Global Sporting & Compak Arenas Compared: An In-Depth Review of All ClayArena Stands
Ivan ArenaGlobal Sporting & Compak Arenas Compared: An In-Depth Review of All ClayArena Stands
ClayArena’s international directory highlights some of the finest sporting and compak venues across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Each stand has its own identity — shaped by landscape, climate, equipment, and competitive philosophy.
This article delivers a full comparative analysis of all stands listed on the ClayArena Shooting Grounds page, showing how they differ, what makes them strong, and which shooters each venue is best suited for.
**1. 333 Shooting Range (Thailand)
High-Elevation Sporting • Mountain Trajectories • Professional Infrastructure**
Located in Chiang Mai’s mountain region, 333 Shooting Range is one of Asia’s most technically advanced sporting facilities.
Key Characteristics
- Mountain terrain at 721 meters elevation
- Sporting Clays, Skeet, Olympic Trench
- Promatic & Laporte machines
- Claymate counting system
- International coaching and tourism-friendly service
Sporting & Compak Profile
The altitude and steep slopes create high incoming birds, deep vertical drops, and peculiar wind patterns — a paradise for shooters seeking unusual terrain-driven difficulty.
Best For
Elite shooters, international guests, teams training at altitude.
**2. Ball Trap Club Capesterrien (Guadeloupe)
Caribbean Parcours • Tropical Compak • Volcanic Terrain**
In the French Caribbean, BTCC Capesterrien offers a tropical alternative to European layouts.
Key Characteristics
- 10 Parcours ~ 4 Compak layouts
- FITASC-level events: Caribbean Cup, GP Guadeloupe
- Official Ball Trap School
- Volcano-based landscape
Sporting & Compak Profile
Expect crosswinds from the Atlantic, tropical humidity, and steep volcanic topography. Trajectories often include disappearing birds, ultra-high battues, and sudden-angle changes caused by warm air currents.
Best For
Shooters craving exotic scenery, warmth, and complex vertical geometry.
**3. Cooma Sporting Clays (Australia)
Snowy Monaro Terrain • Hunter Sporting • LAPORTE Powerhouse**
Cooma is one of Australia’s flagship sporting destinations.
Key Characteristics
- Hunter Sporting routes
- Laporte 185PC midi, looper, and battue machines
- Host of Australian FITASC GP
- Winter-friendly infrastructure
Sporting & Compak Profile
The Snowy Monaro landscape produces natural “hide-and-reveal” target behavior as clays dip behind hills or treelines.
Best For
FITASC sporting shooters wanting realistic hunting-style courses.
**4. Jerring Shooting Ground (Hungary)
European Parcours Park • 26 Stations • 50 Acres of Oak Forest**
A massive private sporting estate offering competition-level training.
Key Characteristics
- 22 Sporting + 5 Compak layouts
- 26 stations, 10 elevated platforms
- Owner Tamás Jéri — multiple World & European Champion
- Night shooting capability
Sporting & Compak Profile
Dense European forest means darker backgrounds, tricky contrast, and short-window targets. Excellent for technical training.
Best For
Serious FITASC athletes, teams preparing for championships.
**5. La Rapée Ball Trap (France)
Auvret Family • Elite Sporting • Normandy Terrain**
The home ground of world champion Christophe Auvret.
Key Characteristics
- 8 sporting stations
- Running boar, Olympic trench
- 150+ Promatic/Laporte machines
- Elevation from 54 m to 137 m
- Professional school + gun shop
Sporting & Compak Profile
Christophe Auvret’s signature layouts are known for sharp angles, tricky backgrounds, and relentless technical demands.
Best For
Shooters who want world-champion-grade parcours complexity.
**6. Photharam Shooting Range (Thailand)
Asian Championship Host • Tropical Sporting • Indoor-Shaded Platforms**
The official training center of Thailand’s Skeet & Trap Association.
Key Characteristics
- Sporting + Compak
- MultiPull electronic release
- Asian Grand Prix venue
- Strong import/logistics support
Sporting & Compak Profile
High heat + humidity means faster clay lift, altered lead perception, and fatigue testing — great for conditioning.
Best For
Shooters preparing for high-temperature conditions.
**7. Sologne Shooting Club (France)
Europe’s Premier Sporting Park • 27 Parcours • 210 Machines**
Perhaps the most famous sporting club on the continent.
