hey ebnash,
Yeah, as soon as you mentioned shooting off the side of that cliff, I knew which range you were talking about
You can't beat the view, huh? I was just there this past Sunday.
I can recommend two more ranges to you.
The first is the club I belong to. It's the Pacific Rod & Gun Club at Lake Merced in San Francisco. You probably know that area, but if not, it's near Ocean Beach, not far from the zoo. It may be a bit of a drive for you, but if you're ever in the area...
We have 6 skeet fields and 2 trap ranges. This is where I first learned to shoot clays, and I have to say the best thing about this club is the regulars. Just a bunch of very friendly, helpful guys. Atmosphere is very casual: coffee and donuts in the club house, watermelon on a hot day if you're lucky. At the same time, they're all great shooters, with radically different styles. It's a great learning environment.
All the fields look out over the lake, so the view is great, even on overcast days where you get that nice mist on the water. But, because we're on the lake's edge, you have to shoot non-toxic shot, between #7-#9. A lot of stores don't carry that size in steel shot, but we sell ammo at the club house and if you really get into shooting there, you can order it online for about $6 a box.
I'm there almost every Saturday, so you can look for the guy with a Franchi over-under with a black shell holder on the stock. I'm the only guy who keeps shells mounted on the stock and they like to make fun of me for it
The other place you can check out is Coyote Valley Clays. I've actually never been there myself, but I know they have a pretty impressive clay shooting facility. That's where you can try out Sporting Clays (that "golf with a shotgun" game). They also have skeet and trap, I believe, though I hear they just took down their 5-Stand. That's actually right in your neighborhood, though I don't know the exact location. I was once at Kerley's gunshop in Cupertino, and I know it's only about 30 minutes from there. They have a website, too, so you can get all the info there.
Good luck... and don't be afraid to just show up with your shotgun at a range and say you're a total beginner. For whatever reason, shotgunners tend to be remarkably patient and accepting of new shooters. I don't know if you could walk up to a bunch of golfers and just ask for a free lesson and then ask to go along on their next round. But with clays, you really can do just that
