ClayShootingUSA November/December 2022

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CONTENTS

PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER

STACEY STEPHENS

THADDIUS BEDFORD

JOURNAL NO. 123

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022

46 AN FLC EXTRAVAGANZA ALL AROUND, COON PECKER OPEN

54 THE INVICTUS IX

A REVIEW OF GUERINI'S NEWEST BEAUTY

COVER PHOTO: stacey@odysseyoutdoors.com thaddius@odysseyoutdoors.com

EDITOR

OFFICE MANAGER

MATTHEW GAY

editor@clayshootingusa.com

HAYLYN HANKS subscriptions@clayshootingusa.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

MARKETING DIRECTOR

TRICIA JOHNSON

KALEIGH LAWSON

tricia@odysseyoutdoors.com

THE (NOT SO) ELUSIVE SASQUATCH 2022 Southeastern Regional Cross Creek Clays, TN Photo Credit: Thaddius Bedford

6 8

THE (NOT SO) UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

FROM THE EDITOR

WING TO CLAY AND WOKENESS

A NEW KIND OF COLUMN

WELCOMING GARY FITZJARRELL

kaleigh@odysseyoutdoors.com

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: BILL ELLIOTT MARK FITZPATRICK CYLE FOLEY MATTHEW GAY JIM KRALIK DEREK MOORE HARVEY SCHWARTZ LOUISE TERRY SPENCER TOMB MIMI WILFONG

SUBSCRIPTIONS & ALL DEPARTMENTS: CLAYSHOOTINGUSA 3921 127TH STREET LUBBOCK, TX 79423 TEL 210.377.1117 WEBSITE: www.clayshootingusa.com E-MAIL: subscriptions@clayshootingusa.com

10 2022 NORTH EAST REGIONAL

2022 NE REGIONAL

10

18 SHOOT TO CURE

Technical ballistics and other information provided by our journalists, contributors and correspondents is published in good faith and should not replace established safe practices. Neither the author or publisher accept responsibility for injury or equipment damage resulting from its use.

COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. No part of this ­publication may be transmitted or r­ eproduced in any form without written ­permission from the publishers.

The opinions expressed by c­ orrespondents are not necessarily those of the publishers.

ClayShootingUSA recommends that readers ­satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of advertisers’ claims before any purchase is made, and accepts no responsibility for any loss arising from any purchase.

CLAYS FOR A VIRTUOUS CAUSE

78 THE FUTURE OF OUR GAME

GARY FITZJARRELL'S TAKE ON THE SPORT

78

THE FUTURE OF OUR GAME

84 DOVE, WHISKEY AND BACON A TRIP TO INDIANA

REMINGTON'S NEW SHELL LAUNCH

20 A TRUE ORIGINAL

PRINTED IN THE USA

70 RIVER DEEP FOUNDATION

AT HOPKINS GAME FARM

www.facebook.com/clayshootingusa

FITASC is a registered trademark.

It is used in the editorial and advertising pages of this magazine to report on such events, promote the discipline and advertise upcoming events by kind permission of the FITASC representative for America.

58 CALIFORNIA BILL 2571

MARK FITZPATRICK'S SPORTING CLAY ODYSSEY

30 RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES

90 MAKING THE CASE, PART II

MORE ON TONY RIVERA'S MATCHPLAY

100 DOVE MEAT CANDY MATT SHARES HIS RECIPE

ANOTHER FANTASTIC EVENT

32 CONNECTICUT SHOTGUN MANUFACTURING CO. A REVIEW OF THE G-1 SPORTER

36 2022 SOUTH EAST REGIONAL CROSS CREEK CLAYS

42 CASEY CARES FOUNDATION BENEFITING CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN

102 SCORES GO HIGHER WHEN YOU FOCUS AND FIRE JOHN SHIMA'S MENTAL FOCUS TIPS

110 PARTING SHOTS

NEWS, TIDBITS AND EVENTS

THE #1 CHOICE FOR COMPETITION SHOOTS

FROMTHEEDITOR

6

WING TO CLAY AND WOKENESS IN THE LATE 1800s

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s you will see in this edition, and as promised, we have added subject matter. Wingshooting, or bird hunting, was the impetus that created clay shooting as a sport, albeit via a complicated route.

The Victorian age was a time of great excess, wealth and extravagance. The aristocracy and upper class of society saw hunting as a pursuit for the “landed” affluent. The hunting method transitioned from “rough shooting” (walk-up hunting for game with dogs) to “driven shooting”, where winged fowl were released and driven from a certain area towards shooters posted in a stationary shooting position. This style of game shooting was expensive and often reserved CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

for royalty, estate guests or business gatherings of industry titans.

Land leased for driven game shooting was expensive and scarce by the mid-twentieth century but the desire from the aristocracy to capture the essence of game shooting existed in the urban areas around London. Feeding this demand, the Notting Hill Gun Club was founded by Sir George East in 1861. At that time, live pigeons released from

traps stood as the primary mode for shooting competition employed. By the late twentieth century, this activity was observed and revered by both the aristocracy, and commoner alike, no doubt due to wagering and other “entrepreneurial” activities that come with it.

Today there is this pervasive, (read annoying here), concept of “wokeness”, which some argue is creating overly sensitive individuals who seek to cancel those they disagree with, while signaling their values in some attempt to occupy some moral high ground.

I would bet many do not know that such activity, although

not as widespread, existed in the late 1800s. This movement, or whatever one would characterize it as, actually played a pivotal part in creating clay shooting as a sport.

The Notting Hill Gun Club mentioned earlier, along with other shooting organizations were being criticized by the Humanitarian lobby for their use of live birds for sport. Many clubs quickly capitulated, electing to move to new forms of targets such as hardened clay disks or glass balls filled with feathers.

Eventually, just before World War I broke out, the long hold-out, Notting Hill too

ended the practice of shooting live birds for sport. This long and convoluted transition has evolved into what we know as the various clay target sport of today.

The above brief synopsis of the transition from wing to clays, lays out the roots of this game we love to play. Many of our fellow competitors live the hunting lifestyle and pursue wingshooting every chance they get. As such, ClayShootingUSA believes coverage of this pursuit to be not only pivotal in terms of our history

but also pertinent for our current and prospective readers. Enjoy the forthcoming articles and we hope to continue providing the best quality coverage of shooting competition, shooting lifestyle, the wingshooting lifestyle and now even recipes. Make sure to try out the “Meat Candy” recipe in this edition. You can thank me later. n

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NEWCONTRIBUTOR

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GARY FITZJARRELL

Wizard of Trajectory

Purveyor of Sensitivity

Master of Taco Bar Layout

C

layShootingUSA would like to introduce our newest contributor, Mr. Gary Fitzjarrell. Born into an Irish farming family, to a pair of accomplished shooters in their own right, Gary entered the game at a very young age. Attaining greatness in his youthful pursuits was more than a goal for Fitzjarrell, motivating him to attain and retain the title of Alligator Wrestling World Champion during the Redneck Riviera expo in 1997. His shooting exploits include appointments to multiple Team USA and All-American teams, propelling him to his career in the Professional Sporting Clays Association for the entirety of its existence.

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Gary attended Illinois College where he earned a double Master’s in distillation and consumption along with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science, with a minor in international studies.

While taking a short break from his grueling academic schedule to spend a little down time at Great America, Fitzjarrell was lauded for his humanitarian efforts resulting from his valiant rescue of a family of pygmy folks from the danger of the log ride. Gary’s selfless act of valor earned him the Royal Order of Cameroonians and declared him Exalted Protectorate of the Bakuvian Ice Sphere.

After a stint as a pro-shooter, alligator wrestling champion and world class humanitarian, Fitzjarrell has settled into his new multi-focused career path as the owner of FLC Shooting Grounds in White Hall Illinois, Intergalactic internet troll, life coach and

sensitivity counselor.

Gary’s commitment to humanitarian efforts manifests in the target style he employs when setting courses for major events across the country.

Fitzjarrell’s upcoming contributions to ClayShootingUSA will encompass topics ranging from youth shooting, etiquette, his vision for the future of the shooting sports and various other shootingcentric popculture subjects.

ClayShootingUSA is proud to have Gary on board and looks forward to his essays. n

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SHOOTREPORT

10

2022 NORTHEAST REGIONAL

&

FITASC GRAND AT HOPKINS GAME FARM SLAM

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he eastern shore of Maryland is always busy and a fun place to be during the summer months. This year the NSCA Northeast Regional and FITASC Grand Slam was held at Hopkins Game Farm in Kennedyville, Maryland, which added to the action the week of August 17-21, 2022. This was the sixth of eight events making up this year’s NSCA Championship Tour and the fourth and final event of the 2022 NSCA FITASC Grand Slam Tour. With picture-postcard weather all weekend, this was the place to be. Even on days when you might not be happy with your CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

BY LOUISE TERRY

shooting, there is always a lot of great, fresh seafood to enjoy in the area restaurants.

627 shooters were on hand for the weekend with 503 shooting the Main Event making this the second largest Regional held this year. George Hopkins with his sons, Brad and Bart, spent months planning the targets and laying out the courses. All the targets for this tournament were set by George and Brad. I finally caught up with them to chat for a few minutes on Sunday afternoon where George explained they worked all last fall building new stands, gunracks and benches. They laid out new course

sections with new roadways for a large part of both Main event courses, and FITASC. So, even shooters who are familiar with shooting events at Hopkins got the chance to see and shoot new stations on different pieces of the farm this trip.

Off and Running The program opened up on Wednesday with the first day of the two-day FITASC rotation (100 targets per day) for the 200-target Grand Slam, as well as the 50-target 28- and 20-gauge

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SHOOTREPORT

12

FITASC. For FITASC shooters who were not on the Wednesday/ Thursday rotation, they shot a 3-day FITASC program of 75,75,50 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On Thursday morning, all the other events opened full steam: Great American Prelim 100 (Thursday and Friday), 5-Stand 100 (Thursday through Sunday) Super Sporting 100 (Thursday through Saturday), True-Pair Prelim 100 (Thursday through Saturday), and sub- gauge, Side by Side and Pump 50s (Thursday through Saturday). So, shooters were busy all weekend, including the practice traps that were open daily from 7am to 5pm.

Preliminary and Side Events The Great American Preliminary was a 16-station course shot Thursday or Friday along the crossroad cutting through the

middle of the property. Of the 337 participants, South Carolina’s Chris Ferres scored the only 97 to handily take top honors, followed

by Allentown, PA shooter Shawn Kemeter (M1) with a 96. Wendell Cherry and Joe Carey tied with 95s for M2 and M3 respectively. Karen Shedd and Shelby Moon were tied for the Ladies title with 88s with Shedd prevailing to take the win over Shelby, followed by Kayla Wilgus’ 86 for third place.

The True Pair 100 and the Super Sporting 100 were set on the same course with different menus on the 13 stations, out along the back field and amongst the trees on the very back of the property.

The combined menus caused some initial confusion on the first day, and having both events on the same course made for some heavy course traffic on Friday and Saturday afternoons as shooters were scrambling to complete their cards. The Super Sporting targets were all visible and started out

relatively straightforward on the first several stations, becoming progressively more challenging out to stations nine through eleven (the “separator” stations) at the end of the row with several great tower targets, true pairs, and distant sets. Stations 12-16 were set across the cart path at the edge of the woods on the way back towards Station 1. All in all, an interesting and fun layout. Wendell Cherry posted an uncontested 98 ahead of the 295-shooter field. He was closely followed by Brandon Powell, Mike Lungo and Gebben Miles all on 97, finishing M1, M2, and M3 respectively. Karen Shedd posted a hot 90 to take the Ladies title, posting the only Ladies score in the 90s. Shelby Moon was Ladies runner-up on 88, with Reanna Frauens close behind with 87 for Ladies third.

The True Pair preliminary had a field of 170 shooters. North Carolina’s Braxton Oliver came out on top of this field with the only 97, followed closely by David Collins, Jr with 96 and Chris Ferres and Virgil Minshew both logging 95s.

Madison Sharpe blasted an 86 to win the Ladies title with Paulena Prager’s 83 taking Ladies runnerup.

5-Stand

WENDELL CHERRY (L) JOSEPH FANIZZI (R) SHOOTING OFF FOR 5-STAND RUNNER-UP AND 3RD CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

The 100 target 5-Stand event was set on the front of the property with layouts 1 and 2 behind the tree line just to the left of the entrance driveway, and layouts 3 and 4 continuing around the curve amongst the trees behind the clubhouse. I didn’t shoot this event but from the looks of the scores, the 346 shooters who did, all enjoyed it and ate up the targets.

Brandon Powell must have been sharpening his eye for the Main Event as he posted a red hot 99,

dropping that one target on the third layout for the win. There were four 98s right behind him: Joseph Fanizzi, Wendell Cherry, Anthony Materese, and Mike Wilgus. This was to be settled in a Sunday night shoot-off on the 5-Stand layout number four. By then, though, both Anthony and Mike Wilgus had already left the grounds, so the contenders for Runner-up were Cherry and Fanizzi. In light that was fading, Wendell shot first missing a rabbit and a #5 crosser. Fanizzi took advantage of that open door by running all his targets to take M1.

There were three 95s tied for the Ladies title: Haylyn Hanks, Reanna Frauens, and Shelby Moon, also to be settled in a shoot-off. Shelby had already headed for home, so Haylyn and Reanna shot off, with Hanks prevailing.

FITASC Grand Slam The Beretta FITASC Grand Slam 200 presented excellent targets with a lot of variety on the eight, old-style layouts. These were vintage George Hopkins presentations worthy of a Grand Slam caliber event. Parcours one and two were set in the flat, open fields behind the trees to the left of the main cart path just past the clubhouse. Parcours three and four continued out in pretty much a straight line along the cart path, but with rising elevation which gave them more contour and some down-sloping shots beneath the pegs. All targets were visible and interesting. Continuing up along the ridge line, parcours five was what you might call, in the vernacular, “a real piece of work.”

It was a section new to me, shot from the three pegs which were a hike down off the ridge and set

SHOOTREPORT

followed by Karen Shedd posting a 173. It should be noted that these scores put Sharpe and Frauens in the top 20 shooters in the entire field, which was a top seven percent finish for both. In the Sunday night shoot-off, shooting one peg on the Make-a-Break, Sharpe won Ladies honors on the true pairs. There were some big targets on the menu and some great shooting by these ladies.

The Regional Championship So, on to the finale, the Northeast Regional Main Event. There were two 16-station courses, each of which had a number of new stations: The Elite Blue course, which from stations four thru nine were new cut-outs in the woods,

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and 10 thru 16: which were on the edge of, or mostly in the woods.

Variety was infinite. Blue number 10 was a true pair in a clearing, very visible - a high black crosser from the left and a fast-rising teal way out in front. Station 11 was an overhead coming from behind, and a teal coming up out of the bottom of a deep ravine; number 12 was a quick, off-speed left to right true pair, station 13 was a true pair rabbit and quick crosser both from the left... you get the idea. The Laporte Red course began on the east side of the pond just above the dam so all but station 16, on this course, were out in the open. It continued along the water into the corner, then up the hill and out back around a loop to a second smaller pond, then back around the fields to end up shooting station 16 into the woods across

MADISON SHARPE (L) REANNA FRAUENS (R)

along the creek bottom. High overheads, a fast rabbit, long crossers, both up high and flat.

This shooting layout had it all.

Next, parcours six had quite a variety of targets too. They were flying down the hill into the ravine from several different directions, along with some giant overheads up and over the treetops. This happened to be where I started, so maybe that’s why it felt like the most difficult of the Parcours to me. After that, 7 and 8 seemed almost relaxing, set on the level among some big, beautiful, mature pine trees.

As I studied the scores for the top shooters, I observed that only the top six competitors were able to straighten any of the parcours.

Breaking the winning score, Gebben Miles shot an amazing 193 which consisted of three flawless

25s. Joseph Pinchin, who ended up fifth overall, carded two straights, and there were only four other shooters who managed to run a single straight parcour: Zach Kienbaum, Braxton Oliver, Trevor Jensen, and Joe Fanizzi.

