TrapShootingUSA May/June 2022

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CONTENTS JOURNAL NO. 79

MAY/JUNE 2022

60 USA SHOOTING: LIMA, PERU BACK TO BACK MEDALS

PUBLISHED 6 TIMES PER YEAR SUBSCRIPTION $35.95 PER YEAR $70 IN CANADA AND REST OF WORLD ISSN 1479-2885

COVER PHOTO: Sunset at the Florida State Shoot Photo Credit: Joshua Buchiere

PUBLISHER STACEY STEPHENS stacey@trapshootingusa.com EDITOR SEAN HAWLEY

10 BILL JACOBSEN MEMORIAL KICKING OFF SPRING IN FLORIDA

16 LET’S THROW A TRAP SHOOT!

BEHIND THE SCENES MAKING OF A SHOOT

editor@trapshootingusa.com

60

USA SHOOTING IN LIMA

64 CZ-USA SCTP STERLING

A GREAT CHOICE FOR YOUTH AND LADIES

68 MONDAVI CONSERVATION CLUB A WISCONSIN HIDDEN GEM

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: THADDIUS BEDFORD JOSHUA BUCHIERE JOHN CAFFEY MATTHEW GAY LARRY GRENEVICKI, M.ED. KARLA HARRISON SEAN HAWLEY SANDRA JO JACK CHERYLL PITTERA JACQUE SNELLENBERGER

16

LET’S THROW A SHOOT!

22 2022 SOUTHERN GRAND

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34 HALL OF FAME MOMS

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MONDAVI CLUB

SHOOTER PROFILE

THE 106TH ANNUAL

A SHOOTER’S JOURNEY

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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.

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54 2022 SOUTHWESTERN GRAND THE LAST IN SAN ANTONIO

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2022

BILL JACOBSEN Memorial Shoot REPORT BY JOSH BUCHIERE

T

he annual Bill Jacobsen Memorial Shoot was hosted by the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, Florida, from Wednesday, March 9, through Friday, March 11, 2022. This shoot is named to honor Bill Jacobsen, the founder of the Silver Dollar Shooters Club. The program consists of a 300 target warm-up day (100 each Singles, Doubles, Handicap) on Wednesday, a 100 target Doubles Championship and 200 target Singles Championship on Thursday and a 200 target Championship Handicap (I & II) on Friday, for a total of 800 targets. With the Southern Grand American starting on Sunday, this shoot had good attendance by those traveling to the Silver Dollar for the Satellite Grand. Due to the Grand’s program being extended by a day, the Bill Jacobsen Memorial started this year on Wednesday instead of Thursday.

SHOOTREPORT

12

THURSDAY

KAY OHYE

WEDNESDAY The shoot began at 9am Wednesday morning with the Warm-Up Singles.

Deborah Ohye-Neilson and George Pappas turned in 100 straights in the event and were the Lady II and Sub Veteran Champions. Michael Gooch was the AA winner with a 99, and Mike Dennis was the Veteran winner with the same score. The shooting conditions were ideal for the WarmUp Handicap and some good scores were posted. Donald Buchheit, Michael Gooch, and Terry Jordan

were high in the event with 96s.

Following a card draw later in the afternoon, Buchheit was the event Champion, Gooch the Sub Veteran winner and Jordan the Senior Veteran Champion. William Tempest was the event runner-up following a 95 and winning a flip over Willard Roberts, who took 3rd place. In the afternoon’s Warm-Up Doubles, Mark Wade led all shooters with a lone high score of 98 and was the Class A winner. Close behind him was Mark Isner who was the Sub Veteran Champion with a 97.

MARK WADE

The Championship events for the shoot started off Thursday morning with the Doubles Championship.

Partly cloudy skies and light winds made for stable Doubles targets resulting in good scores. Deborah Ohye-Neilson posted the lone high score of 98 and was the Doubles Champion without need for a shootoff. Mark Isner repeated his performance from the previous day with another 97 and was once again the Sub Veteran Champion. Kay Ohye, Rob Taylor, and Ryan Denes were the Champions in Senior Veteran, Veteran, and Class A, each with 97s.

Donald Grossman was the Class B Champion with a 96. Conditions were still good for the first hundred of the Singles Championship, and four shooters posted straights on the first half of the event. By the start of the second hundred, the wind picked up and rain moved in resulting in no perfect scores on the day. Ryan Denes, Michael Gooch, Garl Gresley, Scott Messenger, and Rob Taylor were high in the event with 198s.

After discussion amongst the shooters, all five agreed to split the added money and each take their respective category honors. Ryan Denes took Champion, Rob Taylor Class AA Champion, Michael Gooch Sub Veteran Champion, Garl Gresley Veteran Champion, and Scott Messenger Senior Veteran Champion.

FRIDAY Friday was the final day of this threeday tournament, and attendance was up significantly from the previous two days. In the Handicap I Championship, Brian James and Randy Cook were high in the event with 97s from the back fence.

Following a coin flip and a money split, James was the event Champion and Cook fell back to take Senior TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB VET VET SR VET

DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON ROB TAYLOR RYAN DENES DONALD GROSSMAN SCOTT NORRIS DENNIS MINKS JENNIFER RUTGER JONEEL HARRIS MARK ISNER URBAN WOMER KAY OHYE

98 97 97 96 92 88 93 86 97 94 97

RYAN DENES

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB VET VET SR VET

RYAN DENES ROB TAYLOR PAUL BECKER JOE SISSANO JERRY BURKERT DANIEL BOISCLAIR JENNIFER RUTGER DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON MICHAEL GOOCH GARL GRESLEY SCOTT MESSENGER

198 198 197 194 189 186 188 194 198 198 198

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Veteran Champion. Elmer Ebling was the event runner-up with the only non-category score of 96 in the event. Deborah Ohye-Neilson was the Lady II winner, also with a 96. The wind picked up significantly by the start of the Handicap II Championship and scores plummeted. Brian James and Donald Keith were high over the field with 95s and following another flip and money split, James was once again the event Champion. Donald Keith fell back to take Veteran Champion.

The Bill Jacobsen Memorial Shoot is a great opportunity to get in some shooting at one of the largest clubs in the southeast. If you’re planning to attend the Southern Grand in 2023 and can get to Florida a few days early, I’m sure you’ll find this to be a very enjoyable shoot. n

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HANDICAP I CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU 3RD 4TH 5TH LD1 LD2 SUB VET VET SR VET

BRIAN JAMES ELMER EBLING MIKE DEHABEY PATRICK LOWE KENNETH SIPPEL JENNIFER RUTGER DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON GEORGE PAPPAS GARL GRESLEY RANDY COOK

97 96 95 95 95 90 96 95 94 97

HANDICAP II CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU 3RD 4TH 5TH LD1 LD2 SUB VET VET SR VET

BRIAN JAMES DAVE DRESSLER PAUL LUX OSKER REYNOLDS JOHN SPANGLER TIFFANY DECKER BRENDA DENNIS JERRY CLOUTIER DONALD KEITH RANDY COOK

95 94 94 94 94 88 87 93 95 94

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GETTINGREADY

16

LET'S THROW A

BY SEAN HAWLEY

TRAPSHOOT

This year’s shooting season is starting to heat up and many clubs around the country are getting ready for their Spring and Summer shoot schedules. From small weekend tournaments to State Championships, planning is a critical part of any successful shoot and that planning doesn’t happen two days before the shooters take the line. There are programs to write, trophies to buy, vendors to schedule and of course there is maintenance to perform. Let’s talk a little bit about what goes into getting a shoot off the ground and hopefully what helps to get shooters (also known as the customers) to have a good time so that they will not want to miss one of your shoots in the future.

THE SEVEN P’S Many clubs know what this is, and are probably ready to go when day one of the shoot happens, but for the uninitiated, the Seven Ps stand for Prior Proper Planning Prevents “Pretty” Poor Performance. As I mentioned, it takes time to put together a successful shoot and that time starts now. We are fortunate to host the Western Grand American at the Vernal Rod and Gun Club in Vernal, UT In June and the planning part of the tournament is already underway. In fact it started last year as soon as the 2021 shoot was over.

We sat down and figured out the TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

things that worked well and also the things that did not work so well. The idea was to fine tune the operation for the 2022 tournament. Now, we have been doing this for several years and honestly, we have a pretty good idea what not to do, however, each year we try and critique the performance of the club as much as possible to better serve our shooters (customers). Gun clubs are successful if they are able to entice shooters to come and buy the only thing that we have to sell; the little orange target that we all love to turn into a roiling ball of soot. In reality, everything else is just window dressing, but if window

dressing gets folks to the shoot, then window dressing is the order of the day and can not be overlooked.

THE PROGRAM, PRESQUADDING AND CASHIERING

Setting up the program, especially for a large tournament, can be a bit overwhelming, so start early.

Figuring out which events you will be offering, the order of those events and whether your club can legitimately handle 300 target days are all things to consider. Many clubs are enticed to throw 300 target days only to have a large crowd, a weather event, or a power outage that forces the cancellation of the last event of the day. Trust me on this, all three things have happened here and it is a real downer for both the club and the shooters. The program also needs to address the rules of the shoot and if there will be penalty classes/yardage for shooters with low numbers of targets. No one likes

GETTINGREADY

to be penalized, however, there are real concerns about sandbagging in our sport and unfortunately when large purses are on the line, protections need to be put in place to discourage that kind of behavior.

Trophies are another item that need to be addressed in the program.

For the Western Grand, part of that is ATA mandated and is part of the “Trophy Package” that is purchased from the association in order to hold a Satellite Grand. Yes, I said part and that is because only the Class Singles and Doubles, the Preliminary

Handicap and the five championship events are a part of the package. All of the other events during the week are the responsibility of the Gun Club.

Thankfully for us, there are a lot of really generous folks who are nice enough to donate money and or trophies to the tournament.

Sometimes clubs are hesitant to ask for donations, that is totally understandable, but believe me when I say that there are people out there that would love to help out, you just need to look for them.

Presquadding for a shoot has become the norm at many larger shoots and there are a couple ways to approach it. The old school way, where shooters call you up and you squad them via a spreadsheet or the new fangled way where they use presquad.com. The old way is labor intensive on the club’s end as someone needs to be in charge of that function and manually enter each shooter. For a smaller shoot, I would definitely favor this method because the workload is small and the cost to the club is mitigated. For a larger shoot, something like

presquad.com is the way to go, but there are costs, both to the shooter and to the club to take into consideration. We generally have the Western Grand open on presquad.com in March.

Cashiering is something that needs to be planned as well. Finding a good cashier is incredibly important and getting that person to commit to your shoot is something that can not be left to the last minute.

The cashiering software that is out there is a godsend for clubs these days, but having someone to run it is every bit as important at the end of the day. Bob McLendon is the cashier in Vernal and has been for several years. The guy is unflappable, no matter what kind of glitches the computer throws at him. Whoever is doing the cashiering needs to be not only a whiz with the program, but also a shooter (they are customers) friendly person. The cashier is likely the first person that a shooter sees when they get to the club and you know what they say about first impressions, right?

17

TRAP MACHINES AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE We use Pat Trap machines here in Vernal and though they are generally bulletproof, that does not mean that the day of the shoot I can just turn them on and expect great results. In the three weeks prior to the shoot, I make a habit of going through each and every machine. They are all thoroughly cleaned and greased before I check the main failure parts like brushes, roller O rings, main springs, magnets, as well as relays and interrupters. I check to make sure that the arms are aligned correctly and that the machine is in time with the target carousel. At this point, I double check that the angles are set correctly to give 17 degrees to the left and right of center.

Next up are the Canterbury Voice Releases. All of the mics as well as their cords are tested and replaced as needed. The power boxes and control boxes are similarly tested as is each pull cord. Cords are the bane of a gun club's existence, but learning how to repair them and when to just replace them is critical. Now is a great time to get some of our club shooters to test the machines out with practice rounds. The hope here is that if something is going to go wrong with the equipment, it happens in practice and not during the shoot. It does not always work, sometimes things just break and no amount of forethought on the club’s end can change that. However when things go south during a shoot, it is important to be ready with the proper tools and replacement parts in order to have things fixed quickly with a minimum delay for the shooters. Having replacement parts ordered and on site early is a very good idea.

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

GETTINGREADY

18

TRAP HELP It is very hard to have a shoot without trap help. Someone needs to keep the houses full of those all important White Flyer orange dome beauties and scoring is obviously kind of important too. Asking shooters to help out with those jobs is an absolute last resort, in my opinion. It is a good idea to not wait until the last minute to find workers, however, if you do it too far in advance those people’s plans may change and when the tournament begins, the club can end up with a shortage of help. We start looking for workers four to six weeks before the shoot and use text messages to reach out to our kids from the previous year and social media to attract new workers. We

schedule a training day for the Saturday prior to the shoot and the crew is required to attend.

Many of the workers have been with us for several years and may not need the training, however, we find that they are able to help the new workers understand better the safety, etiquette and the actual rules that need to be followed when the shoot begins. We try hard to identify who the best scorers are by seeing who can score Doubles the best. We have found that if a scorer is able to accurately score rounds of Doubles, they tend to have no problem with Singles and Handicap.

The workers who do not feel comfortable with scoring become our loaders, score sheet runners and on deck board people.

Large crowds are what every club hopes for when they are planning a shoot and if they are fortunate enough to achieve that goal, one of the prizes that they win are long days.

Long days mean high payroll costs as the workers will be on the clock for an extended period of time. The major problem here is overtime and that can be a real killer for the bottom line. We use shifts to try to mitigate that problem as well as being careful to schedule a day off for workers that are approaching too many hours.

All of our help are instructed on the failure to fire rule as well the rule about changing scores, but we use line bosses as a buffer for our scorers who tend to be on the young side.

