Testimonials

Daniel Sabers Mission Viejo, CA My son and I have had Ben for our shooting instructor for just a little more than 9 months now and within those nine months we have both gone from not being able to hit many targets at the practice stations to the point of feeling very comfortable at any station he might take us to during our lessons. Through his instructions he has takin both of us from beginning shooters to intermediate shooters where, through his guidance, he helped both us achieve the rank of “Utah State Champs” in our respective classes. Ben is always there giving us the best advice through his many many years of experience and we are both so so grateful for that.

Austin Sabers Mission Viejo, CA, Age 13 I have been receiving lessons from Ben for a little more than nine months. From the first day when my dad brought my brother and I out to Raahuages Ben was so very helpful. He stressed the utmost in safety and stressed that the most important thing about shooting, aside from safety, is to have FUN. Ben has really become my mentor and I hope that through his guidance I reach the top in the sport and become the best, worldwide.

Dean G. Boy Scout Troop 811 leader Your donation of valuable time and shotgun shooting instruction was so very much appreciated. It is so great to see boys who have never fired a shotgun before learn to shoot safely and correctly. Thank you for making that happen!

Randy M. Ben has been my instructor for a couple of years now. The 1st lesson I doubled my score. I hope to be a Master class shooter someday, so I have continued to take a couple of lessons a month and 2 years later I am blown away by how he continues to teach me new thing at strategy to report pair to shoot true pairs. Great instructor and I always have Fun.

Reed M. Ben taught my grandson and I several lessons which were very helpful with our shooting, he was able to point out bad habits we had picked up over the years, he is very patient and very knowledgeable about the sport.

Cyndi Lindsay Corona, CA Being new to shotgun sports is both frustrating and a little intimidating. After my initial lesson with Ben I was able to understand how to break targets that I could not break before. Now as my (very patient) coach he has taught me everything from gun safety, stance, and shot planning, to breaking more difficult target presentations. Through Ben's coaching skills my scores at the fun shoots have gradually increased and I am gaining confidence to shoot my way into the next level.

Mel Cohen DDS After competing in pistol shooting for thirty years, I decided to switch gears and shoot shotgun, sporting clays. I had never shot a shotgun before this. Ben Courtemarche was recommended to me by a number of the local shooters. I have been taking lessons with Ben for a little over a year. His knowledge and approach to teaching from the beginning novice to the advanced shooter is unmatched in Southern California. I have come to love shotgunning and sporting clays due in no small part to Ben. With Ben's instruction and guidance, I am now competing in local matches and matches in surrounding states. At the top of Ben's list of important concepts is "always have fun." Whether you want to learn to shoot for fun or you want to eventually enjoy competition, I would recommend Ben Courtemarche without reservation. He is a consummate teacher and professional.

John Flynn The best thing that happened when I got hooked on sporting clays was taking lessons from Ben Courtemarche. Ben's got it all as an instructor: expertise, dedication, patience and humor. He's also a Master Class shooter and an NSCA- certified instructor. Don't make the mistake of developing bad shooting habits that will only slow your progress and cause a lot of unnecessary frustration. Take lessons, and take them from Ben. He'll make you work, he'll make you learn, he'll make you better, and you'll have fun with all of it.

Larry and Janelle S. Several years ago, we were introduced to the Sporting Clays game thru family. We had been Trapshooters for many years and were excited to give this game a try. Initially we learned that Sporting Clays was very different and the good scores we enjoyed in trap were not occurring in Sporting Clays. We attended a fun shoot at Raahauge’s and asked that they squad us with someone who could walk us thru the process as we had never been to a sporting clays shoot. We were teamed up with Ben, and he took us thru the shoot process. What we quickly learned was that not only was he a great shooter, he was also a great instructor. He is able to give us quick tips that helped us to understand how to shoot a particular target. After that first shoot, it became clear we would need a coach if we were going to continue in sporting clays. Ben has the unique ability to structure his lessons to fit the level and personality of each person he coaches. Even though both Janelle and I took lessons from Ben, his method was somewhat different for each of us. He was able to identify the behaviors that prevented us from being successful and work on a process to correct and improve our shooting. Not only that, he was funny, and patient, very patient. Initially we did not understand “hold point”, “break point”, etc. Ben worked to help us understand, identify and improve in all those areas. Ben has the ability to coach at any age level and any experience level. He modifies the process as you go and holds you accountable for improving where he knows you have already refined your process. Since our first lessons with Ben our average overall scores have improved more than 25 birds per 100 shot. Not only that, we have learned to relax, not get angry and have fun while shooting. Ben makes shooting a very fun experience, not a pressure experience. He gets you relaxed but focused on breaking the target. If not for Ben’s encouragement and coaching, we would most likely not be shooting sporting clays today. Thanks Ben, for all your patience, knowledge and mostly for making it fun!

John Alessi San Diego, CA My brother in law and I started shooting sporting clays in November 2012, we found this new sport very exciting but were not very good at it, we both previously shot pistols and rifles and were pretty good with them. After the first time I blew up a clay pigeon I was hooked and fell in love with sporting clays. We were both enjoying our new found sport but we were not getting better. After a couple of lessons from other instructors to learn the basics (stance, safety, etiquette) we booked a lesson from Dan Carlisle (Multiple Time Sporting Clay World Champion) to learn how to shoot crossing birds. Dan was great, we learned so much from him in that one lesson but due to he only came out to Raahauges a few times a year we needed to find a local instructor. Dan recommended we continue our lessons with one of his star students Ben Courtemarche. We have been taking lessons from Ben now for a little over a year and couldn’t be happier. He brought me from a 40% average NSCA E Class shooter to a 74% average C Class shooter and my best shoot was an 80 at Moore N Moore. I try and compete in at least 1 NSCA sponsored event monthly and I am consistently in the top 5 in my class and have won several tournaments. Through Ben’s instruction, I am now confident when I walk into a stand I have the ability to hit every target presented, (Report or True pair). My brother in law and I have completely different issues to work on and it is amazing how when we split a 2-hour lesson Ben knows exactly what instruction we need to better our individual games. Bens teaching style is great, he makes sure we totally understand what he is trying to have us achieve during each lesson. I will never take a lesson from any other instructor as I believe Ben is the best instructor in Southern California. Thank you so much Ben for your patience and helping me excel in sporting clay shooting while having the most fun I have ever had learning a new sport. I can’t wait for my next lesson.

Rob Jacobs Do you want to learn the Fun Game of Sporting Clays? This Great Game is often referred as “Golf with A Shotgun.’ It can be a very difficult game to learn. There are so many ways the Clay Targets can come out of their launchers. Unlike Skeet & Trap, the targets vary in Size and what they do while flying through the Air, or Bouncing along the Ground. Just like Golf, you will need a Good Instructor to help you navigate this Fun Game. From the beginner who doesn’t even know how to stand or hold the Shotgun yet, to People who are Adept at Shooting. Ben can teach you the Proper way to Shoot. Ben can teach you everything from Etiquette during tournaments to shooting the dreaded True Pairs (2 targets launched at the same Time). When you step into a shooting station, Ben will teach you how to prepare to hit both targets, formulate your strategy starting with the “Hold Point” to the swing of the Gun, and When to Pull the Trigger. Yes, A Lot of this game is Mental. After my Lessons with Ben, I Have confidence that I can go into a station and hit Those targets. I now consistently compete in my Class, and I won my Class in the last Tournament. Whether you want to start competing in Local Tournaments or just go out with your Friends, Ben is the Best Instructor for all Level of Shooters