RELOAD!

APRIL 2003 NEWSLETTER
© Bruce Buck, editor

MARCH MADNESS
Mid-Hudson Club, New Paltz, NY
March 16, 2003

Though this first “real” shoot of the year is formally named “March
Madness”, our very own El Jefe Presidente Maximo Supremo suggested
that this one be named “March Mudness”. How apt.

After the coldest, snowiest winter in recent memory, the gods of sport
relented on this day and gave us warmth and sun. It was in the
mid-60s, easily the warmest day of the year to date. Shirtsleeve
weather. It was mah-vel-ous! Yes, there were still six inches of snow
in the fields and every bit of six inches of boot-sucking mud on the
trails, but it was warm and springish. “Oh frabjous joy!”, carroled
Lewis.

Mike Maglio, the owner of Mid-Hudson, always does a great job of
course setting. By the way, he also footed the entire bill for our
eight (a record) Junior shooters. Thank you, Mike.

Setting a course for the first “real” shoot of the Travelers’ year is
always a challenge. Like Goldilock's porridge, it shouldn’t be too
hard or soft. Mike gave us a very technical course with only one or
two shots that were just plain hard. Every time I think I’d found an
“unfair” station (translation: a station at which I personally
couldn’t hit anything), someone else on the squad would post a good
score. That certainly demonstrates something or other.

Every single shot had good visibility with only one looping teal
forcing shooters to take it early to keep it out of the sun.
Everything else was right there where you ought to hit it. Not all
close or easy, mind you, but definitely hittable.

We had fifteen stations, almost all of which were two machine
presentations. A favorite theme was an arcing crosser followed by a
shallow quartering away bird. Crossers require the most gun movement.
Arcing crossers even more. Quartering birds require the least gun
movement and lead. You get forced into a big move and then restricted
to a tiny move on the report. Too much move on the report quarterer
and you would positively shoot in front. On shallow

quartering away birds, try shooting at the rear edge of the bird,
trusting on barrel momentum to give the tiny lead needed.

So many of the shots were simple if your first move was perfect, but
unforgiving if it wasn’t. Station 8 had a quartering incomer that
landed twenty feet in front of the cage. Tons of people missed that
gimme because they rode it like a spavined nag until it dropped like a
sack of bricks and they shot over it. If they’d just shot it earlier,
it was easy. The report bird was a brisk, shallow quartering away
target that was probably much more demanding, but it was very clear
what you had to do to break it, so there weren’t as many misses. Well,
some missed the second bird because they had bent their barrels around
a tree in frustration after missing the first bird.

Face it, there are really only two kinds of misses. The first is where
the designer tricks you into making a mistake in judgment. The second
is where you know what to do, but just fail to do it. In the first
instance you tip your cap to the designer. In the second instance, you
eat the cap.

Station 14 was the Mr. Big with a huge high incomer from a tower 100
yards off dropping about 40~50 yards out depending on the wind. There
was a noticeable delay between the gun going off and the break, a sure
sign of a shot over 40 yards. This was followed by a big L>R
chandelle. This was one of those stations that looked impossible, but
wasn’t really. It was just hard. On these big incomers, pick a window
where you’ll shoot it and just do it there. The temptation is to ride
it. Don’t.

Over all, the course was just the right difficulty level. Out of 130
shooters, we had four scores in the 90s, but a pretty good number in
the 80s and 70s to indicate that our average was a little higher than
usual.

Particular kudos to HOA Kevin Goodspeed’s 96 and RU Jean duLau’s 94.
Jean used a 12 gauge Beretta with full and full chokes. Kevin, did
something even more amazing. He shot a 28 gauge pump! One that he won
at a raffle only a week before. He shot a raw score of 81 with an
added 10 bird handicap for the 28 and 5 for the pump.

When we first set up our Travelers Handicap system for our shoot in
November 1993, it was intended it to bring the little guns close, but
not quite equal to the 12s. The little guns don’t get enough birds to
get any advantage. That makes a performance like Kevin’s all the more
imposing.

We’ll be revisiting Mid-Hudson in June for our Travelers’ FITASC
championship. This will definitely be one to make as you prep for the
World FITASC Championship in Kansas this July.

HOA KEVIN GOODSPEED 96
I-1 Jean du Lau 94
I-2 Mike Horodyski 91
I-3 Brian Flanagan 86
II-1 Jon Hyrncewich 89
II-2 Bob Spofford 87
II-3 Steve Andiorio 84
III-1 Bill Drake 84*
III-2 Jim Collins 84
III-3 Dennis Maffei 82
IV-1 Chris Edge 77*
IV-2 Bob Bartolomeo 77
IV-3 George Kutch 75
V-1 Matt Canale 75
V-2 Manuel Carames 73
V-3 Valerie Hovasapian 68
VI-1 Debbe Christensen 66
VI-2 Mary Fennerty 56
VI-3 Judy Walter 51
Msdm Eleanor Levy 71
Ldy-1 Paula Moore 74
Ldy-2 AnnaMaria Collins 70
Ldy-3 Susie Clarke 69
SrVet John Levy 83
Vet-1 Tom Gansowski 87*
Vet-2 Doug Moore 87
Vet-3 Jim Kline 83
Jr-1 Sal Renzuella 66
Jr-2 Brett Munro 64*
Jr-3 Jason Lenhart 64
H/men Jeff Cornwell 63
H/men Luke Sproviero 60
H/men Kendall Coon 60
H/men Trevor Moehrke 56
H/men Anthony Battaglia 39
Guest Rod Pinkston 90
*Ties decided by tie-breaker station