Our line bosses are each charged with overseeing the operations of four traps. They consist of older kids and young adults who were, at one point, our very best scorers from previous years. If there is a problem with a squad, most of the time they are able to get the problem worked out and if not they each carry a radio and are able to call me, my wife Stacy or one of our board members to take care of it.

TARGET SETTING A lot of you know that I have been a shooter for many years (41 years to be exact) and it is my belief that targets should only be set by someone who knows, from a shooter's perspective, what a good target looks like. Some clubs that I have been to use an employee to set the targets and the problem with doing this, in my opinion, is that those folks do not understand the intricacies that shooters look for in target setting. They may understand the trap machine from a mechanics point of view and they may understand what the rulebook has to say about what makes a target legal, but there is a wide degree of TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

variance in what makes a “legal target”, so do they really know what makes a good target or pair of targets depending on the conditions of a particular day?

We use a crew of three or four folks to set the targets here in Vernal.

We all shoot and we all have the same goal in mind when we are doing the job—make the targets as good as they can possibly be for the conditions of the day. I am the guy with the radar gun standing at the 16-yard line and Sharred Oaks is the guy in the traphouse sanding the arm and making the adjustments that I call for. I like to use the radar gun at the 16-yard line because I feel there is a sense of transparency involved. Anyone can walk up and look at the radar gun and see exactly what mile per hour we are setting the targets at. Here in Vernal it takes 42.7 mph to get a 9 ½ foot target to the base of the 50 yard stake in calm air, so that's what we try to do. I mention this because every club is different in physical appearance, elevation and terrain. We have variances here in Vernal and because of those we are only able to have 50 yard stakes on nine of our thirteen trap fields. I do not remove those stakes, even though I use a radar gun to set the speed so that the shooters (say it with me now—customers) can see if the targets are fast or slow or hopefully, just right.

At the end of the day, as I said before, we are selling the little orange target and having it set correctly for the conditions is a big step forward in keeping the shooters happy and coming back. When I’m setting the traps every morning, I ask myself if I would want to shoot them.

If the answer is yes, then we move on to the next field. If the answer is no, then we will stay there and adjust them until the answer is yes. It really isn’t rocket science.

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GETTINGREADY

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EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Gun clubs can attract more folks by offering things to do in the evenings.

Sounds kind of odd, right, but even after shooting all day long, we have found that shooters love to shoot and that the fun does not have to end after the last of the day’s events are over.

Annie Oakleys, Miss-and-Outs and the like are all ways to keep the shooters involved and on the grounds having a good time. It seems as though they unwind and have fun after a stressful day of registered competition by having a not too stressful shooting game or two at the end of the day. A pot luck dinner, a pizza night or a BBQ are other great ways to get everyone to stick around and have fun. Here in

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

Vernal we have cornhole boards set out in our lodge for people to toss bags at. Again though, if you are going to have these kinds of extra curricular activities there are trophies, food and cooks that need to be planned for. Start planning now.

FINAL THOUGHTS There are a lot of things to think about when planning for a tournament, but if you try and think about what you would want to see at a shoot that you traveled to, you will be ahead of the game from the start. Remember these folks are your customers and they have a choice of what shoots they attend. Having them come to your shoot is a compliment to you and your club, be sure to tell them thank you. n

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REPORT BY JOSH BUCHIERE

2022 SOUTHERN GRAND AMERICAN

T

he 42nd Annual Southern Grand American was held at the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, Florida, from Sunday, March 13, to Sunday, March 20. The Silver Dollar has been the home of this shoot for its entire 42 year history, and it is the second oldest of the ten current ATA Satellite Grands. The Silver Dollar is one of the largest shooting facilities in the Southeast, featuring 10 banks and 20 total program traps. This year all of the traps were used due to the large turnout with 671 total shooters participating in the shoot, up from 644 last year. The program for the shoot consisted of 1600 total targets, 200 each day for the duration of the shoot. This was an attempt by the club to conclude the day’s events in a timely manner, since shots can only be fired at the Silver Dollar between the hours of 9am and 8pm due to local ordinance. The club received special permission from the ATA Executive Committee to have an 8-day Championship week for All-American points at this shoot.

SHOOTREPORT

24

SUNDAY

MONDAY

One of the main reasons many shooters head south for this tournament is to escape the cold temperatures of the northern states, however, the weather to start the Southern Grand was anything but warm. A cold front moved in the day prior to the shoot and temperatures started off Sunday morning in the high 30s when shooters first took the line for the Sunday Preliminary Singles. The sight of winter jackets and gloves was a common one and as a result of the unseasonably low temperatures, scores were low throughout the day. Michael Blaisdell and James Cummings led the day’s Singles event with 99s and took Sub Veteran and Class A honors respectively for their scores. Ryan Denes topped Class AAA with 98, and Cooper Rideout was the Sub Junior Champion with the same score.

By the start of the Sunday Preliminary Handicap, temperatures had risen into the low 50s but the wind had intensified and the scoreboard was riddled with scores in the 70s and lower. Only three shooters out of the field of 149 broke scores in the 90s. Jeff Galloway and Carl Chadwell led the field by a fourtarget margin with 94s. Following two shoot-off rounds, Galloway was the event Champion and Chadwell fell back to take the Sub Veteran category. Hunter Galloway III, Jeff’s father, took event runner-up following his score of 90.

Monday morning’s weather started off warmer than the previous day, and the long pants and heavy coats were replaced by shorts and t-shirts.

The wind was still a factor, however, with the warmer conditions, the scores improved significantly from the prior day. Michael Fox Jr. topped the field of 246 in the Monday Preliminary Handicap with a 97 from 27 yards. David Shaeffer Jr. took the event runner-up with the only open 95. Joseph Breck IV, Ethan Buck, and Olivia Ferguson took their respective Junior, Junior Gold, and Lady I categories also with scores of 95.

David McMasters took 3rd place with the only score of 94 in the event. In and out lighting conditions and gusty winds made for challenging conditions in the Monday Preliminary Doubles. In spite of the difficult conditions, some good scores were posted. Zachari Nannini turned in the lone high score of 99 and was the Class AAA Champion. 2022 Veteran All-American Captain Rob Taylor took Veteran honors with the only 98 in the event. Cole Henning, Jacob Duren, Michael Blaisdell, and Jerry Burkert were high in Junior, Junior Gold, Sub Veteran, and Senior Veteran categories with scores of 97.

JEFF AND HUNTER GALLOWAY

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

TUESDAY Attendance grew as the week went on and the weather continued to improve. Overcast skies impaired visibility somewhat for the Tuesday Preliminary Doubles, however, the targets were stable and good scores were the result. Zachari Nannini continued his strong Doubles performance and once again led the field, this time with the lone 100 straight in the event and took Class AAA honors. Michael Blaisdell was the Sub Veteran winner with a 99, and Cole Henning was the Junior

Champion, also with 99. Marvin Beumer posted the only score of 98 in the event and was the Sub Veteran runner-up. Allison Jenson of Iowa was the Lady I Champion with a 97.

The overcast skies of the morning broke and the sun made an appearance for the Jerry Osborne Singles, named after the previous year’s Singles Champion at the Southern Grand. As is usually the case at the Silver Dollar, when the sun makes its appearance, so does the wind, and this day was no exception. Swirling winds made for challenging targets and low scores, and only Rob Taylor and Ethan Ledford managed to break them all.

Taylor was the Veteran Champion in the event and Ledford the Junior

winner. Jake Levin topped Class AAA following a 99 and a carryover, and Drew Fryman was the AA Champion with the same score. Drake Reynolds, Deborah Ohye-Neilson, and Randy Cook were Champions in their respective Sub Junior, Lady II, and Senior Veteran categories with 99s.

WEDNESDAY Wednesday was the start of the Southern Grand’s 1000 target High Over All. Partly overcast skies and almost no wind made for exceptionally good scores in the Singles Class Championship. Out of the field of 362 shooters, 20 shooters ran 100 straights and 38 more came

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SHOOTREPORT

26

TYLER COX

close with 99s. Trophy winners with 100 straights are as follows: Richard Marshall Jr. (Class AAA Champion), Patrick Hopson (Class AAA runnerup), Dan Ryan (Class AA Champion), Drake Reynolds (Sub Junior Champion), Tyler Marshall (Sub Junior runner-up), Tyler Honnold (Junior Champion), Jerry Osborne (Junior Gold Champion), Heidi Womer (Lady I Champion), Mary Thompson (Lady II Champion), Robert Jarvis (Sub Veteran Champion), Brendan Doorly (Sub Veteran runner-up), Kay Ohye (Senior Veteran Champion), and Vernon Brown Jr. (Senior Veteran runner-up).

In the Wednesday Preliminary Handicap, Mitchel Loveless II led all shooters with a 99 from 27 yards and was the event Champion. Justin Debrie was the event runner-up with the only score of 98 on the board.

Dewayne Dummitt and Joshua Taylor were the 3rd and 4th place winners, respectively with 97s. Hector Rangel was the Junior Champion, and Colton Philips the Junior runner-up following 97s and one round of overtime.Tyler Cox from North Carolina broke 96 and earned his final ½ yard punch to the 27 while TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

ELAINA MCCARTHY

leading the Junior Gold category by three birds.

THURSDAY Saint Patrick’s Day fell on Thursday of the Southern Grand this year and many shooters dressed in their best green for the occasion. There was a light breeze throughout the day but also full sunshine, making for excellent target visibility. David Shaeffer Jr. was the event Champion in the day’s Lawrence Gilliam Handicap with a lone 99 from 27 yards. Herbert Lewis and Thomas Hood were the event runner-up and 3rd place winners following 98s and one shoot-off round. Mitchel Loveless II took 4th place with the only non-category score of 97. AJ VanRavensburg and Nicole Hood were the Junior Champion and runner-up, following 97s and two overtime rounds. Dave Dressler took Veteran honors with a 97.

Richard Marshall Jr. posted the lone 100 straight in the Ellis Dalton Doubles and was the Class AAA Champion. Joshua Buchiere was the Class AA Champion with 99, and Brady Duren was high in the Junior

DRAKE REYNOLDS

category with the only other score of 99 in his category. Zachari Nannini, Mitchel Loveless II, and Tyler Honnold were the second place finishers in Class AAA, Class AA, and Junior, with 98s. Elaina McCarthy was the Lady I champion with a score of 97.

FRIDAY The shooting conditions were once again good on Friday for the Doubles Class Championship. The wind did begin to pick up by the end of the event but some excellent scores were still posted. Trophy winners with 99s were Jake Levin (Class AAA Champion), Michael Fox Jr. (Class AA Champion), Richard Milbert (Veteran Champion), Cole Henning (Junior Champion), and Joseph Breck IV (Junior runner-up). Mary Thompson was the Lady II Champion with a 98, and Michael Blaisdell was the Sub Veteran winner with the same score.

Even though the wind intensified by the start of the Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap, this did not deter 15-year-old Drake Reynolds, shooting on squad 1, from breaking a 99 from 27 yards. Drake’s 99 was the high score for the event by a two-

target margin and earned him event Champion without need for a shootoff. Patrick Hopson was the event runner-up following one shoot-off round with Mitchell Burgin, who took 3rd place. Eugene Roy and Michael Mason were the Senior Veteran winner and the Senior Veteran runner-up following 97s and one overtime round. Mike Dennis took Veteran honors without need for a shoot-off, also with a 97. Elaina McCarthy, Tyler Marshall, James Ethan Miles, Jack Knaus, and Jeff Hostetler topped Lady I, Sub Junior, Junior, Junior Gold, and Sub Veteran categories with 96s.

THE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP The biggest event of the week, the Southern Grand Singles Championship, kicked off Saturday morning at 9am. 500 shooters on 100 full squads, the maximum allowed by the club due to time constraints, took the line in the event.

The morning started off sunny and calm, but as is usually the case at the Silver Dollar, the wind picked up by

NEW

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SHOOTREPORT

28

PATRICK HOPSON, RICHARD MARSHALL JR AND JT OSBORNE

Southern Grand Doubles Championship. The cloud cover began to dissipate by the end of the event, but the wind further intensified. In spite of the challenging conditions, Michael Fox Jr. broke the lone 100 straight in the feature twins and was the 2022 Southern Grand Doubles Champion. Mitchell Pierson posted the only score of 99 in the event and was the Junior Champion. Richard Marshall Jr. had a 98 and took the event runner-up following a forfeit by

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

10am. In all, 14 shooters made it through the first 100 without a miss and six ran the back hundred as well.

Richard Marshall Jr., Patrick Hopson, Tate Hedrick, Jerry Osborne III, Nicholas Wertz, and Hector Rangel carded perfect scores in the event.

Due to the substantial number of entries and the 8pm shooting curfew at the Silver Dollar, shoot management decided to postpone the Singles shoot-offs until Sunday afternoon immediately following the

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR

RICHARD MARSHALL JR PATRICK HOPSON TATE HEDRICK JEFFREY FENTON JOSEPH BRECK IV JEFFREY RAVELLA HENRY GAINER BRITTEN PRATT HANNAH MARTIN DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON DRAKE REYNOLDS HECTOR RANGEL JERRY T OSBORNE III ROBERT JARVIS RICHARD MILBERT JACK SCHUMPERT LARRY NORTON

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

NE MO OH PA PA NY FL MD MO PA KY FL GA NJ PA FL IL

200 200 200 198 199 196 196 198 198 198 197 200 200 199 199 199 188

conclusion of the Handicap Championship. Tate Hedrick did not answer the shoot-off call and took Class AAA Champion for his score.

