RELOAD!

AUGUST 1999
© Bruce Buck, editor

SUMMER TIME, SUMMER TIME.

July 18, Orvis/Sandanona, Millbrook, NY. Last month we wrote "As we usually
do after a couple of tough shoots (Mid-Hudson and Tamarack), we are now
going to back off on the difficulty level just a touch for the rest of the
summer." And you believed us? Aw, come on. When was the last time you
heard the truth from the maggots of the media? Still, the plan is to back
off on difficulty for a bit. Ahem- Trust me.

The Sandanona shoot is always a popular one with our once or twice a year
shooters, but many were ill-prepared for a course of this advanced level.
The average score of the 199 entrants was 49. This was our lowest shoot
average in the twelve years of the Traveler’s existence. Orvis/Sandanona
should be complimented for having such a high opinion of the Travelers’
shooting abilities. Unfortunately, we didn’t live up to it. Just about all
the shots were fair (well, maybe except that 75 yard quartering away on
19), but they were also difficult. All of them. Those who know said that
the sense of the course was that of an English national championships, only
harder. Well, look at it this way- where else can you see targets of this
quality at this price without another boring Concorde trip? Target
presentations relied on distance and speed, rather than any particular
subtlety. People who thought that a full choke tube was simply a convenient
weight to get bait down to the flounders, found out differently. There were
numerous presentations over 40 yards. That is strictly full choke and
maximum #7 1/2 territory. Less choke equals less chance. That’s the
ballistic truth of it. Of course, even the best ballistics wouldn’t have
helped much on some. Once the target gets beyond a certain distance,
hitting it even with perfect placement becomes an act of random
probability.

The weather was stinking hot and humid. Most of Sandanona’s stations are in
the shade of the trees and that made it bearable. Additionally, Brian and
Peggy Long, the Orvis managers, saw to it that there was plenty of iced
water on the

course, plus some chilled apples. They even sent around a cart with
popsicles. After the shoot, the catered luncheon was up the usual Sandanona
standards. The cool salads and iced drinks made a particular hit with the
desiccated masses.

The course had 20 stations, the perfect number for 200 guns if you follow
the ten shooters to a station course design philosophy. There was virtually
no waiting anywhere. It went as smoothly as any Traveler’s shoot this size
ever has. Brian kept more than the usual number of roaming handymen out on
the course to make sure. Smooth shoots don’t happen by accident. The
stations alternated between two and three pairs each, almost like FITASC
only without the referees saying "lost" in a foreign language.

Just how hard was the course? It wasn’t our toughest ever, but it was
tied. We had a winning score of 74 at Pawling in 1995. This time we had two
74s, but also twice as many shooters. In October of ’95 we had a 76 and 72
for top scores in a 90 member shoot at Mid-Hudson. At least we had 7 scores
in the 70s this time. See, it could have been worse. That’s why Dante
described Hell as having ten descending rings- so the guy condemned to the
ninth ring wouldn’t feel so bad.

Of late, Reload!’s shoot reports have contained helpful little précis’ of
the most interesting stations along with the recipe for sure-fire success
on each and every target. This time it’s a little tougher as some of the
station didn’t have simple answers. But we’ll do our best and try not to
use the phrase "drop back ten and punt" too often.

Station 6, Stonewall Grouse, was three true pair in the woods. The first
bird was a relatively straight forward 25 yard quartering away shot, but
the second was a 40 yard dropping crosser deep in the woods behind a picket
fence of tree trunks. Butch Tennison got them all and said he used "pull
away" on the line of the bird. No one on the squads I saw hit more than
one. Station seven differed from six in that it had two heart-rending
long shots, not just one. The first bird was a 55 to 60 yard crosser
followed by a second machine throwing a quartering away bird starting about
30 yards out and rapidly departing. One person on the three squads observed
hit the first bird once.

Station 8 was the Streamside Snipe, a true pair thrown hard and fast
quartering up a stream bed. The shot was tough, but perfectly fair.
Numerous shooters on the squads observed hit none for six. Those who did
succeed shot a mounted gun and let the birds get out a bit (easy due to
their speed) taking them at extreme range. The trap was close to the
shooter’s left and throwing almost straight away with a curl at the end. As
on any quartering bird, if you started your gun too far back, you had to
make a heavy move to catch up and often overswung. Due to the above average
speed of the birds on this course, the problem occurred again and again.

