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CONNECTICUT TRAVELERS SPORTING CLAYS ASSOCIATION

APRIL 2001 NEWSLETTER
© Bruce Buck, editor

MARCH MADNESS by Howdy Breakmore

OK everybody, all together now, let's say The
Word.....MUD....boot-sucking, carpet-clogging, primordial ooze. But
if we thought it was tough making one lap around the course, think
what it must have been like for Mike and his gang to set up and
prepare the course for this shoot.

And what a shoot it was ! For my inflationary two cents, this was an
all-time top ten course, and for a variety of interesting reasons.
First, this shoot jump starts the year....January and February in New
England just don't count in a season's plan. You might get a lucky
day, but then be snowbound for the next three weeks. But March is
different: The sun is starting to work, and with four less layers of
costume, your length-of-pull is coming back to familiar range. 129
Travelers thought likewise and, appropriately shod, hit the stands.

There were more stations set on the skeet/trap fields this time, and
these targets, typically, aren't eye-game, short window trick shots.
It's more like "Here I am, take your best shot". When you have 5 or 6
seconds to see a target in flight, you have a lot of time to select a
large menu of misses.

Station 8 was just plain fun: you stood against one of the walls and
got a slow pop-up from the right, followed by a tiny going away bird
thrown from a diabolical temporary tower. Not since Richard III has
"the tower" held such menace. Variety is the spice of sporting clays
and we were treated to a highly spiced course.

Station 10 had a nuclear powered L to R off the top of a skeet house
which was on a downward path, this followed by a R to L on an upward
flight. Two opposite swings with the tendency to go over the first
and under the second.

It was a cloudless, brilliant, but windy day, and the targets were
moving about a bit. I noticed that most standard targets will hop,
much like a rabbit, but I didn't see many misses that were due to
wind. The battues seem the most effected: they are very reluctant to
turn over in a stiff breeze, and may just cruise on out of
range...like a few did on station #15.

The target thrown from the right would stay knife-thin until it
banked behind a tree or got too far out for us mortals. The L to R
that came on report was hittable but took some compound lead
calculations.

We worked our way around the course and finished with stations #1, #2
and #3. Good thing that we got to #1 late in the round: it ate my
lunch SO bad that I wouldn't have made it the rest of the day.

The Tower was used again to throw a "simple" pair of high crossers.
Yeah, right. We watched several squads ahead, and 1s and 2s were the
norm. Self-confidence was melting faster than the snow, but then I
watched both Preston and Paula Moore smack 5 of 8 birds. When asked,
Paula said "don't think"....OK, I can rarely be accused of thinking
no matter what the exercise, so I was looking good.

There was something she must have forgotten to mention....I blanked
it. The good shooters I saw and spoke with during the day were all
smiling, not complaining, and enjoying...but they were working !!
This is another reason it was a special course: The targets were
absolutely fair, totally accessible, and imminently challenging.
There were no beach balls here, you had to get out there and work for
every X and O on your card.

The result: satisfaction at having made a great effort no matter what
the number. The lesson: don't let that number on your score sheet
define the day. There were a lot of happy shooters who may have been
many birds off their average. Again, I didn't hear a bad word all
day.

Two of our best, Mark Schreyer and Zaid Siddig had the graciousness
to tie with 80's (awesome) and provide us with a shoot-out. Keith
Lupton orchestrated superbly (remember those Pawling Mountain
shoot-offs) and Mark and Zaid shot lights-out. The tower was used
again, but I thought the oooh & aaahhh shot was the way they took
that crosser way at the last millisecond as it was dying out there.

A great lunch...Al Fresco in March, are you nuts ?? Happy and
deserving winners, and nice to see Victory shells on the table. What
a special day, and may some of those feelings last all year.
Remember....next time they may all break.

HOA Mark Schreyer 80
I-1 Zaid Siddig 80*
I-2 Vinny La Scalza 78*
I-3 Mike Horodyski 78*
II-1 Preston Moore 77
II-2 Henry Nachaj 74
II-3 Bob Spofford 71
III-1 Mike Canale 73
III-2 Joe Lachick 66
III-3 George Kutch 65*
IV-1 Bruce Hernsdorf 65
IV-2 Kevin Kruleski 64
IV-3 Richard Russo 60
V-1 Paul Cahan 62
V-2 Mike Boffalo 60
V-3 Danni Jesudowich 51
VI-1 Brett Munro 50
VI-2 Judy Walter 43
VI-3 Pam Kelly 41
Ldy-1 Patti Wight 62
Ldy-2 Paula Moore 60
Ldy-3 Ginny Tennison 58
Vet-1 Joe Maresca 77
Vet-2 Alex Jesudowich 72
Vet-3 Al Anglace 71
Jr-1 George Kaiser, Jr 63
Jr-2 Sean Nash 47
Jr-3 Paul Hughes 46
Jr-4 Jon Tessier 34
Jr Ldy Kristin Roswell 32
Guest Doug Moore 71
* Ties decided by tie-breaker station
except HOA was shootoff.