VIDEO LIBRARY…

The Travelers sporting clays video library will soon be back up and
running for spring. Craig Johnson did a great job and is now passing
the baton to George Parsons. We’ll post the details here, but look for
the library video collection at the next shoot. It’s a great chance to
see tapes of how the best shoot.


LATE ENTRY…

Puleez! Get your shoot entry to the CTSCA by the Thursday preceding
the shoot. Squadding is done Thursday night. We had a dozen entries
that arrived late on Friday and had to add two complete squads, extra
shooting stations, more food, etc. And some of the late filers even
complained that they couldn’t get on the squads they wanted to.
Wait’ll Miss Manners hears about that one.

You really don’t risk much if you send your entry in early. If you
find that you won’t be able to make the shoot, just call or email the
CTSCA and you will receive credit for your entry towards the next
shoot. Nothing easier. You get your taxes done early (yeah, right), so
get your shoot registrations in early too.

GUIDE BOOK DISTRIBUTION…

The new 2003 Connecticut Travelers Guide Book and Membership Directory
is now ready for human consumption. Well, you know what I mean. Please
pick your copy up at the next shoot. If you don’t pick it up, then we
have to mail it to you and that costs a ton. To get even, we’ll
misspell you name and list your private telephone number.

If you have any questions or corrections for the Guidebook, contact
Dick Orenstein at <rho@usa.com> or call 203-454-4724.

And speaking of corrections, here are two for the 2003 book: The
correct address for Dan & Alix Mahony is: 42 Main Street, Southport,
CT 06890, and

Add: S. Robert Schrager, 60 East 42 Street, New York, NY 10165-1677,
212-661-3535, rschrager@bschloss.com


MUD BOOTS…

In our never-ending search for more ways to get you to spend your
money, we found a pretty good set of rubber boots. No, they are not
the $360 leather-lined French Chameaus with the zipper down the side
that everyone leaves open to show you that they $360 on Chameaus.
These are LL Bean “Sportsmans Rubber Hunting Boots #TA41470 at $39
uninsulated and $59 insulated. The come up well past mid-calf and are
loose enough to easily blouse your trouser cuffs in. They also have
nice air-bob soles. Most importantly, they are exactly the right shade
of olive so that you will be socially correct when you don tweeds and
breeks. There is no need to mention the money you saved.


SPRING TRIP TO MARYLAND…

Friday, April 11~Sunday, April 13. Contact Danni Jesudowich at
508-896-9655 or scoutsrents@hotmail.com if you have any last minute
questions that the mailer in the March Reload! didn’t answer.

POSTING PHOTOS…

Pierre & Martin Dubois took digital photos of our March Madness shoot
and posted them on the net at
http://losttarget.com/shoots/0303sporting/0303sporting.html for your
viewing pleasure.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone were to organize a place where we
could all download digital photos of our shoots and other interesting
Travelers stuff? If one of you could do that, we’ll certainly post the
address in “Reload!”.

A SOUTHERN ESCAPADE

By Vinny La Scalza

How do you know when you have had it with the winter? When you
completely ignore any concerns about the expense of a warm weather
holiday, but instead are focused totally on the availability of your
favorite shells. That’s where I was on February 14 as I drove to Mac
Arthur Airport on route to Atlanta, Georgia with a smug smile on my
face. The smile emanated from the certain feeling that I could find
my favorite shells anywhere I traveled on earth. After all, have your
ever heard of a place that doesn’t have a Wal-Mart??

You probably want to know about Atlanta. Well, it’s sprawl with a
drawl. The same massive buildings with the same color schemes keep
appearing every few miles selling the same products. The only thing
that keeps changing is their names! No, the real treasure of the
South is the people who live there as I found out at the first
shooting place I visited.

Cherokee Rose is about a half hour south of Atlanta. This is an old
and famous range and is now owned and operated by Casey Atkinson. I
never got a chance to speak much with her because she was too busy
getting me started with a proper golf cart and a good squad of
shooters. Before I could turn around, I was shooting and laughing
with “Scoot” and Jim on a fully automatic, double presentation
sporting clays course. Cherokee Rose also offers trap, skeet,
F.I.T.A.S.C., and 5 Stand. The 5-stand is a good one with trap #6
coming from a Mt. Everest tower behind the shooter’s left shoulder.
Thanks everyone there for making feel right at home.