When a quartering away target is fast, don’t crowd the trap with your
barrel. If possible, hold out a bit so that you can make a smooth start and
not an overpowering, jerky one. It is faster to make one good slow move
than a quick bad one and then have to correct.

Rotting Log Ruffs, station nine, was a sweetheart. The first bird was a
hard, fast 20 yard crosser slightly below waist level with real speed. It
was followed by a direct overhead and away bird on report. The trick was to
make the change from a hard lateral swing to a semi-subtle skeet High One
going away. This was a big change in gun movement and proved awkward for
many, especially since the slightest hesitation on either proved
disastrous. It was one of the few stations on the course where open chokes
helped.

Station ten was a simple trap doubles shot with a twist. The birds were
spread out. The problem was that the second bird was dropping just as you
got to it. Those who knew how to keep their heads glued to the stock
prospered. Those with any head lift at all, suffered. The same shot was
repeated two stations later when combined with a teal. Lift and miss. Lift
and miss. Lift and miss. Get the message?

Lucky 13 was an acrophobic’s nightmare. It was shot off of Sandanona’s
"pier" sticking out into over a valley. The first bird of the pair
quartered in at speed requiring that you bend over the railing and shoot
straight down some twenty feet below your feet. The second shot was an
incredibly difficult 50 yard short window crosser from eleven o’clock to
two, but going down hill. I didn’t see anyone hit it, but perhaps someone
did- in their dreams.

Sixteen was at the usual Sandanona fur and feather station. There were no
rabbits presented this time, but the air-pair thrown here was challenging.
A true split pair was thrown from a three o’clock trap. One crossed from
three o’clock to nine about 30 yards out. The other went from three
quartering out towards eleven, but dropping down over a hillside near the
end of its flight. It was a nice touch that either bird could be taken
first, but each approach had its problems. The most successful way seemed
to be to jump on the hot crosser first and then shoot the quartering bird
with full choke just as it dropped over the hill- just as long you kept
your head down and didn’t "lift and miss".

The "Dove Roost" on 17 was a pair of distant battues which seemed to appear
from nowhere in the sky and then dropped behind some tree tops some 30
yards out. The bats were supposed to turn during their last little bit of
flight to show about 1/2 of the face. If they did, the shot was challenging
but possible. When they didn’t, as often occurred, you might as well have
saved your shells.

Station 19 was a 70+ yard crosser in a field down below the shooter
followed by a 50 yard quartering away bird from a high tower on the
shooter’s right. A hit on the long bird was simply a matter of luck, which
almost no one had. The tower bird was difficult, but could be hit if you
held perfectly on the awkward line, difficult because you were shooting
from below and the side at a high quartering away.

Grouse Ridge, station 20, ended the course with a little sigh of relief.
There was an almost straight away 90 followed by a 110 quartering away
from the right. Things were timed so that you actually did have a little
chance to correct, but not two chances. The miss was over the top of the
second bird quartering away. It was timed so that you shot just as the bird
started to drop down the slightest bit. What was that we said about "Lift
and miss"? Read and heed, or bleed.

With this course’s emphasis on distance and speed, we should take an extra
moment to tip our hats to winner Kevin Goodspeed. Kevin shot a Browning
B425 with 20 gauge Briley Companion tube inserts. That’s right, a 20 gauge.


HOA KEVIN GOODSPEED 74*
I-1 Bill Losty 73
I-2 Gabe D’Arco 71
I-3 Steve Andiorio 70
II-1 Mark Schreyer 74*
II-2 George Ostrander 71
II-3 Preston Moore 68
III-1 Vince Salvo 69
III-2 Nick Weidhaas 63
III-3 Jeremy Willinger 62
IV-1 Peter Wicker 60
IV-2 Mike Steiner 55
IV-3 Mike Munro 53
V-1 Fran Gallogly 50
V-2 Mike Buffalo 50
V-3 Mark Zeyher 49
VI-1 Patsy Gimelli 46
VI-2 Ellie Levy 31
VI-3 Carol Thomas 29
Ldy-1 Denise Losty 67
Ldy-2 Paula Moore 54
Ldy-3 Estelle Vaden 51
Vet-1 Bill Tennison 70
Vet-2 Zaid Siddig 66
Vet-3 John Lawlor 64
Jr-1 Charlie Trilivas 69
Jr-2 Matt Buffalo 47
Jr-3 Rocky Cotoia 47
Jr-4 Adam Sansouci 36
Jr-5 James Martin 32
Jr-6 Paul Hughes 31
Jr-7 Kieran Farslow 28
S-Jr-1 James Nicoletti 50
S-Jr-2 Luke Sproviero 27
Guest Bruce VanStrander 64
* shoot-off

CLAY PIGEON MAGAZINE...