Key Characteristics
- 27 parcours
- 210 machines
- 5 towers, 7 raised platforms
- Charles Bardou as pro-shooter
- Hosts Euro Cash Shooting and FITASC events
Sporting & Compak Profile
Sologne layouts are widely regarded as some of the hardest in Europe — long driven birds, fast quartering flights, tricky forest edges.
Best For
Top sporting shooters wanting maximum challenge.
**8. TAV San Martino (Italy)
Italian Compak Headquarters • 8 Fields • Sports Science Integration**
A compak-focused complex with one of Europe’s deepest technical backgrounds.
Key Characteristics
- 8 Compak fields
- Olympic Trap, Universal Trench
- High tower
- Partnership with Beretta, Fiocchi, Benelli, Mattarelli
Sporting & Compak Profile
Built for consistent compak sport: clean backgrounds, calibrated delays, geometric angles — plus a strong scientific coaching methodology.
Best For
Compak athletes preparing for world-level tournaments.
**9. TAV Vetralla (Italy)
Volcanic Parcours • Multi-Discipline • High Italian Standards**
A Tuscia-based stand mixing sporting, compak, and Olympic disciplines.
Key Characteristics
- FITASC GP host
- Multipull system
- Elevated platforms
- Rich volcanic landscape
Sporting & Compak Profile
Expect fast battues with quick background transitions, plus strong technical Italian compak setups.
Best For
Shooters who enjoy Mediterranean terrain and mixed-discipline training.
**10. Vale das Pedras (Portugal)
Lisbon’s Leading FITASC Venue • Hunting Courses • Beretta World Cup 2026 Host**
A full-service shooting resort designed for major international events.
Key Characteristics
- Universal Trench, Olympic Trench, Compak, Sporting, Helice
- Past European Championships (Sporting)
- Host of Beretta Worlds 2026 Sporting Final
Sporting & Compak Profile
Pine forests, hills, and classic Portuguese terrain create deep, sweeping sporting lines and dramatic battues.
Best For
Shooters heading to international championships.
**11. Waikato Clay Target Club (New Zealand)
National Shotgun Facility • Sporting & Compak Center of Oceania**
The most important clay facility in New Zealand’s competitive system.
Key Characteristics
- National competition ground
- Sporting & Compak Championships hosted annually
- Large multi-discipline complex
Sporting & Compak Profile
Modernized layouts, good elevation, and large open spaces give NZ shooters a complete training environment.
Best For
Oceanian athletes and long-range traveling teams.
**12. Wattlespring Sports Shooting Club (South Africa)
High-Altitude Sporting • African FITASC Center • Luxury Shooting Estate**
One of Africa’s most advanced clay complexes.
Key Characteristics
- FITASC & English Sporting
- Olympic disciplines + ATA Trap
- Highveld elevation (1300+ m)
- Full resort: chalets, restaurant, fishing
Sporting & Compak Profile
Thin air = faster, longer clay flight. A unique ballistic environment for top shooters.
Best For
Shooters preparing for altitude competitions or full-service training camps.
Comparative Analysis: Which Stand Excels in What?
Best Overall Sporting Complexity
- Sologne Shooting Club (France)
- La Rapée Ball Trap (France)
- Cooma Sporting Clays (Australia)
Best Compak Sporting Facilities
- TAV San Martino (Italy)
- Ball Trap Capesterrien (Guadeloupe)
- TAV Vetralla (Italy)
Best Exotic / Advanced Terrain
- 333 Shooting Range (Thailand)
- BTCC Guadeloupe (Caribbean)
- Wattlespring (South Africa)
Best Training-Scientific Approach
- TAV San Martino (Italy)
- La Rapée Ball Trap (France)
Best All-In-One International Complex
- Vale das Pedras (Portugal)
- Wattlespring (South Africa)
Best in Oceania
- Waikato Clay Target Club (New Zealand)
- Cooma Sporting Clays (Australia)
Conclusion: A World Map of Sporting & Compak Excellence
These 12 stands represent a full spectrum of global clay-shooting culture:
- From volcanic Caribbean cliffs
- To dense French forests
- To Thai mountain slopes
- To Italian competition grids
- To African high-altitude estates
- To New Zealand’s national training grounds
Each venue brings its own philosophy of movement, terrain, and technical design. Taken together, they form a network of the most influential sporting & compak stands in the world today.