Braxton Oliver was on top of the leaderboard after the first 100 completed on Wednesday, but by the time the weekend was over, Gebben Miles stole the show with his 193. Zach Kienbaum M1 posted a strong 189, Braxton Oliver held on to break 187 for M2, and there were three tied on 182 to round out the top six places: Trevor Jensen M3, Joseph Pinchin M4 and Joe Fanizzi M5.

In the Ladies race, there were no straight Parcours recorded, however, Madison Sharpe and Reanna Frauens tied for top Ladies honors each on 175, closely CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

SHOOTREPORT

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Brandon’s pair of 98s topped off a stellar weekend after his secondplace finish (97) in Super Sporting and his Championship honors (99) in the 5-Stand. Zach Kienbaum was three targets behind Powell taking the Main Event runner-up honors, also topping off his strong FITASC finish taking second in both 200bird races. Todd Hitch shot a great 192 for open third place and junior runner-up to round out the Main Event podium.

Strong Performances in the Ladies Division

the cart path from the front corner of the pond. On both courses, the targets were fun, and many didn’t look that difficult, but they had their subtleties to them. Off-speed pairs, up and downhill, rascally rabbits, some fast true pairs, edgy sky birds and dropping tower birds. The only complaint I heard about visibility the whole weekend was on the blue course, station seven which was a true pair from behind on the upper left, headed straight down to the bottom of a deep ravine. Between the speed and angle of the targets and the “strobing” shadows, this pair presented a challenge for some shooters, but all faced that same challenge.

In the end, the Main Event courses gave up only three 98s across 503 shooters, both days.

Two of those 98s belonged to Brandon Powell. Powell’s 196x200 cemented his status as the Regional Champion. In fact, there CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

were only seven total Main Event

scores even shot in the 190s.

The Ladies race was also very exciting. Diane Sorantino, no stranger to Hopkins’ targets, quickly got everyone’s attention when she posted a terrific 94 on Saturday morning. In fact, this turned out to be one of only six scores shot in the 90s all weekend

L TO R: TODD HITCH, BRANDON POWELL, ZACH KIENBAUM AND BRAD HOPKINS

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Emile LaPorte created the first successful trap for throwing clay targets.

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shooting clay targets at Antibes France

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SHOOTREPORT

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by the ladies field of 49 shooters.

Going into Sunday morning, despite several contenders being very close as “possibles” for the top spot, when Diane faltered on the Blue course, Karen Shedd saw her opening. Shedd racked up a strong 95 on the blue course on Sunday afternoon to run away with the Ladies Championship, five targets ahead of Sorantino who held on with a 179 for Ladies runner-up. Reanna Frauens, Gianna Santo and Shelby Moon all tied at 178, with Frauens taking the third spot on the Ladies podium.

Shedd’s Ladies Main Event win also topped off a very consistent weekend performance for her with wins in Ladies Super Sporting and Ladies Great American Prelim, as well as her third place in the Ladies FITASC Grand Slam.

There was one other race which deserves mention, the Winchester Ladies Cup. This is a special cash award by Winchester at the NSCA Championship Tour events paying out to the top three high-scoring ladies who shoot the Main, FITASC, and 5-Stand.

Competition was tough and the results were close: Champion, Reanna Frauens with a 448 x 500, Karen Shedd on 444 x 500 for the runner-up spot, and Madison Sharpe taking third with a 440 x 500. Congratulations to Reanna for some very consistent shooting throughout the weekend.

Wrapping it Up Another great Regional event is in the books. Patti Hopkins and Linda

handled all the pre-registration and worked the desk all of shoot week, ably assisted by Lois Neely and Amy Crow so everything inside ran like clockwork. George, Brad and Bart Hopkins were on the courses all day, every day keeping the flights running on time with no problems. Breakfast and lunch were served daily all five days including a special offering of delicious Maryland crabcake sandwiches for lunch on the weekend, always a great treat when you come here to shoot.

Hopkins awarded beautiful Main Event and FITASC trophies to the winners and paid out over $109,000 in winnings. They hosted a shooters’ cocktail party on Friday night, and a banquet on Saturday evening with cocktails and dinner immediately following wrap-up of the Make-A-Break. Best of all, on CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

the hot and muggy afternoons, their signature ice cream tents out on the courses were very popular stops. Kudos to the Hopkins team and a special thanks to Elite and Laporte for their sponsorships of the Regional Main Event and to Beretta for their sponsorship of the FITASC Grand Slam finale. Job well done! n

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NEWPRODUCT

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REMINGTON GUN CLUB CURE

A PRODUCT INTRODUCTION BY JOHN CAFFEY

W

ith all ammunition manufacturers facing the same problems of component shortages and distribution interruptions, it is refreshing to see a forward vision arise. That is what Remington is doing with its newest addition to the Gun Club product family with the “Gun Club Cure” (GCC). The Gun Club Cure is the trusted Gun Club shell that shooters are accustomed to using but now with

a blue hull instead of green. But do not fret because the Remington Gun Club quality is the same. It’s made with trusted Remington components including Gun Club Shot, the Remington Power Piston Wad and premier hull construction. The major difference is that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this Gun Club line will benefit the childrens’ hospitals and disease research around the country.

According to Joel Hodgdon, Remington’s Director of Marketing, “These loads give Remington shooters a great opportunity to give back to those in need, and the beautiful color of Remington Blue will stand out when you’re at the range showing your support of those families in need.” To launch the new Gun Club line the Remington Gun Club hosted the inaugural “Shoot to Cure” charitable fundraiser on Friday, September 23,2022. The event featured the new Gun Club Cure ammunition and was attended by local shooters, community leaders and business owners with the funds raised going to the Arkansas Children’s Foundation.

With the new Remington Gun Club Cure shell in full production, it won’t be long before stores will have them in stock. Meanwhile, charity shoots and fundraisers use them to double down on their efforts to help in the community. n

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

LIFESTYLE

20

Lifestyle AND Experience ON THE Sporting Clays

dyssey

Northeast Regional and FITASC Grand Slam Championship Hopkins Game Farm, Kennedyville, Maryland

BY MARK FITZPATRICK

“A TRUE ORIGINAL”

E

very sport has its originals.

Hockey still acknowledges its NHL Original Six for which my Detroit Red Wings are members in good standing, holding 11 Stanley Cups. The NFL has its Original Five. MLB Baseball has its original Eight.

Does sporting clays have its version of the Originals? Is it possible the 2022 Northeast Regional and FITASC Grand Slam Championship is hosted by one of sporting clay’s Originals?

Our Sport’s Originals It is largely acknowledged the first sporting clay event was hosted at Remington’s Lordship Gun Club in Connecticut in the fall of 1980.

Orvis sponsored the first sporting clay championship in Houston in 1985, and in 1989 the National Sporting Clays Association was founded in San Antonio, Texas.

Now, let’s take a look at Hopkins Game Farm which started as an upland wingshooting CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

preserve in 1983. Four years later in 1987, Hopkins purchased Lincoln hand traps and threw their first sporting clay event. Shortly after joining the USSCA, they began throwing sporting clay tournaments.

Hopkins was an early adopter of the newly founded NSCA and the first on the east coast to engage membership. Hopkins quickly blossomed as a beacon for sporting clay events, and hosted NSCA’s first Big Blast titled the “Big Pig Blast” from 1990-1994.

As the years progressed Hopkins hosted three U.S. Open championships (1994, 2003, 2007), and numerous Regional Championships, State Championships and Zone events.

On two occasions Hopkins hosted the FITASC Nationals. This early involvement, leadership and commitment to sporting clays earned Hopkins Game Farm the title of “NSCA Club of the Decade” for the period 1990 -2000.

So, it appears sporting clays can acknowledge itself, as many other sports have previously

acknowledged themselves, as having an Original Five.

Mark, you mentioned Three Originals. Who are the other two?

I believe Hopkins Game Farm’s east coast neighbors, one to the north (M&M in Pennsville, NJ), and one to the south, (Forest City Gun Club in Savannah, GA.) must be considered as our sport’s Original Five sporting clay venues.

A Majestic Venue Let’s take a closer look at this iconic original known as Hopkins

Game Farm.

Hopkins Game Farm is pleasantly sited on 350-acres in the rural splendor of Kennedyville, Maryland. The property is comprised of deep old-growthtimber, offering steep changes in elevation presenting variable sight pictures and wide-open rolling agricultural fields and meadows including two water features. The landscape presents a nice collage of sight pictures for tournament shooters.

Despite being 2022, Kennedyville and its surrounding eastern shore neighbors live a

LIFESTYLE

rural lifestyle akin to the times of Lord Baltimore; Maryland’s namesake, Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England (Mary-Land); and Johns Hopkins, the 69th Richest Man in History according to the “The Wealthy 100: From Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates - A Ranking of the Richest Americans, Past and Present.”

Entering Maryland’s eastern shore through the Pennsylvania border, I encountered the bucolic simplicity of miles and miles of perfectly graced and infinitely tidy large Mennonite and Amish Farms situated on rolling meadows.

Traffic was light as my Chevy rolled up and down the narrow roads of this melodic landscape.

Passing an occasional horse and carriage rig filled with large Amish families dressed in traditional Amish attire or a smaller carriage carrying a single man or husband and wife…I seldom saw another vehicle. I was definitely transported in time to a simpler world of necessity, not excess.

Maryland’s largest city.

Baltimore-home to Johns Hopkins University; Annapolishome to the United States Naval Academy; and the eastern shorehome to Ocean City are wonderful nearby stops during your sporting clay experience at Hopkins Game Farm.

the Baltimore area. One could argue, Johns Hopkins put Baltimore and Maryland on the world map forever with his founding of Johns Hopkins Colored Children Orphan Asylum, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Press, the longest continuously operating academic press in America, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.

PHOTO CREDIT: AMY LUTZ / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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America in Miniature

The Hopkins Impact This is the simple rural life of Johns Hopkins back in the day when he was growing the family’s grocery and wares business. Of course, this simplicity is before his judicious investments in myriad ventures, most notably the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), of which he became a director in 1847 and chairman of the Finance Committee in 1855. He was also President of Merchants’ Bank as well as director of a number of other organizations.

Retired at age 52, Johns Hopkins is a name synonymous with philanthropy and goodwill in CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Anyone who survived the COVID world pandemic, knows well the tireless work performed by and through Johns Hopkins daily COVID analysis and reporting.

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university, the

oldest research university in the western hemisphere and prestigious without compare on the world stage. Baltimore and the State of Maryland remain thankful to Johns Hopkins University as they perennially hold the position as Baltimore’s largest employer, in

If you didn’t attend this year’s Regional at Hopkins, you should give Maryland a try the next time round because it has a lot to offer.

Maryland’s geography, culture, and history combine elements of the mid-Atlantic, northeastern, and southern regions of the country into one singularly wonderful experience.

Maryland possesses a variety of topography within its borders, contributing to its nickname America in Miniature. It ranges from sandy dunes dotted with seagrass in the east, to low marshlands teeming with wildlife and large bald cypress near the Chesapeake Bay, to gently rolling

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in Manhattan. Thick cucumber slices were hollowed and generously filled with the most mind-blowing chicken salad ever sampled by this writer. The combination of the crisp refreshing cucumber crunch into the viscous sweet and savory chicken salad was something I will long remember.

The main dinner menu included perfectly grilled herb crusted Certified Angus Prime Rib of beef, grilled Jerk chicken breast with fresh melon and pineapple salsa, baked potato, sweet and

hills of oak forests in the Piedmont Region, and pine groves in the Maryland mountains to the west.

Forbes.com rated Maryland as the fifth “Greenest” state in the country, behind three of the Pacific Coast States and Vermont…tough competition.

In Summation

The Tournament I must say, I enjoyed my Regional Championship experience in Kennedyville, Maryland at Hopkins Game Farm. I thought it presented an understated first glance, followed by the depth and breadth of a proper Regional Championship attended by 524 shooters. The 350-acres are well thought and well organized.

Parking and traffic routing was sensible and easy to accommodate.

Ammo was readily available and unrestricted.

Moving from one shooting venue to another was easy, even as a walker and did not require excessive commute times between events as most big tournaments can pose. Vendor city is close at hand and well attended.

Targets masterfully set by the father-son team of George and CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

fresh from the farmer’s fields that morning.

A framed menu announced the fare at multiple buffet tables allowing the smooth and efficient flow of hungry shooters past silver chaffing dishes, pleasantly plated extras and plenty of opportunities to grab seconds, including doubling down on the perfectly grilled herb crusted Certified Angus Prime Rib of beef.

FishWhistle at the Grannary on the Sassafras River in Georgetown, MD was the restauranteur responsible for this over-the-top dinner service…note the picture of the first 7 oversized herb crusted Certified Angus Prime Rib of beef, lovingly nurtured to grilling perfection on the FishWhistle portable grill.

Brad Hopkins, presenting a fair contest for the duel of target setter versus shooter. Many of America’s finest shooters left birds on the table.

Fine Tournament Dining As is the case with all fine tournaments, we end our journey gathered around a fine meal enjoying the camaraderie of our fellow shooters. A “tip-of-the-hat” to Brad and George Hopkins for providing an exceptional meal, far in excess of traditional tournament food.

Appetizers were walked around as if we were attending an art auction

spicy cabbage & pepper slaw, sliced Redman Farms bright red tomatoes with fresh basil & olive oil, local corn on the cob picked

My takeaway from this Hopkins Game Farm experience is very positive as it successfully combined Maryland’s geography, culture, and history bringing forward the best elements of the mid-Atlantic, northeastern, and southern regions of the country. Where else but Maryland can you experience three regions

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Maryland’s economy benefits from the state’s proximity to the federal government in Washington, D.C., with an emphasis on technical and administrative tasks for the defense/aerospace industry and bio-research laboratories, as well as staffing of satellite government headquarters in the suburban or exurban Baltimore/Washington area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maryland households are currently the wealthiest in the country, with a 2013 median household income of $72,483 which puts Maryland ahead of New Jersey and Connecticut, which are second and third respectively. It nice to live in an area where all boats rise with the economic tide.

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

PHOTO CREDIT: BILL CHIZEK / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

LIFESTYLE

26

As I load up my truck, it is always bitter sweet to leave a venue providing so many wonderful experiences, as I take

solace in knowing there is always another tournament in my future.

Until we meet again on “The Great American Sporting Clays

Odyssey”...enjoy the moments life brings you. n

EVENTUPDATE

30

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES

ANNUAL COLUMBUS HOUSE SHOOT

BY MATTHEW GAY

O

nce again, the Mad River Sportsman’s Club hosted the annual charity shoot to benefit the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. Since inception, this event has broken records year after year, and 2022 was no exception.

Breaking Records Like a Pro After attending this event last year as a shooter and providing event coverage, one of the event organizers, Mark Allard, asked if I would be willing to serve as one of CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY MADDIE KNOSTMAN

the “club pro’s” for this year’s event. It is important that the club and the organization ensure safety of the participants and fluidity throughout the event. As a result, the committee selects experienced sporting shooters to act as guides for the corporate participants that may have little or no experience on a sporting course. This position offers these attendees with guidance on how to break targets, instruction on proper technique and a trained eye on correction of errors when in the stand. This methodology makes for an allaround better experience for event

attendees. It was an honor to do my part with the Columbus crew as this charity is near and dear to my family an myself.

In this year’s event, the committee not only beat last year’s amount, they beat the goal they had set for this year. After all the dust settled, $209,405.00 was netted for the Columbus House.

The committee Co-Chairs Charlie Wharton and Mark Allard, along with Co-Chair Emeritus Dr. Phil Taylor explained that they were very pleased with the results.

Many Hands Make Lighter Work The Ronald McDonald House provides vital support to families of ill children from all backgrounds.

The success achieved across the country by partnering with clay shooters is a testament to the generosity of those in our sport. I am proud to continue my support for this very worth-while organization. The committee is always looking for experienced shooters to serve as “pros” for this event.