"A newspaper about the shotgun sports" is how Traveler Neil Chadwick and
Debbie Phillips bill their monthly newspaper. It contains sporting clays
shoot reports from around the country and Britain, as well as late breaking
product news, two technical columns (one simply bulging with useless
Technoidal trivia), excellent top gun interviews by Phil Steinkraus, in
depth and frank gun reviews of the latest sporting clays models plus tons
of interesting ads and shoot notices. One of the best parts is the
editorial and letters page. Here you will find the frank discussions about
the politics and rules of sporting clays that get blue penciled out of the
other magazines. The Clay Pigeon definitely tells it like it is without
fear or favor, much to the distress of some people who feel that your
ignorance is their bliss.

A subscription for the twelve issue year is only $12. It makes a great gift
too. You can order a subscription with a credit card by calling The Clay
Pigeon at 570-296-5768, emailing them at <courier@ptd.net> or mailing them
at The Clay Pigeon, PO Box 1022, Milford, PA 18337. Do the right thing.
Support the magazine that supports your sport.

THE ADDIEVILLE SxS CLASSIC… Traveler Geoff Gaebe will not only host the
Travelers’ Great Easter Lobster Classic this month (see the Monthly Shoot
Notice at end of the newsletter), but he will also be putting on The
Addieville Classic annual double gun and fly fishing exhibition and
championships on Sept 17, 18 and 19. This will feature contests and
displays of fine double guns and classic fishing tackle. If you would like
to exercise your old SxS or trot out that priceless Payne bamboo salmon
rod, contact Addieville at 401-568-3185 or email
<addieville@ix.netcom.com>. Geoff ran the extraordinarily successful World
SxS Championships for the past two years, so you know he does it right.

FRIENDS AT PEACE DALE…Fellow Traveler Richie Frisella at Peace Dale
Shooting Preserve in Rhode Island writes: "I thought I’d send a few words
that might be of interest to our Travelers. Travelers enjoy members’ rates
at Peace Dale. During the winter and spring, many Travelers have stopped by
to shoot. A few have made it a two or three day stay. I have noticed when
we total their tabs, they are surprised that they are allowed members’
rates. We have 6 levels of FITASC, two 5-Stands, a three-shot 5-stand and
currently are offering a rotation of 5 sporting clays courses. We are open
every day. A new course is built weekly with a normal life span of 3 weeks.
Travelers that shoot any of the sporting courses will pay only $10 every
time they repeat the same course, not only in the same day or weekend, but
for as long as that course is being shot."

Richie Frisella and his son have done a marvelous job at Peace Dale. The
targets are of exceptional quality and you can shoot yourself short for a
very reasonable fee. Peace Dale is about a 2 hour drive from Reload!’s
offices in Westport, CT. Peace Dale Shooting Preserve is located at 441
Rose Hill Road, Peace Dale, RI 02879, tel: 401-789-3730. Peace Dale is less
than one hour away from Geoff Gaebe’s Addieville East range in Mapleville,
RI (401-568-3185), site of our big shoot, The Great Eastern Lobster
Classic, August 20-22. Shooting both ranges would make a wonderful trip.
You will never see better targets than at these two courses.

DON’T CALL US … Well, not exactly, but puleez, before you call the home
office to ask for the address or telephone number of a fellow Traveler,
consult your copy of the Guide book. That’s why we printed it. Copies will
be at the next shoot if you don’t have one. While Al certainly enjoys
chatting with each and every one of you, he does have to devote some little
bit of time to running that Dodge dealership of his.

THE TECHNOIDAL NOTEBOOK… You do keep a shooting log, don't you? In the
first century A.D. one Marcus Fabius Quintilius opined that a liar should
have a good memory. Old M.F. should have added that if he did not have a
good memory, he had better take good notes. What better example than the
massive volumes of the Congressional Record. Shooters, who certainly never
lie, but might lack total recall, could also benefit from a little note
taking.

