RELOAD!

AUGUST 2004 NEWSLETTER
© Bruce Buck, editor

ORVIS SANDANONA
SUMMER TIME, SUMMER TIME SHOOT
Millbrook, NY
July 18, 2004

It was Overcast day with heavy rains predicted, but everyone knows that Mutha N
usually sides with the good guys. She was on her best behavior this time as the
rain held off until the drive home. Orvis Sandanona is always one of our premier
shoots. In spite of the fact that we ran against the Zone 1 NSCA shoot in
Addieville with 250 guns, many of them Travelers , we also had 127 Travelers
show up for Brian and Peggy Long’s excellently choreographed Sandanona “Summer
Time, Summer Time” event. As El Jefe Maximo Supremo Al always says, “We don’t
care where you shoot just as long as you shoot and have fun.”

You’ve heard it said here before that most courses have a personality. Designers
often have a preference for a particular kind of presentation. One guy will have
a fixation on quartering shots, while the next will put a curve on everything.
The Sandanona course was different. It was very well balanced. It had a little
bit of everything and not too much of anything.

There were 15 stations and at first I thought that there were too many soft
ones. The usual close range teal coming out of the woodpile were total
waste-of-time gimmes, until I missed one. There was another piece of cake going
away 15 yard woods shot where the birds started off your left elbow. Missed one
of those too. There’s a moral here. To prevent gimmes from becoming gotchas, you
have to treat every single birds as a life or death situation. Just because a
station isn’t interesting and doesn’t seem challenging, doesn’t mean you can
relax.

There were plenty of stations that grabbed your attention, held on to it and
then strangled it a bit. #5 had some 110s thrown hot and hard from high on a
hill to the shooters right across and quartering away slightly into another hill
while the shooter stood in a valley. There was some real distance and speed
involved. It was a good station for those who insist that Full choke isn’t
necessary. Yeah, right. Not only were these birds fast and far, they were also
on a downward trajectory, so you had to really crank in the lead as well as
shoot well under. Trigonometry anyone? What a brute of a station, but the good
guys did well enough. They always do.

#6 is the always ugly “Streamside Snipe”. It was a true pair of 90 and 110
thrown up a narrow stream valley. The 90 was hot and went straight out, while
the 110 sort of cruised sideways across the valley at 20 yards. If you took
your time on the straightaway, the crosser was in the bushes. If you took the
crosser before it went into the tules, the straightaway was in the next time
zone. This was a great place to gain that vital 1/10th of a second by shooting
pre-mounted and trying to jump on the straightaway really, really fast before
slashing blindly at the crosser. In reality, many people put the all crossers in
the bank first and just hoped for a lucky shot on one of the straightaways.
Sometimes it pays to cut your losses. Still, it was a great station and really
made you think because you could shoot it either bird first.

Each station seemed to teach a little lesson. #7 had a few of them. It was
basically a couple of High One going away skeet shots, but with more height,
distance and speed. Lesson One: remove baseball cap when shooting high overheads
or you can’t see them. Lesson Two: You should put your face into the stock
particularly firmly on a shot like this. If not, you’ll hear uncomplimentary
noises from the scorer. Lesson Three: You’d better have a perfect gun mount.

Although there were water coolers at most of the stands, occasionally someone
would come by with a cart full of free cold popsicles or cookie snacks as a
restorative. Very thoughtful touch and typically Sandanona. It certainly put us
in a Good Humor.

#9 was one of those neat stations that looked harder than it was. It was a pair
of quartering downhill crossers from about 3 o’clock to 11 o’clock. I still
don’t know why they weren’t hard to hit, but everyone whumped up on them and
left smiling.

#12 Chukar Gulch really made you think. You stood on the end of a pier out over
a valley floor some 60 feet below. The targets were a true pair. The first bird
started underneath you and limped slowly quartering out to your right, while the
second bird started across the valley and came howling in towards you, also to
your right. If you really jumped on the slow bird, you just barely had time to
whack the howling incomer before it augered into the hillside beneath you with a
distinct “splat”. If you took a moment too much on the first bird, the second
one was past you. It turns out that the trick was to lean out over the railing
on the pier to get a better angle on the first bird so that you could take it
sooner. If failed to conquer your acrophobia and remained safely back on the
pier, you didn’t have a chance.