Thank you for the shoot report, Mr. Breakmore. If any of you other
travelers would like to try your hand at a bit of reportage, we’d
love it. Try it once to see if you enjoy it. There’s no obligation to
continue. Of course, the adulation of the throngs and the riches of
TV endorsements which follow your Pulitzer Prize for reporting may be
hard to give up. But that’s up to you. -Editor

FOR THE LADIES by Sue Foster

I have a friend who told me she started shooting when she was a
young child. Her whole family went out together on the weekends. She,
her brother, her mother and father would shoot skeet. And they all
shared the same gun. One size fits all. NOT!

I can not stress enough how essential good gun fit is. Most people
could never pick up a gun off a rack and have it fit perfectly to
them, especially a lady shooter. Guns unlike people come in standard
sizes.

Yes, it's expensive but it's the best thing you can do with your
money aside from buying the gun itself. You can shoot with the gun
your husband shoots and may even shoot well with it. However, a gun
fit to your specifications by a professional is really the best way
to go. Otherwise you start to compensate with an ill fitting gun.

Sometimes a 12 gauge is more comfortable for a lady shooter than a 20
gauge. For me a 20 gauge was light and 'whippy' and I wanted the
weight of a 12 gauge gun. I shoot light loads and the recoil doesn't
bother me.

Each lady should decide for herself what she likes and trust her
instincts. I bought the 20 gauge because I was told it was a "nice
gauge for a lady shooter" and it is. But I knew I wanted a 12 gauge
and also knew I could handle it. That has to be your own decision.

I've learned that guns are personal preferences. Whether auto loader,
O/U, pump, side by side, it's what you like to shoot. But without
proper gun fit you are fighting against yourself. The most important
thing you can do is get the gun fit. After that whatever misses you
have you won't be able to blame on the gun.

FOLLOWING THE JUDGE…

You have to be careful dealing with hizzoner Mucho Pomposo. It’s
important to strike just the right balance between abject groveling
subservience and a gay sprightly air of naive insouciance.

When in doubt, groveling is always safest. Like any awesome oracle of
knowledge, some times are better than others in making your approach.
Post-cocktail hour is invariably better than pre-cocktail hour.
Interruptions and disturbances on the sporting course are most
hazardous.

The Judge, Miss Manners and the Technoid were enjoying a monthly
Travelers shoot, sharing their squad with two fellow Travelers and a
guest. The guest was Dartamount Dinwiddle, IV. His mother called him
"Forth", not "Fourth". It all had something to do with the birthing
process when the doctor commented "Look at that little blockhead come
forth." The boy has been confused ever since that moment, a victim
of a perverse natal etymology.

Which is why he never gets the rules right. Forth was a virtual Mrs.
Malaprop of rules. His interpretations were always close, but never
accurate. That didn’t stop him from making legal pronunciamentos at
every possible occasion. He could usually get away with it because
the average sporting clays shooter is even more ignorant of the rules
than Forth was.

It started on the second station of the day. Forth’s squad had
arrived in time to watch the two shooters from the previous squad
shoot the station. He was first on the squad and when he stepped into
the box he requested a "view" pair.

The judge didn’t notice because he was deep in a discussion with the
Technoid about the possibilities of nitrogen purged recorkage for his
beloved Port collection.

The Technoid felt that it was really a moot point. Once the Judge
opened a bottle of Port, it all went south in a short snort.
Recorking was just closing the barn door after the equine escapee.

But Miss Manners, she of the steely grey eyes and ferret-like
intuition, noticed Forth’s gaffe. At Travelers shoots it’s common
knowledge that you don’t ask for view pairs if you have had the
opportunity to see a member of the previous squad shoot the station.
It wastes targets and wastes time. Even worse, it delays luncheon.

Forth wasn’t a bad guy at all. Walking to the next station he started
to drape his open O/U over his shoulder. But he caught himself before
it whanged someone and tucked it properly under his arm. Miss Manners
slid the long lethal hatpin harmlessly back into her silver grey
hair.

The Judge led off the next station and it was Forth’s turn to keep
score and ref. The placard at the station said that there would be
three following pairs of typical Travelers Tough 80 yard on-edge
micro-minis.

By some miracle the Judge smoked the first bird of the first pair. He
then shucked his CT State Prison System Model 97 hammer pump and
waited for the following bird. It never came. The machine ate it.