All of us want to improve our shooting. The best way to get better is to
remember how we shot last time and develop a game plan to repeat the good
parts and correct the bad ones. A good notebook makes this much easier.

Here are some of the things which were recorded after each shooting session
over the past twenty-five years: date, weather conditions, shooting
facility, directions and drive time to the range, gun, ammo, type of game
being shot, number of targets fired at, hits, analysis of particular target
presentations, observed successful techniques of other shooters, how the
gun fit might be improved and anything else that comes to mind. Write about
the difficult targets you hit and how you did it. Don’t just immortalize
the misses. Then add a sentence about your goals for your next practice
session or shoot. Read your notes quickly before your next practice. You
will be surprised how it can help you focus. Later, the notebooks can be a
source of pleasant recollections as well as valuable information.



MISS MANNERS REMONSTRATES…

Miss Manners likes to think of herself as the very picture of a strict
disciplinarian- steel rimmed glasses, piercing eyes, iron grey hair wrapped
tight in a no nonsense bun, starched lace collar- everything but the riding
crop and jackboots. However, if the truth be known, there is a lot of
marshmallow in our martinet. She is generally more than willing to give
someone a second or even third chance when they abuse laws of civility.
If, after being twice told, a thoughtless shooter continues to insist on
ejecting spent hulls onto those standing behind, or struts about carelessly
draping his gun over his shoulder, Miss Manners is willing to write it off
as normal adolescent behavior.

However, there is one area where Miss Manners does not cut slack. Not even
once. That is the area of gun safety. Compared to mere bad manners,
unsafe gun handling is an entirely different matter. When a shooter loads
his gun before entering the stand, leaves the stand without opening his
gun, sights targets with a closed gun while standing behind others, fails
to cease firing when he sees a trapper wandering about in front, or does
any one of the hundred other things that can cause an unthinking accident,
that person is putting our very sport at risk. When Miss Manners spots a
safety incident in the making she addresses the individual immediately,
without waiting a New York minute. Right now. There is no need to yell
and scream, but for the safety of all it is imperative to immediately stop
the dangerous action. Gun safety is not negotiable. After the situation
has been defused, then it is time to politely, carefully and clearly
explain to the miscreant the error of his ways and the proper way to do
things.

No one should ever take offense at being told that he is creating an unsafe
situation. He should be grateful that he was stopped before something
tragic occurred. Even if the shooter feels that he has not been unsafe, he
has obviously been guilty of doing something that appeared to others to be
unsafe. This is just as disquieting. It is small comfort to show a
person, who has just thrown himself flat in the mud, that the gun you were
pointing at him was not loaded. Perhaps there are times when Miss Manners
should don those jackboots and wield that riding crop.



*** 1999 CONNECTICUT TRAVELERS SHOOT SCHEDULE ***

AUG 1 MID-COUNTY-DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CLAMBAKE
AUG 20-22 ADDIEVILLE- GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SEPT 19 FAIRFIELD F&G- SMALL GAUGE CHAMPIONSHIP
OCT 17 MILLBROOK R&G- OKTOBERSCHUTZENFEST
NOV 21 FRIAR TUCK- CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
NOV 28 EAST MOUNTAIN- HAROLD KOEHLER SCHOLARSHIP BENEFIT
DEC 12 MID-COUNTY-CHRISTMAS PARTY SHOOT

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

JULY 31,1 NE SCI /FITASC-STYLE CH AT PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730)
AUG 7 MID-HUDSON DU SHOOT, NY (914-255-7460)
AUG 7,8 SCA NE CH AND "3 SHOT" AT PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730)
AUG 29 MID-COUNTY ROD & GUN CLUB, NY (914-677-5736)
AUG 29 MONEY SHOOT AT PECONIC, NY (516-467-3965)
SEPT 17-19 ADDIEVILLE SxS CLASSIC, RI (401-568-3185)
SEPT 23-6 VINTAGE CUP AT SANDANONA, NY (413-339-5347)
OCT 3 MONEY SHOOT AT PECONIC, NY (516-467-3965)
NOV 13,14 SCI/FITASC-STYLE REGION 1 AT PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730)
NOV 20,21 FALL "3 SHOT" AND OPEN CH AT PEACE DALE, RI (401-789-3730)

If you know of any area shoots which might be of interest to your fellow
Travelers, get in touch with RELOAD! and we will post them to the world.


