The original intent of the KCTA was the promotion of local trapshooting through the administration of weekly "club" competitions. With an emphasis on 16 yard shooting in classes, the events of handicap, sliding handicap and doubles were added in order to fortify the year round program and cover all disciplines of the sport. In addition to weekly winners, trophies were added for bi-monthly and annual championships.
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With the ownership and management of the shooting park in private hands, the concerns of the KCTA were concentrated on the maintenance of the weekly and annual shooting records, determination of trophy winners, and, of course, the site and and menu of the annual banquet.
Unfortunately, private ownership of Elliott`s ended in foreclosure in 1984, seven years after the Elliott family sold the club. After several months in receivership, over 100 shooters lined up to close a trapshooting tradition with a shot at a final "wooden" target at Elliott`s Shooting Park on Nov. 17, 1985. With no home grounds and possible elimination of a nearly 100 year trapshooting tradition, the board of directors was faced with either giving up or embarking on the task of finding a new location. After several frustrating months, an exhaustive search throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area ended at Smithville Lake .
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With the help of donated funds and labor, the first targets were thrown at the new KCTA Public Shooting Park at Smithville Lake in August 1986. The new facility featured nine trapfields, two skeet fields and a 4,800 square foot club house. Traphouses were built "walk-in" style, and currently seven PAT traps and two Winchester hand traps are used. The new clubhouse includes a snack bar, manager's residence, workshop and target storage space. For cold weather shooting, the spacious clubhouse features a warm fireplace and plenty of hot coffee, and in the warm months, it has air conditioning. it is also available for receptions and parties upon arrangements with resident manager Lynn Gipson.
Situated in the middle of Smithville Lake Park (30 minutes north of the downtown Kansas City and 20 minutes east of the KC International Airport), the KCTA Public Shooting Park enjoys an east, west and southern view of the 7,200-acre lake, which is within walking distance of the trapline.
Administered by Clay County's Department of Parks, the lake has over 175 miles of shoreline which abounds in wildlife. Lake fishing game species include large mouth bass, crappie, catfish, blue gill, muskie and walleye. In addition, there are over 7,000 acres of public hunting in the Smithville wildlife management area. Local game include deer,turkey, geese, ducks and quail ( at times visible from the trapline ). Other recreational facilities within the park include camping, swimming beaches, a golf coarse, two marinas, sailboat facilities, picnic areas and ball fields.
Beginning in 1995, the KCTA has hosted monthly NSSA registered skeet tournaments each year. In 1996, the club was honored as the MSSA two field club of the year.
The KCTA has become the second largest registered trapshooting facility in the state. Hundreds of trapshooters from throughout the midwest compete during more than 30 days of ATA registered tournaments over the course of the year. The largest tournaments during 1999 were the Western Missouri Championships in early May, the Memorial Day Weekend Tournament, The Summer Spectacular Tournament in July and the Labor Day Weekend Tournament.
In addition to national tournaments, the KCTA hosts the Heart of America Trap League, which meets every Wednesday evening from March through November. Shot in three 12 week sessions ( spring, summer and fall ), the league draws over 100 area shooters.
Since 1996 the KCTA has hosted the annual Kansas City Corporate Challenge Trapshooting Championships. Held in late May, this event draws over 150 competitors representing businesses throughout the Kansas City metro area. Most of these competitors are novice Shooters, new to the sport and the Smithville Lake area.
Of course, the weekly club shooting program remains in place. The familiar KCTA logo has come to be known nationwide. Since its inception in 1922, many KCTA members have emerged as state and national trapshooting champions. Garnering their share of national awards have been KCTA members Russ Elliott, C.E. Barnhart, Myron Willoughby, Steve Carmichael, M. L. McGuire, Chris Kiernan & Jordan Zane Holmes. Local shooters compete on a weekly basis, honing their shooting skills and vying for "braggin" rights. The program is concluded each year with an awards banquet in the clubhouse.
The KCTA is open to the public year round on Wednesday evenings, during the day on weekends and other times by appointment. The club provides gun safety and shooting instructions plus loaner guns to encourage new shooters.
In addition to throwing targets, a wide variety of shells and shell reloading components are available at competitive prices.
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skeet shooting
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