"No bird," hooted Forth. "First bird established dead. Repeat the
pair."

The Judge now faced a problem. In legal circles the concise Latin
expression for the situation was "Damndus ifus you dous and damndus
ifus you dontus." The Technoid thought of it in advanced mathematical
terms described as __ (screwed squared).

Everyone, except Forth, knew the NSCA rules very clearly:

2001 NSCA Rule Book, section IV, paragraph J: "Scoring Pairs- In the
event of a "no bird" on a simultaneous or following pair, nothing can
be established. Two good targets must be presented to record the
score. This will also apply for gun/ammunition malfunctions while
shooting pairs." and also:

"Scoring Pairs- In the event of a "no bird" on the second target of a
report pair, the first bird will be established as "dead" or "lost"
and the shooter will repeat the pair to establish the result of the
second target. When repeating the pair, the shooter must make a
legitimate attempt at the first target."

Basically, in simos and following pairs, nothing was established. In
report pairs, the first bird was established. Them’s the rules. But
the problem was that the Judge had absolutely smoked the first bird
of this following pair. There was no way in the world that Hizzoner
would ever hit it again. A complete do-over, as the rules required
for a following pair, would result in the certainty of a goose egg
for our Judicial Jeddite. Also, with many stations to go, a
disgruntled judge would be a distinct damper on the afternoon. Could
that blindfold on the brow of Justice be raised just a smidgen to let
her have a peek at this deserving soul?

Not-on-your-life! Nevah! That’s a plate of cheating basted with the
sauce of ignorance, pure and simple. The judge turned to Forth and
rumbled, "You dunder head! The rule clearly states that a following
pair must be repeated with nothing established if the second bird
comes out broken." Forth managed to stammer a "Yessir", but the
damage was done. Of course, the Judge fanned on all the ensuing pairs
and finished the day righteous, but wrecked. Caesar’s wife never had
it easy either.

Mucho Pomposo perked up a bit at lunch when his court clerk/lackey
brought in a bottle of Port. The Judge beamed as he sang the praises
of this fabulous bottle of Smootheroso Yummytummy Ultra Grand Ancient
Vintage Porto. It was hard to believe that the Judge was actually
going to share it. But grandly share he did, pouring it into many
paper cups so that all the parched might partake this nectar of the
gods. Everyone praised him for his port-ly generosity, his clay
target righteousness and his general judicialness. Forth even raised
the question of sainthood, but Hizzonor coyly demurred.

After the shoot, the judge and his clerk chatted as they strolled
back to the gleaming dark green Bently.

"Clerk, you did remember to save the bottle, didn’t you."

"Oh yes, sir. And I’ll make sure to fill it back up with the Gallo
Extra Heavy Malaga Port just like before. It was on sale."

The judge beamed beatifically. Cheating at sporting clays was beyond
the pale, but a little fudging elsewhere didn’t really do any real
harm. You had to have your priorities. Who better than he to be the
judge of those.




*** 2001 CONNECTICUT TRAVELERS SHOOT SCHEDULE ***


APR 22 YE OLDE NEWGATE COON CLUB-TAX TIME REVOLT
MAY 6 EAST MOUNTAIN- COURTING CLAYS
MAY 20 TAMARACK-MAY MINUET
JUN 2-3 PEACE DALE- CLUB FITASC CHAMPIONSHIPS
JUN 23 TAMARACK-NATIONAL TURKEY FEDERATION
JUL 15* ORVIS SANDANONA-SUMMER TIME, SUMMER TIME
JUL 28* MID-COUNTY-DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CLAMBAKE
AUG 10-12 ADDIEVILLE EAST-GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SEP 16 FAIRFIELD COUNTY- CLUB SUBGAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
OCT 5-7 FALL TRIP TO PENNSYLVANIA
OCT 21* MILLBROOK ROD & GUN-OKTOBERSCHUTZENFEST
NOV 18 EAST MOUNTAIN-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
NOV 25 EAST MOUNTAIN-KOEHLER SOCIETY FUNDRAISER
DEC 16 MID-COUNTY-CHRISTMAS PARTY SHOOT
* date pending


