until later in the week, there’s a good chance you’ll miss getting what you wanted.

• Visit the museum. The Hal duPont NSSA-NSCA Museum and Hall of Fame will be open daily throughout the National Championship, so find a time to stop by. It’s the only place to see the history of the sport on display, including many relics and equipment from the earliest days of clay target shooting and from some of the greatest shooters throughout the sport’s history. Fun fact: The favorite display in the museum for most visitors is the collection of colorful glass balls which were used as targets before the invention of clay targets. Some exciting things are happening with the museum now, and you shouldn’t miss it.

• Attend the First-Time Attendees Luncheon on Thursday, October 23 at the House on the Hill. It’s a great opportunity to meet other first-timers and staff — as well as enjoying a complimentary lunch.

  Have a wonderful time at the National Sporting Clays Championship!