EVENTUPDATE

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For those inclined to lend a hand, or for more information on the Columbus chapter and their excellent work, visit them at rmhc-centralohio.org To find affiliates near you visit kidsandclays.com n

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

32

CSMCG-1REVIEW

CONNECTICUT SHOTGUN MANUFACTURING BRINGS A COMPLETELY AMERICAN MADE SPORTER TO THE MARKET

BY MATTHEW GAY

Y

es, you heard that correctly.

Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing has introduced a new model of sporting shotgun, COMPLETELY designed, manufactured and assembled in the United States.

The standard model comes with a sub $7,000 MSRP. This is a wonderful development for the American gun manufacturing industry.

Initial Impression While perusing the 2022 Grand American, a large display of fine shotguns lured this writer in at the

Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company trailer. I am familiar with this particular company as they are prominently represented in the side by side world, which I enjoy immensely.

While looking around and trying to not get any drool on the fine display of Foxes, model 21s and RBLs, a new model caught my eye, the CSMC G1 Sporting overunder. It bore a handsome piece of walnut with a high sheen oil finish, wonderful rich bluing and a pronounced target style pistol grip; a slight departure from the more traditional style stocks I am used to seeing on the CSMC side by sides. This was a sharp target

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34

gun. After a nice conversation with Louis, I was granted permission to take this beauty out and put it through the paces on the practice field.

is standard in the industry to add strength and longevity. It is then

end is adjustable for point of impact customization.

Bore diameter on this

The Receiver The receiver of this model starts with a solid billet of 416

aircraft grade stainless steel, and longer than

machined and stress relieved, then hardened with same plasma nitrate method used in aircraft manufacturing.

The receiver on the standard model is very clean, emanating the feel of a no nonsense target breaking machine. The barrel selector is designed in typical Italian fashion, situated atop the tang mounted safety but with a brilliant twist. The selector itself is recessed slightly into the safety switch with shoulders that extend above the thumb stops, serving to prevent the inadvertent nudging of the switch which can cause a failure to fire. The action of this model is of traditional under-lug design, which engaged solidly when closed. The ejectors operated flawlessly with excellent

timing and all controls functioned as designed. Another feature on the receiver of this model is the raised breech face that engages the top half of the monoblock when the action is closed. This feature adds strength to the lockup and mitigates headspace issues.

The trigger on the G1 was pleasant, breaking crisply right at three and a half pounds on the lower barrel and about an ounce higher on the upper barrel. No quantifiable creep was felt. Wood to metal fit was suburb. The G1 has a unique feature on the side of the receiver, inspection and lubrication windows are present for easier access to the action for maintenance.

The Barrels The G1 has 30” high polish blued barrels which are machined from 4140 steel and have no mid rib.

The barrel hanger at the muzzle

model is .736, with 2 ¾” chambers and extended forcing cones. The over/under barrels are pleasantly weighted giving the shotgun great balance.

The barrels are threaded for, and this model comes supplied with, all necessary choke tube constrictions to deal with any trickery the sneakiest target setter can dream up. For shooters who want to customize this model to exact weight distribution, a barrel weight fixture is available to place under the forearm for precise balance adjustment.

The Stock The G1 standard model tested sported a high gloss, hand rubbed oil finish and a nice piece of wood for a standard model. The stock on

CSMCG-1REVIEW

the Platinum model that was on display was made from a gorgeous chuck of black walnut with deep intricate figuring. The attractive checkering is done by hand, deep and functional, without being too sharp on the hand. The butt stock is capped off with a Galzan sporting pad which features a snag free hard top for effortless mount.

The target style forearm is well matched to the butt stock with excellent checkering coverage for superior grip and control. Wood to metal fit is precise and the forearm locks securely into place with an Ansley style push-button locking mechanism. The hand rubbed oil finish is well executed and accentuates the figure in the wood.

Shooting the G1 Standard Sporter The first thing I noticed on this model was the balance. My personal proclivity for target guns with lighter barrels was quite satisfied with the G1. The barrels were very responsive and moved to the target effortlessly. I tested this model with 1 1/8-ounce 1200 feet per second ammunition to get a feel for the recoil. Being a barrelchested individual, I tend to require more positive pitch than typically comes standard on a sporting

gun. With that said, the recoil was easily manageable with the heavy target loads and the gun operated flawlessly as designed. The ejectors and safety/selector were easy to manipulate and changed barrels without a hiccup.

The 10mm to 8mm tapered rib did a fine job of eliminating glare on this extremely sunny south Illinois day. This gun was a pleasure to shoot and I would highly recommend shooters give this one a try. n

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SHOOTREPORT

36

2022 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP T

he South East regional was held at the meticulously manicured Cross Creek Clays in Palmyra, Tennessee.

Every detail was considered, and the grounds were spectacularly prepared to host this Championship Tour event. 591 shooters made the trek to these shooting grounds to chase championship bragging honors.

Briley Sporting Side Events The full array of options was available for the little gun shooters, the pump aficionados and the side by side purists. In the 12-gauge side event sponsored by Briley, Turner Parcell set the bar as high as it gets by posting a 50x50 to eventually take top honors, one target ahead of Christian Crawford. The competition continued to heat up in the 20-gauge event where three 46s topped the scoreboard. After the smoke cleared and a tie-breaker was completed, Alex Ryan Clark CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

BY MATTHEW GAY prevailed ahead of Mike Vande Noord and Thomas Jacobs respectively.

The 28-gauge event was just as competitive with a pair of 42s tied up for the runner-up spot and M1 position. After yet another tiebreaker, Thomas Jacobs picked up the runner-up trophy, two targets behind the champion in this event, Brantley Whitwell. Whitwell would continue to perform well, earning the runner-up spot in the .410 bore event with a 39, just one target behind HOA Steven Nelson.

The pump gun event had 30 shooters shucking their way through the 50-target course on some sporty targets. Bert Stelly eventually rose to the top to claim champion honors with a 46x50, two targets ahead of Rodger Becker.

The side by side pointers took to the course to show what can be done with horizontal barrels.

Topping the field in this event was Jim Dowell, who only dropped five of the 50 targets attempted to take home the champion trophy, one target ahead of Doug Lee.

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DuPont Krieghoff Subgauge FITASC Set over two layouts and throwing great targets, the subgauge FITASC challenged shooters to bring their A-game with the smaller gauges. In the 20-gauge event, a pair of Ohioans topped the leaderboard. Daniel Bailey’s 45x50 earned him champion honors, one target ahead of his fellow Buckeye, Ryan Straker. The 28-gauge event was dominated by the young man from Kansas. Thomas Jacobs straightened out parcour two and posted a 22 on parcour one to top the rest of the competitors by three targets.

Super Sport A massive turnout of 400 shooters took to the Fiocchi super sport course to test their skills on some tricky combinations of targets. The skill of the shooters entered in this event was evident by the scores posted. Braxton Oliver mastered these combinations only dropping two targets throughout. Justin Chavez and David Radulovich ended their outing tied at 97 to set up a tie breaker, at the conclusion of which, Chavez took the runnerup spot with Radulovich in the M1 position. Desi Edmunds led the lady’s division with a brilliant

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

brought the drama on this event with the top three shooters Karen Shedd, Haylyn Hanks and Grace Callahan tying things up at 89. The tie breaker finalized the results with Shedd earning the ladies champion spot ahead of Hanks and Callahan respectively.

Winchester FITASC Main 94x100, one target ahead of Shelby Moon.

Preliminary Beretta sponsored the preliminary sporting event and drew 446 entrants. Zachary Kienbaum, one of the most decorated shooters in the country, demonstrated his target breaking prowess in this event by posting a 96x100 to take home the champion trophy.

Gebben Miles, Theo Ribbs III and David Radulovich tied things up on 94 to set up yet another tie breaker, at the conclusion of which Miles earned runner-up honors, ahead of Ribbs and Radulovich respectively.

Not to be outdone, the lady’s division remained just as competitive. Kayla Wilgus held off a serious challenge from Karen

Shedd and Shelby Moon, by posting a 90x100, just one target above her competition. Shedd and Moon completed their tie breaker which saw Shedd claim the runner spot, with Moon in the M1 position.

5-Stand Four layouts were prepared for this championship event on the Cross Creek grounds. Zach Kienbaum wasn’t finished dominating events this weekend as he posted a stand-alone top score of 96x100 to earn another championship trophy for his shelf.

Braxton Oliver was seriously challenging Kienbaum for the top spot but fell one target short to take the runner-up post with an impressive 95. The lady’s division

Four outstanding layouts graced the shooting grounds with some fantastic targets, perfectly set for this caliber of event. Dominic Grossi put on a clinic throughout, straightening out parcour four and only dropping four targets across the other three layouts to claim the honor of FITASC champion and besting the closest competitor by three targets. Four skilled shooters set up a shoot-off after all ended with 93s. Joe Fanizzi, Tom Seay, Zachary Kienbaum and Eric Harvey had to duke it out to determine the runner-up through M2 spots. At the completion of the tie breaker, Fanizzi prevailed to take the runner-up position ahead of Seay, Kienbaum and Harvey. On the lady’s side, Karen Shedd shot consistently well to outpace her closest competitor by five targets.

Christina Loudenslager earned the runner-up spot with an 87, just one target ahead of Madison Sharpe.

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40

Winchester Ladies Cup ClayShootingUSA has made it a priority to highlight the contribution Winchester has made in recognizing the excellent lady shooters we are honored to share the course with. Winchester’s recognition of their vital contributions to the sport is a wonderful thing for sporting clays as a whole. At the 2022 South East Regional, consistency was the key to success. Karen Shedd’s methodical performance earned her the Ladies Cup title and a nice payout for her efforts. Kayla Kane and Desi Edmunds tied things up, meaning one more shoot-off to finalize the placements. Kayla Kane followed up her Main Event performance with another win in the shoot-off to claim the secondplace prize in the Winchester Ladies Cup event. Congratulations to all the ladies who participated and a big thank you goes out to Winchester for making the Ladies Cup possible.

South East Regional Championship The main event, powered by MEC, drew 591 shooters to face down these challenging courses.

Shooters were not only on the lookout for Sasquatch, they were chasing top honors, and the bragging rights that go with it. This year’s champion, Eric Harvey posted a pair of brilliant scores, nearly straightening the red course. His 195x200 earned him the HOA trophy, which was embossed with the profile of the ever-elusive Sasquatch. Joseph Fanizzi earned the runner-up slot, just one back from Harvey and two ahead of third place shooter, Ryan CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

DESI EDMUNDS, KAREN SHEDD AND KAYLA KANE

Harper. Kayla Kane’s consistent shooting paid off, catapulting her to the top spot and earning her the Lady championship trophy with a

179x200. Three lady shooters finished their rounds tied with 176s and setting up a shoot-off.

When it was all over, Karen Shedd

DESI EDMUNDS, ERIC HARVEY AND JOE FANIZZI

held on to earn the runner-up spot ahead of Desi Edmunds and Ashley Little respectively. n

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CASEY CARES FOUNDATION

BENEFIT SHOOT T

he Fourth Annual Sporting Clay Tournament in Queenstown benefits critically ill children.

Queen Anne’s County, Maryland - The Casey Cares Foundation hosted their fourth annual sporting clay tournament on Friday, September 30, 2022, at the Point at Pintail in Queenstown, MD. This event saw its highest record of participants, with ten teams of foursomes joining the nonprofit for the morning shoot.

The tournament raised muchneeded funding for the Casey Cares Foundation, which provides ongoing and uplifting programs and activities for families with critically ill kids in eight states and Washington D.C. CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Casey Baynes, Founder and Executive Director of Casey Cares, says, “At Casey Cares, we know how difficult life can be for families with critically ill children. We help keep families’ spirits high by arranging programming - whether it’s a simple movie night and a fresh pair of pajamas or attending a major sporting event. Casey Cares makes life a lot better by adding a personal touch throughout the year and making lasting memories for families. Not once-a-lifetime or once-a-year, Casey Cares knows that the best palliative care comes from continuous, ongoing support.”

Steve Manekin, Director of Ellin & Tucker, Casey Cares board member, and lead organizer of the

event, credits the tournament’s success to Casey Cares Director of

The Point at Pintail, states, “I cannot thank Dawn enough for all

Corporate Engagement, Dawn Weissman. Manekin, a member at

the hard work she completed on her end and with Casey Cares for

CLAYSFORACAUSE

sending out emails and continually engaging with donors and sponsors. She did a great job!”

Manekin also thanked the teams for coming out and “sponsoring such an amazing cause.”

The Oxford Risk Management Group won Best Team Award with members, Michael DiMayo, Managing Director of Oxford and Chairman of Casey Cares’ Board of Directors, Craig Linthicum, Michael P. DiMayo, and Charles Kullman. Emily Malarkey with Bekman, Marder, Hopper, Malarkey & Perlin LLC won the Clay Conservationist Award, and Michael P. DiMayo with the Oxford Risk Management Group won the Best Shooter category with a score of 38x50.

The teams enjoyed a light breakfast and lunch from Mission BBQ. The Point at Pintail is nationally recognized as a premier location for sporting clay tournaments and outings. Novice and experienced shooters alike appreciate the target presentation and picturesque setting. n

About the Casey Cares Foundation: Founded in 2000, the Casey Cares Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides little moments and lasting memories for families with critically ill children by organizing family-centric events such as tickets to sporting events, concerts and museums, group

43

parties, vacation getaways, birthday surprises and more! We serve over 1,200 families in eight states and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit CaseyCares.org Follow Casey Cares on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news!

For more information contact Samantha at: samantha@caseycaresfoundation.org

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46

AN

F L C

EXTRAVAGANZA T

his year three events were held simultaneously on the FLC Shooting grounds in White Hall, Illinois.

The FLC All-Around combines CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

with the Coon Pecker Open and the Illinois State FITASC and Super Sporting tournament to culminate in a festival of shotgun pointing, rooted in love of the

game and camaraderie amongst like-minded sportsmen and women.

BY MATTHEW GAY

Big Dog Side Events By popular demand, this event brought back the Major Gauge sponsored by Hawg Holsters, the

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SHOOTREPORT REPORT

48

Magic Bore Extreme Challenge and the GTFO Cup. With a maximum equipment parameter of “nothing larger than ten-gauge, 3 ½ inch number two” for the Major Gauge, one can imagine the targets on this course. Jim Gilman outpaced Phil Puckorius by three targets to win the Major Gauge event.

The Magic Bore Extreme Challenge was designed to push the limits of a target load, presenting targets at the edge of normal ranges. Bob Maples edged past Aaron Anderson by a single target to take top honors on these “big dog” targets. Fifty shooters participated in the GTFO Cup event where Jim Gilman again rose to the top with an 89x100 to win the cup, nine targets ahead of Konnor Vohs.

CYLE FOLEY

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

The Coon Pecker Open I am not sure how many outstanding endeavors begin as internet jokes but the Coon Pecker Open is one that has become wildly successful. With the desire to emphasize the social aspect combined with returning to the fun factor of shoots past, FLC continues to hone this event and meet those expectations. This year’s event offered multiple event options and utilized the terrain at FLC to maximum effectiveness.

The Coon Pecker Open championship this year consisted of 100 super sporting targets sponsored by Score Chaser and four world class parcours sponsored Dave’s Firearms. The super sporting was set in the

OUR SQUAD

middle of the sporting grounds, right off the newly donned road, Ed Cowman Way. This year’s targets were excellent, particularly for those of us who like to challenge ourselves. All were hittable but needed due attention, as the terrain could play tricks with a shooter’s perception. One particular target combination drove this writer nuts with its simplicity. A target was presented crossing left to right at a pretty good clip with a breakpoint of about 25 yards but at about two-oclock from the front of the stand, the second target on report was a teal flopper at about 18-20 yards, only rising about 25 feet, before falling back to the ground. The machine was completely obscured by vegetation, which was about six feet high, so the only point of reference was the target itself. For some reason, this target baffled me into a rage at its simplicity, because I missed this thing three of four times. There was something about the trajectory that simply did not register. More proof that speed and distance is not necessary to make a shooter miss.

