At Maui Sporting Clays
When you think of visiting Hawaii, most people envision scenic beaches, turquoise ocean waters, immense volcanoes and awe-inspiring scenery. The Hawaiian Islands are renowned for their scenery, weather, food and friendly Aloha spirit. A visit to Maui Sporting Clays combines all of the best aspects of Hawaii with a warm and inviting host and a challenging sporting clays course in the crater of an extinct volcano.
Owner David Barnes makes a visit to Maui Sporting Clays a unique Hawaiian experience. His knowledge of the history of the island and its native plants and wildlife enhances your visit to the range. The range is located on the Ulupalakua Ranch, an 18,000 acre private cattle ranch on the southwestern slopes of the Haleakala volcano. The ranch has a rich history, dating back to 1856 and is one of Hawaii’s largest working cattle ranches. It features a ranch store and grill as well as Maui Wine.
To access Maui Sporting Clays, Barnes meets visitors in the nearby town of Waimea and transports them through the ranch lands past grazing cattle, wild deer and the ever-present wild chickens that populate the Hawaiian Islands. Along the way, he shares a little about the history of the island, wildlife, vegetation and the sporting clays range as he drives past scenic views of lush pastureland and fields that are patterned with rock walls built by ancient Hawaiians.
Barnes was born in England, where he grew up hunting and shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays. At one point in his shooting career, he was a member of the English National Team as one of the top trapshooters in the country. He later made the transition to sporting clays and competed on the national circuit. Today, he is the owner and operator of Maui Sporting Clays and is also an instructor both here and on the mainland.
Barnes originally came to Maui in 1990 when he was invited to design the sporting clays course, which was initially called Papaka Sporting Clays, after the region of the Ulupalakua Ranch where the range is located. He took ownership of the range in 2003 and changed the name to Maui Sporting Clays. The range does not have memberships and is open to the public by appointment.
The sporting clays range is situated along the rim and inside an extinct volcano. Though this volcano erupted before recorded history, evidence of another eruption is visible from the clubhouse and on the course. When it erupted in 1794, it created the lava fields in La Perouse Bay. Several of the shooting stands at Maui Sporting Clays overlook these lava fields which flow down to the bay and Pacific Ocean.
From here, Barnes points out several of the historical points on the island. “This bay here in front of you, is called La Perouse Bay. That's where the first Europeans landed on Maui, and that was 1788,” he explains. “Just below us is the island of Kahoolawe. It used to be used by the government for bomb testing. And if you see the top of it where it's kind of red dirt, that was where, right at the end of the Second World War, that was where they developed napalm. Over here on your left, you can see the Big Island,” he adds.
Because of the terrain, Maui Sporting Clays has a diverse mix of shooting stations. Many of the trap machines are located along the top rim of the crater and stands are located below them. The winds on the top of the crater and in the crater itself will affect the target presentations as well. While there are about 15 stations, Barnes has the flexibility to move shooting stands to change the presentations from the trap machines. There are also several stations where shooters are looking down from the top of the crater and attempting to break targets that are travelling downhill below them. Every station affords a different breathtaking view of the mountains, lava fields and ocean. “So I've gone full circle and started using a lot of hand traps, because you've got far more versatility. Yes, you can put multiple targets, you can put different size targets, and because we don't get big numbers, you've got far more versatility,” he said.
The clay shooting community located in the Hawaiian Islands is a small one. Maui Sporting Clays does hold NSCA registered shoots and has hosted the Hawaii State Shoot. Last year, there were 25 competitors in the state shoot, according to the NSCA website. Barnes keeps this in mind when he is setting targets for registered events. “When we do a registered shoot in the whole of the state, not including myself, you know, there's not many people have a lot of experience. So, the majority of your shooters are below B class, so you don't want to humiliate them. So my philosophy is, I set a third of the stands, which in my mind, are soft. I set a third of them where one target is competitive and the other one is soft, and then the other third that's going to sort the men out from the boys –challenging. You have to, because it never affects the person that's going to win. But what it does do, it allows the least experienced people to get 50% and those are my bread and butter,” he explains.
Clay target shooters on Maui are a faithful group, Barnes adds. There is a small trapshooting range, called Ukumehame, located on the island and shooters from that range will often come to shoot at Maui Sporting Clays. Locals who frequently shoot at the sporting clays range will also travel to shoot at the trapshooting range, as well as courses on other islands. The majority of Barnes’ clientele is made up of visitors to Maui. “I get such a wide range of abilities, a huge range. Forty percent of my business year round is people that have never been shooting. So it's got to be a positive experience. You want them to enjoy it, because it's the future of the sport,” he adds.
Because most visitors to the islands do not bring their own firearms, Maui Sporting Clays has everything necessary for an enjoyable day on the course. He has Beretta shotguns as well as shooting vests, shooting pouches, ammunition and eye and ear protection available. Maui Sporting Clays charges $190 for a round (generally 50 birds) which includes guns, ammunition, targets, soft drinks and all equipment.
Shooting a round on the sporting clays course at Maui Sporting Clays not only provides a unique scenic experience, it also gives shooters the opportunity to work with a wonderful instructor. Barnes shares his knowledge of sporting clays and helps shooters improve in a friendly and knowledgeable way that makes the day an enjoyable learning experience. He puts emphasis on the basics of clay target shooting, especially maintaining focus on the target. “Shoot what you see, not what you anticipate,” he says.
Barnes shoots occasionally and especially loves shooting pheasants on annual hunts to England which he organizes twice a year. “Yeah, I still, you know, I still get a buzz a lot of the time. I only shoot now if we're short of a gun or something like that, but I get as much fun now out of helping people,” he adds. The past few years have been challenging for businesses in Hawaii. A series of events have impacted travel and the number of people visiting the islands. The terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Covid Pandemic and the wildfire in Lahaina all took their toll on the island of Maui. Today, businesses are rebuilding and looking for ways to attract visitors. Maui Sporting Clays had many visitors from cruise ships in the past, but doesn’t have arrangements with cruise lines at this time. But, it is an easy drive from the cruise port and from many of the major hotels and resorts on the island.
In addition to hosting shooters, Maui Sporting Clays clubhouse is available for rental for special events and has even hosted weddings, Barnes said.
Shooting at Maui Sporting Clays is a unique opportunity to not only shoot some fun targets in a unique setting, it also provides visitors with a chance to experience an authentic side of Hawaii that not many people see. David Barnes sharing his knowledge of sporting clays and Hawaiian culture makes it a truly memorable experience.
Want to visit Maui Sporting Clays? The best way to plan your visit is to contact Barnes by phone at 808-879-4441 or by email to dave@barnes.it.
