Our Story

The Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois

The Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois (The Annies) are a group of like-minded enterprising women who, like Annie herself, share a passion for shooting, hunting, new adventures, and the outdoors. Everyone is welcome, there is no membership, dues or attendance requirement. Many of us simply enjoy the comradery of shooting, or learning to shoot shotguns, with other women. The Annie’s provide access, education, training and support to women of all ages, backgrounds, skill levels and shooting goals.

As the first and only 501c3 non-profit dedicated to the advancement of women’s clay target shooting, the Annie’s have grown into a robust community of shooters with an excellent reputation for safety, inclusivity and results driven programming.

Our primary focus is solid programming, conducting monthly sporting clays clinics at rotating venues in our region with a heavy emphasis on quality instruction, retention and FUN. In addition to our sporting clays clinics, we offer ‘specialty clinic’ options for women interested in learning about other clay target disciplines like trap, skeet and FITASC. Some clinics close with a friendly trick shot, fun and games component and all clinics close with refreshments, comradery, and lots of high-fives. 

In summer we host a G.O.A.T Clinic – bringing in the worlds greatest female sporting clays shooters to teach our Annie’s.  Our flagship event, The Annie Oakley Fall Classic, held in September, celebrates our community and allows for our shooters to showcase their skills in an NSCA registered shoot.

The Annie’s are proud to ‘meet women where they are’ on their clay target journey and provide opportunity for our shooters to participate in clay target sports safely, growing their confidence, competence, and sense of community.  The all-female clinics provide a unique space for women and girls to learn and flourish in a supportive environment.

“I aim to misbehave.”

-Annie Oakley