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Test Your Aim: Sport Shooting in Sun Valley

“3, 2, 1, pull,” I say, keeping a keen eye down the barrel of the shotgun. A bright-orange clay disc sails through the early-morning sky, and I gently squeeze the trigger. “You nicked that one!” says Mark Gillespie, a shooting instructor at the Sun Valley Gun Club, after I safely lower the gun. “You’re doing great for a beginner.” His encouragement is welcome, as it’s my first time holding—and shooting—a shotgun. I’ve only been working with Mark for five minutes, and not only am I feeling more comfortable by the second, but I’ve already nicked a target. “Can we try again?” I ask.  Since the early days of Sun Valley Resort, sport shooting has been a part of the recreational attractions of the Sun Valley area. Ernest Hemingway reportedly shot clays off the deck of his Ketchum home, and a sport shooting range was one the original amenities offered when the resort opened in 1936. Sport shooting tests the shooters meddle in metrics such as accuracy, precision, and speed. Lessons and ranges are available for all types of firearms—from shotguns to pistols to rifles—and the sport welcomes experienced and newbie shooters alike. It’s also a popular activity for groups! Ready …