Marshall, Hopson, Osborne, Wertz, and Rangel would take the line to decide who would go home with the coveted Singles crown. Wertz let one target slip away the first round and would exit the shoot-off to await the results. All four remaining shooters made it through the second box HECTOR RANGLE

without a miss. Rangel let one go in the third round and exited the shootoff as the Junior Champion, leaving Nicholas Wertz as the Junior runnerup. This was Hector Rangel’s first career 200 straight. Marshall, Hopson, and Osborne all remained straight through the next box, but the light conditions were beginning to deteriorate. In the 5th round, Hopson dropped one, Osborne dropped two, and Marshall survived without a miss, earning him the 2022 Southern Grand Singles title. This was Marshall’s second career Singles title at this shoot, also having won it in 2004. Patrick Hopson ended up as the event runner-up, and Jerry Osborne III the Junior Gold Champion. Joseph Breck IV was the Class A Champion with a 199. Robert Jarvis and Jack Schumpert were victors in the Sub Veteran and Senior Veteran categories with 199s.

THE DOUBLES AND HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIPS Sunday started out cloudy and windy making conditions difficult for the

CH RU AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR

MICHAEL FOX JR RICHARD MARSHALL JR ZACHARI NANNINI MATT TRAMMELL HERBERT LEWIS ABRAM LORENCE CHRISTOPHER MOLINA SEAN PLYMIRE ELIZABETH TERNES DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON WYATT DEBRIE MITCHELL PIERSON JACK KNAUS MICHAEL BLAISDELL GARY CROWE SCOTT MESSENGER LARRY NORTON

MICHAEL FOX JR

NY NE MO FL KY IA FL OH OH PA NE NE MN NH IL MN IL

100 98 98 97 96 95 96 91 95 94 92 99 99 98 95 97 80

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SHOOTREPORT

30

HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR

BEN SCHUMPERT TOM FEWER RICHARD MARSHALL JR DAVID MCMASTERS BRITTEN PRATT DAVID HEERINGA JAMES ALLNUTT ALLISON JENSEN KIMBERLY MCKINNEY MADISON OSWALT HIDALGO RANGEL J M PERRILL LEW CARNS RICHARD MILBERT GREGORY HIGH LARRY NORTON

FL PA NE NY MD IN MD IA FL OH FL OH FL PA NC IL

98 94 94 94 93 93 93 96 92 93 96 93 95 94 95 88

Zachari Nannini, who took Class AAA honors. Michael Blaisdell was the outright Sub Veteran winner with the only other score of 98 in his category.

The lighting was good but the wind remained by the start of the final event of the week, the Southern Grand Handicap Championship.

Florida native Ben Schumpert, shooting penalty from the 23 yard line, led the field of 443 shooters by a two-target margin with a 98 to win the Handicap Championship. Hidalgo Rangel was the Junior winner and Allison Jensen the Lady I Champion with 96s. Lew Carns and Gregory High were the winners in the Sub Veteran and Senior Veteran categories with scores of 95.

HIGH ALL AROUND AND HIGH OVER ALL The High Over All race was a tight

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

JACK AND BEN SCHUMPERT

HIGH ALL AROUND CH AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR

one all week, but Michael Fox Jr.’s solid performance on the final day secured him the High Over All title with a score of 971x1000, one target ahead of AAA champion Richard Marshall Jr. Jack Knaus and Carl Chadwell topped Junior Gold and Sub Veteran categories with 954 each. Rob Taylor and Elaina McCarthy took the Veteran and Lady I titles with scores of 951 and 950.

Richard Marshall Jr. and Michael Fox Jr. remained one and two in the High All Around. This time, Marshall’s 392x400 edged out Fox’s 390 and was the High All Around Champion, while Fox was the Class AAA winner.

Right behind them was Jack Knaus with a 389 to take Junior Gold honors.

The target setting and overall presentation this year was a significant improvement from past years at this shoot, and I believe the many excellent scores posted

RICHARD MARSHALL JR MICHAEL FOX JR DAVE DRESSLER J M PERRILL GREGORY HIGH HIDALGO RANGEL BRITTEN PRATT ALLISON JENSEN DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON DRAKE REYNOLDS NICHOLAS WERTZ JACK KNAUS MICHAEL BLAISDELL RICHARD MILBERT DONALD KERCE LARRY NORTON

NE NY IL OH NC FL MD IA PA KY PA MN NH PA FL IL

HIGH OVER ALL 392 390 383 385 377 380 368 382 379 371 385 389 386 386 383 356

throughout the week were a direct result of this. The 200 target a day program for the duration of the shoot was very well received by shooters in attendance. The shorter days allowed more time for shooters to spend time relaxing and enjoying the surrounding area, which, by the way, has an amazing supply of incredible dining options. For those of you who attended the Southern Grand this year, I hope you enjoyed the shoot as much as I did. For those

CH AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR

MICHAEL FOX JR RICHARD MARSHALL JR GEORGE PAPPAS DAVID MCMASTERS JOSHUA BUCHIERE JESSE BURGHER JAMES MILES ELAINA MCCARTHY DEBORAH OHYE-NEILSON DRAKE REYNOLDS JOSEPH BRECK IV JACK KNAUS CARL CHADWELL ROB TAYLOR EUGENE ROY LARRY NORTON

NY NE MN NY NY AL GA OH PA KY PA MN MI KS NH IL

971 970 952 940 927 913 909 950 935 948 943 954 954 951 929 889

who didn’t attend this year or have never made the trip to the Silver Dollar in March, I would encourage you to put this shoot on your calendar for next year. n

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SHOOTINGMAMAS

34

HALL OF FAME

BY KARLA HARRISON

On the walls of the Trapshooting Hall of Fame Museum hang the portraits of 35 ladies who not only stood out from the ranks of all shooters, but many of them also excelled while balancing their time and energy to be somebody’s mom.

Celebrations honoring mothers can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In more modern times it became known as Mothering Sunday, an early Christian festival, designated on the fourth Sunday of Lent so the faithful would return to their “mother” church. Over time the tradition became more secular with children giving flowers and other gifts. The custom gradually faded in popularity until it re-emerged in the early 1900s.

The first official Mother’s Day celebration was held in 1908, organized

by Anna Jarvis, who campaigned heavily until 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson officially established the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day. Anyone who has ever taken a child to a gun club can attest to what it takes to keep them entertained and quiet; proving even more reasons to honor these amazing Hall of Fame (HOF) feminine shooters TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

Moms novelty sideshow. She was the first woman to break 100 straight in trap.

She was the only lady to compete at the 1913 Grand tournament.

Retirement from competition came after the birth of her only child, a son.

Francis (KING) GARLINGTON

Elizabeth

“Plinky” Topperwein (1882—1945) was an inductee in the inaugural group of shooters that established the Trapshooting HOF in 1969. She set an awesome example of how to blend her family life with a very full shooting schedule. Along with her husband, they traveled the vaudeville circuit and other venues such as the 1904 World’s Fair, pleasing crowds with their shooting demonstrations. A pioneer trapshooter, she was once recognized by Annie Oakley (HOF 1969), “as THE greatest woman marksman of all time.”

Plinky was much more than a

(1904—1991) learned to shoot at the Fred Etchen shooting school in 1941 in order to be able to hunt with her daughter. From there, five years later, she and her first husband, Clyde King, won the Husband/ Wife trophy at the Grand American. Two years later, she captured the Women’s award in the Grand American Handicap, a feat she repeated in 1957.

In 1952, the King’s made a clean sweep at the Georgia State Shoot, with Francis winning the Singles as the first woman to ever claim a state Singles title with a 200 straight; she also took top honors in the High All Around and High Over All. Clyde won the Doubles and Handicap championships. It was truly a family affair at the final shoot-offs. Frances had tied Clyde for HAA and beat him in over time. They had also tied in the

Handicap, but Clyde prevailed. In the same year, at the Grand, Francis won the North American Women’s Clay Target Championship, the Dayton Homecoming, HAA and HOA. After Clyde’s passing, she remarried Ed Garlington, an accomplished shooter in his own right. In 1963, Ed was runner-up to Frances, who won the Georgia State Singles, again with 200 straight.

Marie

KAUTZKY GRANT (1902—2002) was inducted into the Hall of Fame just one month before her 100th birthday. She was consistently listed on the roster of high ladies’ averages and set an average record among women (.9664). She was the only female member of the 1941 All

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SHOOTINGMAMAS

36

American Team.

Bob Allen (HOF 1982) once called her the “idol of all Iowa trapshooters”. She was included in the inaugural class of the Iowa HOF in 1970. Allen was most impressed with her concentration and ability but also noted that he was in awe of her beauty, a high compliment when compared to the saleswomen he always employed at his vendor building at the Grand!

Marie shot at Vandalia from 1928-1941, winning a total of nine ladies’ trophies, including the 1928 Grand American Handicap and the 1941 Clay Target ladies’ championship. Grant retired from competition in 1948 following the births of her three children, Ruth, Chuck and Mary Ann.

Singles, Dayton Homecoming, Clay Target Championship and the Champion of Champions.

Jenner was a nine time All American and ranked as co-captain on one of the seven first teams. She was the third woman in ATA history to be punched back to the 27-yard line. Wins at the Wisconsin State Shoot came in 1968, 1971 and 1973.

She was inducted into the Wisconsin Hall of Fame in 1977.

Her travels to tournaments further from home produced trophies from Indiana, Ohio, Florida and national championships from Australia and New Zealand. Despite her many successes represented in her trophy case, she considered one of biggest thrills to be in a shoot-off with Punkin Flock.

Mother and son (Rick) combined to set several shooting records. In 1971, they each won their respective category in the Clay Target event, a first in Grand competition. That same year, they each earned a captain’s spot on the All-American Team, the only parent-child to do so at the time of her HOF induction. Ray, Ruby and Rick are survived by their daughter/ sister, Raye Ann Krueger.

Ruby JENNER

(1927—1985) was honored as a new member of the Trapshooting HOF in 2006, following her 1985 death at the age of 58. The Wisconsin standout was introduced to the sport by her husband, Ray in 1961.

By 1965, she was winning Grand American trophies such as the women’s Preliminary Handicap, an achievement she repeated in 1968. In 1966 she bested all the ladies in the Dayton Homecoming. The next year, she was the ladies’ Clay Target champion. 1971 was her best performance at Vandalia, claiming women’s top awards in the preliminary TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

Lou Ann MUNSON

could hold her own against the men on the trapfield and that included her husband Bob and son, Eric. Hall of Fame inclusion for the Munson’s came in 2001 for Lou Ann and Bob

while Eric followed in 2016.

The Minnesota family first made appearances at gun clubs in 1971.

Not long after first registering targets, Lou Ann began garnering trophies at the Grand American. From a record number of shooters in the 1974 Grand American Handicap, she earned sixth place after an eight way-four round shoot-off.

She earned All American recognition beginning in 1975 and over her career repeated that accomplishment 44 years. Twice, she earned high average honors among the ladies.

The Grand American isn’t the only place where this petite lady has stood tall. Satellite Grand awards have come home from the Spring Grand—her first in 1979, then again in 1989 and 2000. Not just a Singles specialist, she was the Spring Grand Handicap winner in 1995, Doubles champion in 1990, 1992 and 1997, and High All Around titles came to her in 1982, 1984-85, 1990-1991. At the Southern Grand, twin-bird championships were awarded to her in 1983 and 2000. Back-to-back Singles trophies came 1999 and 2000.

Great Lakes Grand competitors certainly knew she was the lady to defeat. She claimed numerous trophies including the women’s High All Around in 1992. During the Midwestern Grand, Lou Ann had a banner tournament in 1994 when reclaimed the Singles title (first won in 1984) plus won the High All Around.

Other satellite honors have come from the Western Grand, Southwestern Grand, and Golden West Grand. At the time of her HOF induction, she had recorded 26 Golden West crowns between 19831996. In her home state, Lou Ann became the 11th woman in the ATA to reach the 27-yard line. She was inducted into the Minnesota HOF in 1988 and has served as the state

association president.

Bob and Eric continue to compete while Lou Ann has retired but enjoys traveling to their shoots. When asked why daughter, Amy, didn’t get into the sport, her mother replied, “She just felt she couldn’t keep up, so she didn’t try.”

2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will highlight the achievements of two more shooters who are also mothers, Jennifer Rutger and Stacy Rehor.

Jennifer RUTGER

originally selected for HOF induction in 2020 will officially be welcomed to this elite group after the 2020-21 ceremonies were canceled due to the pandemic. This will be the third HOF to include her achievements, having been inducted into Florida in 1991 and Texas in 2019.

Growing up in a trapshooting family, it’s not surprising that Jennifer started winning at an early age. At age 16, she won the Florida State Handicap, which put her back onto the 27-yard line, the youngest in the ATA at the time. Since 1989, she has earned a placement on the All-American Team 32 times.

Jennifer won her first Grand trophy in 1986, the same year her parents won the Husband/Wife award. Since then, she has added nearly 90 trophies from the Grand American which includes the 1997 Lady’s Doubles Championship.

Jennifer has traveled extensively taking in most of the ATA satellite tournaments—Autumn Grand, Dixie

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SHOOTINGMAMAS

38

Grand, Heartland Grand, Southern Grand, Southwestern Grand, Spring Grand and Great Lakes Grand.

She has brought home state resident trophies while living in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and California. Starting as a Sub Junior, she has earned more than a dozen HOA/HAA honors. Eight of those titles came from Texas over a span of five years. Her name has consistently appeared at the top in the HOA and HAA races in California and Louisiana.

Her solo Grand Slam was accomplished in 2008 at the Missouri Fall Handicap with a perfect 100 in the Handicap.

The family tradition of children tagging along while mom shot continued as Lacy, Charlie and Delaney were added to Jennifer’s home. Delaney made her first trip to the Grand (at Vandalia) just three weeks before her birth.

