AN F L EXTRAVAGANZA

This year three events were held simultaneously on the FLC Shooting grounds in White Hall, Illinois. The FLC All-Around combines 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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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.

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

The FLC All Around

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

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 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