Georgia Trapshooting Prodigy Ethan Ledford Hits AAA27AAA Milestone

By John Rossiter - Marietta, GA – October 6, 2025 – 

In a feat that's sending ripples through the clay target ranges of the South, 21-year-old Ethan Ledford of McDonough has been honored by the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) for achieving AAA27AAA status, the sport's ultimate badge of consistency and endurance—announced just this week for the 2025 target year. As the youngest shooter ever to claim this elite distinction in Georgia's storied trapshooting community, Ledford's rapid ascent continues to redefine what's possible for a rising star still in his college years.

The announcement places Ledford among a select group of ten shooters in the country to earn this distinction during the 2025 shooting year. To earn AAA27AAA, shooters must fire a staggering volume of targets while maintaining AAA-level averages across 16-yard singles, handicap, and doubles events—a grueling path that tests not just skill, but stamina and strategy over an entire year.

"Christ guides my hand and keeps my aim true," says Ledford. "I thank my many friends and my family who have had my back! Christ is King!"

Ledford, a criminal justice major at Truett McConnell University (TMU) in Cleveland, Ga., burst onto the scene at age 11 with the Henry County 4-H Shotgun Team. By high school at Ola High, he was a force, earning a scholarship to TMU where he's helped secure three American Campus Union International (ACUI) collegiate wins. His composite average of 95.02 as a three-year captain of Georgia's state trapshooting team speaks volumes, but it's the big-stage triumphs that turn heads: a historic sweep of the singles, handicap, and doubles championships at the 2025 Georgia State Trap Shoot.

Adding to his trophy case, Ledford notched a runner-up in Doubles Trap at the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Nationals in March and snagged his fourth ATA All-American nod earlier this year. But the Georgia Trapshooting Hall of Fame induction in September—making him the youngest member at 21—set the stage for his ascendancy to AAA27AAA.

"Ethan's accomplishments are remarkable, but what sets him apart is his dedication to both excellence and mentorship.” said Vice President for Athletics Jenni Shepard at TMU.

As the crack of shotguns fills Georgia's autumn air, Ledford eyes the ATA Grand American World Trapshooting Championships and beyond. With AAA27AAA now pinned to his legacy, one thing's clear: This golden gun from the Peach State is just warming up.