How We Manage Ammunition at Lake Noquebay - And How Are You Doing It?
One of the quietest but most important operational pieces in any youth trap program is ammunition management. Over the last five seasons at Lake Noquebay Sportsman’s Club, we’ve built a system that works well for our structure - three high school teams, roughly 75 athletes, and a shared resource pool.
I’m not saying our way is the way. It’s just a way. And I’m really curious how other big programs manage this same challenge.
Here’s how we currently handle ammo at LNSC:
Storage & Access
We keep team ammunition segregated from the club’s retail ammo. Only designated ammo managers and coaches have access. Athletes sign up for their round, then head to the back of the clubhouse where ammo is issued specifically for that round.
Standardized Loads (With Transition Options)
We run standardized loads for consistency and fairness:
12 gauge - 1⅛ oz (1145 fps) as our primary training load
12 gauge - 1 oz for shooters transitioning up
20 gauge - ⅞ oz standard load for younger shooters
We keep around 40–50 cases of the 1 oz 12-gauge and 60 cases of 20-gauge to start a season, but the bulk of the inventory are cases of 12 gauge - 1⅛ oz (1145 fps). Forecasting 20-gauge demand is always the trickiest part because most of new 6th graders begin there and we don't know those numbers until after the ammo purchase. If we run short, the club keeps 20-gauge in stock and we do a one-for-one 12ga for 20ga trade.
Punch Card Accountability
Every athlete has a punch card tied to season planning. We allocate four punches per week (100 rounds) across the nine-week season, plus punches for tournaments and special events. The punch cards are made from Avery Printable Business Cards Not all athletes punch out their full allotment, which creates a natural overage that helps fuel our end-of-season Bust-Up Party where parents, families, faculty, and club members come shoot with the teams. It's a simple system that keeps ammo and target usage accountable without bogging us down in admin work.
Bulk Purchasing Through the Federal/Remington/Fiocchi Youth Ammo Direct Buy Program
Our biggest cost-control lever is buying through the Federal / Remington / Fiocchi Youth Program, which is also tied to the MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment - making it not just a purchase, but a fundraiser. Here’s how it works right now:
Direct-buy pricing: $77 per flat delivered (tax exempt if qualified)
Order window: Open Nov 17 – Dec 19 (or until sold out)
Delivery timeline: Can begin immediately; all shipments expected by February
Minimum order: Typically 50 cases
We just placed a bulk order of 240 cases, which will cover three teams through both practice and competition for the spring 2026 season. Buying through the youth program maximizes our budget, keeps ammo cost stable, and contributes back to our long-term sustainability through the endowment.
For teams looking to stretch dollars while also building a financial foundation for the future, this program is worth every minute of planning.
Fundraising to Keep the Sport Accessible
Our mission is simple: Trapshooting should be available to any kid who wants to be part of the team. We know this sport is expensive, so our fundraising - including our current Buy-A-Target board and past Buy-A-Box campaigns - is built specifically to offset ammunition costs. Every dollar raised keeps participation affordable and helps reduce the barrier to entry for brand-new shooters.
What I’m Curious About
We’re heading into our fifth season with this system. It works well for our setup -but I know there are teams out there with 80–100 kids from a single school, and they’re solving these same challenges at an even bigger scale.
So here’s what I’d love to learn from the community:
How do YOU manage ammunition for your program?
And more importantly:
What are you doing to keep this sport affordable and accessible for kids in your community?
The more we share operational strategies, the more we can help each other grow our programs and bring more young shooters into the sport.
Looking forward to hearing how others do it.
-Randall