Of course! We have two days when we run events - 1st and 3rd Saturdays.

A typical New Shooters Clinic proceeds as follows:

-Show up to 200 yard range, (top of the hill), at Field Sports Park, at 8:00 AM; see below for a map.

The day runs from 8:00 AM to between 1:00 and 3:00 PM.

If you participate in either day, admission is $20 (paid to the County/Parks). If you wish to join us as a member (we'd love to have you), then bring an additional $40 for a year's membership. If you need ammo for the match, we have some available (for use day-of only) for $50.  Note: We can only accept cash or checks at this time, and there is no ATM/CC processing on site.

Your Picture ID, cash to cover your fees, your own rifle (if applicable), at least 60 rounds of ammo (if applicable), and yourself.  We offer loaner eye protection and earmuffs, and we sell in-ear plugs for a dollar a pair. If you have your own eye and ear protection, you're welcome to use that instead.

We try to provide water, but stuff happens. Bring a bottle of water just in case. Also, there is no on-site food, so a snack or lunch is important. There are several breaks thru the day; good opportunity to refresh.

We'll supply you with: chairs, shooting mats, targets, stands, and if needed, we have shooting benches and shooting blocks for unscored participation.

No. You may bring your own rifle if you wish (see below) but we are glad to lend you a club rifle at no charge. However, if you are new to shooting - even if you bring your own rifle - We'll spend most of the day with our club rifles, as they have been zeroed for the 200 yard range. New rifles often need a lot of time to get on target, and we want to ensure you know the course of fire and safety before we worry about that. On subsequent visits (and sometimes at the end of the first visit) you're welcome to spend the entire time using your rifle.  Once you've had some basic training, we're happy to loan out ARs (featureless), M1 Garands, or the Savage Bolt Actions for you to shoot the match with.

Only if you have a good amount of prior experience - Formal training with another group, or a year or more of experience with the rifle you're bringing are the most common requirements.

We are generally quite inclusive about what rifles are suitable for competition, as long as it's California and Parks legal. It's also your responsibility to ensure it is in good working condition and has some kind of zero (50, 100, or 200 yards) to its sights. If the rifle is not reliably shooting, we may require you to use one of ours for the day. If it is in need of a zero and you're not in the training clinic, you may spend your time zeroing it instead of participating in the official competition course of fire, if you'd like.

If you're shooting your own rifle, bring at least 60 rounds of ammo for the match and sighters. If you plan to borrow a club rifle, bring 60 rounds of factory ammo if you can. Our rifles take .223/5.56 for bolt actions and ARs, and 30-06 "Garand Safe" ammo for the Garands. We are able to sell ammo (60 rounds for $50), but under California law, any unfired rounds we sell you are not allowed to leave the range.

For the clinic, we shoot the new-shooter match at a more relaxed pace to keep you from becoming overwhelmed. We want the experience to be fun and educational, but you will get a taste for the match, and may see some of the other shooters participating in it at a higher competitive level, which should help given you an idea of what to expect if you shoot with us again.

We'd like you to shoot the match, and it's a lot of fun. However, sometimes we need to sight in rifles, or want to focus on one of the courses of fire only. As long as you're matching the cadence of the other shooters (no rapid firing except during the "rapid fire strings"), then you can work on some other related skills.

If you are new, you should make an appointment ahead of time. This gets you a spot reserved, and also helps us ensure we have enough instructors on hand to help you.  Please email events.sjzouaves@gmail.com.  While you can show up without a reservation, there is no guarantee we'll have space (we have a limited number of rifles and instructors), so it's best to email us beforehand and we'll get you signed up!

If you arrive after training begins (usually after 9:00), you'll have missed part of the safety training. Since this is unsafe, you will not be allowed to shoot, so show up on time!

Feel free to email us at sjzouaves@gmail.com, or you can even show up without participating and just chat with us. We'll be focused during each round of shooting, but in the breaks between we usually are chatting while we set up for the next round.