This course was challenging and

utilized all target styles to give shooters a very high-quality experience.

Theo Ribbs III took this course to task and posted a phenomenal score of 90x100 to win top honors.

Setting up a slugfest for the Coon Pecker Open championship trophy, Gebben Miles came in just three targets behind Theo to tee up for an exciting second day of this event on the four parcours FLC had in store for the competitors.

The FITASC started for my squad on parcour one. This particular layout presented targets from a valley below all the pegs.

Great targets, including the green rabbit hustling down the hill at a pretty good pace. Conversely, parcour two placed pegs at the bottom of a tall ridge and presented targets that were mostly well above the ridgetop, with nothing but blue sky as a back drop. Moving on to the third and fourth parcours took the squads north past the farmhouse and on to the pond. Tall targets combined with the duck marsh background made for a fun set of presentations reminiscent of Green-wing Teal screaming across the deck and

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closest competitor by 14 targets to earn him the title of Illinois State FITASC Champion.

The FLC All Around

sleek pintails dropping in from high altitude. Parcour four was set over a partially cut field with a treeline to the west and scrub-brush to the east. This parcour offered one trap target which got up and out in a hurry. There was no time to hesitate or it would certainly result in a zero on the score card.

Gebben Miles straightened out parcour one and nearly did the same on par three to end his outing with an excellent score of 86x100. Miles’ consistent performance through both events earned him the overall Coon Pecker Open championship honor, with Theo Ribbs III just seven total targets back for the runner-up spot.

The Illinois Super sport and FITASC state championship was open to residents of Illinois for in-state honors. In the Super Sporting, John Brinckerhoff took the top spot with an 83x100, four targets ahead of Andy Ackmann. In the FITASC event, Grayson Ponder’s 82x100 outpaced the CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

In a change from last year’s event, the All Around this year took full advantage of all the offerings available at FLC. With the addition of an automatic Helice ring funded by the “Aaron Rhomberg Foundation for Children and Kids Who Don’t Think Good”, the Helice potion was increased to a 30-bird race, with each witness cap that fell in being worth two points. The Flyers portion was also increased to a 30-bird race played across two rings and worth three points each.

The birds on these two evolutions of the All Around flew well, presenting shooters with the ultimate test of a shotgun pointer.

New this year to the All Around was a fifty-target 5-Stand layout and a fifty-target wobble trap event which rotated like bunker trap and allowed full use of the gun. A broken target on the first shot was worth two points. The 5-Stand layout was situated across the road from the clubhouse and threw great targets over the farm pond.

Gebben Miles once again posted a monster score of 48x50 on this stage of the event to outpace Thomas Jacobs by three targets.

Richard Hoyt dominated the wobble trap field claiming the win with a 92x100 and using far less shells than most.

The Super Final

THOMAS JACOBS AND HIS MOTHER

In a new twist, the folks at FLC added a super final event offering the top six shooters (Thomas Jacobs, Nate Wannebo, Todd Hitch, Theo Ribbs, Gebben Miles and Griffin Howe) in the All Around the opportunity to add to their total score and a final chance to claim the top spot. This super final was shot on a Helice field, with the added challenge of having to separate the witness cap from a single Helice target ,thrown for a single point, before attempting a target of their choice on report from some seriously tall targets.

Coming into the Super Final, Thomas Jacobs was leading the pack of finalists by four targets.

With his consistent and calculated selection of targets, combined with accuracy on the Helice targets, Thomas Jacobs finished the event as the FLC All Around Champion.

Nate Wannebo took the secondplace position three targets ahead of Todd Hitch.

Bringing Shoots Back to Their Roots In several conversations with FLC proprietor Gary Fitzjarrell, he has

made it clear that his intention with this shoot is to provide a quality experience from a target offering standpoint but also socially. The “FLC ten” is not an exaggeration.

The team at FLC makes certain that participants are well fed, and

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we are not talking burgers and dogs. Each evening offered “everyone” on site an excellent meal, notice I did not say “entrants.” FLC welcomes both the shooters and their guests to break bread in the evenings with each other in an effort to foster the camaraderie and social aspects that were a mainstay in years past.

From catered dining from the World-Famous Brass Door in Carrollton, Illinois to a low country boil complete with all fixins and fried gator bites, the cuisine at FLC is outstanding… and always laid out in an efficient manner for maximum consumption. Adult beverages were available and, on the house…with the caveat that those partaking were not stingy with their tips to the bartender. This shoot embodies and accentuates the concepts of fun and entertainment that at one time were the primary motivators for participation in our sport.

Friday night offered a 20 bird Helice race under the lights which was a lot of fun. The challenge of indexing on the target with no point of reference besides the black of night was a fun test of a shooter’s prowess. The automatic Helice ring facilitated excellent flow and the evening temperature, accented by a bonfire, drew a crowd of spectators and prompted many a gentleman’s bet.

Over four days shooters attempted 360 total targets, averaging 90 per day. Granted some disciplines within the All Around take longer than others but the concept is solid. Don’t overburden shooters with three hundred target days, so they have the energy left in the afternoon to enjoy social time with their fellow competitors. The shoot staff was all pleasant and helpful, it was clear they enjoyed the relaxed pace of this event just as much as this writer did.

While many of us are very competitive at our core, I found the pace and rhythm of this event to be very conducive to allowing a shooter to maintain a high level of focus throughout, while managing fatigue. This marathon is no cakewalk but for those who are willing to play the long game, this event is an absolute must. FLC will again be hosting this event in 2023 and it will be exciting to see what new and innovative pieces they choose to offer shooters. n

JAMIE AND BRIAN DOLINAR

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DRESSEDTOTHENINES

A LOOK AT THE

CAESAR GUERINI

INVICTUS IX

FUNCTIONAL ART SAYS MATTHEW GAY

H

aving seen advertisements for this model previously and being eager to put eyes on it, it was hard to bother observing the ancillary items that come with this model. However, a review would not be complete without the nuts

and bolts so off we go. A plastic fitted hard case is supplied with this model, complete with velvet stock and barrel sleeves, a choke case, stock and trigger wrench and a friction choke wrench.

This shotgun is a work of functional art that could catch one’s eye from across the room. The hand rubbed oil finish is stunning and

accentuates the extravagant engraving on this gun. The fine points of the Invictus series of sporting guns from Caesar Guerini are well known, and we’ll lay them out here again as well, but the beauty of this particular model is a major focus of this review. Its truly a masterpiece and below you’ll see the pictorial evidence to support such a claim.

The Receiver The patented Invictus system is quite revolutionary, in that it has created a system by which the primary wear-points that render a shotgun off-face and sometimes unserviceable, can be replaced in order to restore the barrel mating with the receiver, to

factory specs. On the receiver side of things, the Invictus system inverts the traditional approach to lock-up in the bottom of the receiver. As opposed to lugs from the bottom of the monoblock engaging cut-out recesses in the bottom of the receiver, the Invictus system utilizes the Invictus block.

This block is mounted to the floor of the receiver and instead engages with the monoblock to ensure positive locking and correct alignment of the barrels to the receiver. The great thing is, if the barrels start to come “off face’, this part can be

DRESSEDTOTHENINES

replaced with a new Invictus block by removing only two screws. This is a much simpler re-build than many designs which require delicate welding and careful re-fitting in order to correct alignment issues.

must study it and pay attention to not only the glaring intricacies but also the subtle features. This receiver is absolutely gorgeous with faux side-plates which offer a large canvas for the engraver. The deep relief engraving is hand polished and protected with an Invisalloy™ finish. This receiver features so many beautiful themes, the only way to do it justice is to let the pictures tell the story.

The Barrels The barrels are finished in a rich blue and

The over/under barrels are pleasantly weighted, right around three and a half pounds, giving the shotgun great balance. The top rib sports a white Bradley style front bead and a silver mid bead. Six competition MAXIS chokes are provided in the appropriate constrictions to conquer any sporting course.

The aesthetic features on this model continue to impress the eye.

The side of the monoblock is etched in a manner which resembles a twist Damascus pattern. When the gun is open, this addition contrasts with the exacting engraving displayed on the receiver, giving it an even more impressive look.

The Stock This system does not employ the typical trunnions seen in many Italian designs.

With the Invictus, recesses are cut into the ears of the receiver and accept the Invictus Cams, which are also replaceable and mounted to the side of the monoblock. With the removal of two Torx screws and the replacement of the cams, the monoblock can be returned to factory specs in a hurry, and at an extremely moderate cost. The trigger on the Invictus is extremely crisp and adjustable allowing it to be tuned for precise control of overtravel, take-up and length of pull. Both barrels on this model broke crisply at just a smidge under three pounds with no creep at all.

In order to appreciate the engraving on this receiver, one

The receiver is a very hard act to follow but the walnut on this model does a fine job of rising to the occasion.

Highly

polished to an excellent shine.

The top rib is textured to reduce glare and tapers from 10mm to 8mm, sitting 6mm high.

In addition to the top rib, the midrib assists with the rapid removal of heat.

The chrome lined .735 bore barrels feature the DuoCon system. The five-inch dual conical forcing cones reduce felt recoil and make for improved patterns.

55

handed palm swell was quite comfortable, and the grip was secure. A comfortable ¾” rubber sporting style butt pad caps off this beautiful piece of furniture. Some obligatory gun mounts demonstrated that the rounded pad was well suited for the low gun shooters, including those stock draggers.

The rounded forearm is yet another component of this masterpiece the engravers selected as a canvas to display their work. The forearm irons on this model serve than more than the wear and connection points to the barrel and receiver. The ears are prominent and bear complete engraved coverage to accent and provide contrast to the barrels above and the finely figured and precisely checkered wood below.

The beautifully executed inletting on the bottom of this model’s forearm displays a diamond, fashioned out of a material akin to the buffalo horn sometimes seen on classic shotgun stocks, with a centered silver droplet inlet. As with the butt stock, wood to metal fit is perfect and the forearm locks securely into place with an Anson style button lock.

Shooting the Invictus IX figured with a hand rubbed oil finish and adorned with well cut checkering at 26 lines per inch, the right

To be honest, I enjoyed studying this model as much as I enjoyed

DRESSEDTOTHENINES

SPECIFICATIONS MODEL: CAESAR GUERINI INVICTUS IX SPORTER GAUGE: 12 GAUGE BARRELS: 32" LENGTH OF PULL: 14.75" DROP AT COMB: 1.5" DROP AT HEEL: 2.25" CAST AT HEEL: 0.125" CAST AT TOE: 0.25" PITCH: 5° GRIP LENGTH: 4" AT CENTER POSITION (ADJUSTABLE) WEIGHT: 8 LBS 3 OZ CHOKES: 6 - MAXIS COMPETITION CHOKES (CYL, SK, 2 IC, LM AND M) WARRANTY: 5 YEARS SUGGESTED RETAIL: $19,999 $270 LEFT HAND STOCK OPTION $425 ADJUSTABLE COMB OPTION

shooting it. The balance was spot on and the triggers were exceptional. Recoil with 1 1/8 ounce 1200 feet per second ammo was easily manageable. The action, ejectors and controls operated flawlessly without fail and the action locked up as tight as a vault.

Just as pleasurable were the looks on the range this shotgun elicited. It was like carrying around a piece of art that everyone around wanted to look at. With each additional moment viewing the intricacies of the adorned receiver, another detail was revealed. This shotgun truly embodies the

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

concept of pride in ownership. Not only because of the absolute beauty it exudes, but also as a result of superior innovation, breeding reliability, functionality and an endurance that likely matches its namesake; “Invictus,” which means, “unconquerable, unsubdued and invincible.”

The Invictus IX is only available at their Elite Dealers. For information on this model and to locate an Elite Dealer near you visit the Invictus IX Page at gueriniusa.com/shotguns/invictusix-sporting n

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60

CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 2571

A Direct Attack on Our Way of Life

BY MATTHEW GAY

A

s a quasi-prologue to this article, its important to note that the following is a slight variation from some of the material our readers typically consume in ClayShootingUSA Magazine. It is however of great importance to highlight situations and forces that are destructive and negatively impact this sport we are all so passionate about. The tone of this article is intentionally stern and judgmental in terms of the clear political subterfuge employed in the crafting, marketing, and passing of this bill.

The Current State of Things It’s no secret that the state of society today, as it relates to firearms, is complicated at best.

The country seems sharply divided along both geographic and party lines in their dispositions towards personal firearm ownership and usage. The supreme law of the land is extremely clear on this matter and CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

states unequivocally, the intent of the amendment, which prohibits governments from infringing on the rights of the people to “keep and bear arms”. Some have attempted to make disingenuous arguments such as, “this only applies to the militia”. Such an assertion is so easily disproven by 10 US Title Code, sub-section 246 (b) 1 and 2, that its no longer worth pointing out to detractors.

Support for this position has been confirmed by multiple Supreme Court decisions.

The next disingenuous

argument goes something like “it was written before AR-15s and was meant only for muskets”.

This too is beyond disingenuous considering every other law, statute and amendment has been universally applied to the technology of today, such as in the realms of telecommunication, broadcasting, advertising, etcetera. For

anyone that may try to assert that telecommunication, broadcasting and advertising has, “never killed anyone”, my response would be, “now who is being naive?”

What we really have are multiple special interest groups which profit from, and quantify their existence, by the perpetuation of a controversy to the masses, masses who are generally uneducated on the facts and data. Those Americans who are uneducated on the use of firearms, and sadly some who know better, tend to simply accept the narrative as presented by some of those special interest factions, without question. In other words, many Americans willfully permit these “dispute peddlers”, to

62

fulminate discourse without either seeking truth on their own, or applying deductive reasoning to the matter.

“Facts and

Data”, “Follow the Science”, these are mantras we have heard ad nauseum over the last couple of years on a multitude of issues.

With that in mind, we will explore the data, evidence, facts, and realities of the impact from California’s passing of Assembly bill 2571, also known as the “Firearms Advertising to Minors Act”.

The Act When evaluating this quite short law, its important to dissect the words utilized for any contradiction(s) contained within the text itself. It is prudent to ascertain, not only what the authors were trying to accomplish, but why. Almost universally, bills begin with a reason statement.

California’s AB 2571 maintains this standard with the following verbiage, “The Legislature Hereby finds the proliferation of firearms to and among minors poses a threat to health, safety and security of all residents of, and visitors to this state”. The text goes on to discuss the impulsive nature of minors, peer pressure, inability to recognize consequences, while citing unreferenced “current research and scientific evidence”.

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Interestingly, in the third sentence the text admits that the legislature has “already prohibited minors from possessing firearms”.

Further, federal (and some States) prohibit minors from purchasing firearms from licensed dealers.

After completing the first three sentences of this bill, a direct contradiction has already emerged.

Consider this; firearms manufacturers sell to distributors, who then sell to dealers who are bound by law only to sell firearms to non-prohibited persons (nonminors, non-felons, etcetera).

Those firearms manufacturers, distributors and dealers advertise.

Is it logical that a company would spend advertising dollars to market a product to a demographic that could not legally purchase their product? I certainly wouldn’t.

To take it further, the text clearly states that minors are prohibited from possessing firearms, we know they cannot purchase them, so the very act of a minor purchasing or possessing a firearm would be a violation of longstanding state and federal law.

It appears the Legislature unwittingly concedes that the law prohibiting the acts they seek to prevent is not having the desired impact. They text goes on to state that “minors are especially susceptible to marketing appeals”, but how does that matter if minors cannot purchase the product? In

reality, it doesn’t. The final portion of this sophomoric reason statement references the “unlawful sale of firearms to minors” and the “unlawful transfer of firearms to minors by adults that may possess those weapons lawfully”. Notice all the language used to justify this bill evolves around “unlawful” behavior and is directed against entities, lawfully engaged in business. Does it make sense? Not at all, because a quantifiable public safety impact was never the intent of this law. This will become clear as you continue to read.

The Act claims that the intent is to “protect its citizens, especially minors, from gun violence”. There is no cited evidence, studies, statistics, or other referenced data to support a position that advertising firearms has any impact whatsoever on “gun violence”, perpetuated against citizens of any age class. In fact, it would be demonstrably false to assert that any sport shooting advertising directed to minors or sport shooing participation, has in any way increased the incidents of gun violence among minors. As most of our readers know, the shooting sports from primary school through college, stand as statistically the safest sport in existence.

