Hours of Operation:
Monday and Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday: CLOSED
Thursday: Noon - 5:00 PM
* Gaston Young Guns utilize the skeet fields on Thursday evenings from 4:00 – 8:00 pm.
Friday: Noon - 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The Gastonia Skeet and Trap Range is located on the Rankin Lake Park property at the end of a gravel road, named after Bob and Pat Boyd, who operated the facility for many years. It is accessed from Tulip Drive.Harrelson Yancey, Mayor from 1951-1955, started the first range on the eastern hill of Rankin Lake Park. Later the range was moved to the west side of Rankin Lake, on the opposite side of the lake from the park. During its early years, the range was operated by the Gastonia Police Department.
The facility has three range units: one skeet, one trap, and one combination range.
The Range will be closed for the following holidays in 2023:
- January 1st - New Year's Day
- November 24th - Thanksgiving Day
- December 24th and 25th - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Skeet, Trap, What’s the Difference?
With Skeet, the targets always cross in front of the shooter and follow the same path, one high from the left and one low from the right. The field has two separate target throwing houses: one high, with the target being ejected at about thirteen feet above the ground, and the other at three feet above the ground from the low house. There is no variation in the target path. The shooting field has eight positions (or stations) arranged in a semi-circle. Up to five shooters may participate in a “round,” with each shooter taking their turn at station one and then all of the squad proceeding together to each of the other firing points. A full round of skeet includes 25 targets, allowing for one shot at each target. While formal competition is based on shotgun gauge, various bores are used in skeet. Shot sizes are typically limited to #8 or #9.
In Trap, there is one target-throwing machine located at the middle front of the range and the targets fly away from the shooters. The machine oscillates, which may result in targets being ejected at a 45-degree angle left or right of the target house, or anywhere in between. Shooters man five field stations over a straight line behind the machine. Each member of the five-person “squad” takes a turn with each sequential shot, one shooter followed by another shooter sequentially across the field. After five cycles (each shooter having shot 5 times), each shooter rotates to the next station, and the process begins over again. The targets are typically 30-40 yards downrange when hit. Most often, 12-gauge shotguns are used with shells of 7.5 or 8 shot.
Contact Information:
Gastonia Skeet and Trap
1620 Tulip Drive, Gastonia, NC 28052
(P.O. Box 1748, Gastonia, NC 28053-1748)
(P.O. Box 1748, Gastonia, NC 28053-1748)
704.866.6065 (Range Office - during Range hours only)
704.869.1984 (Special Facilities Office open Mon-Fri 8:00AM - 4:30PM)
704.842.5104 (Fax)