#15 was another blam-blam station. It was a true right to left pair about 15
yards high in front of the shooter passing between a very small opening in the
top of the pine trees. You had to shoot the first bird as quickly as humanly
possible and than the second bird considerably faster. If you were quick, they
were dead. If not, then not.

After all of this, we had a tie of 85s between George Ostrander and Lavert
Cypher. Lavert shot 80, but had gained 5 birds shooting a Winchester Model 21
SxS. The disadvantage of the SxS in sporting, and thus the extra 5 birds, was
because the broad barrels of the SxS supposedly made precise long range pointing
more difficult than the narrow sighting plane of the O/U. Well, no one told
Lavert and he beat George bird for bird in a monster long range shoot-off that
featured some really distant targets. Our handicap system works amazingly well,
but it’s still the Indian, not the arrow. Well done to both Lavert and George.
85 was a heck of a score on this Travelers Tough course.

As usual at Orvis, we had a lavish catered luncheon of first rate food on which
the Travelers descended like locusts. Donna Galotto and Cyndi Dalena teamed up
to do the scoring in their usual flawless manner. Prizes were generous Orvis
Gift Certificate Cards, so the shop was full of big spenders immediately after
the festivities closed. You could also save the gift cards for when you come to
the Vintager’s SxS Exposition at Sandanona in September and spend it then.

HOA LAVERT CYPHER 85 12ga.SxS
I-1 Doug Moore 84*
I-2 Jim Martin 84 16ga.pump
I-3 John Lawlor 79
II-1 George Ostrander 85
II-2 Rich Russo 83
II-3 Mike Steiner 76
III-1 Mike Boffalo 79
III-2 John Guay 76*
III-3 Dom Russello 76
IV-1 Bruce Hernsdorf 79 16 ga.SxS
IV-2 Warren Lambert 74*
IV-3 Howard Weiss 74
V-1 Bob Karosy 72
V-2 Dick Burns 68
V-3 Mike Primavera 64
VI-1 Eileen Lambert 46*
VI-2 Simone Renzuella 46
VI-3 Elena Drazev 42
Msdm Edie Ellis 67
Ldy-1 Susie Clarke 73
Ldy-2 Cyndi Dalena 67
Ldy-3 Olive Lawlor 59
SrVet Frank Horodyski 79
Vet-1 Tom Gansowski 84
Vet-2 Jim Kline 80
Vet-3 Bruce Buck 77
Jr-1 Jason Lenhart 69 20ga.pump
Jr-2 Trevor Moehrke 53
Jr-3 Ben Slome 52 20 ga O/U
Jr-4 Chandler Moss 50
Jr-5 John Karosy 42
Jr-6 Dave Kelly 39
Jr-7 Jason Costa 36
Jr-8 Matt Rita 26
Guest Russ Tagliareni 83
* Tie breaker station to decide ties

MESDAMES RAISED TO 55…

The Travelers are raising their “Mesdames” classification requirement for ladies
from 50 to 55 years of age to put it on parity with Vets. Our Super Vets are 65
and over, while our Juniors are 17 and under. Juniors still shoot for free.

FALL TRIP SCHEDULE…

Captain Donny Brenton called from the bounding main to say that the tentative
schedule for the Travelers Fall Trip will be: Friday, October 8th, Hidden Hollow
Sporting Clays, near Montrose, PA; Saturday, October 9th, Rock Mountain,
Meshoppen Sporting Clays, PA; Sunday. October 10th, either Binghampton Rod & Gun
in Binghamton, NY if you are going north, or West Branch Anglers, Deposit, NY if
you are going south.

These clubs are in Black’s “Wing & Clay” if you wish further information. You’ll
get the complete schedule, with motels and meals listed, in another month or so.

MISS MANNERS…

The Travelers’ icon of polite sporting clays conduct been reforming us for over
a dozen year now. That’s long enough so that it might be useful to re-run some
of her earlier lessons, just in case a few in her little class of Travelers
might have forgotten.

JULY 1993
ON UNCONTROLLED EJECTION…

Although the general deportment of the Travelers is nearly perfect in every
possible respect and at all times almost entirely above reproach, like our third
grade teacher or maiden aunt, Miss Manners is a stickler for details and has a
nose that can ferret out even the most clever miscreant.