Looking at the old, tired

deceptions, which find their way into these strawman fallacies spewed by proponents of this kind of legislation, we observe absolute refusal to acknowledge data.

Politicians have said all kinds of absurd things in terms of numbers and statistics. Most of their assertions are complete and utter nonsense. For example, Barak Obama once commented that, “it is easier for a 12- or 13-year-old to purchase a gun, and cheaper than it is for them to get a book”. We all know this statement is patently false, but so many parroted and believed this falsehood. Let’s not forget the one-term Governor and former confidant of the Clintons, Terry McAuliffe who said, “We lose 93 million Americans to gun violence every day”.

Notwithstanding the obvious misspoken statistic, McAuliffe issued a correction which stated he meant to say 93 Americans every day. The number is an accurate statistic, but completely without context. Two-thirds of that number are suicides. The 93 per day also includes accidents, gang shootings, justified police shootings and legal defensive use of firearms. The real number is less that 30 per day which meet the definition of “homicide”, in a population of roughly 330 million.

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ever-so-popular “assault weapons” drivel. In the 1990s, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms was unable to define what an “assault weapon” was. However, politicians today absolutely love the emotional response evoked by the word when engaging in erroneous hyperbole. When we look at the actual statistics published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the most recent Uniform Crime Report expanded homicide data table eight, we will find that what are commonly referred to as “assault weapons”, are classified as “rifles” for the purpose of this report. The total deaths attributed to firearms across the United States stands at 10,258 including suicides, gang shootings, justified uses of firearms, Et al. Of those, “homicide by rifle” accounts for a total of 364, or 3.6 percent.

Shotguns account for 200 annually, or 1.95 percent. With that clear statistic, why is the “assault weapon” fiction so effective?

Research “Pavlovian Conditioning”, and it will become quite clear.

Vagueness From the definitions in AB 2571, to the potential actionable violations, and on through the penalty portions of the text; this bill relies on conjecture, assumption, and unquantifiable speculation as the impetus for cause of action. When listing all the actions that could be considered “advertising”, the bill references “cartoons”, “hats, t-shirts, clothing”, “toys”, “stuffed animals”, or “games” that promote a “firearm industry member” (yet another made-up, catch-all definition), or a “firearm related product”. Considering all the things or entities this could ensnare is a daunting task.

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Ironically, reading further into the bill, it seems to give immense discretion to the “court” in determining several factors when considering liability due to civil action. Typically, a doctrine called “void for vagueness” applies to criminal statutes and prevents undue prosecutions of individuals under the guise of a law which does not clearly spell out the behavior which would violate it.

This being a civil statute, it is different but not without potential peril in terms of the vagueness doctrine. With the wide latitude the legislature provided the court to levy civil fines for anyone violating this statute, with considerations spanning from the court’s perceived “persistence” of the accused, to the accused’s “net worth”, it seems they may have run afoul of the portion of the void for vagueness doctrine that identifies this “extensive delegation of authority to judges and administrators”, as a trigger which would make the statute void.

Section two of this bill maintains the concept of casting a wide net with the intent to discourage any and all legitimate

entities to withdraw from the California market completely.

While defining what constitutes “advertising” this section uses language such as, “products in colors, sizes or designs specifically designed to be used by, or appeal to, minors”. Is there a kid on the planet that is not appealed to, or wishes to possess products used by their heroes? How many baseball bats or types of shoes have been sold to youth simply because a sports figure they admire wears or uses that product?

It’s the very basis for which marketing exists, which makes the absurdity of the bill even more so.

Further, the ambiguity in suggesting that a court could determine “intent” of marketing, as it pertains to who said marketing appeals to, is completely subjective. Emotions are unquantifiable and unmeasurable on any scale, and as such are not codifiable in statute. At least they are not supposed to be.

Impact This section will not be inclusive of all impacts this bill will have on the

people and state of California, but the intent is to hit the major points.

Shortly after the announcement of this bill taking immediate effect, the US Clay Target League announced that they would be ceasing all operations in the State of California for fear of violating this statute. That has immediately impacted thousands of student athletes and based on the rapid growth of that program elsewhere, will impact unknown hundreds of thousands as a benefit of their never having an opportunity to participate in the program at all.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program has added a disclaimer to their website which proclaims that minors from California should not proceed past the warning.

In 2019 the California Department of Fish and Game instituted a R3 program (recruitment, retainment and reactivation) of sportsmen and women. In their plan they state that operations will include the creation, support and marketing of materials that “fully embrace” the shooting sports. Including archery, target shooting, rifle, shotgun and pistol ranges and youth shooting

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leagues and activities as “worthwhile, important and valuable activities linked to hunting, hunting recruitment, retention and reactivation”. This program was to start in July of 2020. Arguably, if the State of California printed or published an online hunting guide which listed the regulations for youth hunting, they themselves could be in violation of AB 2571.

Its often surprising to hear that many, even in the shooting world, do not know about or understand the functions of the PittmanRobertson Act. In 1937, Senator Key Pittman from Nevada, and Congressman Absalom Willis Robertson of Virginia, sponsored a bill that imposed an 11% excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. The tax collected is then distributed to the state governments for wildlife projects. In 1950 the DingellJohnson Act mirrored the PittmanRobertson Act but with a focus on fisheries.

With the inception of AB 2571, the revenue for conservation has already been impacted. Consider the amount of ammunition consumed by youth shooters just in the US Clay Target League alone across the State of California during the course of a year with a fall and a spring league. That would be just the tip of the iceberg.

The shooting sports are a gateway into a lifestyle that links to many other outdoor pursuits. Those pursuits usually require the purchasing of equipment, which is taxed under both above-mentioned Acts, then is distributed to the States for conservation efforts.

Without the American Sportsman, shooter, fisherman or archer; this revenue would never be realized.

There is no telling what the state of our wildlife, forests, waters, and wild places would be without the CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

brilliant forethought of conservation leaders like Senator Pittman and Congressman Robertson. With the fiscal challenges already faced by the State of California resulting from their proclivity for copious amounts of spending on progressive causes encompassing everything from health care to government funded and supervised illicit drug injection clinics, one must wonder where the lost revenue will be found. This writer’s intuition tells him it won’t, and wildlife conservation will suffer.

Many gun clubs have seen decreased participation over the years leading to decreased revenue and tough times. The various youth programs have rejuvenated these clubs, spurring investment into everything from new Olympic style fields to clubhouses featuring dedicated classroom facilities for instruction.

I can think of a couple of clubs in Michigan that currently wouldn’t exist if it were not for the success of these youth programs in Michigan. Many jurisdictions have imposed zoning limitations which essentially ban the development of new shooting facilities within their jurisdiction. If the existing clubs are not able to make it and new clubs cannot be built, the sport will die. The concern in California is significant for the sustainability of the clubs if this law stands. I’d submit, THAT is the intent.

The Ulterior Motive The following analysis is not opinion or conjecture as the collateral impacts of this bill are clearly demonstrable. As has been the case with politicians since the beginning of human history, any opportunity to co-opt a cause

which brings voters into a particular camp is well worth the effort, despite the morality, constitutionality, or actual effectiveness of said position. Such is the case with California AB 2571.

Despite being the hotbed for gun violence as a result of many factors (lack of mental health funding and treatment accessibility, illegal drug trade influence, heavy gang presence and weak state and federal prosecutorial action against illegal activities involving all of the above) and one of the most regulated states in the union as it pertains to firearms, many politicians in California continue to push a false narrative that more laws equal higher levels of public safety. This of course is demonstrably false and proven by the simplest of statistical analysis of the Uniform FBI Crime Report.

This bill has originated and exists solely to impede the ability of entities; engaging in the legal commerce in firearms, publishing, advertising and any peripherally connected organization, from operating within the State of California. In short, it’s the greatest example of bullying by a government in recent memory.

This bullying is accompanied by the biggest gaslighting operation employed by political factions over the last fifty years, in the false narrative and blatantly skewed statistics used to support the antigun position. This, combined with the exploitation of the emotions of the firearm and statistics illiterate, in exchange for votes and political power, as well as the exploitation of tragedy and you have a dastardly concoction of lies which appears to violate the tenants of the first, second, fifth and fourteenth amendments.

The mechanism that makes this an unfortunate reality for the

industry is the wide net that seems to include sales of everything from a t-shirt depicting Yosemite Sam to a magazine with an ad for a target shotgun, is the civil fine portion that could be as much as $25,000.00 per incident, meaning per issue sent into the state. The wide latitude and frankly vague nature that the language provides to the court, makes it impossible to establish clear parameters for compliance. The entities concerned about this could and maybe would be likely to prevail in court action, but the ensuing legal bills would be massive. This reality has led to many simply deciding to pull out of the state altogether.

THIS was the objective of the bill all along. California AB 2571 is nothing more than a vindictive attack on, not just an industry, but a lifestyle of hunters, shooters and sportsmen and women. The proponents of this bill know it will accomplish nothing in terms of reducing gun violence. They have never been serious about resolving these issues as demonstrated by their refusal to address the true causation.

If this law was truly about protecting children from gun violence, mental health would be the first item on this list to deal with. Other topics for potential mitigation of gun violence among youth would evolve around adequate law enforcement, minimum mandatory enhancements of prison sentences and elimination of absurd plea bargains, the impact of violent video games marketed towards minors or maybe social media limitation of access for minors through an effective age verification process combined with rating appropriate limitation. This law is nothing more than an attack on a legitimate industry which exists in opposition to the political

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world view of a group of individuals who profit and acquire power through the perpetuation of a false narrative, at the expense of lawabiding citizens who are simply seeking life, liberty and are actively pursuing happiness through sport.

One dirty little secret of those who would push adoption of this type of legislation is the desire to limit these activities to those with means. Afterall, if one has significant financial wherewithal, these limitations are meaningless.

The unique thing about the United States that differs from the balance of the world is the availability of hunting and sport shooting to the common person. Millions of acres of public land, co-op style gun clubs and readily accessible ammunition and firearms make it so that these pursuits are not limited to the wealthy, as is the case nearly everywhere else. The truth is, proponents of this kind of draconian law have no issue with their fellow elites taking part in these activities, because those people are not the “commoners”.

This echoes of the past when killing the “King’s” deer to feed one’s family was a crime punishable by death, and hunting or sport shooting was reserved for the “nobles”.

Why It Matters In addition to the above outlined impacts to conservation, the sustainability of the sport and the general pursuit of happiness for which this country declared independence from the King in the first place, American blood and treasure has been paid all over the globe to protect our way of life.

From the first two divisions of Marines established by the Continental Congress on November 10th, 1775, to my CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

grandfather and his three brothers who all served in war zones during World War II, to my son who deployed to Afghanistan with the 2nd Marine Division, this country has put its money where its mouth is in the name of liberty. While nefarious politicians conduct subversive operations with only control and power as the end goal, some of us believe in the founding values and live our lives by a code which serves to support and defend our national principles.

I regard Thomas Jefferson as the most impactful and brilliant mind to have participated in the founding of this country and establishment of its principles. He was simply unmatched in his understanding of sovereignty, the threats to liberty and the potential for tyranny. Jefferson said, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people…They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty”.

Education is the primary motivating factor with the various youth programs, which are directly

and immediately impacted by this law. One could ask, why would a state impose a law which impedes the ability of organizations to educate the public on the safe use of firearms? If you look to President Jefferson’s quote you will find their motivation. They intend to eliminate the education which goes with it, choosing instead to demonize an inanimate object, while playing on the emotions of the firearm-ignorant to consolidate power and raise revenue for political purposes. All motivations which run counter to our national principles. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw said, “Liberty means responsibility.

That is why most men dread it”.

When an individual blindly accepts a mantra, without applying deductive reasoning and conducting their own research, it amounts to intellectual laziness.

Unfortunately, this modus operandi is not only present with a majority of the voters of California, but also with many of the policy makers.

There are multiple lawsuits that have been filed to stop this law on behalf of many organizations.

ClayShootingUSA will be following this process closely and will report back on any developments. n ***It is vital to note that this article is in no way intended, nor is to be construed as legal advice. Anyone with questions on this law must seek answers from their legal counsel.***

IT’S TIME TO SHOW WHO WE REALLY ARE.

Gun owners care about the safety, preventing unauthorized access to firearms, bettering communities, helping those in need and conserving wildlife and wild places for generations to come.

You won’t hear these positive stories about real gun owners and pro-gun advocates in the mainstream media. In fact, you’re more likely to see insulting messages that try to shun or even shame gun owners due to some heinous acts of criminals. It’s time for gun owners to tell their stories, to show how we’re making a difference, to show that we don’t fit under one identity and to keep others accountable for trying to villainize lawful gun owners.

We’re calling on all gun owners to join us.

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THE RIVER DEEP FOUNDATION

Sporting Clays Fundraiser I

n the first movie titled with his name, Shrek declared “Ogres have layers.” He should know.

Shrek’s comment led to my insight that the River Deep Foundation sporting clays shoot also had layers. On the surface, the fundraiser may rightly be viewed as an energizing collegial opportunity to shoot with kindred spirits. A deeper layer illustrates the opportunity for clay target enthusiasts to advance the noble CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

and far-reaching missions of the River Deep Foundation. The deepest layer enables the participant to enrich her or his soul by helping enrich the lives of others.

The Event Fifty-five shooters showed up at Kiowa Creek Sporting Clays, arguably Colorado’s premier venue, to participate in the annual

BREAKING CLAYS FOR A VIRTUOUS CAUSE SAYS MICHAEL G. SABBETH River Deep Foundation fundraising event on a gorgeous sun-drenched summer morning. Marshmallow clouds dotted the slate-blue sky and mild winds whistled through the greenery. Many young lady shooters participated, indicating a fortuitous affirmation for the future of our valued sport.

Susan Williamson, Treasurer/ Secretary of the Foundation, scrupulously handled the tedious administrative work of checking in shooters and taking their payments. Susan is the wife of Chuck Williamson, a veteran and Foundation board member, whose role in the Foundation will be

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divulged later.

The shooting began precisely at nine o’clock in the morning.

Mark Moore, co-owner of Kiowa Creek, set the targets on the ten stations of our course to ensure target-smashing success and fun.

This was not one of Mark’s competition course settings that have often caused me anguish during an event and nightmares that evening.

My squad mates were Chuck Williamson, Christopher Dundos, a Foundation board member, and Shawn Fleckenstein. Shawn, a clay target aficionado, new to the sport and delightful in every regard, should have received an award for the event’s best sense of humor.

He works with Craig Hospital and its Operation TBI, discussed later.

Mark Moore zipped around on his ATV like a water bug on a pond, overseeing the functioning of the traps, checking safety compliance, and offering encouraging words, such as “Did you hit any targets?”

Once I yelled in reply, “I was very close on one target!”

The River Deep Foundation His voice energized during our interview; Russell MacLennan told

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me the history of the foundation. I have known Russell and his exquisite family for more than twenty years. I have hunted on two of his family’s properties, The Bluffs and Valhalla. Now, Vice President of the Foundation, Russell is the kind of guy that gets things done.

About twenty years ago, he and Bob Adwar, now Executive Director of the foundation, had been volunteering with the Safari Club International Humanitarian Outreach Program, acronym, SCIHOP. Inspired by their mission, Bob and Russell wanted to create a broader and more encompassing organization. Thus, was structured the River Deep organization. Its mission was to be an overarching entity that would unify and direct distinct organizations under its authority.

The River Deep Alliance was formed. The alliance is an aggregate of six non-profit programs: Anglers of Honor, Craig Hospital, Operation TBI Freedom (Traumatic Brain Injury), program of Craig Hospital, SCIHOP (Safari Club International Humanitarian Outreach Program), Task Force: ISO and Victory Service Dogs.

