Shooting for the Stars: Tarleton Shotgun Club

BY DREW FLEMING

Executive Producer

The Tarleton State Shotgun Club is a student-run organization that participates in college regionals and national shootouts in San Antonio, Texas, during the spring semester at the national shooting complex. Students who are interested in the club don’t have to have previous experience shooting competitively.

The team currently has about 45 members, and the officer team includes the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. It also includes two range safety officers and a social media officer.

The shotgun team is holding their annual Texan shoot-out fundraiser on Nov. 15, 2026, at the Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch in Joshua, TX, at 8137 FM 1902. Proceeds from the Texan shoot-out go toward funding the team's travel and entry fees for regional and national competitions, including the trip to San Antonio each spring.

The event is open to shooters of all skill levels, and teams can register in advance or sign up the day of the event. More information about the Texan shoot-out and the team's bi-weekly meeting can be found on their Instagram, @tarletonshotgunsports.

Members of the team shoot for charity events throughout the community, FFA events and 4H shootouts. Other shootouts they participate in are for the following associations around Texas: Trap Association, Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) and National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA).

Rylie Reeder is a sophomore at Tarleton and has been a member of the Tarleton Shotgun Club since fall 2025. Reeder found out about the team when she was a senior in high school while at a shoot with her high school shotgun team. Coming into college at Tarleton, Reeder knew she wanted to join the team.

 “I feel like it's helped me be more of a social person. I’ve met so many new people through it. I met my roommates who I love and wouldn’t have met if I didn’t branch out and join the team,” Reeder said.

Olivia Winegeart is a junior at Tarleton majoring in Zoo Animal Care and Management. Winegeart has been president of the Tarleton shotgun team since April 2026.

“Being on the shotgun team is a way to make connections,” Winegeart said. “When we’re out there shooting, you connect with the people around you, finding bonds about shooting, scores and high school shooting teams.”

Winegeart was the captain of her shooting team in West Columbia, Texas. By the time she graduated high school in 2025, she was a three-time state champion in trap shooting. Winegeart hopes to carry that same competitive drive into her final years at Tarleton leading the team, with an eye toward a strong showing at nationals in the spring. For now, though, she's focused on getting new members like Reeder out to the range and out of their comfort zones.