This August, Jennifer’s family, including a new grandchild, will be tagging along to see her become one of the newest members of the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. At least… that’s the plan!

Stacy REHOR

wasn’t the first woman shooter to have children, but she will be the most recent mother to be inducted into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame.

Colorado native, Stacy (Bringelson) Rehor has the honor of many “female firsts” within her shooting career. She was the first lady to win the Super 500 Singles at the Grand American. At the Spring Grand, she was the first lady to ever win the Singles Championship over the field. She was the fourth lady to record a perfect score from the back fence…but the first to do it TWICE. She is the first and ONLY female to win all five of the ladies’ championship events at the Grand

American. Stacy won the ladies’ Clay Target Championship in 2011 (before the ladies were divided into categories) and repeated her victory again in 2019. Her Grand American Handicap top ladies’ honor came in 1996 and her ladies’ Championship Doubles title was won in 2018, along with 17 other trophies. The ladies’ High All Around was captured in 2010. In 2017, she claimed the ladies’ High Over All by virtue of winning 20 other trophies during the tournament. Stacy has been an All American numerous times including this year as the Lady I Captain. She also has a record seven Grand Slams to her credit and has achieved Captain’s status on the Colorado State team seven times.

Dozens of trophies have been claimed at the Spring, Southwestern and Autumn Grands. Her family travels with her to many state shoots.

Stacy nearly swept the top five events at the 2017 Colorado State shoot. In 2020, also at the Colorado State Shoot, she won the Singles Championship over the field.

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In 2013, Stacy was presented for membership into the Colorado Hall of Fame with her brother, Denis Bringelson and her cousin Kevin Davis, who will both also present her this year at the HOF ceremonies at the Grand.

Maintaining a high average has been a goal she has always strived to achieve. Even shooting while expecting her first child didn’t slow her down. She ended the season with 99% Singles, 96% in Doubles, and 93% in Handicap. After the birth of their daughter, Hadlee, those numbers remained at high marks and she even repeated these averages while waiting for the arrival of her second child, Everett.

In a recent interview where she was asked about what she considered to be her greatest achievement, she never hesitated before saying, “Being a mom!” n

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TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

2022 FLORIDA STATE SHOOT REPORT BY JOSH BUCHIERE

T

he 106th annual Florida State Shoot was hosted by the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, Florida, from Tuesday, March 22, until Sunday, March 27. The 1600 target program consisted, this year, of 100 each Doubles, Handicap, and Singles beginning Tuesday through Friday, 200 Championship Singles on Saturday and 100 each Championship Doubles and Handicap on Sunday. The final 1300 targets make up the shoot’s High Over All, with the final 400 targets on the weekend being the High All Around. Shooters from all over the country travel to the Silver Dollar for the previous week’s Southern Grand American and many stick around to get one more week of warm weather shooting in, before returning home. In all, 435 shooters from 35 states and provinces participated in this year’s Florida State Shoot.

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

SHOOTREPORT

42

TUESDAY This year for the weekdays of the State Shoot, the FTA decided to run a reverse-order program of Doubles, Handicap, Singles. The shoot started off at 9am with the Tuesday Preliminary Doubles. Blue skies and warm temperatures made for comfortable shooting conditions, but, as is typically the case at the Silver Dollar, the wind picked up shortly after the start of the event. Brady Duren and Tyler Honnold led all shooters in the event with 96s and after carryover the following day, Duren was the Open Champion and Honnold fell back to take Junior Champion. Jacob Duren and Mark Isner were high in Junior Gold and Sub Veteran categories with 95s.

Cole Henning, Joshua Buchiere, and Sean Plymire were the Class AA, Class A, and Class C winners following scores of 95.

Roy Emerick posted the lone high score of 96 in the Tuesday Preliminary Handicap and took Open Champion. Carl Chadwell was the Sub Veteran winner with the only score of 95 in the event. Following a card draw after shooting was concluded for the day, Brian James, James Flint, Richard Mottola, and John T Spangler took the Event runner-up through 5th places with scores of 94.

Jacob Duren and Lewis Laroche Sr. turned in the only perfect scores in the Tuesday Preliminary Singles.

Duren was the Open Champion following a forfeit by Laroche, who COLE HENNING

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

fell back to take Senior Veteran Champion. Drake Reynolds, Tyler Honnold, Carl Chadwell, and Patric Geiser were Champions in their respective Sub Junior, Junior, Sub Veteran, and Senior Veteran categories with 99s.

WEDNESDAY Wednesday was the start of the Florida State shoot’s High Over All, as well as Resident and Non-Resident Trophies and All-American Points. From the start of the Schaer Development Doubles, swirling winds made for very challenging targets. Rick Manning was high for Florida shooters with a 95 and was the Resident Champion. Lewis Knack Jr. and Kay Ohye were the Resident Veteran and Senior Veteran winners with 93s. Elaina McCarthy led all shooters in the event with the lone high score of 99 and was the NonResident Champion. Donald Neilson turned in the lone second high score of 98 and was the NR Sub Veteran winner.

The wind continued to be a factor in the Ruthie Flayderman Handicap, however, some good scores were still posted. Hector Rangel and Kay Ohye were high in-state with 94s and following a forfeit by Ohye, Rangel was the Resident Champion. Ohye fell back to take Senior Veteran honors. Jon May, shooting from 22 yards, led all shooters in the event with a 97 and was the Non-Resident Champion. John T. Spangler was the NR runner-up with the only noncategory score of 96. Jayden Dalton,

Carl Chadwell, and William Williams were the NR Junior, Sub Veteran, and Senior Veteran winners, also with 96s.

John Farina was the Resident Champion in the afternoon’s Cruisair Suncoast Singles following a 99 and carryover with Jack Schumpert, who fell back to take Resident Senior Veteran. Five out-of-state shooters posted 100 straights in the event and following a carryover, Drake Reynolds was the Non-Resident Champion.

Caleb Fischer, Tyler Honnold, Ayden Oswalt, and Mike Dennis were the NR Class AA, Junior, Junior Gold, and Veteran winners, all with perfect scores. Madison Oswalt and George Pappas were the NR Sub Junior and Sub Veteran winners with 99s.

THURSDAY Heavy rain and thunderstorms were predicted for Thursday and many shooters opted to sit the day’s shooting out due the anticipated bad weather. As the forecast had indicated, heavy rain had moved in by the start of the morning’s Tom White Doubles. Richard Erdely turned in a 95, the high score for Florida shooters, and was the Resident Champion. Hector Rangel, Thomas White, and Bruce Burton were the Resident Junior, Sub Veteran, and Veteran winners with scores of 94.

Michael Gooch and Joshua Buchiere led all shooters in the event with 98s.

Following a carryover, Gooch was the Non-Resident Champion and Buchiere fell back to take Class A

Champion. Emma Grace Mathews and Bruce Schmidt were the NR Lady I and Veteran winners with scores of 97.

The rain let up by the start of the Indiana Gun Club Handicap, very overcast skies made for difficult visibility but, as was the case with the morning’s Doubles event, there was almost no wind. David Muzzey was the Resident Champion with a 97 from 22½ yards. James Shoemaker was the Resident Sub Veteran winner with the only in-state score of 94. Carl Chadwell missed two targets on his first station and ran the rest for a 98 from 27 yards.

His score turned out to be the high score in the event, and he was the Non-Resident Champion without need for a shoot-off. Madison Oswalt, JD May, Elaina McCarthy, and Mike Dennis were the NR Sub Junior, Junior, Lady I, and Veteran winners following 96s.

Rick Manning was the Resident Champion in the Kay Ohye Singles with the only in-state score of 99.

Criona Doorly and Lew Carns were high in Lady II and Sub Veteran categories with 98s. Seven nonresidents posted 100 straights in the event and shooters winning trophies after carryover are as follows: Emma Grace Mathews (Non-Resident Champion), Steve Stedman (NR Class AA Champion), Drake Reynolds (NR Sub Junior Champion), Landon Chandler (NR Junior Champion), Jacob Duren (NR Junior Gold Champion), and George Pappas (NR Sub Veteran Champion).

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SHOOTREPORT

44

FRIDAY Blue skies and sunshine returned Friday and attendance was back up as a result. Dominic Romania led Florida shooters in the Sunshine State Class Doubles with a 97 and was the Resident Champion. Matt Trammell, John Farina, and Lewis Knack Jr. were the Resident Class AA, Sub Veteran, and Veteran Champions with 96s. Following 97s and a carryover, Jayden Dalton was the Non-Resident Champion, Landon Chandler the NR Junior winner, Emma Grace Mathews the NR Lady I Champion, and Michael Gooch the NR Sub Veteran winner.

The wind intensified by the start of the Sunshine State Handicap and low scores overall resulted. Hector Rangel was the Resident Champion for the second time of the week, this time with a 93, a two-target margin over the resident field. Elaina McCarthy, Rick Sloan, and Rob Taylor were high for out-of-staters with 95s.

Taylor would forfeit the shoot-off to take Non-Resident Veteran Champion, leaving McCarthy and Sloan to shoot off. Both McCarthy and Sloan let three slip away in the first round and would go out for another overtime round. This time, McCarthy broke 23 to Sloan’s 20, and McCarthy was the Non-Resident Champion. Sloan fell back to take NR Sub Veteran honors. Heather Lunsford turned in the only score of 94 in the event and, as a result of McCarthy prevailing in her shoot-off for event Champion, Lunsford was the NR Lady I Champion.

Jack Schumpert topped all Florida shooters in the Class Singles Championship with a 99 and was the Resident Champion. Matt Trammell, Lew Carns, and Kay Ohye took Resident Class AA, Sub Veteran and Senior Veteran awards with 98s.

Emma Grace Mathews was once again the Non-Resident Champion

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

following a 100 straight and carryover. Landon Chandler, Jacob Bonser, George Pappas, and Bruce Schmidt were the NR Junior, Junior Gold, Sub Veteran, and Veteran winners, all with 100 straights.

SATURDAY Saturday morning saw 332 shooters take the line for the Florida State Singles Championship. The day started off clear and breezy and the wind further intensified by mid-day.

Only four shooters made it through the first hundred without a miss and none of them would go straight on the second hundred. Dax DeMena posted a 99 in the first hundred and backed it up with a 98 in the afternoon to lead Floridians in the Singles Championship with a 197.

This was DeMena’s first career Florida State Championship title.

Close behind him was Daniel Brandreth with a 196, who for the second straight year topped the Sub Veteran category in the Championship Singles. Paul Becker took event runner-up following a 195 and forfeit by Matt Trammell, who fell back to take Class AA honors.

Lewis Knack Jr. and Kay Ohye were Resident Veteran and Senior Veteran Champions, each with 195s. Karen Harrington was the Resident Lady I Champion with a 194. Cole Henning posted the only score of 199 in the event and took the Non-Resident Singles title without the need for a shoot-off. Steve Stedman was the NR runner-up with the only noncategory score of 198 in the event.

Ransom May, Landon Chandler, Emma Grace Mathews, Michael Blaisdell, and Mike Dennis were high in NR Sub Junior, Junior, Lady I, Sub Veteran and Veteran categories, all with 198s. Jacob Bonser was the NR Junior Gold winner with a 197.

SUNDAY

FLORIDA SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR NON-RES CH

DAX DEMENA PAUL BECKER MATT TRAMMELL ALEX RIERA THOMAS HARRINGTON STETSON LEE DANIEL ANTHONY KAREN HARRINGTON KIMBERLY MCKINNEY JORDAN BROOKS HECTOR RANGEL BRODY RILEY DANIEL BRANDRETH LEWIS KNACK JR KAY OHYE DALE RASMUSSEN COLE HENNING (IA)

DAX DEMENA

KAREN HARRINGTON

197 195 195 193 191 187 181 194 190 172 190 171 196 195 195 183 199

Sunday started off clear and warm for the final day of the shoot. A steady headwind came up shortly after the start of the morning’s Florida State Doubles Championship and made for consistently highclimbing targets. Eighty-one-year-old Kay Ohye posted an impressive score of 97 to lead resident shooters by a two-target margin and was the Florida State Doubles Champion.

Matthew DeBord took in-state runner-up honors with the only noncategory score of 95. Thomas White and Lewis Knack Jr. were the Resident Sub Veteran and Veteran winners, also following scores of 95.

Jayden Dalton and Jeffrey Schlichter were high for visitors in the event with 97s and would be called to shoot off following the conclusion of the day’s events. Schlichter forfeited the shoot-off, leaving Dalton as the Non-Resident Doubles Champion.

Michael Blaisdell and Dave Dressler were the NR runner-up and Veteran Champion with the only scores of 96 in the event.

The headwind from the morning turned into a swirling wind by the start of the final event of the tournament, the Florida State Handicap Championship. Shooters

FLORIDA DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR NON-RES CH

KAY OHYE MATTHEW DEBORD ANDREW LOITZ RICHARD ERDELY SCOTT SOMERO GARY FRENCH TORRANCE BAKSH KAREN HARRINGTON KIMBERLY MCKINNEY HUNTER MACHOVINA STETSON LEE THOMAS WHITE LEWIS KNACK JR DOMINIC ROMANIA DALE RASMUSSEN JAYDEN DALTON (AR)

97 95 94 92 91 91 85 88 79 74 91 95 95 93 82 97

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SHOOTREPORT

46

HIGH ALL AROUND & HIGH OVER ALL

KAY OHYE

faced some of the most challenging targets of the week and scores were down as a result. Donald Kerce broke a 95 from the 23-yard line and was the Florida State Handicap Champion without need for a shoot-off. Karen Harrington was close behind him with a score of 94 and took the Resident Lady I title. Alex Riera and Andy Kotsaftis were the Resident Veteran and Senior Veteran winners with scores of 93 and 92, respectively. William Bezubiak, Thomas Harrington, and Bob Hutson were called to shoot off for event runner-up through 4th place.

