High Desert Sportsmen

High Desert Sportsmen operates as a skeet shooting club affiliated with the New Mexico Skeet Shooting Association (NMSSA) and the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA). The club hosts registered skeet shoots throughout the year at the City of Albuquerque Shooting Range Park, plus additional tournaments across New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.

The club runs a monthly fun shoot on the last Saturday of each month, starting at 9:30 AM. These are open to members and are a casual way to practice and compete.

High Desert Sportsmen coordinates and participates in major registered events:

• •January-December: Monthly registered targets at City of Albuquerque
• •March 15: Memorial 28 gauge (Albuquerque)
• •May 2-4: Mesilla Valley Open (Las Cruces)
• •May 10: 12 and 20 gauge Open (Albuquerque)
• •May 16-18: Alien City Open (Roswell)
• •June 6-8: Red or Green Open (Albuquerque)
• •June 20-22: US Open I-Shoot (Albuquerque)
• •July 11-13: Firecracker Open (Las Cruces)
• •July 26: Farnholtz .410 gauge (Albuquerque)
• •August 8-10: Thunderbird Open (Albuquerque)
• •September 19-21: Legends of Chaparral (Roswell)
• •October 11: High Desert Club Shoot & Annual Membership Meeting (Albuquerque)
• •October 17-19: New Mexico State Skeet Championships (Las Cruces)
• •November 7-9: Bag a Bird Open (Las Cruces)

Skeet shooting is often confused with clay target shooting in general, but it's a distinct sport administered by the NSSA. American skeet tournaments typically run five events:

• •Doubles (12 gauge max): Pairs of targets shot simultaneously
• •12 gauge singles (100 targets)
• •20 gauge singles (100 targets)
• •28 gauge singles (100 targets)
• •.410 bore singles (100 targets)

Serious skeet shooters use one of three primary shotgun types:

Pump guns - Least expensive option; shooter cycles the action manually for the second shot. Requires speed, consistency, and precision but is satisfying when executed well.

Semi-automatic shotguns - Gas or recoil-operated to cycle automatically between shots. Generally softer recoil than pumps, but can jam if dirty or with unusual ammunition. Most reliable in 12 gauge.

Over-and-under (two-barrel) shotguns - Two single-shot barrels on one receiver. Most reliable for getting two fast shots and most forgiving with ammunition variety. Allows shell recovery for reloading. Dominates modern tournament skeet.

Because American skeet requires four different gauges (12, 20, 28, and .410), shooters historically needed four different guns. Modern tubed over-and-under shotguns solve this by using barrel inserts—aluminum tubes chambered for sub-gauges 20, 28, and .410 that fit inside a 12-gauge double gun. This keeps weight, balance, and sight picture consistent across all gauges. Tubed guns now dominate American skeet tournaments.

Membership to High Desert Sportsmen is open to anyone interested in skeet or trap shooting.

Membership Fees: $25 per year (due by December 31)

How to Join: Complete the membership application and mail it with your check to:

High Desert Sportsmen 8005 Agua Fria Ct NW Albuquerque, NM 87120

Current Members: Renew via PayPal through their website. Membership cards are emailed within days.

At the Range: Members typically use fields 5-10 at the City of Albuquerque facility. Members can pull targets for guests or refer them to city employees for assistance.

High Desert Sportsmen leadership includes:

• •Tom Christopher - President
• •William Ponder - Vice President
• •Gary Lemmel - Secretary (2021 Club Champion)
• •Joe Chesky - Treasurer

Notable club members include state champions Shawn Mills (2021 State Champion) and John Moen (Zone 7 Champion).

The club is integral to the NMSSA, which supervises skeet shooting across New Mexico under NSSA rules. The NMSSA:

• •Coordinates shoot schedules statewide
• •Approves applications for registered shoots
• •Enforces NSSA rules at sanctioned events
• •Selects the New Mexico State Skeet Team (based on annual averages: minimum 500 targets per gauge, with at least 300 shot in New Mexico)
• •Hosts the Champion of Champions event at the State Championships
• •Determines the State Chief Referee

The 2025 New Mexico State Skeet Championships will be held October 17-19 at Mesilla Valley Shotgun Sports in Las Cruces, New Mexico.