Legacy of USA Clay Target League founder Jim Sable lives on after his death at age 85

Plymouth, Minn. — Jim Sable, the man who reshaped the future of gun clubs around the country by making the sport more accessible to youth through the USA Clay Target League, died Sunday, Sept. 22, at the age of 85. Sable was the 2019 Outdoor News Person of the Year.

“Jim was a visionary … and to see both of our wheels turning at the same time to see what this organization was going to be like – not only in its early days, but what we [were] going to do in our later days,” said John Nelson, current president of the USA Clay Target League and long-time friend of Sable.

According to Nelson, the clay target program has grown each year since the Minnesota State High School League took it on as a high school sport in 2008.

After officially becoming a nonprofit organization in 2012, the USA Clay Target League was formed, garnering more and more inquiries from high schools around the country that sought more information about the league.

“The brand and the passion that we created to provide this opportunity for these kids is greater than ever, and our ability to help deliver that throughout the country is going to continue to grow,” Nelson said.

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As of 2022-23, there were more than 49,000 participants in 37 states, a staggering increase from the 30 participants in 2007-08. Despite the exponential growth, the importance of staying true to Sable’s original vision remains at the heart of the program and was a driving force after Sable retired in 2018.

“Between myself and the board of directors, there was not going to be any change in our mission, there were not any changes in having our values as safety, fun, and marksmanship. … Nothing has changed since really the day that we started the league,” Nelson said.

While the future looks bright for the organization, in the wake of Sable’s passing this September, Nelson has found himself drawn to the memories of when he, Sable, and Sable’s wife, Sharon, were trying to drum up support to get it off the ground.

“We’d talk an awful lot about those days: Hey, remember when we got our first $500 donation check? And that led to, Hey, remember when we got our first $10,000 donation check?” Nelson said.

Other milestones such as receiving funds from Cabela’s to coordinating with the MSHSL to incorporate the sport in schools, or even the creation of the original logo for the organization are fondly remembered by Nelson. He tells how the original logo received some raised eyebrows because it showed a person shooting a gun with a hat on backwards.

“His colleagues would say, ‘There’s no way we could show that logo.’ … Jim would joke about, hey, look out there on the field, and look at those kids. What are they doing? The hat’s backwards,” Nelson recalled.

“All sorts of milestone moments that were ‘aha’ moments that Jim and I experienced, especially through our early days.”

Nelson said he knew Sable before they started on the journey to reinvigorate interest in shooting sports when he was hired as a creative director of Sable’s advertising agency.

“I don’t think you could ever find a person who did not like Jim. He was just a very trustworthy, honest, absolutely everything-up-front kind of guy,” Nelson said.

Their lives were intertwined beyond work colleagues when Nelson was welcomed by the Sables as more than an employee. Nelson started the job shortly after his own father had passed away. That loss led to a new beginning as both Jim and Sharon Sable welcomed Nelson into their lives, resulting in a life-long friendship and mentorship.

“Jim treated me just like his own, and not only helped me personally, as kind of a mentor … with family, and fatherly advice. But at the same time, to help with the industry and help my knowledge as professional mentor,” Nelson said.

Throughout his time knowing Sable, it was evident that he was drawn to youth mentorship, and if the clay target league hadn’t been created, Sable would have found other ways to mentor young people.

“Jim’s passion was always to help young people, and that’s probably where his heart truly lies, whether it was the league or something else, Jim would have done it to help kids,” Nelson said.

The details of Sable’s celebration of life service weren’t available at Outdoor News press time. Nelson said there would be information posted on www.usaclaytarget.com when it became available.