DONALD KERCE

FLORIDA HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR NON-RES CH

DONALD KERCE WILLIAM BEZUBIAK THOMAS HARRINGTON BOB HUTSON SCOTT SOMERO JOHN FARINA KAREN HARRINGTON LILLIAN ROMANIA WYATT GEBHART STETSON LEE SCOT LAUDERBACK ALEX RIERA ANDY KOTSAFTIS NORMAN MARLOW DONALD WEBB (MS)

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

Following one shoot-off round, Bezubiak was the Resident runner-up, Harrington took 3rd place, and Hutson was the 4th place winner, all with scores of 91. Scott Somero was the Resident 5th place winner following the only in-state score of 90. Donald Webb and Iggy Magnani were the high Non-Resident shooters with 95s. Following one shoot-off round, Webb was the Non-Resident Champion and Magnani the NR Veteran winner. Daniel Boisclair was the NR runner-up with 93 and a forfeit by Caleb Fischer, who took 3rd place honors.

95 91 91 91 90 89 94 90 77 90 92 93 92 87 95

Kay Ohye led Florida residents in both High All Around and High Over All with scores of 381x400 and 1208x1300. Lewis Knack Jr. was the closest to Ohye in the All Around with a 379 and was the Veteran Champion.

Karen Harrington completed her sweep of weekend championship titles for Lady I with a 376 in the All Around. Ransom May and George Pappas led Non-Residents in All Around standings with 383s. Pappas forfeited the shoot-off to take the NR Sub Veteran title, leaving May as the NR Champion. Rob Taylor with 1243 led all shooters in the High Over All standings and was Non-Resident Champion. Emma Grace Matthews took NR Lady I honors with 1237, and Elaina McCarthy was the Class A winner with 1235.

The Florida State Shoot is a terrific opportunity for shooters from colder climates to get some warm weather shooting in and enjoy the Florida sunshine. On Saturday and Sunday, the Florida Trapshooters Association provided a complimentary lunch of burgers and hotdogs to all shooters out in front of the main clubhouse. The ladies at the sign-up and cashiering windows are wonderful to deal with,

HIGH ALL AROUND CH AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR SUB VET VET SR VET CHAIR NON-RES CH

KAY OHYE JACK SCHUMPERT MATTHEW DEBORD THOMAS HARRINGTON JOHN HELM WM BROOKS KAREN HARRINGTON KIMBERLY MCKINNEY HUNTER MACHOVINA STETSON LEE JOHN FARINA LEWIS KNACK JR DONALD KERCE DALE RASMUSSEN RANSOM MAY (OH)

381 366 374 369 354 346 376 350 310 368 373 379 368 344 383

and squadding and cashiering could not have gone any smoother thanks to all of their hard work. Events concluded in excellent time each day, leaving plenty of time for some exceptional seafood dinners! This was my second time attending the Florida State Shoot, and I look forward with great anticipation to the next time I am able to return to this shoot. n RANSOM MAY

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HIGH OVER ALL CH AA A B C D LD1 LD2 JR SUB VET VET SR VET NON-RES CH

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VISIONCORRECTION

48

A SHOOTER’S

JOURNEY TO

LASER VISION CORRECTION

BY MATTHEW GAY

Prior to age forty years old and four months, I had 20/10 vision in both eyes with a strong right eye dominance. Then all the sudden it seemed like someone had flipped a switch, four months after my 40th birthday. I went from being able to clearly see the ridges on a target at a significant distance, to only seeing an orange blur traversing through an undefined trajectory. Much to my dismay, it was time for an expedited eye exam with the foregone conclusion that I needed correction. So begins the six-year journey from glasses to laser vision correction.

I ONLY WEAR SHOOTING GLASSES! My disdain for wearing corrective glasses runs quite deep, so contacts were the way I planned to go. The greatest challenge was the astigmatism in the right eye. This defect in the eye, likely caused by age, made it so that the shape of the cornea was no longer perfectly spherical. In order to apply a contact to an eye with an astigmatism, the contact must be weighted so that it orients to the proper position naturally. These contacts are commonly known as Toric lenses.

Although apprehensive, I ordered contacts and decided I would try prescription shooting glasses as another option. My adventure with prescription shooting glasses included not only a style with lenses,

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

but also prescription inserts in my other frames. These are great options for some people because everyone’s eye and expectation of vision quality is different. In my case, the contacts combined with standard shooting glasses became my first choice.

The problem I had with Toric contacts was that occasionally the lens would rotate, right before I was about to call for a target. This presented multiple problems. One, I would try to blink rapidly in order to get the contact to move back to its proper position and into focus which negatively impacted my thought process. Second, with this interruption to my pre-shot routine, I often rushed to the call for the target leading to my hold point sometimes being altered from my initial set-up. I had just about made peace with the fact that I was simply going to have

to chock it up to getting older when a co-worker decided to check into laser eye correction surgery. His results were outstanding. He claimed his vision was better than he could remember at any time in his youth, and getting better by the day post-op.

APPREHENSION I had some major questions considering I shoot competitively and need clear vision at distance, but I also spend a lot of time on the computer for my day job and writing for various publications. I did some research on the facility where my co-worker had his procedure done and was impressed with the experience of the doctors and staff.

Although I had been told many times that I likely did not qualify for laser

VISIONCORRECTION

50

correction, I elected to make an appointment for a consultation which was free of charge, so what did I have to lose? The protocol for the Laser Eye Institute in Troy, Michigan was to send your information through their website and wait for a call to schedule. I was shocked when my phone rang about ten minutes after I sent the info. The scheduler was helpful and answered my initial questions. She proceeded to make me an appointment to check things out and see if this was a solution that could work for me.

DR. DANIEL HADDAD M.D. AND DR. JEFFERY RAUTIO O.D. I did extensive research on the doctors at the Laser Eye Institute. I was impressed to read about Dr. Daniel Haddad’s experience and pioneering contributions to the field. Dr. Haddad founded the Laser Eye Institute in 1987 and has been serving patients in the metro Detroit area since. He developed a custom RK procedure in the 1990’s, has worked on the improvement of eye tracking technology used in modern lasers and provides continuing education programs for multiple national and international institutions which educate currently practicing surgeons and students. Dr. Haddad has traveled the world lecturing surgeons, has instructed at Wayne State University and has even been on the cover of

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

Ophthalmology Times Magazine.

Dr. Rautio has an equally impressive background and pedigree in the field of Ophthalmology and would be responsible for my pre and post-surgical care. Having spent three decades providing eye care to patients, with the last twenty exclusively treating pre and post-operative care for patients of LASEK, LASIK, SMILE and cataract surgery, it seemed he would have the expertise to make sure my results would be the best possible. Rautio was appointed the team Optometrist for the Detroit Lions in 1991 and held that position for nine years, providing care to players, coaches and staff. Dr. Rautio has also traveled to lecture and provide instruction to other eyecare professionals and has authored and published several professional papers.

With all the above considered, I figured these two doctors could be trusted with my eyes.

CONSULTATION AND PENANCE Arriving on time, I was brought into what I figured would be a standard eye exam like I’ve had many times before. That was not the case. The staff and doctors spent about two and a half hours with me, conducting multiple tests (I believe seven or eight). The purpose of these tests was to determine several things about my eyes ranging from correction needed to dryness. Inquiring as to the purpose of all these tests Dr. Haddad responded: “the truth is I value very much that patients who are putting the most precious sense in my hands, that’s why I have also strived to give my patients the best

technology, not only in terms of the Lasers, but also the diagnostic devices to help me screen patients who may not be good candidates. I’d rather say no to someone as opposed to proceeding with treatment and have the patient encounter subsequent complications. Unfortunately, some doctors have become “LASIK Merchants” advertising $250 LASIK, baiting and switching, and not seeing the patient until the day of the procedure.”

After this thorough battery of examinations, Dr. Haddad advised me that I was a good candidate. He discussed a couple of options for me.

First, we could correct both eyes for distance, but I would need reading glasses in perpetuity for close vision.

The other option was “mono-vision” correction. With this approach the dominant eye (my right) was corrected for long distance while the non-dominant eye was corrected for closer reading distances. I clearly articulated my concerns with having only one eye corrected for distance and its impact to depth perception for shooting. Dr. Haddad explained that it likely would not be an issue. However, if it presented a problem for me, we could simply apply a contact to the non-dominant eye for shooting. With my disposition towards corrective lenses and considering my daily tasks, the mono-vision option seemed to hold the most efficacy for me.

There were a couple of considerations with this correction process that made me comfortable that it would work for me. First, the astigmatism in my right eye would be corrected during the laser surgery.

This would allow for light to pass through properly and not cause distorted refraction and consequently blurry objects or glare. Second, the non-dominant eye would be corrected to an extent that the disparity between the two eyes when it comes to distance was not so much as to cause peripheral problems such as headaches, or intense eye strain. As I have mentioned in previous articles, the brain sees…not the eyes. The brain can adapt to significant changes with great efficiency. Even with a learning curve for my brain to adapt, I was optimistic that this would work.

With a surgery date scheduled it seemed as though I still had to “pay the piper” for taking advantage of this advanced correction method that would free me from glasses and contacts. For two weeks prior to surgery the patient cannot wear contacts as they can temporarily alter the shape of the eye, creating the potential for issues with the surgery.

They also can introduce bacteria into the eye which could negatively impact healing. Consequently, I was burdened with wearing two-year-old glasses for the two weeks prior. A small price to pay for the results I realized. The only other prerequisite was antibiotic and steroid eye drops for a week prior at certain intervals, in order to prepare the eyes for a successful outcome, free of infection and quick healing.

SURGERY DAY The day of surgery was not a big deal at all. The staff at the Laser Eye Institute did a couple of preoperative tests to verify their plan.

VISIONCORRECTION

52

They gave me some meds to relax me and off we went to the surgical suite.

The technique being used on my right eye is called SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction). To put things into lay terms, with this technique the laser makes the corrections through the lens and creates a lenticule (tiny disc shaped piece of corneal tissue). This lenticule is then removed through a small incision and the procedure is complete. This procedure has the benefits of having less of a chance for dry eye issues and a very quick healing time.

The left eye was treated with the LASIK procedure (Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis). With this procedure a laser makes tiny bubbles within the top layer of the cornea allowing a flap to be lifted, leaving a hinge on one end of the outer section.

This flap is then folded back providing access to the middle portion of the cornea where the laser reshapes the lens to correct vision. The flap is then replaced over the middle section of the cornea without the need for any mechanical fixation. The flap adheres

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

naturally through the healing process. Both procedures occurred quickly. I do not believe I was in the surgical suite for a total of thirty minutes. I had no pain and instantly could see better at completion of the procedure.

The after care is important with these procedures in that, if not careful before complete healing, the flap from the LASIK procedure could become dislodged. It was for that reason that I had to sit in the back seat for the ride home and was clearly told not to rub the eye that had LASIK done. For a week after the surgery the patient is given plastic shields to apply before falling to sleep in order to make sure no inadvertent rubbing occurred during sleep.

The funny story about post-op and the drive home evolved around the medication I was given to relax.

Sitting in pre-op, I did not feel any effects of the meds, so I was administered an additional small dose. I really did not notice it until after the surgery and we stopped to get a burger on the way home. It was all I could do to finish my burger and then it was nighty night all the way home. Once home, I walked straight into the bedroom and took a fourhour nap, which is exactly what the doctors at Laser Eye Institute wanted post-op. Following up with the

required eye drops as prescribed to make sure healing proceeded as expected was a priority but all in all, I have had teeth cleanings that were more involved from my end than this surgery. I had no pain and no issues to speak of. In fact, I had surgery on a Thursday and shot a round of sporting clays with my collegiate athletes on Sunday.

RESULTS Dr. Haddad, Dr. Ratio and their staff were clear that initially there could be some glare for a period after the surgery. This was evident at the above-mentioned clay outing. I had an incoming 60mm, with full sun hitting the dome. The glare on this target made it appear to glow brightly.

I switched to a darker lens to cut the glare on subsequent targets with reasonable success. The folks at Laser Eye Institute advised me that this glare will slowly dissipate as healing proceeds. I am currently three weeks out of surgery and have already noticed marked improvement from that first clay outing.

In terms of the mono-vision; I currently do not see this as an impediment to my transition from soft to hard focus on targets. I will probably have the contacts on hand in the event I feel a need for them in my left eye.

Having shot sporting, skeet and trap thus far I see no need to use them.

During the first couple weeks I was closely monitoring stimuli from driving for feedback on any potential impact to depth perception based on the monovision. I clearly recognize depth at what I believe is the same level I did previously with my eyes corrected by contacts. Besides keeping eye moistening drops handy I see no real difference in the quality of my pre-ageforty vision and what I have now after laser eye surgery.

SUMMING IT UP I have spoken to several friends prior to having this surgery done and found that many find the thought of such a procedure frightening. I can unequivocally state that there is no reason to fear this type of vision correction. One factor that gave me additional confidence in Dr. Haddad and Dr. Rautio was their policy of standing behind their work by including two years of follow-up appointments with the cost of the surgery. Waking up in the morning and being able to instantly see clearly without any need for glasses or contacts is truly priceless for this 46 year-old shooter.

Do your research, find the best provider in your area and schedule a consultation. If you are within striking distance of the metro Detroit area and want the best of the best, contact Dr. Haddad at Laser Eye Institute. I can’t say enough about their professionalism and the amount of time they spent explaining the process and considerations to me. n You can find more information on the Laser Eye Institute at lasereyeinstitute.com Editor’s note: Matthew Gay is a shooting instructor from Michigan, the Head Coach of the Olivet College Clay Target Team, VicePresident of the Michigan Scholastic Clay Target Program Board of Directors, a bunker trap junkie and Master Class Sporting Clays competitor.