This month she picks on those poor souls plagued by the dreaded uncontrolled
ejection. After firing their guns, they open them and carelessly pop the empties
back into the faces and gunstocks of the shooters standing behind waiting their
turn to shoot. Other times they eject the shells on the floor of the cage
creating unsure footing for the next shooter. This is certainly unintentional,
but Miss Manners notices a lot of grumbling from the victimized. The more
experienced shooter has enough manual dexterity to catch his empties and drop
them in the bucket or by the corner of the stand. This not only earns the
undying gratitude of the trappers who have to clean the station, but also of
those waiting in line to shoot who no longer have to bob and weave as the errant
empties whistle past.

AUGUST 1993
ON GUN DRAPING...

The prim Miss Manners, she of the steel rimmed glasses, starched lace collar and
ferret-like intuition, has been pleased to note some improvement in the habit of
Uncontrolled Ejection mentioned last month. However, like the Prussian general
Von Clauswitz planning annexation of yet another chunk of unpronounceable
flatland, Miss Manners has shifted her campaign of moral rectitude to the
carrying around of open guns balanced over the shoulder, i.e. gun draping.

Over and unders dominate our sport and for many it seems most convenient to
drape them over the shoulder while waiting around to shoot or trekking off to
the next station. It works well enough in the controlled environments of trap
and skeet. It avoids the telltale sooty figure "8" on the toe of the right
Reebok and besides, amateurs think that it looks cool. Some of the novice
shooters have even perfected the technique to the point where they can
nonchalantly walk to and fro dangling the gun over their shoulder with no hands!

Miss Manners is aghast. If there are a number of gun drapers milling about in a
swarm, a sudden turn brings a clang of barrels, a ding of stocks, a thump to the
noggin, a thud to the ground and other subsequent reactions too suggestive for
you gentle readers.

Miss Manners reminds us that if we choose not to carry our shotguns slung over
our shoulders in gun slips with straps (by far the best way- the Brits
occasionally do get some things right), we should at least carry them open over
the crook of our arm or in our hands, never over the shoulder. If you gun-drape
and smack Miss Manners with your barrels or butt, be aware that there is a
second use for those long, hatpins she wears.

SEPTEMBER 1993
ON COMMITTING GOOD....

Contrary to appearances, Miss Manners does think that there is some good hidden
in your black little hearts. Unfortunately, as with primal emotions at a garden
tea, our iron maiden also feels that the urge to commit good must be controlled.

To wit: When a contestant on the stand shooting in a match is foundering badly
and about to go down for the third time, the yearning to provide salvation with
the magic words "you're behind, etc." verges on the uncontrollable. It seems
like your bounden duty to burst out from the crowd and help a fellow human being
in distress.

Well, don't do it! In a match, it is against the rules to coach a shooter in
the box. Even during practice, please don't offer advice to a shooter on the
stand unless you are specifically asked. What you consider as kindly advice
might well be mistaken as an unwelcome interruption at a most stressful moment.

Dale Carnegie, close relative to our own Miss M., mentions that unsolicited
advice is always a risky scheme. It is doubly so when given to an armed person
having a bad day. If you are going to chance it, do so when their gun is in the
rack. You will not only be preserving life and limb (yours), but you will be
helping the shoot run smoothly. Miss Manners thanks you. She knows you meant
well.





As a convenience to our Connecticut Travelers members, we attach the following
invitation to the Connecticut State sporting clays shoot. This is the first
Connecticut State championship in a number of years and the first sponsored by
the NSCA. While NSCA membership is not required by the Connecticut Travelers,
many Travelers are NSCA members.

CONNECTICUT SPORTING CLAYS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
AUGUST 28, 29, 2004
FAIRFIELD COUNTY FISH & GAME
Course Designer: Richie Frisella

Saturday, August 28th, Preliminary Event, 100 targets, European start, 9:00 AM ~
2:00 PM Saturday, August 28th, 5-Stand Event, 50 targets, anytime, 9:00 AM ~
2:00 PM Sunday, August 29th, Connecticut State Championship, 100 targets,
squadded start 10:00 AM Warm-Up and Long Bird Money Shoot Available

The Connecticut State Championship is limited to the first 120 shooters. FCF &
GPA will register shooters requesting NSCA membership. For information contact
Dom Uliano at 34 Swamp Rd., Newtown, CT 06470, Phone: (203) 426-8508, Email:
domblklab@charter.net

Fairfield County Fish & Game reserves the right to alter this program without
prior notification.