At about this time I heard that the Northeast was walloped with two
foot of snow, and I immediately felt guilty. The next day was sunny
and 61 degrees, and although I much prefer 62 degrees for shooting
weather and some clouds, I shot all day long anyway in a genuine
attempt at atonement.

Brush Creek is a hunting preserve and a sporting clays facility
located in Athens about an hour and a half east of Atlanta. This
course is made up of fully automatic dual presentation targets and a
little of every kind of presentation was there. I was fortunate
enough to be able to go out on the course with the owner, David
Whitehead. By the end of the shooting David and I were having a
rollicking good time. He was kind enough to fill me in on some plans,
and by the time we parted, I was convinced I had to return.

Before I left Brush Creek, I decided to shoot some 5-stand, and boy am
I glad I did. Brush Creek has an indoor 5-stand so that the shooter
is always protected from the weather. I shot the first round with
Keith Stephens and I enjoyed it. Keith then asked me if I would like
to go “upstairs” to shoot it again. Somehow, I did not notice the
next floor when I first started shooting. That extra 15 feet in
height made the whole course seem different. You can imagine my
surprise when at the conclusion, Keith asked me if I wanted to shoot
it again from the “top” floor. Yes! There were three stories to this
five stand. This three-story experience alone was worth the visit to
Brush Creek. Again, I left feeling good not only about the shooting,
but also about the friends I made here.

TECHNOIDAL FILLER…

Did you know that the speed and distance of the target are far more
important in determining lead than the velocity of your shotshell?
Betcha didn’t.

A load of #7-1/2s started at 1200 fps requires about 10 feet of lead
on a 35 mph 50 yard crosser. Raise the shell speed to a whopping 1400
fps and the lead only decreases one lousy foot! That’s a ton of extra
recoil for only a little difference in lead.

But if you increase target speed to 50 mph, you must add four feet
your lead. Same if the bird is only 10 yards further than you guessed.
Target range and target speed estimation are everything!




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

2003 SHOOTING CALENDAR

APR 11~13 SPRING TRIP TO MARYLAND, MD-NORTH SOUTH SKIRMISH
APR 27 OLD NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT-TAX TIME REVOLT
MAY 4 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-COURTING CLAYS
MAY 18 TAMARACK PRESERVE, NY-MAY MINUET
JUN * TAMARACK, NY-NAT’L WILD TURKEY FED CONCURRENT SHOOT
JUN * MID HUDSON, NY-CTSCA FITASC CHAMPIONSHIP
JUL 20 SANDANONA/ORVIS, NY-SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME
AUG 8~10 ADDIEVILLE EAST, RI-GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SEP 14 FAIRFIELD COUNTY F&G, CT-SMALL GAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
OCT 3~5 PENNSYLVANIA -FALL TRIP
OCT 19 MILLBROOK ROD & GUN, NY- OKTOBERSCHUTZENFEST
NOV 16 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
NOV * EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-KOEHLER SOC. FUNDRAISER THREE SHOT
DEC 14 MID-COUNTY, NY-DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
* An asterisk indicates an exact date still to be determined

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

APR 11~13 PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730) SPRING FITASC CH
APR 18 NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (860-738-3619) GOOD FRIDAY OPEN
APR 20 PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730) OPEN SC CHAMPIONSHIP
JUN 16~22 HOPKINS, MD (410-348-5287) US OPEN
JUN 22 NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (860-738-3619) THREE SHOT SHOOT OUT
JUL 9~13 CLAYTHORNE, KS (620-597-2568) FITASC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS



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 860-582-3142 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Or Email
shotguncyndi@prodigy.net

Guide Book questions, contact Dick Orenstein <rho@usa.com> or call
203-454-4724.

To place an ad, post a shoot date in Reload! or simply heap abuse on
the editor, contact Bruce Buck at tel: 203-454-1080, fax: 707-215-0668
or email: <bcb23@columbia.edu>.



Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor
by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel
laureate (1844-1924)

If it ain't broke you aren't trying hard enough ­ Anon.

It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward. -Lewis Carroll,
mathematician and writer (1832-1898)

Time is nature’s way of making sure everything doesn’t happen at once.
­ Anon

I’m not the man I used to be… In fact, I never was. - Anon

Gas guns are like sheep. They know when they’re alone and they don’t
like it. ­ the Technoid








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

SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2003
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
that our noble Congress permits us to keep. 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.
There is no registration. Just show up (we suggest by 9:00 AM), note
your squad and starting station (squad # equals starting station #) on
the posted squad sheets, and be ready to go out with everyone else
after the 9:30 call-to-arms. In the meantime, you can add to your
bottom line by deducting a few donuts by Dunkin. If you arrive late,
you know the new drill. Catch up to your squad and enjoy the rest of
the birds. You may not make up for missed stations. You are shooting
just for fun. Moral: don’t send your taxes in late and don’t show up
for shoots late. We will have you presquadded because you will have
preregistered by Thursday, April 24 under pain of audit. If you can’t
get your entry fee in on time, please come to the next shoot in May.
No-show entry fees are donated to our charity at the end of the year.
Luncheon at the club’s most excellent 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_s 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!