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SHOOTREPORT

54

43

rd

ANNUAL SOUTHWESTERN GRAND

BY SANDRA JO JACK

This year’s Southwestern Grand was again held at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. The tournament presented some serious challenges, with each day seemingly windier than the last. Despite the tough conditions, the shoot ran as smoothly as shooters have come to expect at the facility.

If you have never attended a shoot in San Antonio, you should put this club on your list of gun clubs to shoot at.The complex sits on 600 acres and it feels like you are in the country despite the fact that city life is only a couple of miles away. There are 47 trap fields, 45 skeet fields, 5-stand and sporting clay courses to enjoy shooting on. Also available are 180 RV hook-ups for camping so you are secure on the grounds.

Attractions for the family are nearby as well, with Sea World, Six Flags and the Riverwalk just minutes away.

TUESDAY In Event 1, The Bubba’s 33 Singles, only one of the 101 shooters was able to post a perfect hundred straight. That shooter was Drew Fryman and he took home the champion trophy. Deborah Ohye Neilson, Wyatt Tony Quick, Douglas Briggs and Katie Jones all shot the next high scores of 99.

Next up was the Academy Sports Handicap and Debroah Ohye Neilson was the shining star with the lone 98 from the 27-yard line. Not far behind her, shooting the only 97, was Emma Grace Mathews. The only evening entertainment was one shoot-off that was short and sweet for the Sub Veteran trophy between Brian Mohler and George Murray. Both TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

had scores of 93 and they battled it out for four rounds before Mohler finally won. Mohler along with buddies Mark O’Pierson and Brian Knutson traveled a long distance to enjoy the sunshine from snowy North Dakota. George Murray not only shot great in trap today, but he is also an All-American skeet shooter.

The final event of the day was the BB’s Tex-Orleans Doubles and Emma Grace Mathews won her carryover with Drew Fryman and Michael Gooch to earn the top trophy. All three shooters gave a good show in the carryover, with Gooch going two rounds and Mathews and Fryman each going three rounds. Fryman was the AA winner and Gooch, the Sub Veteran champ. Each had posted a 98 for the event. I also heard that

Michael Gooch is tying the knot and will, in fact, be tied-up by the time this goes to print. Congratulations Michael!

WEDNESDAY Event 4 was hosted by Chick-fil-A, along with a nice appetizer dinner for the shooters to enjoy at the end of the day. Leave it to Kya Funkhouser to have the only 99 on the board at the end of a very windy day. With the winds at 24 mph out of the northwest and gusting as high as 35 mph it proved impossible to catch her score, but Jack Foreman (C class), Jack Holland (Junior) and Gary

SHOOTREPORT

Sherrod (Senior Veteran) came close with 98s.

The day’s second event was the BJ’s Restaurant Handicap and there were 139 shooters that braved the windy conditions. Peter Walker broke the lone high score of 94 to walk off with the top prize. Jeffery Frasier from New York and Thomas Fester from Illinois each posted second high scores of 93, with Frasier winning the short yardage trophy and Fester taking the Veteran prize. Handicap shoot-offs were done early with only three ties.

PETER WALKER

Event 6 was the Federal Doubles and they were a bit sporting, with targets flying every which way in the strong winds. Peter Walker continued his winning ways by breaking a 97 and then besting Colorado shooter Joe Ramos in the carryover. Brian Mohler, whose name you will be seeing a few more times, shot the next best score of 96. One hundred and twenty-two brave souls, including myself, shot in the winds.

THURSDAY Event 7 was the Decot Hy-Wyd Singles and the wind gods showed a little mercy with slightly milder conditions. The second 100 straight in Singles was finally shot by Senior Veteran shooter William Dayton. His was the only perfect score of the day and maybe the practice he got at the Florida State shoot, just prior to the Southwestern Grand, helped him handle the gusts better than most.

The Fiocchi Handicap was next up and at the end of the day there were only three shoot-offs out of the 170

shooters who took the line. Have you seen Emma Grace Mathews shoot Doubles? She would remind you of another talented young Doubles shooter, Sam Foppe. Miss Emma and Matt Nicol each led the field with scores of 98 and after a 50 straight in the carryover, Mathews was the Champion. Nicols carded a 49 in the overtime and was the Sub Veteran winner. Jennifer Rutger, another talented Lady l shooter, Garrett Helms and Michael Gooch were Lady I, Junior Gold and Sub Veteran runner-up with scores of 97.

EMMA GRACE MATHEWS

entrants. Minnesota shooter Peter Walker once again led the field, this time with the score of 95. Steven Fuller (Veteran) and Jack Foreman (runnerup) were next in line with 94s. I got a good laugh out of shooter Mark Hanse, Short Yardage champ with 87, who said, “This is my first trap shoot-off, wait, my first that I have shown up to because I had an adult beverage with the other one and did not show up”.

The final event of the day was the Remington Doubles and there were 146

55

Handicap was next up and there were 191 entries. Once again the wind took its toll on the shooters and their scores, but Garrett Helms (IL) and Jon Dashner II (CA) each posted 94s to lead the way. After the shoot-off, Helms was the Champion and Dashner was the Sub Veteran winner.

Ben Schlatter (Junior) and Rob Taylor (Veteran) both withstood the wind with scores of 93 to earn their category trophies. I had the pleasure of talking to Sub Junior runner-up Tucker Miles (85) from Kentucky.

Tucker is only 14 years old and shoots

JENNIFER RUTGER

FRIDAY Event 10 Singles was hosted by SIAI and 204 shooters went to the shooting line with good intentions of shooting fantastic and only one shooter performed perfectly. Jayden Ellis Dalton put a 100 straight on the board and was the Champion. Despite the windy conditions, there were ten 99s posted and nothing lower than 94 would win a trophy for the day.

The Caesar Guerini Preliminary

from the 20-yard line. He had to use a different gun in this event to win his trophy due to his gun’s broken rib and badly cracked stock.

Event 12 was the Browning Class Doubles and the 168 shooters were praying for a good score in the gusting winds. One shooter’s wish came true as Joe Ramos rode the wind out and had the lone 99 for Champion. You have probably heard this name before or maybe you have seen him wearing the colorful pink TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

SHOOTREPORT

56

WYATT QUICK AND EMMA GRACE MATHEWS

vest and sporting a pink beard at the shoot-off fields of major tournaments around the country. Scott Obenchain (CO) or Mr. Pink (that is his nickname) broke a 98 to take home the runnerup trophy. Brian Mohler and Troy Collier were Sub Veteran champ and runner-up with 98s, as well.

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday was the 200 target White Flyer Singles Championship and the event had 228 entries, but only one 200 straight and only one score of 199 were posted. You guessed it, the wind continued to plague the scoreboard. It took me until Sunday to chase Singles Champion Jayden Ellis Dalton (AR) down for a photo.

What a fine young man.

He told me that the gun he shoots has been shot by five different shooters over the years. His mom was grinning from the question I just asked Jayden —“What do you like best about trapshooting?” Jayden said “I like to beat people”. I looked at his mom and him and said “I like that you like to beat people”. But I was also thinking wow, no wonder he won. Then we got a good laugh out of

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET

JAYDEN ELLIS DALTON KYA FUNKHOUSER PATRICK STACEY BRIAN MOHLER RICHARD CHANDLER BRANT PRUITT JACKSON HALLABOUGH JOHN JONES KATIE JONES CHERYL DEMULLING PAYTON WOTTOWA CHET ORICK ANDREW HUBBELL MICHAEL GOOCH JEFF WEBB ROBERT YOUNGBLOOD

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

AR OK OK ND TX TX TX MB MB WI IL AR KS IN TX TX

200 199 196 196 194 193 194 188 198 194 196 197 196 197 198 196

JAYDEN ELLIS DALTON

his real answer, he said “I like to meet people”. It must have been the Arkansas accent that he had that this northerner didn’t understand.

Oklahoma shooter Kya Funkhouser did not let the wind bother her much.

She put the only 199 on the board and was the runner-up winner. Katie Jones (MB) and Jeff Webb (TX) each carded 198s to win Lady I and Veteran trophies. Katie Jones’s dad John traveled 24 hours with her all the way from Manitoba, Canada to compete and claim the D class trophy.

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET

WYATT TONY QUICK PETER WALKER SCOTT OBENCHAIN JACK HOLLAND JEFFERY TRAYER KATIE JONES DAVE MANSELL RENEE PRADO EMMA GRACE MATHEWS DEBORAH OHYE NEILSON PAYTON WOTTOWA ABIGAIL JONN MALECHA TRISTEN MILES DONALD NEILSON DOUGLAS BRIGGS MARVIN ALLBRIGHT

CA MN CO KY OK MB WI TX TN PA IL MN KY PA TX TX

99 97 95 96 95 96 92 85 99 92 90 98 93 97 95 94

KATIE JONES Event 14 was the Doubles Championship and had 181 entries. It was the last day to shine in the sun with hopes of going home with the Doubles trophy in hand. The shoot-off for champion with 99s at the end of day was between two young shooters putting on a good show for two rounds.The Championship title went to Junior shooter Wyatt Tony Quick (CA) after breaking a 19 and a 20 in the overtime rounds.

Emma Grace Mathews broke a Veteran trophy with his score of 97. pair of 19s to fall back to the Peter Walker was the event runnerLady I category trophy. Abigail Jonn up with an open score of 97.

Malecha of Minnesota was the Junior winner with 98, while Donald Neilson (PA) took home the Sub

HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP CH RU 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET

KATIE JONES DREW FRYMAN PATRICK STACY SHILOH GAEBLER PHILIP STEWART CHET ORICK RANDY FOSTER JENNIFER RUTGER PATRICIA TODD GRADY BOUNDS ABIGAIL JONN MALECHA COLTON ARRIGO TAVO GUAJARDO JR GERALD DEMULLING RICHARD CHANDLER

MB TX OK TX TX AR TX TX TX TX MN CO TX WI TX

97 97 95 94 94 94 94 95 94 97 96 93 96 93 94

HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP

The final event of the week was the Winchester Handicap Championship.

Remember the name from earlier?

Katie Jones? Well, she won the shoot-off for champion with a perfect 25 straight after shooting 97 along with Drew Fryman (runner-up) and Grady Bounds (Sub Junior champ). It was a tough day for most, but Abigail Jonn Malecha (Junior champ) and Tavo Guajardo Jr. (Sub Veteran champ) managed to break 96s on this final day of wind shooting.

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SHOOTREPORT

58

HIGH OVER ALL

HIGH ALL AROUND

Ben Schlatter at the young age of 18 won the High Over All with a total of 1227x1300. Peter Walker finished one target behind for the AAA class trophy. You probably know her by her sweet laugh. Ben's momma/mentor, Lori, who does not watch Ben shoot, but instead walks around visiting with others, had a smile as big as the whole gun club.

Ben started shooting his K-80 in 2017 and shows no signs of slowing up. He usually attends at least ten larger shooting events all over the US and is on the road two weeks at a time. Tom, his mentor/neighbor, has a trap house on his property and invited Ben to shoot. As the shooting lessons grew so did Ben, into the champion he has become.

HIGH OVER ALL CH AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET

BEN SCHLATTER PETER WALKER JACK HOLLAND ABIGAIL JONN MALECHA GINO PRADO JACK FOREMAN JR MILES TUCKER KATIE JONES DEBORAH OHYE NEILSON PAYTON WOTTOWA JAYDEN ELLIS DALTON GARRET HELMS DENNIS JOHNSON JEFF WEBB MARVIN ALLBRIGHT JR

IA MN KY MN TX TX KY MB PA IL AR IL SD TX TX

1227 1226 1215 1189 1176 1153 1135 1218 1192 1166 1217 1220 1205 1213 1173

HIGH ALL AROUND Katie Jones was the HAA champion with a score of 391x400. Missing only nine targets in the championship events, with the less than ideal conditions, was a real feat of perseverance by this young lady and there is little doubt that we will be reading about her shooting exploits for years to come.

With a bit of humor I would like TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

CH AAA AA A B C D LD1 LD2 SUB JR JR JR GOLD SUB VET VET SR VET

KATIE JONES KYA FUNKHOUSER DREW FRYMAN ABIGAIL JONN MALECHA GRADY BOUNDS JACKSON HALLABOUGH LANNY KINNER JENNIFER RUTGER DEBORAH OHYE NEILSON PAYTON WOTTOWA JAYDEN ELLIS DALTON GARRETT HELMS BRIAN MOHLER DOUGLAS BRIGGS RICHARD CHANDLER

MB OK TX MN TX TX NY TX PA IL AR IL ND TX TX

to make you laugh. Visualize this moment in your mind. I shot my

391 383 384 382 375 370 352 385 371 376 388 377 380 377 372

shot then the other squadmates shot their round. Then it was my turn to shoot again, I loaded my shell without looking down and went to pull the gun up to shoot.

The gun would not come up so I pulled again and nothing. As I looked down to see what was going on my squad was looking at me like,”Why aren't you shooting?” I always place my barrel on my left flip flop pad next to my toes after each shot without looking.This time it slipped off my flip flop and the choke got stuck. Yep, with a perfect fit, my choke was wedged in the yardage control joint. All I could do was point to the barrel as I was looking at my squad and see them laughing. Finally it came loose with

no damage to my choke tube. This might be a first in the history of trapshooting.

Sadly, by the time you read this article you will have already made plans for attending this shoot at another establishment. Many of you shooters have come through the flags that line the entrance only to have memories of the grand view from the hilltop. The view includes the grounds and trees that join the neighboring houses and businesses.

