Written by Palmetto Bluff
Nov 16, 2022
The Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club is a unique amenity offered to members. Spanning across 120 acres, the club provides endless opportunities for avid shooters to practice their sport, while also allowing room for newcomers to experience this Lowcountry tradition. Through creating a safe and inviting culture, Andrew Dunn has paved the way for his staff and members to be a part of this tight-knit community.
During an interview, Andrew shares his background in shooting, how he joined the Bluff, his impact on the club, and his future plans to expand the club’s activities to reach more than just your typical member.
Andrew Dunn is originally from Southeastern Kentucky and has been toting a gun his entire life. He began shooting competitive traps when he was just 13 years old, later switching to sporting clays while he was in his late teens. His passion for shooting remained strong through his college years, and even during the time he served in the U.S. Army. Soon after, Andrew started teaching the art of shooting while he was still competing in the FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse). Andrew is known around the Bluff as a world champion in sport shooting, as he won the Class C National Championship in 2018 and the Class B World Championship in 2020.
Having spent a lot of time in Bluffton for vacations, the Dunns decided they should move by the coastal waters and be surrounded by the beautiful Lowcountry scenery, as this is where they felt most at home. Andrew felt this sense of home again when he first stepped on the grounds of Palmetto Bluff. Surrounded by endless opportunities to hunt and fish, Andrew felt like “a little boy in paradise, again.”
Through mutual connections, Andrew made fast friends with the shooting club managers at the time, Michael Perry and Bart Chandler, and started assisting as an instructor. Today, Andrew serves as shooting club manager, a role he plans to serve for many years to come.
At the shooting club, you’ll find it offers almost every variety of shooting sporting clay including skeet, trap, and game. Sporting clays are often described as “golf with a shotgun”, and all members need to do is, “load up their golf cart, and they’re ready to go”.
The Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club serves as a common ground for those who are passionate about their hobby, while also including those who may have never shot before. No matter your experience level with shooting, Andrew makes it clear that everyone is welcome and encouraged to give the shooting club a shot. Residents of Palmetto Bluff, guests of property owners, or guests staying at Montage are welcome to attend.
The shooting club team is not afraid to bring on first-time shooters; in fact, the team always has a good time introducing new people to the sport. All instructors are certified by the National Sporting Clays Association, as safety and education are at the forefront of the shooting club. Once safety is covered, it’s time to have some fun!
When you visit the Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club, you’ll experience the variety of sporting life. Discover our ax throwing stations and air rifle shooting with simulated duck hunts and even the mythical sasquatches of the South. Additionally, this November, archery will be offered at the shooting club in a stand-alone area with 20 stations that can be accessed by golf cart. You may enjoy all aspects of sporting life on your own time, or gather at the shooting club every third Thursday of the month for an exclusive, members-only event. These events typically unite those who normally wouldn’t shoot together, so it’s a great way to get to know your fellow Bluff members while also enhancing your skills. Daily life at the shooting club is always a good time, but the events the team offers are especially extraordinary.
Reserve a spot to participate in the seasonal quail walk which begins the first week of November and lasts until the end of February. This simulated quail walk is ideal for those to wish to hone in on their hunting skills.
The Gobble Gobble Shootout will occur during the Thanksgiving season and all residents (yes, even your children), will be eligible to participate! This event serves as practice to first time shooters and also those familiar with the sport.
Reindeer Games, held during the Christmas season, will involve one-on-one time with experienced instructors like Andrew, where they educate future shooters about the safety of shooting.
The most exciting and anticipated plan for the shooting club and its members is the new clubhouse! With construction still underway, everyone is looking forward to the grand opening. The first event Andrew would like to host at the new clubhouse is Shells and Chardonnay, a recurring event where members will get the opportunity to learn the full anatomy of a shotgun while enjoying leisure time with fellow shooters.
Andrew hopes to someday host a glamorous member tournament called The Palmetto Bluff Classic when the clubhouse officially opens its doors. Along with the Bluff’s very own member tournament, Andrew would like to jumpstart a liaison program allowing members to participate in national tournaments. It is the shooting club’s mission to provide members with one-on-one instruction while developing their skills. Growing the Palmetto Bluff shooting club starts with building interpersonal relationships with its members. Andrew emphasizes that the shooting club is a hospitality business, and it’s important that instructors and staff strive to make it a personal experience.
The relationships that Andrew has made with members at Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club are some of his greatest treasures. He has impacted members’ lives and in return, members have deeply impacted his life as well. Andrew’s dedication to building strong relationships was exemplified when a group of guests who were staying at the Montage decided to make a permanent home at the Bluff. The member still says to this day that “the reason I’m here is because of him [Andrew]”. In the same breath, Andrew told us that he’s not going anywhere — in his words, “I’ve built a home here.”
Here at the Bluff, we have the same hope that our members will build their own cherished memories, and create an everlasting home in the Lowcountry. Andrew has instilled a culture within his team that is a strong representation of Palmetto Bluff’s lifestyle.
We invite you to schedule a visit to learn more about living in our community, and becoming a member of the Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club. We look forward to meeting you at the Bluff!
