RELOAD!

JULY 2002 NEWSLETTER
© Bruce Buck, editor

NWTF SHOOT
Tamarack, Millbrook, NY
June 23, 2002
by Lans Christensen

The alliance between National Wild Turkey Federation and the Travelers
provides a true win-win situation. They get a great turnout for the
shoot and raise some extra money in a valuable cause, and we get to
shoot Tamarack a second time with 150 targets and with a memorable
post-shoot blow out. The weather was tropical, but for those that
survived the monsoon of last year, it was a big improvement.

As always, the shoot is divided between the familiar Turkey Hollow
layout and the wide-open spaces of the Hogback course. Interestingly,
everyone I spoke with shared much the same experience. They did great
on one course and struggled on the other…but it was 50/50 on the two
courses.

We started on the Turkey Hollow side. Having endured a mugging there
at our May shoot, I wasn’t overly confident to say the least. Most of
the presentations were unchanged. Number 1 is still a bear with the
two high incomers…see the excellent May Minuet shoot report for some
coaching on how to hit these targets. I had memorized this advice, but
found it easier said than done and resorted to mojo, John the
conqueroo, and prayer. I also had some luck taking the slicer after it
had become the “brick off the skyscraper”. It was dropping, but at
least it was a straight line. The gravel pit was also familiar, but
the speed differential was even more pronounced. This induced a lot of
misses ahead or behind.

Humbled again, we headed for the Hogback course. In marked contrast,
the Hogback layout presents open fields, wide windows, and a lot of
targets well below your feet. The change was welcome and we bounced
back with new confidence. Station #11 threw a pair of high incomers
that stalled obligingly overhead. Not a “hard” target by any means,
but therein lies the trap. You start thinking about what you did wrong
at the last station, or about lunch, etc. and you hear “dead & LOST”.
If you missed a place on the podium by one target, and it was on of
these, then the need to concentrate becomes painfully clear.

The next station was a favorite: a quartering incomer well below your
feet followed on report by a slashing L>R flying rabbit. At first it
seemed there was no time and little window for the rabbit, but if one
looked way back to the trap one could get a blur of motion to mount
toward. Then when the target came into hard focus you were on it.
Rabbits were never meant to fly anyway.

Number 14 was particularly challenging: a true pair from the left,
again below the stand, and just tickling the tops of the wheat field
as they crossed to the right. Problem was, they were thrown from
separate traps and at different speeds so that you were fooled into
going for the forward bird first, leaving little time to find and hit
the lower faster bird. It took discipline to let the obvious one go
by, hit the faster one with more control, and then go back ahead for
the first one, which by now was hanging a bit. Great targets!

We finished on the entertaining #16: The “Woody Wetlands” had a
quartering away bird down in the marsh followed by a dropper from the
right (I still don’t know where it came from), both shots producing a
satisfying splash and plenty of shattered orange. The side game
station at Hogback deserves mention: It was set in the newly excavated
Grand Canyon and provided those 60 and 70 yard shots you always
wanted.

Back to the club and the tent where we were met by a roast boar of
epic proportions and tubs of soothing, icy adult beverages. The silent
auction gifts were awarded and the generous prizes for good shooting
were given out. Speaking of good shooting, Andy Duffy’s score of 141
is truly a masterful achievement. He very graciously gave much
deserved credit to Tamarack and to Bob Vanacek’s targets. He pointed
out that Bob feels no compunction about giving you tough birds and the
premium he puts on making you concentrate. Andy also said that he had
asked to keep his scorecard to remember what he described as “one of
the best performances of my career…ever”. Well said!

HOA ANDY DUFFY 141
RU Dave McHugh 128
A-1 Preston Moore 126
A-2 Lavert Cypher 124
A-3 Bruce Galotto 122
A-4 Tony Olivieri 121
A-5 Mike Canale 121
A-6 Steve Borst 119
B-1 Warren Lambert 105
B-2 Paula Moore 105
B-3 Martin Schroeder 104
B-4 Kevin Kruleski 104
B-5 Robert Archambault 104
B-6 Joe Lachick 104
C-1 Susie Clarke 103
C-2 Lyn Narins 102
C-3 Paul Sickles 102
C-4 Bruce Hernsdorf 101
C-5 Wally Sroka 101
C-6 John Nicoletti 101
D-1 Tom Mackin 89
D-2 Drew Desmedt 89
D-3 Ken Delano 88
D-4 Nick Sanito 88
D-5 Curt Millies 87
D-6 Paul Hughes 87
Lady Ginny Tennison 113
Vet Ed Moritt 117
S.Vet James Vaden 116
Jr James Nicoletti 97
CTSCA combined May/June results:
HOA LAVERT CYPHER 208
Cl I Bruce Galotto 203
Cl II Mike Canale 203
Cl III Jim Collins 176
Cl IV Estella Vaden 161
Cl V Bob Pierce 137
Lady Anna Marie Collins 173
Vet Al Anglace 188
*No class VI or Jr completed both events

CTSCA FITASC Championships

Peace Dale Preserve, Peace Dale, RI

May 31 ~ June 3, 2002

by Richie Frisella

Congratulations to all the new 2002 Connecticut Travelers FITASC
Champions. Sunday proved to be the best shooting day as far as weather
and light wind went. Chuck Devinne bested the field of 44 Travelers
for the second year in a row or is that three?