CONTACTING THE TRAVELERS...

CTSCA Home Office: Email <AAA738@aol.com> (best way) or telephone (860)
354-9351 for important questions about shoots.

Membership 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!: Contact Bruce Buck at 203-454-1080 or <bbuck@juno.com>



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

FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 20-22
THE GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
ADDIEVILLE EAST FARM
MAPLEVILLE, RHODE ISLAND

TAH DAH! This is it, BIG ONE. Although we have never really sought it, by
means of our Internet exposure (www.ShotgunReport.com) the Connecticut
Travelers has become sort of a national organization. At least, many of our
ideas have been accepted nationwide. Our unique sub-gauge handicap system
is in wide use, as is our "/1/2/-/3/-/-/4/" method of scoring. Our
influence played a major role in the rewriting of some of today’s sporting
clays rules. So, if we can influence handicaps, rules and scoring, maybe we
can set an example for a national caliber shoot. We intend the Great
Eastern Lobster Classic to be New England’s premier sporting clays
tournament.

Our partner in this shoot is Geoff Gaebe of Addieville East Farm. Geoff’s
reputation for clever courses, smoothly run shoots and great hospitality is
unparalleled. The Addieville imprimatur is a guarantee of a first class
shoot.

Although you have already received a flyer with complete details and an
entry form, you can consider this announcement another friendly reminder.
This shoot’s so nice, we tell you twice!

Friday, August 20 is preliminary day. There are six separate 50 bird
matches for all four gauges plus SxS and pump. Entry is $25 for each event
or $100 for all 250 if you can get them in between 9 and 5. That’s a lot of
shooting if you wish it.

Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22 is the main event of 100 sporting
birds each day. The entry fee is only $135 for the 200 bird main event if
you sign up before August 17. It’s $185 after that. Juniors are $75.
Compare this $135 to the $250 fee gouged out of you at some of the other
"national" shoots. The classes are Open, Ladies, Seniors (55-64), Vets
(65+) and Juniors (17 and under). Numbered classes (AA-E) are based on
current averages or known ability, Addieville will let you know what you
are. In the Travelers’ tradition, NSCA registration is available, but not
required. The NSCA event is run as a concurrent.

The shoot is by squadded start (four to a squad) and will be run with two
flight times of 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM. You will get a flight time when you
sign up. Also, a 5 Stand and warm up area will be running all weekend in
case you just can’t get enough.

Over $14,000 in awards and prizes are up for grabs. Prizes will include 8
shotguns, bird hunts and other items. Prizes are given out by lucky draw so
that everyone has a chance! Everyone gets 10 door prize tickets with their
pre-registration and additional tickets are won for the prizes awarded in
class. Class winner gets 10 tickets, second 9 and so on. At this shoot
there is none of that "High Overall winner gets everything and no one else
gets anything".

And then there is the Saturday evening New England Lobster dinner! The cost
is $25 per person. We made it optional so that those who have other plans
will not be charged. Still, where else can you get a New England Lobster
dinner with all the fixings for $25?

Nearby accommodations are at Susse Chalet (401-232-2400) and Quaker Motor
Lodge (508-278-2445). Make sure to tell them that you are with Addieville
as many of their rooms are blocked out for the shooters. Also, ask for the
reduced shooter’s rate. Suchadeal!

TO SIGN UP, YOU MUST CONTACT ADDIEVILLE DIRECTLY. They take credit cards.
Do NOT sign up through the Travelers. Note the lack of the usual snip-off
coupon. This is an OPEN SHOOT. Your guests and the general public are
welcome. It’s a great chance for others to see how the Travelers do things.
Bring your friends.

To reserve your place, pay by credit card and get directions, contact:

Addieville East Farm
200 Pheasant Drive
Mapleville, RI 02839
tel: 401-568-3185
fax: 401-568-3009
email: <addievil@ix.netcom.com>

INTERNET READERS

The August 20-22 Addieville shoot is an OPEN shoot and you are all welcome
to participate. If you have ever been curious about the vaunted "Travelers
Tough" courses or how we run things, this is your chance. We’d love to have
you join us. Contact Addieville directly for your reservations and
directions.