Save the memories and look at your trophies or souvenirs and remember the good times you had at the National Shooting Center because the Southwestern Grand is moving on to another venue. See you in Kansas this September 2023. n

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SHOOTREPORT

60

MEDALS

BACK TO BACK

TRAP TEAM WOMEN TOOK GOLD AERIEL SKINNER, KAYLE BROWNING AND RACHEL TOZIER

FOR

TEAM USA TRAP SHOOTERS

SKEET TEAM MEN TOOK GOLD AS WELL DERRICK MEIN, JAKE WALLACE AND WILL HINTON

BY MATTHEW GAY Building on the success in Cypress, Team USA performed brilliantly at the ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru. Once again, the US Team led the way with the total number of medals earned by any country in attendance and this time landing in the top spot in the Trap and Skeet events with four Golds, three Silvers and four Bronzes.

WOMEN INDIVIDUAL TRAP Team USA’s Kayle Browning posted a total day one qualification score of 66x75. On day two of qualifications, Kayle dropped only 4 targets of the 75 attempted, including a perfect 25x25. After five rounds Browning’s 113x125 sent her to the semi-final TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

round in the third slot. A 21x25 in the semis jettisoned her to the medal match facing India’s Shagun Chowdhary, and a pair of Italian shotgunners, Gala Ragazzini and Alessandra Della Valle. It took 33 targets in the medal match to cement Kayle’s Silver medal for Team USA.

WOMEN TEAM TRAP The American ladies kept rolling in the team event and maintained a dominant pace throughout. The three-person Team USA squad of Kayle Browning, Aeriel Skinner and Rachael Tozier posted a 191x225 to take the number one spot in the qualification round by seven targets, setting themselves up to face the

Guatemalan team in the gold medal round. In the gold medal round the Team USA squad posted a 66x75, outpacing the Guatemalan contingent by three targets to secure gold in the Women’s team trap event.

MIXED TRAP EVENT The mixed trap event takes a team of two shooters from a given nation, one from the women’s team and one from the men’s team. Those two-

SUPPORT AMERICA’S SHOOTING TEAM!

USASHOOTING

USASHOOTING

USASHOOTING

USASHOOTINGTEAM

SHOOTREPORT

62

person teams then compete for medals after a 75 target qualifier.

After posting a collective score of 129/150 the USA-1 team of Kayle Browning and Derek Haldeman secured a trip to the Bronze medal match against the Guatemalan team of Brol Cardenas and Soto Abril. After dropping six targets each, the match was decided in a shoot-off.

Haldeman and Browning ultimately prevailed to claim the Bronze medal for the American team.

COACH JAY WALDRON WITH TRAP MIXED TEAM MEMBERS KAYLE BROWNING AND DEREK HALDEMAN

MEN’S TRAP Through the first two days of qualification, the four representatives

LIMA WORLD CUP MEDAL STANDINGS RANK - NATION GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL MEDALS

of Team USA maintained

placements in the top ten.

1 - USA 4 3 4 11 Derrick Mein, Will Hinton

and Jake Wallace all

qualified for the semi-final 2 - ITALY 3 2 1 6 rounds and would face

shooters from five other 3 - SPAIN 2 1 1 4 countries to vie for a spot in the medal match. When the smoke cleared Derrick 4 - PERU 1 1 2 Mein’s 19 in the semis

qualified him to compete

against Spain’s Alberto 5 – PUERTO RICO 1 1 2 Fernandez, Italy’s Erminio Frasca and Mexico’s Jorge Orozco Diaz. After 25 6 - ARGENTINA 1 1 targets attempted,

Derrick’s score of 20x25 6 - GUATEMALA 1 1 earned him the Bronze medal for Team USA.

6 - MEXICO 1 1

9 - FRANCE 2 2

The delegation from Team USA was not done making 10 - INDIA 1 1

MEN’S TEAM TRAP

their presence known. The TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

team trap competition partnered up a squad consisting of Derrick Mein, Will Hinton and Casey Wallace. This squad held the number two slot after the qualification round, just four targets back from the team from Spain.Their performance qualified them for the Gold medal match against the Spanish contingent. After a relatively even match the Americans came out on top, claiming Gold for the USA Shooting Team.

A DOMINANT PERFORMANCE Outpacing the closest country in attendance by five medals, the United States Shooting Team dominated the Lima World Cup event.

Building on this continued success in Peru, they head to Lonato, Italy for another World Cup which runs from April 19th through April 30th.

TrapShootingUSA magazine would like to congratulate Team USA on a phenomenal performance and

recognize the dedication and hard work it takes for them to compete at such a high level on the international stage. We continue to be in awe of what these athletes are capable of, while being thankful for them as they travel the world representing our nation. We wish them continued success in Lonato and look forward to highlighting their future achievements. n For information on the Team USA members and events visit usashooting.org

Editor’s note: Matthew Gay is a shooting instructor from Michigan, the Head Coach of the Olivet College Clay Target Team, Vice-President of the Michigan Scholastic Clay Target Program Board of Directors, a bunker trap junkie and Master Class Sporting Clays competitor.

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.

WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE CAN DO THIS — TOGETHER.

GunOwnersCare.org

GUNREVIEW

64

CZ-USA

SCTP STERLING

BY MATTHEW GAY

INITIAL IMPRESSION As always, we like to start with a big thank you to the folks at CZ USA for making a sample of this innovative target breaking machine available to TrapShootingUSA for a review. The CZ Sterling came protected by a sturdy ABS case labeled with the CZ crest.

When all the packaging was removed, I found a very different model than I had reviewed before.

The stock was undoubtedly purpose built with youth and lady shooters in mind. The accessories case held three additional extended choke tubes and accessories for the adjustable comb.

Manual and warranty cards were contained within the case.

THE STOCK CZ-USA’s David Miller orchestrated this model’s development and the Sterling’s stock is perhaps the largest benefactor of his research. In need of filling a void in the market, Dave evaluated stock dimensions from four separate stocks of youth shooters who had custom made or fitted gunstocks on their target guns.

What he found was a uniform TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

consistency in measurements across the board; increased pitch, more drop at comb and adequate cast. The SCTP Sterling is the result of this effort by CZ-USA to reach out directly to customers, then produce a model which most accurately fits the needs of those customers.

The Turkish walnut on this sample has a nicely contrasted lineal figure and was finished in an elegant oil satin sheen. CZ-USA has maintained a classical yet modern theme by employing stippling in place of checkering, which provides for a secure grip. A very comfortable, yet not extreme, right handed palm swell adds to the ergonomics of the stock making for excellent all-around grip characteristics. The forearm is the Schnabel type with the same stippling and locks solidly in place with a standard lever mechanism which engages a barrel lug.

The drop at heel on this adjustable stock is significantly more than we are used to seeing on standard off-theshelf target guns, measuring three inches. The factory installed four-way adjustable comb on this model is well built with sturdy hardware. With factory provided aluminum spacers to install under the comb, the drop

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GUNREVIEW

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adjustment can be secured to ensure consistent eye alignment with every mount. The factory installed rubber butt-plate is well executed and measures ½ inch thick.

THE RECEIVER The Sterling receiver is perhaps where the name comes from for this model.

The combination of mixed polished and brushed finish on this model makes for an attractive contrast.This model exudes practicality, simplicity and refinement, all at the same time. A

small amount of floral engraving decorates the top lever while the maker and model namesake are engraved on the bottom of the receiver.

CZ-USA employs the time-proven Browning style under-lug locking system adopted by many shotguns for nearly a century after John Moses conceived it, making for a solid lockup. The single selective mechanical trigger showed little play on the bottom barrel and broke at just under four pounds. The top barrel broke at four and one quarter pounds. The toggle barrel selector is arranged on top of the manual safety switch. CZ-USA utilizes a simple and brilliant feature on this model to secure the barrel selector. While some shotguns with this barrel selector placement can fail to fire if the barrel selector gets bumped slightly out of battery, it cannot happen with this model. In order to change the barrel selector, the safety must be engaged. Once the safety is moved to the fire position, the barrel selector is locked in place and cannot be moved.

THE BARRELS When talking about target guns, barrel construction and design can make or break a model’s performance and reputation. As a result, CZ-USA tests the barrel regulation of all target guns before they are shipped from their Kansas City warehouse. The barrels on this sample measured thirty inches and were well constructed with a nice dark blued finish. The ventilated midrib was installed well and helps to dissipate the heat on high volume shooting days. The 8-millimeter ventilated top rib on this model is flat and has only a Bradley style front bead.The Sterling is provided with five extended choke tubes (CYL, IC, M, IM and Full) utilizing the Mobile Choke thread pattern.

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

SHOOTING THE SCTP STERLING Since this model is designed for youth and ladies, my trap shooter wife Cheryl was the test subject for fitting, shooting and feedback. After some fitting and eye alignment work to get things just right we headed to the club. The first stop was the patterning plate. A few shots from each barrel with different loads, combined with a little fine tuning established proper eye alignment, confirmed that barrel regulation was excellent and verified point of impact was 60/40… so off to the trap field we went.

On the trap field the SCTP Sterling performed very well. The accuracy of fit, thanks to the flexibility of this model, made for comfortable shooting. Although the recoil was manageable with heavy target loads, she really enjoyed the one-ounce 1180 FPS loads. Operation was exceptional with well-timed ejectors and controls that worked perfectly.

At seven pounds and twelve ounces, the weight of this shotgun factors in two major challenges for youth and lady shooters. This sub-eight-pound gun has enough heft to absorb recoil at an excellent rate while not over burdening a shooter with excessive weight out front. The balance on this sample was one half inch in front of the trunnions.

As youth and lady shooters continue to make up a significant portion of participants in the clay target sports, CZ-USA found it necessary to build a production model which could fit that bill out of the box. Dave Miller and the folks at CZ stepped up to the plate, did their homework and created an excellent option at the perfect price point. For any youth or lady shooters looking for an awful lot of gun for the money, the CZ-USA SCTP Sterling must be a consideration. n For additional information or to find a dealer near you visit CZ-USA at cz-usa.com

Editor’s Note: Matthew Gay is a shooting instructor from Michigan, the Head Coach of the Olivet College Shotgun Team, Vice President of the Michigan Scholastic Clay Target Program and an NSCA Master Class competitor.

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LOCALCLUBS

68

THE MONDOVI CONSERVATION CLUB

BY SANDRA JO JACK

Mondovi is one of the closer clubs in Wisconsin for me to shoot at on weekends and it survives because of the support of the many trap shooters in the area who, like me, love the sport and need to stay sharp between major tournaments.

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

Mondovi (pronounced: mon-doeve) Conservation Club is located between Eleva and Mondovi, Wisconsin.The trap club is one of the hidden gems, as I call them, located here in Wisconsin. When I say hidden I mean that the club is located off the beaten path, away from the

highway and across a bridge, hidden from view. A white roped off fence line divides the parking from the sidewalk and shooting line that are located right on the other side of the fence. Looking at the background of close tall brush-type bare tree limbs that probably scream every time the targets land on the branches, you might wonder, will it even be possible to see the targets with this background?

On Saturday March 19th I went to shoot at the annual Blizzard shoot and ended up also interviewing some of the club’s volunteers and taking photos that I thought you would enjoy. How do you get 16 squads of trapshooters to come to your shoot?

Make the shoot a competition. On this day it was the approximately 30

year old Blizzard trap shoot. Mondovi versus Westgate Sportsmans Club.

Westgate is located about 30 miles north. 50 sixteen yard line targets were shot and though it is a fun time, the competition is serious. Shooters enjoy this Blizzard shoot and it happens three times during the months of February, March and April.

The two clubs rotate one weekend each during the month. This event might sound simple and quiet to you, but that is not the way it goes at the shoots. Who will win the honor for the day's total scores between the two clubs is exciting. This day Westgate’s members' total targets scored, won the event, even though it was held at Mondovi.

After shooting my 50 targets I went into the club house to gain a

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LOCALCLUBS

70

little knowledge from the volunteers that run the shoot. Buddies Rick Brantnen, a sixteen year volunteer and Dave Engstrom also a sixteen year former board member, were enjoying filling me in on the club's history. Dave called the shoot today “a grudge match between the two clubs”. President Krista Nygaard of the past three years was not at the shoot today. Al Urness, past president was very happy to let me know that he feels that the club is more of a family type shooting facility. Andy Sandborg, a board member, also known as the “lord and master of everything” was hard at work adding the shoot scores and keeping the shoot running smoothly. Not only

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

does Andy work the shoot, his two kids keep score for the shooters.

With three traps and a small club house the Mondovi Conservation Club has been in operation since the late 1950s. Prior to the club’s inception the land was home to a Youth Camp and up until 2020 the remaining 35 acres out of the 65 acres the club had been leasing from a private party. Despite having water in the clubhouse bar area, bathrooms are Porta Potties only, for now. There are plans to install indoor restrooms in the future. Thank goodness there is heat and air-conditioning.The road that goes past the fence line leads to another plus at the club, the 200 yard rifle range, a 50 yard archery and a

new 25-yard pistol range.

I asked Dave about how revenue comes into the club to stay in operation. Fundraising was the answer. This is how most small clubs are able to stay open. Dave mentioned the Sportsman's Banquet in September, as well as three other major fundraisers. There is an Ice Fishing contest located off the grounds at Mirror Lake, in August there is a chicken grilling event at the local fair which is a big money raiser. The final fundraiser is the gun a day for the month of July called the Freedom Raffle.

Taking photos of the shooters is one of my favorite jobs for my articles.