The character of a person is illustrated by how she or he spends time. I asked Russell what

inspired him to devote so much time, energy and personal resources to the alliance and the foundation. Without hesitation, Russell replied: “I feel it’s my duty to serve those who made it their duty to protect us.” Russell’s family and its properties, Valhalla and the Bluffs, host eight to ten events a year for the alliance. As our conversation ended, Russell added: “It’s a somber experience when you see someone put a smile on his face for the first time.”

The River Deep Alliance operates under the umbrella of the River Deep Foundation. The alliance was born out of existing relationships among like-minded leaders who saw the need for their organizations to combine strengths to focus more efficiently on clients in need. Each organization under the alliance umbrella offers unique standalone, but complimentary programs, which all serve to focus on healing and support from physical, psychological or emotional injuries and trauma sustained during military and/or civilian life.

Examples included severe physical injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and Spinal Cord Injuries. This is accomplished through activities and services that enable the individual to implement what are referred to as the 3 REs: re-acclimate, re-enable and re-engage in life for the goal of improving their outlook and quality of life. A positive outlook is crucial in the healing process and these activities and services have proven effective for achieving such improvements.

Several programs focus on outdoor group activities like fly fishing or hunting, while others focus on learning a new skill, like

photography. Additional programs concentrate on specific needs for daily life, such as providing service dogs or ongoing support services.

Integral components of the alliance and foundation are the philosophy and the practical application of engaging the participation and support of family and or caretakers.

An overarching function of the alliance is to fund, plan and implement collaborative outings.

Engaging in outdoor activities transcends having fun and camaraderie. The activities serve fundamental therapeutic purposes.

Leadership and Service Bob Adwar, executive director, explained that River Deep Alliance is a collaboration of stand-alone 501c3 non-profit organizations that share resources, knowledge, and ideas with the goal of providing more efficient and effective programming and outreach.

Whether an individual became disabled in the course of military service or civilian life, they are all equally in need of healing. Some of our programs serve both groups, while most focus exclusively on the needs of military personnel— veteran or active duty.

Details of personal stories illuminate the big picture. Mark Garcia, a combat veteran, shared with me his experience with Operation TBI Freedom. The program is affiliated with Craig Hospital, the world-renowned premier center for specialty rehabilitation and research for people with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. I recoiled when Mark informed me of statistics of veterans’ suicides.

Mark described how the alliance enables him to “give back” and

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support the veterans to work with these heroes to go on and go great things.”

Chuck Williamson, who was on my shooting squad, educated me on the unrelenting search by ex-military people for a purpose after military service, particularly if the veteran had suffered trauma.

“These River Deep Foundation programs save lives,” Chuck said, “by giving people who are hurt meaning and a sense of belonging.”

Chuck’s wife, Susan, who helped with the check-in at the event, shared with me her soulchurning experience with Chuck that demonstrated conclusively the merits and effectiveness of these RDF programs. “Chuck returned CHUCK WILLIAMSON AND HIS BUDDY

MARY PREDOVICH AND ANN DRAPER, REPRESENTING THE DENVER CHAPTER OF THE SCI SABLES; PRESENTED A STUNNING $16,000 DONATION TO THE RIVER DEEP FOUNDATION

from a Deep River Alliance fishing

trip in Alaska, hugged me, and said “Life really is worth living.” “That,” said Susan, her eyes a little moist, “is what this River Deep Alliance shoot is all about.” Many folks say River Deep has saved their lives, saved their marriages, and saved their children.

The alliance seeks excellence in all its endeavors. The alliance works with prestigious institutions and the top engineering schools in the country, such as the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, to develop, for example, adaptive equipment for disabled or injured veterans. The alliance offers about 70 outings a year, including events as diverse in subjects as hunting, fishing, shooting, archery, blacksmithing, and photography.

The blaring motivational phrase is “Get them outside!”

Lunch and After After the shoot, a catered lunch was served in the spacious pavilion on Kiowa Creek’s landscaped grounds. The pavilion is a popular venue for weddings and other social events. The selection of CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

excellent sandwiches included savory brisket, pulled pork or chicken, and each selection was graced by a tangy potato salad and a huge chocolate chip cookie.

Literature about the alliance was placed on each table and drawings were held for an array of auctioned items. Several firearms, pieces of shooting apparel, and pounds of elk meat were donated by generous contributors. On two drawings I came within one number on my tickets of winning a cooler of elk meat and or a rifle, but came up short, continuing my decades-long streak of never winning anything.

Dan Callahan, Russell MacLennan, Mick Cheshire, and Randy Alridge comprised the Top Team which aggregated an enviable combined score of 371.

Dan’s 96 made him the event’s top gun. The River Deep Foundation expresses its profound thanks to its generous sponsors, the Bonanno Family and the Taylor Family.

In conclusion, the true pair tower shots on station 8 were high, but our spirits were higher. On this gorgeous day, dozens of shooters,

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O

THE “FUTURE” OF OUR GAME

ften at times the wise soothsayers sit around the clubhouse like the Oracle of Delphi and predict the future of this game. While in times of recent memory that, not counting the Legacy Class in sporting who vividly remember the Spanish American war, the bulk of us have seen fairly stable times. With prosperity and a stable economy, discretionary income was for the most part available to indulge in hobbies such as ours.

Growth and interest in sporting clays and other clay shooting disciplines has grown amongst the youth. To the delight of an aging core group of shooters, this has been a boon for clubs and those who want to see the shooting sports continue into the next generation. There is no arguing the success of the CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

various youth organizations. Participation is up, more and more kids are discovering the various disciplines.

Generally, these kids are shooting for the first time and were not brought up in families where competitive shooting was familiar to them.

Controversy or Common Sense In politics the term “third rail” is used to describe a topic that is “charged” or “untouchable”. Any sane or sensible person in politics

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avoids these issues at all costs if they hope to have a long career in the game. I have never been accused of being sensible and I can

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assure the readers I have never been called sane...so here we go...

Is youth shooting the future of the game or is it actually the present? There is no one with a modicum of sense who would ever deny a young person the opportunity to pull a trigger in this sport. We want to seed the love of the game in those who statistically will be around long after the retirees have gone to that great gun club in the sky. But…and this is a “big” but; is this the type of hobby that thrives on new blood, or does it thrive on those with expendable income who are not afraid to literally shoot it off in the air?

Now, if you believe that the youth shooters will continue to shoot long after mom and dad stop paying for it, then what are they doing to ensure the clubs are there when they decide to shoot after college, starting a career, starting a family, buying a house etcetera?

By now you should see where I’m going with this. What are they doing?

Some youth teams require team members to participate in community service projects. This is what we should be teaching all our kids in this game or not. We see the “what can you do for my team” more than” what can my team help with” at your club. This is a one of the most valuable lessons anyone can learn. As a parent myself, I want my kids to have fun and enjoy themselves in their hobby, but as a parent, we need to realize that these kids, sooner than later, will become adults. Ultimately, this is what we are preparing them for. There is an opportunity here to be teach kids some valuable lessons. If these groups are truly the future of the game, then they need to help build their future, and we as the stewards of this game need to CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

instill a deeper love than just winning a medal and going home.

The Folly of the Internets I have broached this subject before on various social media pages, and have met stiff resistance, and for lack of a better word excuses as to why their child couldn’t work at a tournament. Before going any further, notice that I used the word “work”, not “volunteer.” A fair number of clubs in this current climate are desperately needing help, paid help. So to assist you with connecting the dots, this is a great opportunity to make money for your kids and your team.

On to the excuses. “Well, my kid was rudely treated by a grumpy shooter.” Guess what, your 16-year-old will be frequently treated rudely in life, and I can assure you this is the exception not the rule within the shooting community. We as parents want to shelter our kids from the world but we also need to realize that we can’t do this forever. Eventually little Kayden will have to learn to deal with people, no time better

than the present. It is amazing what a club will do for a youth team when those youth team members are willing to help the club. If you truly believe that these kids are the future, wouldn’t it make sense to help the club continue to operate and provide profitable events so those kids can enjoy it in the future?

Lead by Example In reality, we are all need to be thinking of the future but mindful of the present. In a world of the Walmart guarantee we tend to be critical of the gun club. We want

things a certain way and are quick to voice our criticism more than our compliments. We face a period or rising costs associated with our hobby. Ammo, fuel, and the overall cost of operating a club are on the rise and there’s no plateau in sight.

While we all want our income high and our costs cheap, this is not a realistic expectation currently.

Many of the clubs we enjoy are a business not a charity, maybe one day UNICEF will open a gun club but until then, we are required to pay to play.

While many of us think we know what the club’s profit margins are, the average club isn’t lighting cigars with $100 bills. It’s a

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business that, for many, was started out of a love of the game.

Even though I suggested that we get more youth involvement with the “not so fun” side of the game, we too need to set the example.

FLC, like some of the more fortunate clubs, is thankful for those members who pitch in and help. This is the example we need to set for those who are the “future of the game.” If we are truly interested the future of the game, during this time of uncertainty, we all need to think about making sure there’s a place left to play this game in the future. n

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& BY MATTHEW GAY PHOTOS BY ROGER MARKS

SOMETHINGNEW

A

s you may have read in my letter from the editor, ClayShootingUSA is expanding its subject matter to include all wing shooting pursuits.

With this being the inaugural foray into this topic, it's only fitting that we cover the wily feathered grey game bird which marks the commencement of a new hunting season, every year, across the country.

The Mourning Dove Doves are essentially designed to be one of the most resilient renewable resources on the planet.

They typically only lay two eggs for each brood, but they will nest up to five times per season between March and November. With a mere two-week incubation period for eggs, combined with and quick transition to a fledgling, Mourning doves achieve excellent nesting success rates when compared to other game bird species. For example, the Mallard duck requires a 15 percent nesting success rate to maintain a healthy population, with studies showing averages ranging between 18 and 25 percent depending on the spring and predator populations.

My favorite game bird species, the American Woodcock, has an excellent nesting success rate hovering around 65 percent, but unlike the dove, only raises one brood per year. With a whopping nestling survival rate of 77 percent,

combined with five broods per year, its easy to see how, with an annual harvest of around 20 million birds, the population remains stable at roughly 350 million individuals.

85

Travelling for Doves After reading the above statistics its mind-boggling to think that anyone would have to travel to take advantage of this excellent renewable resource. However, in my state of Michigan, a state that ranks in the top three for Canada Goose harvests, number one for American Woodcock, in the top three for Ruffed grouse and takes around 400,000 whitetails per year, the Mourning Dove is considered a “songbird.” We have several outof-state anti-hunting organizations, who pumped millions of dollars into a misguided ballot initiative, to thank for this unscientific position, but I digress.

At this time of the year, not to be left out of the tradition, my hunting buddies and I travel south to Sandy Prairie Hunt Club in Indiana. This venue offers excellent opportunity to hunt doves in a carefully planned out patchwork of large crop fields bordered by cut sunflower strips.

This careful design creates a dove magnet, where hunters are selectively rotated, so as not to “burn-out” the fields with too much hunting pressure. The hunting lodge is not as fancy as some of private lodges which dot the western prairie, but this place is perfect for the beginning wing shooter and seasoned veteran alike.

Tortuga Means Tortoise While there could be no bigger distinction between a tortoise and a dove, the Tortuga Inn is the

name of the bed and breakfast we take up residence in when on this annual hunt. After the fast and furious darting doves, the namesake of our temporary

domicile is fitting considering the relaxed and laid-back nature of the lodge. Quite frankly, the accommodations at the Tortuga are quite up-scale compared to CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

SOMETHINGNEW

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than a dove in the wind. These birds are amazing acrobats in flight and can maneuver in ways no F-22 Raptor has ever considered.

While the opportunities abound in a place like Sandy Prairie, the shell to bird ratio remains high for most hunters. With the morning hunt running from daybreak to 10:00 am, hunters have two and a half hours to bag a limit of 15 birds.

While my hunting partners and I focus more on the experience than the bag number, the fact remains that a hunter must be on their game to maximize their game bag.

While I may impose personal limits on birds such as American Woodcock which fall below the allotted limit, understanding the places I have stayed when traveling to hunt elsewhere. The rooms of the main lodge are themed with names like the “Equestrian Room” and the “Egyptian Room”. The walls are adorned with art, and the spaces exhibit décor matching the motif of the rooms and emanating a relaxed ambiance.

The Tortuga makes sure their patrons have ample opportunity to relax and enjoy this little piece of heaven set right next to Tippecanoe River. In addition to the main lodge, various cabins are available. My hunting compadres

from the Upper Peninsula accompany me on this annual trip and take up residence in the cabin known as the German Haus. This cabin tends to become the hunting party hang-out as it sports a unique wood fire ring with an integral grill, where culinary perfection has been realized by the combination of dove, bacon, water chestnut and pickle.

The Challenge There are few things more challenging to a shotgun pointer status of Mourning doves makes me infinitely comfortable taking a full limit if the opportunity presents itself.

My four-and-a-half-pound side by side .410 bore with 2 ½ inch number 8s did a fine job on these miniature fighter jets. Perhaps the speed at which I could change direction on such a light gun was the mitigating factor, but that baby framed double got the job done quite effectively. With a limit on two of the three days of the hunt, many delectable morsels of

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

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SOMETHINGNEW

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Duck Hunting Preserve in the Upper Peninsula showed up with a bottle of 14-year-old Balvenie, finished in a Caribbean rum cask.

On the nose I noticed a peppery sweetness, with fragrance of butter rum and caramel. On the initial taste I found sweet notes of light molasses and toffee. This scotch is gentle with a long warm finish and mild heat. This is one of the smoothest scotch whiskeys I have tried and was a perfect pairing with my favorite go-to, the Rocky Patel Edge Maduro.

renewable protein were made available to my family and friends, thanks to a half ounce of shot.

Bacon, Balvenie and Rocky After the hunt and when all the shotguns were wiped down and put away for the day, the gentlemen in my hunting party were able to kick back and enjoy the late summer/early fall weather.

The obligatory fire is started daily in the fire ring at the German Haus and the relaxation portion of this laid-back hunting trip begins.

This unique fire ring serves as our primary cooking appliance for this trip, weather permitting. We dine in royal fashion throughout this excursion, often utilizing our harvest in various ways. As an appetizer one evening this year, we blanketed dove breasts with bacon and skewered little cocoons of goodness next to sweet pepper halves. The resulting kabobs were a delectable pairing of flavors and served as an excellent prelude to dinner.

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Decompression

WRITER’S SON CAMRON ON WATCH

We have a tradition of each bringing a bottle of something to share during our evening cigars.

While I tend to lean more towards

a quality Irish whiskey or a nice American Rye, the occasional Scotch grabs my attention. On this trip my friend and owner of Black

Finding this hunting lodge and the Tortuga Inn was a turn of pure luck. After months of grueling work during the busiest time of the season in my day job, a trip to decompress and enjoy such a laidback pace while celebrating the beginning of the hunting season brings a welcome recharge.

Harvesting some doves to populate the freezer is the cherry on top which validates why this time of year is the favorite of many a wing shooter.

For Information on the Sandy Prairie Hunting Club visit them at www.sphuntclub.com For information on the Tortuga Inn visit them at www.thetortugainn.com n

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THE CASE FOR HANDICAP SPORTING

PART II

BY TONY RIVERA Editor’s Note - This was Tony Rivera’s vision for the future of sporting clays in a form that would not only attract major sponsors but also put the game itself in a position to be more commercially appealing to viewers on various medias. Tony was passionate about this system and we honor his dedication to the sport and the ingenuity he employed when conceiving this new style of the game we all love. Below is the entirety of his master plan for a game that would not only parallel but compliment the NSCA. It's well thought out and a very interesting concept. As you read through this enjoy some of our favorite pictures of days past with Tony and the events he so loved.