Out-of- State shooters are welcome

Directions to Fairfield County Fish & Game, Monroe, CT: Merritt Parkway (Route
15) to Exit 49 North “Rte 25 North, Danbury”. Take Rte 25 North for 5.3 miles to
Route 111 North “Monroe”. Turn Right onto Route 111 North and go another 5.3
miles to Hammertown Road on Left (white house with white picket fence on left).
Turn Left on Hammertown Road and follow Hammertown Road 1.3 miles to club
entrance on Right. Clubhouse is .3 miles up the driveway. If lost, call
Fairfield County Fish & Game, Monroe, CT at 203-426-8351 for the club house
phone.


Name: _____________________________ NSCA# _____________
Address: ___________________________ Class: ____Circle one: SVT VT L SJR JR
City: ______________________________ State: ___________ Zip: ________
Home Phone: _______________________ Work Phone: __________________

Please write dollar amount in the “Total” column next to each event entered.

EVENT COST TOTAL Preferred Squad
Preliminary $75.00 _________ 1. Yourself
5- Stand $30.00 _________ 2. ______________
State Championship $85.00 _________ 3. ______________
Golf Cart $40/day _________ 4. ______________
TOTAL _________
T-Shirt souvenir (circle size) S M L XL XXL XXXL
Make all checks payable to “FCF & GPA”
Send to: 34 Swamp Road, Newtown, CT 06470



*** 2004 CTSCA SHOOTING CALENDAR ***

AUG 13~15 GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC- ADDIEVILLE EAST FARM, RI
SEP 19 SMALL GAUGE CTSCA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS-FAIRFIELD F&G, CT
OCT 8~10 ANNUAL FALL TRIP- PA & NY WEEKEND TOUR
OCT 17 OCTOBERSHUTZENFEST- MILLBROOK ROD & GUN CLUB, NY
NOV 14 DR. RUDY PASSERO MEMORIAL CTSCA CLUB CH.- EAST MTN, NY
NOV 28 KOEHLER SOCIETY FUNDRAISER-EAST MOUNTAIN PRESERVE, NY
DEC 19 DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL SHOOT /CHRISTMAS PARTY- MID COUNTY, NY
* Shoot schedules are subject to last minute change. Always consult the current edition of “Reload!” Therein lies the truth. At least our version of it at this particular time…

*** OTHER 2004 SHOOTS OF INTEREST ***
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, CALL AHEAD TO CONFIRM

JUL 31 BBQ SHOOT -FAIRFIELD COUNTY F&G, CT (203-426-8508)
AUG 5~7 NSCA NY STATE CH- MID COUNTY R&G, NY (845-677-5736)
AUG 22 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT -WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012)
AUG 28,29 NSCA CT STATE CH -FAIRFIELD COUNTY F&G, CT (203-426-8508)
SEP 4 5TH SPORTING CLASSIC -NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (860-738-3619)
SEP 8~12 NSCA NATIONALS- SAN ANTONIO, TX (210-688-3371 x107)
SEP 11 KING OF THE MTN:100 MIXED BIRDS- THUNDER MT, NJ (973-962-6377)
SEP 16~19 VINTAGERS’ CUP- ORVIS SANDANONA, NY (413-339-5347)
OCT 24 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT -WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012)
NOV 7 THREE SHOT SHOOTOUT -NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (860-738-3619)
DEC 5 CHRISTMAS SHOOT -NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (860-738-3619)
DEC 12 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT-WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012)

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 <oren@umich.edu> or call
203-226-5251.

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 or email: <bcb23@columbia.edu>.


***FOR SALE*** CLASSIFIED ADS
***WANTED***

Nothing for sale this month. Blessed are those content with what they have.

*NOTE: In composing an ad, please include the condition of the item, physical
description, price and also your name and contact information. There is no fee
for placing an ad in Reload! Ads are run solely as a service to our members. It
is the responsibility of the buyer and seller to see that all relevant laws are
obeyed. Advertised items must be related to sporting clays.

