March Madness will soon be upon us when the top 65 college basketball teams begin the road to the Final 4 with the first game scheduled for March 17. The tourney will end April 6 in Detroit, Mich. when a national champion is crowned.

Another group of teams will also compete during March and April in Tooele with the goal to reach the state finals on April 19 in Magna. These competitors are the trap shooters of the Tooele Gun Club.

Their state round robin tournament will be held on three consecutive Sundays on March 22, March 29 and April 5 at the Tooele Gun Club. The top five teams from about 20 teams of five shooters each will earn the right to compete at the state finals.

One big difference between the college basketball tournament and the trap shooting round robin is that the local gun club welcomes anybody who has a shot gun or can obtain one to compete while a selection committee chooses the basketball teams.

“We really don’t care if you haven’t even shot before. We welcome anybody to come and join us,” said club president John Miller.

Some longtime shooters are addicted to the sport and say it’s much better than real bird hunting. If you do shoot a bird while hunting you have to go retrieve it and will probably need a dog to help you.

“With trap shooting you always know you’re going to get your shots,” said longtime shooter Blaine Fawson.

The Tooele Gun Club facility is 3.5 miles from Tooele’s Main Street on Smelter Road or 400 North. The view of Tooele Valley and beyond from the gun club can be spectacular when the skies are clear with the Great Salt Lake in the background.

Each year the club of 80 members gets together for about 15 special shoots and the state round-robin shoots are among the most competitive.

Prior to the tournament on March 15 each shooter must register. Shooters are graded according to the number of birds they knock down in 75 shots. The top shooters who can hit 66-75 birds are “A” shooters, 62-65 birds “B” shooters, 57-61 birds “C” shooters, 52-56 birds “D” shooters and 45-51 birds are “E” shooters.

Teams are comprised of five shooters, one from each category — an A, B, C, D and E shooter.

Each competitor will fire 125 shots each Sunday during the tournament. The top five teams out of 20 teams will qualify for the state tourney.

“We never have had anybody hit all 125 shots,” Miller said.

There have been shooters from Tooele Gun Club who have hit 100 birds in a row and the list is short: Joe Caldwell, Miller, Dave Fairclough, Glen Lovell and Boog Anderson. Thirteen shooters have knocked down 75 in a row. When a junior shooter hits five in a row, his or her photo goes up on the wall at the gun club as way to congratulate and motivate them.

Cost to join the gun club for a year is $20. It costs $4 each time to shoot a round of 25 shots.

Other clubs that will send shooters to the state tournament include the Golden Spike Club in Brigham City, Ogden Club, Great Salt Lake Club which shoots at the Lee Kay Center, Magna Club, Heber City Club and North Sevier.

The gun club is open all year three days a week. Shooting starts at 6 p.m. every Wednesday under the lights. Gates also open on Saturdays at noon and on Sundays at 10 a.m.

For more information about the state round robin or the gun club call John Miller at 882-2429.

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com