Overview of Matchplay The following is the copyrighted and patent pending version of a new competition, utilizing sporting clay targets, thrown in a manner by which the individual determines CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

the presentations. This allows the shooter to control his or her score at each station, in an effort to outscore the four opponents in their squad. Each station is worth 1, 2 or 3 points, depending what

rank you achieved in that single station. High score and all ties receive 3 points, runner-up and all ties receive 2 points all third places get 1 point. Once the shooters are awarded the station points that

they earn, they will proceed to the next station to repeat the station challenge once again starting all over and with no carry over points from the broken targets. The only thing that carries over are the station points. The tournament is played over a ten-station series of match ups on a given course. The shooter with the most station points at the completion of the 10 stations, wins the right to go to the championship shoot off or the playoffs. The game is handicapped based on your published shooter average which will assign you to a division. This makes every competitor, from every division level competitive with all participants. The explanation on this document is based on 100 competitors however the game can be played with any number of competitors. Match Play Sporting reserves the rights to the game with any level of competitive participation. All rules apply to any participant number of this game regardless.

The game is played on a 10-station course, but it is wise to place 2 additional stations to resolve station point ties as only one shooter advances to shoot off.

Note Matchplay will reserve the right to eliminate competitors

MAKINGTHECASE

that are deemed unsuitable for statistical analysis due to abnormal scoring anomalies.

“When my friends and I would practice at the local 5-Stand, in order to bet lunch on a 4-round game of 5-Stand, I had to give my buddies points, otherwise they would not want to compete against me. So, we started spotting points and only then they all were in.

When we handicapped it, they all had a more than fair opportunity to win, and to my surprise It took everything I had to beat them when I did, and I rarely won the free lunch. That’s how it started, a simple way to entice people who normally would never bet on themselves to wager with gusto.”

The Essence of the Competition is Now Chess with a Shotgun This will be the most cerebral shooting game ever devised and will be the most apt to be watched on television: n Your job is to beat your squad mates at each station to earn the station points. It is like a snooker game in that you are playing a strategic game against your squad mates. No broken target score carries over to the next. You start all over every stand. n Your handicap assigned will be your most powerful weapon as you will add that number to the actual score to produce the best possible score. IE; If you have a six-target handicap, and you shoot a 15 on a station, actual broken target score, you then add the handicap and now your score is a 21. Whatever handicap is assigned to you will add to the score. See below for divisions and individual handicaps.

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advantage, which is why 10 stations is required to allow all five competitors to shoot last twice, and first twice. Adding to the squad number would make the rotation unfair and unbalanced. n At the conclusion of the 10 station round the shooters will tally their station point totals and the high score will advance to the playoffs. If you have two players with a tie score those individuals will continue the contest until you determine the winner. No matter how many more stations need to be shot. n At every station you will have three different targets to choose from. This is nothing new, super sport already utilizes three machines. n Target number one will be a corporate style target. Target number two will be a medium difficulty presentation and target number three will be damn near impossible PSCA style. Designed to challenge even the most skilled shooter. n You may choose your targets in any order IE: 1 on report 2, 2 on report 1, 3 on report 1 or 1 on report 3, etcetera. n Note: Not all participants will take this challenge the same way.

Some competitors will welcome a game that will challenge your skill as a shooter but mostly your ability to strategically call the right plays for the game. Those players will treat it as chess with a shotgun, those who are challenged by rudimentary math will find it difficult. n After shooting your chosen pairs, the high score in the squad will receive three station points. If

there is a tie, they both get three station points, it is conceivable that all five competitors could tie then all five will receive three station points. You then move to the next station and you start all over again.

This is the most strategic form of competition as you will be required to outsmart and out shoot the competitors. This will make Matchplay the most compelling sporting game to watch in existence, as you will never know what the shooter will do when faced with a target decision. Like golf …does he go for the green or lay-up? n The second highest score and all ties will receive two station points and third gets one point. There are no shoot offs in the main event, you simply get the same amount of station points and move to the next station. In the next station you start all over, no target hits are carried over. Clean slate with the competitors rotating the order.

You choose the targets that will enable you to outscore your squad mates there will be no prescribed menu to shoot. n Consequently, the later you shoot in the rotation the better the

n This game is won with station points, not an accumulated broken target raw score. The reason for this is that in regular, main stream sporting clays when you have a bad station score you are out.

In Matchplay you can have a zero on a station and on the next you could be tied with the leader. You are never out. It is one of the best parts about this game.

Qualifications To Participate n First is to arrive with a print out or a pic of your scoring average from the NSCA posting. That will determine your handicap. n A competitor must have a minimum of at least 1000 registered targets in the past year.

2000 in the past 2 years or 3000 in the past 3 years. You are eligible by combining years. n YR. 2000- 1800 targets, YR. 2001200 targets in that year 2001 you qualify for the handicap. n You do not have to have shot the targets to participate, you simply will get no handicap and will CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

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compete as a scratch shooter. n Cheating will not be tolerated.

Banishment for life if convicted by our shoot panel or judges. n No known ability will be acknowledged must have a history that’s provable. n Random squading for all events much like the World FITASC. n All efforts must be made to register for a tournament prior to the date of the shoot.

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Play Offs At the conclusion of the 10-station tournament, all winners of the squad station scores will proceed to the playoff. If there is a tie after 10 stations, you will continue the Matchplay with only the two tied competitors at the next stations to determine the play off bound player.

The playoff will consist of three stations in the stadium or a designated field and all competitors will shoot the same format as in the field, applying handicap at every station. At the conclusion of every shooter taking

a turn at the first station, the 50% rule will eliminate the bottom half of the scores/competitors. The second station will eliminate the field down another 50%, or down to the payout slots. If the payouts are list as top ten, then the final cut will be down to the top ten then the rest of the playoff will eliminate a player every station till there is only one left standing. The play off will last until all the competitors are eliminated or ranked for the prize pay outs.

In the perfect world, if you have 20 play off shooters and you are paying out top 10, the first cut will be the bottom 10. Then eliminating the low score at each station until one shooter stands alone.

Fun Facts In a 100-entrant competition you will only have to beat 23 shooters.

Matchplay is the only competition in the world that theoretically allows you to come in second place at every station, and still win HOA. You no longer practice to beat Cory Cruse, you simply have to

shoot a little better than you did before.

If you only need to get a little better at the game, everybody will want lessons, and everyone will practice more.

In the future, we hope to have Matchplay Pro divisions where there are no handicaps and elite shooters play straight up. If you enjoy watching Make-a-Break, you’ll love this even more.

Procedures And Rules For The Calling And Scoring Of Targets

The shooter, upon his or her turn at the stand ,will follow a series of commands and protocol prior to calling for the bird.

All safety regulations and shot size for the ammunition will be commensurate with the governing rules set forth by the NSCA. 1. Shooters enter stand upon direction by the scorer at that station 2. Scorer will call “time.”

From that moment the shooter has 15 seconds to audibly call out the chosen pair by which the scorer will hand write the targets chosen on the score card then audibly repeating the pair chosen. Upon confirmation from the shooter that they called the correct pairs chosen the trapper will call

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MAKINGTHECASE

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out “trapper ready.” The shooter will have a reasonable time to call pull. This will be repeated for every pair. The trapper must call the targets out as hit or miss then log the score on the card. Hitting the 2-3 combo will be scored as a 5 hitting the 2 but missing the 3 will be scored as a 2 and so on.

3. Upon completion of the five allotted pairs the trapper /scorer must tally the actual target score and log the results. When all five competitors have completed the station and shot all five pairs, the results are compared, and the high scores get the station points for 1st 2nd and 3rd place at each station. The trapper will log the station score in the appropriate column on the tournament provided score card.

4. When all 10 stations are completed the shooter with the most station points advances to the playoff.

5. All pairs for now will be presented as report pairs.

6. The scorer will be required to call out the pair and verbalize and the shot result (dead or loss).

7. The score card will be designed to account for the station score, and the actual targets chosen of the pair shot.

8. Any pair chosen can be repeated as many times as the shooter wishes and

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

How Does The Handicap System Work?

Handicap System Revised from 2014 Originally, we used the existing classification system which was a mistake on my part as there are so many who landed in Master Class, and realistically belong in a lower class. By looking at a shooter’s scoring average posted by the NSCA, you can determine how a shooter ranks against others in the game. So, we take their scoring average based mostly on 100-bird

events divide it by 10 as our game is really 10 mini tournaments. over 10 stations and apply the deficit.

We reserve the right to adjust the handicaps as the game develops.

The handicaps are as follows: n Those with averages, 90% and above are considered SCRATCH PLAYERS… no handicap. n Those between 85 and 89 will be in the A division which will be allotted a two-point advantage. n Those between 75 and 84 will comprise of the B division will be allotted a four-point advantage.

can be called in any order they wish. No limit on a specific target, however no target can be shot twice as a pair. You cannot call 2 on report 2.

9. In a 100-bird format, squads will be made up of 5 competitors of any classification lower division shooters will apply the given handicap per station added to their actual score. Each member of a squad will rotate in shooting order every stand and shoot first 2 times and shoot last 2 times during the 10 station round.

Shooting every position 2 times per round. Shooting order will be random drawing straws etc.

The score card used in this event will be designed to not only account for the station score, but the pairs chosen.

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MAKINGTHECASE

96

n Those between 65 and 74 will comprise the C division and will be allotted six-point advantage. n All others below 65 will be allotted 8 and will comprise the EIGHT BALL division.

If your NSCA published average has decimals and is not a round number, you will always round up. i.e.: 74.2= 75 average.

We will reserve the right to alter or adjust the qualification scores for each division as the game progresses. If you regularly shoot in the below 50%, we will not be able to handicap this game to your advantage.

These Point Advantages Are Awarded At Every Single Station If, for example, you are in a squad with all scratch players and you are the only C division shooter, you will have a marked advantage due to the fact that at every station you start with an automatic six-point head start.

Simply stated, the C division shooter simply sticks to a 1-2 target choice and he is virtually guaranteed to win if he or she simply shoots his average at the station 1 + 2 = 3, 3pts x 5 pairs = 15 points, plus the six-point handicap = 21. The scratch shooter with no advantage will have to hit the 2-3 bird, 3 times plus the 1-2 twice to tie. Few shooters will hit the 3 bird 4 times.

Naturally if the lower div shooter misses, that makes it easier for the scratch to win however a low- end shooter should never need to shoot the #3 This is the only sporting clays game where strategy could trump skill.

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

Shoot Offs

Our Stated Goal

Once the squad winner is determined, each winner will proceed to the shoot off where all shooters will shoot all three stations on the shoot off fields. By the process of elimination, it whittles down the number of finalists to the number of places being paid out that day. Each club can set the bar on the payout top three to top 20, and so on. I believe the more shooters the more the pay down.

To summarize what I’ve been trying to sell you all on, is the fact that without one event that gives the average Joe a chance to win the option money, stakes will never reach a level that will produce relevant pay outs. I have placed hundreds of dollars on option money, and regardless of the size of the shoot the pay is always the same, minimal if any.

My decision to evolve the game, hit a new level of urgency when a dear friend asked that I remodel and old milk cow barn which had an unlevel floor. I turned it into a beautiful home, which I was convinced was more a clubhouse, than a house. When Rue Ferguson explained to me that it sat on 350 beautiful acres of rolling river-front property and was situated a mere 19 minutes from the San Antonio River Walk, three minutes from the nearest hotels and 12 minutes from major commerce areas. I saw the opportunity to implement all the ideas that have been under development for many years. That day Ferguson Farms Sporting Preserve was born.

Matchplay sporting is but one of our new events. Additionally, we have implemented the handicap option in our main events. This handicap version was invented by a bunch of guys that wanted to wager for a free meal. The option is simple, you will receive a handicap

based on your shooting average compared the highest-ranking shooter that day. As an example, I am participating, and my average is 90 and I happen to be the highest in the field. All handicaps are then based on my average of 90, so if your posted average is a 75 you will receive a 15-point handicap. This has proven to work over and over. It is very competitive, but in this game, you could place yourself out of contention with a series of poorly shot stations. Where as in match play you are rarely out of the tournament until the very end.

Soon we will implement Clay Betz. Clay Betz allows you to load your account with cash, much like Draft Kings. Which then, based on your amount, will allow others to wager against you with a customized handicap, which both competitors must agree upon. For example, if I wager $100.00 our future app will notify all shooters that day that a wager has been proposed, then if Rudy feels he can win if I spot him 6 points, his wager

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MAKINGTHECASE

98

is then sent to me as an alert. If I see the alert log in and I agree to the handicap, then I simply push the agree button and “voila”, bet placed. We have a hundred-dollar wager, all electronically with an agreed handicap. We will not take a rake ever until its legal, but players will pay a small fee to participate. Clay Betz will evolve to the point where feature match ups will be wagered on by third parties, and those folks won’t even need to attend the shoot. It’s all part of the future.

I fully recognize that much of what we are planning may not work but the ideas that do work will have a conflict with the current rules of the NSCA. Therefore, my partner and I have agreed to implement another shooting organization that will franchise the new games, and rule over the execution of the games we have created. It is vital that clubs who choose to participate in the new games must follow the rules originated for these games. We own the rights and we feel that all those who choose to play must operate the way the game was CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

designed. We will also track the results and maintain the critical information of the results to adjust from year to year to better the game.

The American Clay Sports Association will oversee the implementation of the novel games and rule over any disputes. Soon will release the bylaws and FAQS. There will be many technical questions on the shoots and how to resolve issues such as cheating, squading before a tournament, pay out disbursement, etcetera.

The American Clay Sports Association will add to the tradition of the NSCA in many unique ways as these ideas were proposed to the NSCA however they apparently did not meet the level of professionalism expected by the association therefore we found it necessary to go at it alone.

The Goals Of ACSA Will Be The Following: n Franchising all new games to other clubs and maintaining

conformity in the way the club runs these shoots, emphasizing service

tournaments. Now there will be an incentive to make the All-American team.

n All events with payouts and consistent employment trained trappers

n All clubs having registered shoots must post scores promptly.

Winnings will be expected to be sent out promptly.

n Modest lunch mandatory n Registration fees for targets shot will include a $2.00 rebate for the shooter to be collected at the final championship of the year. You will receive a debit card at time of registration. n Required special parking for state champion. n A one week, All-American only, registration period for all major

n And finally, an end of year memoriam for all our friends in the sport who have passed in the last year. Followed by a roast of one individual that stands out in the game.

It is time for a change and the greatest shooting game deserves it. We will implement these changes and with the support of the shooting community maybe we can achieve great things n

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GOODEATS

101

MATT’S DOVE MEAT CANDY Ingredients

Night Before Prep

Assembly

Grill

— 2 lbs. of Dove Breast Halves filleted and skinned (you can use Woodcock, Duck or other game meats)

Soak the skewers overnight in water. Trim the dove breasts and cut into halves, then marinade in the teriyaki overnight.

Take a soaked skewer and add a chunk of pickle, piercing the skin of the pickle to ensure it remains secure on the skewer.

Next, add a slice of water chestnut next to the pickle.

Then, wrap a half a piece of bacon around a chunk of dove breast and add to the skewer, being sure to pin the bacon in place.

Finally, add another slice of water chestnut and another chunk of pickle to the other side of the dove breast/bacon cocoon.

On a medium-high grill, place the skewers on the heat with the grill lid remaining open for the duration of cooking. As soon as the bacon starts to crisp, turn the skewers for about another 2 minutes. The dove should be cooked to medium rare and the bacon should be crispy when completed.

Enjoy with a dry Pinot Noir or Malbec n

— 1 Teriyaki Marinade (Any kind will do but I like the Jack Daniels Marinade in a Bag) — 2 cans of sliced water chestnuts — 1 large jar of cold packed dill pickles — 2 lbs. of cheap, thin bacon

Day-of Prep Place the bacon on a lined cookie sheet and put into a pre-heated, 250-degree oven to partially precook for ten minutes. You do not want the bacon to start stiffening up, but you want it to partially cook.

While the bacon is cooking, cut the pickles into ¾ inch slices, then cut those in half.

— 1 package of skewers

CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

MENTALGAME

102

SCORES GO HIGHER WHEN YOU FOCUS AND FIRE M

ore than a decade ago, my good friend Tracey Ashton, who is an avid clay target shooter living on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, asked me how she was supposed to focus on the target.

Her query made me realize that my command to “focus on the target” means different things to different shooters.