I get to meet new shooters by taking

their photo and asking permission to post their photos. Jaxon Busch caught my attention so I took photos of him. I asked two men sitting on a bench who is the young man out there shooting? Dad, Kevin said to me with a big smile “That is my son, Jaxson and he is twelve years old”. Jaxson was shooting his dad’s Winchester pump for the first round and switched to his own Winchester for the next 25 targets. Like I said, meeting new shooters at these small clubs is the highlight of my day that turned into learning that this was Jaxson's first time shooting trap. So how did he do, you ask? Well young Mr. Busch broke 19, 16, 14, and a 22! We are going to have to keep an eye on this kid. Things like this are what make these small clubs so exciting to attend. Who knows maybe I just met a future ATA champion at this small club in the country in Wisconsin.

Your support is needed at the local area small clubs. Trap clubs are a great place to hang out and gain knowledge and information about products, coaching and volunteering.

With the price of shooting and the cost of traveling to shoots go to a local club and practice to save yourself expenses and help to build the clubs revenue. n

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SHOOTERPROFILE

72

BRITT DALTON

A SHOOTER PROFILE

BY JACQUE SNELLENBERGER At the young age of nine, Britt Dalton was introduced to trapshooting by his father, Cory. Being an avid trapshooter himself, Cory wanted to share his love of the sport with his son. After registering his first hundred targets, Britt was hooked. The family lived in Silver City, New Mexico and Britt competed in small local shoots around the state between the ages of 12-17.

Baseball was a big part of his life when he was young and much of the shooting season found him instead on the baseball diamond. However, in his senior year, during prom weekend, Britt decided to travel with Cory to San Antonio, Texas for the Southwestern Grand. While there, his dad had a surprise graduation gift for him. It was a new shotgun, a Krieghoff K80 Trap Special Top Single! He still shoots that gun today, now with a ProSoft Stock TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

built by Phil Simms with a soft comb.

After graduating Britt served a two year service mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Melbourne, Australia, where he added a few interesting stories to his repertoire, including being shot at!

From there he played college baseball in Virginia before moving to St. George, Utah to finish his bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. That is where he married his sweetheart, Jennifer. Britt's original goal was to become a doctor and he did all the doctor things including working in and experiencing hospice care up close and personal. Unfortunately for the medical profession, his tender heart and the tediousness of schooling derailed those plans.

After finishing his degree he went home to New Mexico to figure things

out. His dad Cory had a drilling company, Badger Western Exploration Inc, and he went to work for him for several months. Later, Britt found a job working for the state of Nebraska as a Water Supply Specialist utilizing his biology degree.

During this time, as he was competing in shoots when he could and was becoming increasingly fascinated with flying, something that had intrigued him since he was a young boy. Having Jim Copsey as a shooting friend made that fascination a reality when Copsey, a retired airline pilot, kept encouraging Britt to pursue aviation. So, less than two years after accepting the position in Nebraska, he and his wife packed up and

moved to Phoenix, Arizona in September of 2019, where he started flight training and they've been there ever since. After graduating flight school with numerous ratings (certifications) Covid hit and many pilots were furloughed, including Britt.

Britt’s faith prevailed as during this time his wife’s father passed away and he was able to be there for her during that trying time. Also during this time, Britt and his dad bought an airplane to

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74

start building flight hours and he spent time with his family shooting.

This is when he really started competing and traveling to more shoots with Cory and his younger brother Cole. To Britt, this experience was priceless. Any goals he has achieved in life mean more when his dad, brother, and wife are by his side.

He’s won many state titles in New Mexico and in Arizona. But the most significant win for him was this last year when he won all five state titles during the 2021 Arizona State shoot in Tucson.

Jim Powers is a gentleman that Britt has looked up to for many years.

“He is always teaching me something new about the game. Shooting on a good squad is how a lot of memories are made. And they’re priceless.” Jim Powers also told him, “Your eyes are the most important thing in trapshooting. If you see the target and really lock your eyes on the target then everything else will fall into place.”

Britt uses this advice and really tries to focus on seeing the target when he is shooting and almost every time he misses it’s because he moved the gun before seeing the target or didn’t get a good lock on the bird. This is where he gets his shooting mantra from, “Stay at Home.”

Britt believes it’s important to shoot on a good squad because it

BRITT HUGGING DAD AFTER WINNING ARIZONA STATE HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP IN A SHOOT OFF WITH GERRY WILLIAMS AND WON ALL 5 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TUCSON LAST YEAR. TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

pushes you to perform to the best of your ability. It must be true since his father, Jim Powers, Randy Foster, Greg Surber, Stan Baker, Dalton Jennings, and his brother are included in his best memories—completing his own Grand Slam (2012) while they watched in the Clay Target Championship at the Grand American, watching his dad (2013) and then his brother (2014) finish their own Grand Slams, and of course, being inducted into the New Mexico Hall of Fame in 2017 with his squad cheering him on.

Practice routines are pretty much a thing of the past for Britt. He used to practice when he was younger, but now he doesn’t have the time nor does he want to waste the shells and money.

Watching Phil Kiner's Eye Video Exercise about a month before a major competition along with some gun mounts is the extent of his practice now. That means the first few days of a shoot are his practice. “Jim Copsey tells me that I am like a Boeing 747 taking off, that it takes some time to get rolling but once I get rolling you better watch out.” This could explain why the Grand American is his favorite place to shoot. Britt says, “I love the atmosphere of competing against the best and competing for a ring. It's fun trying to get in 'the zone' and keep it going for the entire shoot.” He has 10 straight days to get it rolling, and he always seems to do just that. As a matter of fact, Britt almost had a Grand “Grand” Slam—breaking all 400 in the Championships at the Grand, but missed late in one of the Handicap events in Sparta last year. His goal this year is to finish the Grand “Grand” Slam and win a ring at the Grand, especially in the HOA or HAA. Great shooters always have embarrassing moments, and Britt is no exception. In November 2021 at the Autumn Grand after shooting a 99 in Handicap, he shot off under the lights.

He felt like he couldn't hit a thing, and he thinks he might have had an 18 if he was lucky. He remembers asking

himself, "Am I shooting the same gun that I shot my 99 with?" When he finished, he realized he hadn’t missed that many Handicap targets during the entire Autumn Grand. However, he remembers laughing and saying, "Well at least I got my bad round out of the way for the year!" This is what great shooters always do to get through the tough times—they turn it around to a positive and forget it or learn the lesson and move on. They do not let it derail their shooting.

It doesn’t take much time to recognize Britt is definitely a family man who enjoys hunting, fishing, and flying. Family means everything to Britt and he realizes that his support comes from the ones he loves—his wife who encourages him to compete and comes to cheer him on when she can, his mom who not only encourages but is the first one to brag on him as well,

and his dad, Cory, who Britt says has sacrificed so much for him to be able to shoot and to be competitive and who has taught him everything that he knows, who is his best friend, who is there to help him pattern his gun and stand behind him on the trapline letting him know what corrections to make.

Last year Britt racked up averages of 98.91% over 6500 Singles targets, 94.56% over 6400 in Handicap, and 97.21 over 5600 in Doubles, along with taking third place in the Open Category on the All American Team in 2021.

Belief in his family and faith will continue to allow this gentleman, Britt Dalton, to go farther in trapshooting than ever imagined. n

L TO R: DAD (CORY), GREG SURBER, RANDY FOSTER, BRITT, AND DALTON JENNINGS.

L TO R: DAD (CORY), JIM POWERS, AND BRITT (ALL THREE OF THEM HAVE BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE NEW MEXICO HALL OF FAME).

LOCALCLUBS

76

THE HOLMEN ROD & GUN CLUB

IS THE LEADING SHOOTING SPORTS CLUB IN THE AREA! HRGC FACILITIES INCLUDE: • Clubhouse • Five Trap Ranges • Dedicated Cowboy Action Ranges • Silhouette Range • Blackpowder Range • Action Pistol Range • Rimfire and Pistol Ranges • Rifle Range 25–250 Yards • Archery Range • Shotgun Patterning Area I thought it would be fun to spotlight a club that I have been shooting trap at for years. The club is another hidden gem located in Wisconsin, close to LaCrosse. It is a pretty impressive facility. How many trap clubs can say they are a multi venue club like Holmen? Not many, but with the volunteers that run the club it has had all the above events happening on TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

BY SANDRA JO JACK any given day since 1952.

The setting of the five trap trapshooting club is in the woods surrounded by trees. Oh my, talk about distractions. The targets seem to disappear into the hillside that is lined with brown dead grass, tan sand piles and dead moss that swallow up the targets before the target appears again in the trees. That is when the head comes off the stock, where did that target go? Are the shooters afraid to shoot there? Heck no, because a challenge is always welcomed. Eighty plus shooters shoot trap at the winter weekend Blizzard events. The Blizzard shoot is part of Monroe/Jackson County and LaCrosse/Vernon competition for the total highest scores. Friendly but fierce competitive shooters show up to post the highest scores for their area.

The clubhouse, with its cement block siding, is a bit more modern

with indoor plumbing. I enjoy shooting at this club, but the goofy setting makes the targets more of a challenge than other clubs. The trap houses face the south, so the sun is in your face and also cast shadows on the fields that I described above.

Speaking with Bruce Hansen, Vice President and also a past President,

told me that the best part of the trapshooting at this club, for him, are the kids that shoot there. There should be about 100 6th - 12th graders from the Holmen High school that will be practicing at the club preparing for state and national tournaments. Bruce also mentioned that every student has a chance here, mentioning that they

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LOCALCLUBS

78

BRUCE HANSEN, VP

even have wheelchair and specialneeds shooters practicing. Sidewalks lead from trap house to trap house for easy accessibility. Head coaches Zak Kaatz and Melissa Kaatz volunteer at the club to ensure that the kids are able to learn the sport correctly.

President Josh Stoos walked up while Bruce and I were talking and it was perfect timing since he had just popped in for a few minutes. I asked Josh how many years has he been President and he said, “Five years now”, and laughing he also said he was suckered into it.

Hunter Safety classes are also held in the clubhouse that can accommodate about 100 people. The club is open on Tuesdays for trap shooting leagues and student practice on Wednesdays and Sundays.

As I am typing this I am wondering TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

how do the volunteers that run the club have time for their own private lives? Obviously the volunteers are not just about the time they give up, they are giving from their heart.

The 86 acre, 14 range club does not need to do much fundraising.

There are plenty of events being held at this club to keep the club in the black. Bruce Hansen did not know exactly how many of the members include trapshooters in the 1000+ membership. The Holmen Rod & Gun Club will be hosting the Glock Nationals, IPPA, USPSA, 3-gun, Steel Challenge, NRL, Cowboys shoots, and the Wisconsin State Bench Rest competition. With all of the above events there was one missing—ATA shoots. Because the club faces south into the sun they do not hold ATA shoots at the club.

You might be wondering why an article about two different local clubs is in this issue. Remember, without the small local clubs with their lower prices for us ATA shooters to practice at, it would be hard to get any practice in between major shoots.

The local league night shooters have

a chance to hang out with friends and build their skills for possibly being the next ATA champion. I am privileged to have so many local clubs in my area to shoot at on weekends. Because of the volunteers and shooters that support them, this goes on almost every weekend in Wisconsin. By the way, the club is always welcoming you to help out during the day. n

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PITA NEWS

BLANKBLANK

80

PITA HALL OF FAME

RECOGNIZES 2022 INDUCTEES The PITA Hall of Fame Committee will recognize its 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees—Ron Alcoriza and Leland “Billy” Myers, Jr.—at this year’s Grand Pacific Tournament (July 24-30 at the Evergreen Sportsmen’s Club). The induction ceremony is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, July 28th.

RON ALCORIZA

LELAND “BILLY” MYERS, JR.

Ron, a resident of Acampo, California, began his shooting career in the 1970’s.

To date, he has registered PITA 143,400 targets. Over the years Ron has garnered many California State and Grand Pacific awards. Some of Ron’s highlights: • PITA All Star – 5 years (1982-85, and 1987) • California State awards • High Over All Championships (4 years) • Handicap Championships as well as Champion runner-up (2 years) • Doubles Championships or Class titles (6 years) • Singles Champion, Champion runnerup and Class winner (10 years) • Grand Pacific Doubles Championships (2 years)

Almost no one would know who Leland Myers is but mention Billy Myers and that’s a different story.

Billy, a Life Member, is being inducted into the HOF for his years of service to his home club (Eel River Trap Club), to the California State

On and off the field, Ron has proven to be a good competitor. He has made himself available to others who seek guidance and training techniques, looking to helping fellow trap shooters to improve.

TRAPSHOOTINGUSA

PITA Association, and to the PITA Executive Committee.

During his 26 years of service at the Eel River Trap Club, he served as Club President for 14 years, and as Secretary and Newsletter Editor for 15 years. He has served on the California State Association Board for over 22 years, holding the office of President as well as the State Handicap and Rules Chair. Billy has also served 20 years on the PITA Executive Committee. During his years on the Executive Committee, he held the office of President (2 terms), the office of Vice President (1 year), the office of Treasurer (7 years), and multiple years as the Chair of the Central Rules and Handicap Committee (aka Governance Committee).

During his 26 years of service to our sport and to the Association, he often did so when the Association needed help the most. In 2005, when contract negotiations broke

down, forcing the PITA Grand Pacific to be held at two locations, Billy led the Association through what could have been a logistical nightmare to one of the highest attended Grands in many years. Then, in 2016, after a mass resignation from the Executive Committee, Billy stepped up to serve as President once again, carrying the Committee through what could have been a very difficult period. While Billy is no longer an elected member of the PITA Executive Committee, he continues to be a valuable resource of PITA history, information and guidance to the Committee.

Through all those of years of service, Billy has been able to shoot winning scores as well but he wishes to be remembered for his service to the sport of trap shooting. n

Welcome, Ron and Billy, to the PITA Hall of Fame!

LELAND “BILLY” MYERS, JR.

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