*** OTHER SHOOTS OF INTEREST ***
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, CALL AHEAD TO CONFIRM

APR 5~8 NSCA, TX (210-688-3371) WORLD ENGLISH SPORTING CH
APR 13~15 PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730) RICHIE’S FITASC!
APR 20~22 M&M, NJ (856-935-1230) SEAFOOD BLAST
MAR 4 SUFFOLK, NY (516-924-4490) JEFF GOUN MEMORIAL SHOOT
MAY 5~6 ADDIEVILLE, RI (401-568-3185) RUGER ALL AROUND
MAY 19 FRIAR TUCK, NY (800-832-7600) COUPLES FUN SHOOT
MAY 16~20 M&M SPORTING (856-935-1230) US OPEN
MAY 25~27 HOMESTEAD, VA (800-838-1766) HOMESTEAD CUP
JUN 6 PAWLING MTN, NY (203-452-1639) DU SHOOT
JUN 16 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-429-6566) DU SC SHOOT
JUN 22~24 HOPKINS, MD (410-348-5287) GREAT AMERICAN
JUN 30~JUL 1 ADDIEVILLE, RI (401-568-3185) NESCA/WORLD SENIORS SC CH
JUL 22 ADDIEVILLE, RI (401-568-3185) NORTHEAST DU SC OPEN
JUL 27~29 PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730) NEW ENGLAND FITASC CH
JUL 28~29 J&P, MD (410-438-3832) BLUE CRAB CLASSIC
AUG 19 HOPKINS, MD (410-348-5287) NSCA ZONE 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS
AUG 25~26 SKAT, NH (603-878-1257) NSCA ZONE 1 CHAMPIONSHIPS
SEP 9 ADDIEVILLE, RI (401-568-3185) RUFFED GROUSE SOC. CH
SEP 13~16 NSCA, TX (210-688-3371) NSCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
SEP 27~30 ROSE HILL, NC (252-356-2662) UK/US MASTERS FITASC
NOV 9~11 PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730) FALL FITASC CH


CONTACTING THE TRAVELERS...

CTSCA Home Office: Email <CTSCA@email.com> (by far the best way) or
telephone 860-354-9351 if you absolutely must.

Membership, Address Changes and Shooting Class status: Contact Cyndi
Dalena at 860-584-1083 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Leave message.
Or Email shotguncyndi@prodigy.net

Reload! To place an ad or post a shoot date, contact Bruce Buck at
tel: 203-454-1080 (worst way), fax to 707-215-0668 (second worst way)
or <brucebuck@email.com> (marvelous way!). The current and previous
issues of Reload! are posted on the internet at
<www.ShotgunReport.com>. You will also find megs and megs of other
useless Technoidal drivel there. Great literature never dies. It just
sort of lurks around.



**** THE UPCOMING TRAVELERS MONTHLY SHOOT ****


SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2001
TAX TIME REVOLT
YE OLDE NEWGATE COON CLUB
NORFOLK, CT

We all know that your 1040 was just your opening offer, but at least
you can now have some fun until the Feds break down your door to get
whatever is left. It is time to relax and squander the meager
pittance which our noble Congress permits us to keep. Unless, of
course, you have already donated it to Billery’s gift register fund.
Besides, what better way to irritate the politically correct than to
spend your refund on shooting? After the shoot, go have a few glasses
of port at your cigar club. That’ll incense every single person at
BATF. No point in playing favorites.

Transfer your assets to Ye Olde Newgate Coon Club in Norfolk, CT by
9:00 AM to check off your name and deduct a few donuts by Dunkin. We
will have you presquadded because you will have preregistered by
Thursday, April 19 under pain of audit. No-show entry fees are
donated to our children’s charity. Luncheon at the club’s restaurant
is included in the shoot fee, perhaps something with pork in it to
honor the government. For all of this, you will only have to write
off a gross expenditure of $55. GUESTS ARE WELCOME AT THIS SHOOT.

For those who want to try sub-gauges in the Connecticut woods, you
shouldn’t find our usual handicap too taxing: 16 ga = +3, 20 ga =+5,
28 ga = +10, 410 bore = +20, pumps and SxS get another +5. Saner
people will use 12 gauge and the heaviest #7.5s they can get their
hands on. Firepower counts with the gummint. Remember Waco.

Directions to Ye Olde Newgate Coon Club, Norfolk, CT: From the
junction of Rte 84 and Rte 8 in Waterbury, CT take Rte 8 North
approximately 28 miles to Rte 44 near Winstead, CT. Turn Right onto
Rte 44 West. Go 8.4 miles on Rte 44 West. At the Texaco station turn
hard Right onto Rte 182. Go .6 miles on Rte 182 to Club House on
Left. If lost call the Olde Newgate Coon Club at 860-542-5028.

NOTE: EYE AND EAR PROTECTION IS MANDATORY AT ALL TRAVELERS’ SHOOTS!

Internet readers: The Connecticut Travelers are a private club. Their
shoots are closed to the general public, but guests of members are
welcome at most shoots. There is a waiting list to join the club. If
you wish to enquire, contact <CTSCA@email.com>. We admit some new
members from the waiting list each February.