DID YOU KNOW that Cylinder Bore choke gives the same pattern at 20 yards that
Full choke gives at 40 yards? That means that all the other chokes, every
possible gradation thereof, fit in between 20 and 40 yards.

If you consider that the choke makers commonly market chokes in 8 gradations
(cylinder bore, skeet, improved cylinder, light modified, modified, improved
modified, light full and full), that means that each choke gradation gives you
another whole three yards! It would take bionic depth perception to judge three
yards at 30 yards distance.

Frankly, there are only three chokes that you really need: Close, Normal and
Far. There, I said it and I’m glad. - The Technoid


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

PRELIM- FRIDAY AUGUST 13, 2004
MAIN- SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 14 and 15, 2004
GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SILVER CUP WORLD VETERANS SPORTING CLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP
ADDIEVILLE EAST FARM, MAPLEVILLE, RI

As a Traveler, you should already have received your invitation in a separate
mailing directly from Addieville. If it mistakenly ended up on the bottom of the
parrot’s cage, go to
<http://www.addieville.com/pages/Results/2004/GE/ge04_prog.pdf> and download
another. Ain’t computers wunnerful. If you don’t know how to do that, the twelve
year old next door will show you. Addieville might also fax you an entry if you
ask. Call them at 401-568-3185 if you have any questions. Please mail your entry
directly to Addieville. The CTSCA is out of this loop on the finance side. NSCA
registration is optional, but not required. This is an open shoot in conjunction
with the Travelers, so guests are very welcome.

On Friday, you can go out and shoot the 100 bird preliminary ($70) and the 410,
28, 20 and pump and SxS individual 50 bird events ($25 each). The chance to
shoot 350 birds in one day ought to get you warmed up.

On Friday and Saturday, there’s also a 50 bird FITASC event ($50) just in case
you’re not getting enough airborne humiliation.

In addition to the main event ($159) 100 targets on Saturday and again Sunday,
you can fool around with all sorts of reentry events and practice fields to keep
you out of trouble. The Silver Cup World Veterans Sporting Clays Championship is
a no-fee concurrent for shooters 55 years old and up. Just let them know you
qualify when you sign up and you’ll be automatically entered.

Also don’t miss the Lobster banquet and fireworks Saturday evening. Where else
can you get a full tilt New England Lobster dinner for $29? Come to think of it,
where else do you get to watch professional eaters like the Travelers duke it
out with lobsters? It will be entertaining hand to hand combat. Gun butts are
legitimate lobster tools!

Oh, yes. $30,000 in cash, guns, awards and prizes is guaranteed. That’s more
than Enron and WorldCom did for you.

This is a great shoot and will be very well attended. Since it’s also an “open”
shoot for outsiders, you’ll have the chance to make many new friends. Make sure
to arrange your hotel reservations as soon as possible. Local hotels are listed
on the back of the Addieville entry form you received.

Caveat: it’s best to get your lodging arranged ASAP. Ask for the Addieville
special room rate when you contact:

Comfort Suites 401-231-6300
Marriot Courtyard 401-333-3400
Fairfield Inn 401-232-2400
Quaker Motor Lodge 508-278-2445

Contacts: Addieville East Farm, 200 Pheasant Drive, Mapleville, RI 02839,
information tel: 401-568-3185, email: addievil@ix.netcom.eom, website:
www.addieville.com.

DIRECTIONS to Addieville:
From Hartford: Take Rt. 84 to Rt. 74 to Rt. 44 East to Chepachet, Rhode Island.
Take a left (traffic light) at the intersection of Rt. 44 and Rt. 102. Bear
right at the first fork (right beyond Citizens Bank) to stay on Rt. 102 North.
Continue on Rt. 102 5.4 miles to the fourth light (third being at Middle School)
and turn right on Rt. 7 South. Follow Rt. 7 South 1.3 miles and turn right on
Tarklin Road. Take Tarklin Road (bear right over the bridge) 2 miles to the sign
for our farm on the left. From New York City: Take I-95 North to I-295 North (in
Rhode Island) to exit 8B (Rt. 7 North). Go 6.2 miles and turn left onto Tarklin
Road (bear right over the bridge). Go 2 miles to the sign for our farm on the
left.