Prior to Tracey’s question I had never really given much thought to how my eyes focused on the target.

I just knew when I didn’t focus hard enough before I fired the shotgun, I usually had a weak break or completely missed the target. Eventually, I came to realize that I watched each clay target until it approached my intended break point, and then I would just CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

BY JOHN D. SHIMA

hard focus and fire! This article explains why this focusing strategy works!

Watching During the Shot Sequence I introduced four specific elements of the shot sequence in my second book, A Method for the Magic.

The four elements are: detection, acquisition, tracking, and engagement. The shot sequence begins when the shooter settles his or her eyes in expanded soft focus in the acquisition (look) zone, and it ends when the eye transitions to hard focus in the break (engagement) zone as the shotgun fires.

While a shooter consciously

watches the clay target continuously it is important to understand that the shooting eye will naturally transition from soft focus to hard focus on the clay target unless it becomes distracted. When the shooting eye begins in expanded soft focus it will naturally detect and acquire the target in the acquisition zone.

A shooter can accomplish this by simply looking with curiosity. By curiosity I mean to say, “I wonder where this target will go?” After it acquires the emerging target the shooting eye uses its central vision to track the target continuously.

The tracking data sent to the visual cortex allows the shooting reflex to synchronize muzzle speed to target speed on the way toward the break zone. Finally, the shooting

eye intensifies focus on the target as the muzzle engages it in the break zone, and the shotgun fires, while the shooting eye watches the target break.

Unfortunately, too many clay target shooters don’t trust their natural vision to function automatically. This is why it is necessary for me to explain to shooters how their eyes naturally react to moving objects, and how the muzzle of a loaded shotgun becomes a distraction that alters their perception of reality.

Peripheral visual field Peripheral vision is designed to detect a moving object and instantaneously determine its speed, direction and distance. This is a protective mechanism that

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enables all mammals to ascertain whether the moving object is a potential threat. The oval shape of the peripheral visual field is wider horizontally than vertically. By allowing the emerging clay target to move through the peripheral visual field toward the central visual field at the eye hold, the shooter’s visual perception is enhanced, and acquisition of the target by the central visual field of the shooting eye is optimized.

Central visual field - Central vision is designed to acquire a moving object, identify specific features on it, and track it during flight. Therefore, any attempt to hard focus too soon on an emerging target will compromise the shooting eye’s natural visual perception, and it will delay proper acquisition of the target. When the shooting eye is confronted with simultaneously watching two moving objects, such as a clay target in the distance and the end of the muzzle just three feet away, the eye’s natural tendency is to direct its central visual focus on the object that is largest, fastest, and closest - the muzzle of the shotgun.

Types of Visual Focus I believe most shooters assume their eyes work just like the focus of an eye-cam. They just look for

MENTALGAME

the target, and whatever they see is the picture they get. A few years ago, I introduced the two types of visual focus that clay target shooters tend to adopt: blended focus and absolute focus.

Blended focus - I also call this “shared focus” because the shooting eye sees the clay target and the end of the muzzle simultaneously. This “blended picture” may be continuous or intermittent. It is continuous when the shooting eye remains in soft to medium focus and both objects remain in blended focus continuously. It is intermittent when the shooting eye switches its primary focus back and forth from the clay target to the end of the muzzle. This causes the muzzle to jump or causes a flinch.

Absolute focus - When I use the term absolute focus, I am inferring the shooting eye acquires the target and centers primary central focus on it continuously during its flight. The secondary central focus of the shooting eye is barely aware of the end of the muzzle because it is slightly out of focus in the foreground of the central visual field. Essentially, the blurred image of the muzzle seems to “sneak” into the picture as the target nears the break zone. I call this visual phenomenon muzzle awareness.

Features of Visual Distraction The human eye will naturally detect, acquire, and track a single moving clay target without any difficulty. However, the eye becomes easily distracted from watching the clay target continuously when a shooter attempts to focus on the target while looking over the muzzle of a loaded shotgun with the intention to break the target.

There is no doubt that

emotions play a dominant role in visual distractions. Hence, visual distractions were a significant feature in my first book, The Moment of Truth: How We Look Determines What We See. I explained that most experienced shooters miss clay targets because their shooting eye perceives an optical illusion rather than physical reality during the flight of the clay target.

The expression, “the hand is quicker than the eye” explains how early magicians were able to

perform impressive card tricks.

Contemporary illusionists, like Harry Houdini, Siegfried and Roy, and David Copperfield, perfected the art of visual distraction to perform their impressive magic acts. The target setters at sporting clays venues also rely on optical illusions to alter the shooters’ visual perception of various clay targets. I find that shooters who improve their ability to consciously control their depth of focus and CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

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intensity of focus while watching clay targets actually become less susceptible to most intended and unintended visual distractions.

Depth of focus - Binocular vision is necessary to achieve true depth of focus. This seems to work well when targets are beyond 30 yards. I use the term “depth of focus” like a photographer uses the lens of a camera. In this context depth of focus is determined by the primary central focus of the shooting eye. During blended focus the depth of focus is somewhere between the clay target and the end of the muzzle.

Shooters who use blended focus successfully maintain a consistent depth of focus that is much closer (75-90%) to the target than the end of the muzzle. Shooters who use absolute focus see only the target until it approaches the break zone.

Shooters achieve absolute focus by directing their primary central focus onto a specific aspect of the target during tracking so their depth of focus is 100% on the target during its flight, and the secondary central focus becomes aware of the muzzle engaging the target as it approaches the break zone.

Intensity of focus - Proper management of the watching reflex involves transitioning of the shooting eye from expanded soft focus at the acquisition zone to intensive hard focus in the break zone. For example, the transition from soft focus to hard focus must occur quickly to fire the shotgun when the distance from the trap to the intended break zone is relatively short. Conversely, the transition from soft focus to hard focus will be more gradual when the distance between the acquisition zone and the break zone is much greater. When the shooting eye intensifies its primary central focus onto a slower incoming target too soon, the “little CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

MENTALGAME

DISTRACTIONS ABOUND

hard focusing muscles of the eye” will fatigue before the target reaches the break zone, and primary central focus will switch from the target to the end of the muzzle.

Visual distractions - Although some visual distractions are intentionally introduced to a sporting clays venue by creative target setters the vast majority of visual distractions are due to environmental or emotional factors. Shadows, a cluttered background, and other environmental factors can compromise optimal visual acquisition of emerging clay targets. However, emotional issues that arise within the conscious mind of the shooter contribute to most visual distractions. I categorize these emotional issues as the tension of execution and the twinge of uncertainty.

The tension of execution is a form of performance anxiety that arises as the shooter prepares to

call for the target. Rather than settling the eyes to quiet the mind and enter a state of awareness, the shooter becomes emotionally distracted by his or her self-talk.

The shooter believes this selfcoaching will improve the odds of breaking the target. Unfortunately, it just activates working memory to take over the shot.

If the shooter starts with a quiet

mind and acquires the clay target correctly the twinge of uncertainty could still creep into the shot. The momentary lack of trust in the preplanned move causes the shooting eye to defocus to “look for the muzzle” as the target enters the break zone. The twinge of uncertainty disrupts the automatic pre-planned move because it instantly shifts the depth of focus

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MENTALGAME

108

and point of focus of the shooting eye toward the muzzle, which abruptly alters muzzle speed.

Focus and Fire Strategy The ideal break point for every target should be determined during the pre-station routine.

Determining the location of the ideal break point is a conscious, analytical process. The more knowledge a shooter gains through experience the more proficient he or she will become at analyzing target presentations to determine ideal break points for every target presentation.

I previously described this process in terms of the watching reflex and the shooting reflex. The shooter consciously controls the watching reflex while allowing the subconscious to manage the shooting reflex. This process would be monotonously simple if not for self-defeating visual distractions. I refer to these visual distractions as self-defeating

because most of them are associated with factors a shooter can control: depth of focus, point of focus, and the timing of intensity of focus. Focusing too hard, too soon increases the incidence of visual distractions due to strain on the tiny focusing muscles of the lens. I call this focus fatigue.

Focus fatigue - The intention to hard focus on the target and fire the shotgun is a conditioned response that should be basically the same for every target as it approaches the ideal break point.

The shooter’s commitment to hard focus and fire must occur the instant when the watching and shooting reflexes come together to engage the target with the muzzle of the shotgun in the break zone.

Shooters who attempt to focus too hard, too soon deplete their hard focusing capacity, which usually causes the depth of focus of the shooting eye to switch from the distant target to the end of the muzzle. Mature shooters must be aware that the tiny intraocular muscles responsible for hard focusing on distant clay targets

have a very limited capacity.

Therefore, it is especially important for aging shooters to use their hard focusing capacity prudently.

Commit to the break point The most effective method for preserving focusing capacity and promoting automaticity is to commit to the break point for every shot. This strategy requires shooters to analyze the ideal break point for each target during the pre-station routine. Once on the station the shooter must patiently acquire each target in soft focus, and watch it continuously in medium focus until it approaches the break zone. And then, the shooting eye must instantly hard focus on a specific portion of the target while firing the shotgun.

When shooters commit to the focus and fire strategy it will eventually make a difference between good scores and great scores. The focus and fire strategy prevents the twinge of uncertainty from altering muzzle speed in the break zone and insures consistent outcomes.

Knowing why and when to hard focus and fire is an important first step toward adopting it as a good shooting habit. By committing to focus and fire at the break point during every practice session a dedicated shooter will eventually make it a consistent habit that he or she can trust during competition. n John Shima is a former five-time World Skeet Champion and was high average in 12 gauge for two years. John is the leading authority on detection of visual deceptions and prescribing appropriate visual training to unleash the power of reality for clay target shooters. For more information about the Shima Shooting MethodSM, the Clinic Schedule, his new Shima Shooting ExperienceSM, or to arrange a Private Consultation, contact John via email at john@johnshima.com To order his books or view previous articles go to johnshima.com/ publications

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PEOPLE, NEWS AND EVENTS

IN THE HEADLINES

FIOCCHI USA SELECTS LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS FOR NEW PRIMER MANUFACTURING FACILITY Wed Nov 16, 2022 Fiocchi, a global leader in defensive, target, and hunting ammunition, announced today the selection of a 281-acre site in the Port of Little Rock, Arkansas for a new ammunition primer manufacturing facility, expanding its operations presence in Little Rock. Representing a $41.5 million investment and a 120-person workforce expansion, the new production operation will pave the way for future growth in Arkansas and provide much-needed primer supply relief for the broader ammunition manufacturing segment.

The new facility will be one of only six primer manufacturing operations in the U.S. and the only dedicated lead-free primer plant in the world. Fiocchi evaluated five locations across three states for the expansion. Little Rock was selected as the preferred location after a thorough site selection search that evaluated real estate compatibility, logistical infrastructure, workforce capability, and support from state and local leadership.

This new initiative follows three major acquisitions by Fiocchi over the last two years, including premium shotshell manufacturers Baschieri & Pellagri and Lyalvale Express, plus a division of Grandeur Fasteners of Little Rock, AR. The latter provided Fiocchi the opportunity to stand up the expansive Little Rock Operations and to pave the way for the new primer manufacturing facility.

“This groundbreaking represents another significant milestone in Fiocchi’s long-term plan to strengthen and expand our CLAYSHOOTINGUSA

manufacturing capabilities,” said Maurizio Negro, Fiocchi Group CEO, “and to bolster primer supplies not only for Fiocchi products but also to increase supplies for the ammunition manufacturing industry at large. We sincerely appreciate the support of Governor Hutchinson, Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston, Jack Thomas of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, Bryan Day of the Port of Little Rock, and all partners involved who helped make this possible.”

Part of Fiocchi’s ongoing vertical integration strategy, the new primer facility will allow the company to meet internal primer supply needs, focus on its low environmental impact initiatives, and present second-sourcing opportunities for industry contracts.

Fiocchi is the technology leader in lead- and heavy-metal-free primers and is the only manufacturer of lead-free primers to receive NATO qualification. This new initiative compliments Fiocchi’s major commitments to the sustainable technology segment, which includes lead-free projectiles, non-toxic shot, and biodegradable components under the company’s EnviroShield initiative.

“Our focus on Little Rock for this major expansion comes from an ideal alignment of several considerations,” said Fiocchi of America President and CEO Anthony Acitelli. “Aside from our strong ties with the state and local governments, Arkansas has a highly experienced and energetic labor force to call upon. Furthermore, streamlined logistics with other plant operations combined with

management and supply chain efficiencies make Little Rock a logical choice. We will also benefit from logistical synergies with our ammo manufacturing industry partners.”

“Today I am pleased to celebrate Fiocchi’s growth, which is also a demonstration of the continued expansion of the firearms and ammunition industry in our state,” Governor Asa Hutchinson said.

“Over the past several years, my team and I have had opportunity to build a relationship with Fiocchi— meeting with Fiocchi leadership during our visits to the SHOT Show, which is the industry’s leading trade show, and even during my most recent trade mission to Europe.

Fiocchi’s decision to grow in Arkansas speaks to the significance of maintaining the business-friendly climate that Arkansas is becoming so well known for.”

“Fiocchi is another wonderful example of direct investment in Little Rock and the 120 jobs created will have a lasting impact in our community,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “Fiocchi had multiple options for this expansion, and we are thankful for their investment in Little Rock.”

“For the past eight years, Governor Hutchinson has made firearms and ammunition a priority industry to grow and diversify our state’s economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “Governor Hutchinson was the first Arkansas governor to attend the SHOT Show, and he has led an Arkansas delegation to the show every year since then in an effort to actively pursue and welcome premier companies like Fiocchi to Arkansas.

For more than a century, Fiocchi has been a leader in its industry, and we have witnessed firsthand their commitment and excellence in business. This expansion will help Fiocchi reach more customers as they continue to strengthen their brand throughout the region, and we are excited to celebrate alongside them today.”

“Fiocchi joins a growing list of world-class international businesses choosing to locate at the Port of Little Rock,” said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde. “Fiocchi is a leader in sustainable technology, and we are proud to welcome their investment in Pulaski County.”

“The best compliment a community can receive is when a company invests, then turns around two years later and doubles down on their investment,” said Jim Cargill, 2022 Chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber. “This significant investment signals that Fiocchi is pleased with our regional workforce and business climate in Central Arkansas.”

“We are proud to welcome Fiocchi to the Port of Little Rock, said Bobby Brown, Chair of the Little Rock Port Authority Board of Directors.

“Fiocchi’s advanced manufacturing facility will be a great addition to our growing industrial park, and we look forward to their success.”

Fiocchi will begin construction in 2023 and anticipates its first stage of operational capacity of its Little Rock primer manufacturing facility in early 2025.

NEWS UPDATES

Product manufacturers, retailers and club managers wanting to submit news for the next issue should email: editor@clayshootingusa.com

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112

PEOPLE, NEWS AND EVENTS

GAMEBORE USA NEARS INTRODUCING NEW PRODUCTS IN EARLY 2023 ClayShootingUSA attended the launch party for two great new shotshell offerings from the folks at Gamebore. The Rose Gold Pro Comp, and the Dark Storm Onyx shell with Diamond Shot Xtra are slated for introduction to the US market in early 2023.

ClayShootingUSA will be conducting a review of both in the coming months.

Keep an eye out for news and notifications on their website at: www.gameboreus.com

IN THE HEADLINES

NSCA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 20232024 The election for the 2023-2024 NSCA Executive Council is now complete, and a new governing body has been chosen. Three representatives from each of the five NSCA Regions make up the 15-member Executive Council. Those elected to serve from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024, are: Northeast Region Mark Baltazar (NY) Brad Hopkins (MD) Anthony I. Matarese, Jr. (NJ) North Central Region Mary Jo Birka (MI) Terry Kriz (NE) Kevin Smith (ND) Southeast Region Joseph Fasulo (FL) David Kelley (FL) Sammy McFaddin (GA) South Central Region John Calandro III (TX) Bert Stelly (LA) Dan Lavergne (LA) West Region Nicolas Berry (CA) Chris Higgins (CO) Tim Miles (AZ)

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