The smell of gunpowder and cigar smoke hung heavy in the air as shooters from across the state braved the summer heat to compete in the state's biggest trapshooting competition over the weekend. The Kingsburg Gun Club provided a scenic backdrop for the California State Shoot -- an annual event that has put Kingsburg on the map for many.

The State Shoot typically draws around 600 trapshooting enthusiasts each year, and this year, the club's riverside campground had a sign posted stating it was full.

People come from around the state to enjoy the friendly competition and catch up with acquaintances that they see year after year. One of the things visitors to the Gun Club say they enjoy most the beautiful setting the riverside club provides, and the convenience of on-site camping and freshly prepared food.

For many shooters, the State Shoot is a family affair. Wives, teens and children enjoy hanging out on the banks of the Kings River, watching the boats and wave runners zoom by. Throughout the week-long event, the beach is filled with kids in life jackets and floaties, teenage girls in bikinis, and many others content to soak in the sunshine.

The misconception that trapshooting is only a man's sport is a common one, but 17-year-old Linn Groom made her mark in her first state competition. The Stockton resident is the only female on a team of four teenage boys, and she serves as their squad leader. Anthony Belleci, father to one of Groom's teammates, said that Groom embraces the challenge whole-heartedly.

"She shoots with four boys," Belleci laughed. "She keeps 'em in line."

Groom and her team placed third in the junior competition, and will be traveling to Illinois in August to compete at the national level. Groom said she first became interested in trapshooting when she attended a gun safety program and really enjoyed the experience. She joined a scholastic program in the Stockton area, and in the year that she has been shooting, she has shot a perfect score of 100 three times.

Belleci and his son, Gino, were one of many who filled the campground to capacity during the shoot.

Belleci, who doesn't shoot but was there supporting his son, said that he was staying busy, enjoying the campground and the river. For him, the heat was the biggest downside.

"I have a great time, but it's hot," he said.

With temperatures in the upper 90s, the heat wasn't as sweltering as it has been for shooters and workers in years past. The high school students who load the traps and keep score wore tank tops and sunglasses, and many were showing the effects of a week in the sun. Working at the annual event is just part of the summer for many local kids.

The State Shoot is also an opportunity for those who sell trapshooting merchandise to profit from the large turnout. Vendors sold custom earplugs, jewelry, T-Shirts, hats, sunglasses, various shooting accessories, and, of course, guns.

For more information about trapshooting at the Kingsburg Gun Club, log onto kingsburggunclub.org.