Parcours # 1 Snipe and # 2 Roadrunner, set by Richie Jr, gave the
shooters a great display of targets coming from all directions, angles
and with different speeds. The Snipe Parcours was shot from three
different levels, all above ground, offering a very even blend of
targets balancing out at around 40 yards. A very short but deep diving
chandelle from the left stood out from the rest. The Roadrunner
Parcours excited with a high screaming quartering away tower shot from
the left and a high fast right to left overhead battue. Roadrunner
offered 40 to 45 yardage everythings, a joy for all. There were a lot
of high scores and smiles coming off both these Parcours. Richie's new
girlfriend must be making him sensitive.

The # 3 Parcours, set by Richie Sr. was another story. This looked
more like a Peckham Parcours. The first two pegs were shot off the
short ridge giving the shooters plenty of time for a 50 to 60 yard
left to right crosser, same for a right to left climbing chandelle
assisted by an on-edge full right to left crosser usually broken at 60
yards out. OK, maybe not consistently, but this target was hit many
times. Now add in a quartering incomer floating in over a short knoll
hitting ground no closer than 40 yards and an incoming flying rabbit
which could be taken in the air at around 40 yards or continuing
nearly right at you under the shooting deck. Ask Butch Tennison how
you can keep missing this rabbit.

Now throw in Peg # 3, far, far right and down to ground level, a new
target, a left to right up-side-down full crosser-quartering away
diver and you have FITASC as about exciting as FITASC can be. Same
targets, but all angles changed here. These targets would have
thrilled King George Digweed and even made Cyril Jeffreys tingle a
little inside.

Perhaps the rabbit was the most fun, showing quickly as a right to
left, full crossing looper and if missed here, it hit the ground
behind a shed sized rock and was then seen running away quartering at
40 to 50 to 60 to 70. Some great fun here with smiles, but you know,
those kind of "shaking your head" kind.

HOA CHUCK DEVINNE 22,24,16= 62
RU Jim Muller 20,23,18= 61
Cl I Jeff Ledgard 24,19,17= 60
Cl II Phil Steinkraus 21,20,16= 57
Cl III Gary Landis 22,15,19= 56
Cl IV Paul Rabuano 12,15,12= 39
Cl V Jan Trolan 17,14, 9= 40
Lady Stefanie Staufer 18,23,16= 57
Mdm Fran Gallogly
Vet John Mohler 19,22,16= 57


GETTING GALS SHOOTING

by Fran Gallogly

[This is the third of a multi-part series on introducing women to
sporting clays.]

Part III: Women’s Programs at Local Clubs and Ranges

J&P in Sudlersville, MD, runs a Ladies Day of free instructional
clinics once a year. Sixty or seventy women attend. They also run an
annual Outdoor Women’s Day, in conjunction with the State Department
of Natural Resources that includes shotgunning. Forty or fifty women
participate.

They have been running these programs for six or seven years. Has it
paid off? Absolutely, says range owner John E. George, Jr. “On
weekends, in the warmer weather, one-third of my shooters are women.
It’s a serious part of our business.”

Also based in Maryland, the Women’s Sporting Clays Association (WSCA)
hosts an August “Shoot for the Stars” event that has raised some
$15,000 over the past four years for a local organization of
handicapped children called The Challengers. The event is modeled on
the Ladies Charity Classics run by the NRA. They also hold summer
potluck shooting suppers for small groups of women at different ranges
each month. New shooters are encouraged to attend. Area clubs now
offer discounts to WSCA, whose membership list totals some 200 women.

A new successful program on the Travelers’ home turf is the Women’s
Day event founded three years ago by Dayna Wenzel for the Fairfield
County Fish & Game Protective Association (FCF&GPA), Newtown, CT.
During its initial year, the club provided some seed money, but by the
second year, the program was self-supporting. The National Shooting
Sports Foundation (NSSF) has been a strong backer through its Step
Outside program which advocates getting sportsmen and women to
introduce a friend to target shooting, archery and fishing.

Some 110 women have enrolled in Women’s Day each year. The vast
majority have never shot before. In addition to shotgunning,
instruction is offered in handguns, archery and fishing. The
action-packed day includes three classes of instruction in any of the
venues, breakfast, lunch and lots of door prizes. Every attendee
receives a certificate to return for a free lesson and a resource list
of women-friendly shops and ranges where they can obtain equipment and
instruction, should they wish to continue any of the sports.

The first year, 85 percent of the respondents indicated that they were
extremely satisfied with the instruction. Last year, 100 percent of
the respondents were completely satisfied. One attendee wrote, “It’s
great fun doing these sports with other women. Everyone gives moral
support and the instructors are so patient and accommodating.”

The only disappointing aspect of Women’s Day is that none of the
participants has taken advantage of her certificate for a free lesson.
Dayna attributes this to the busy lives most women lead, especially if
they have young children. She says. “We are not trying to recruit, we
are trying to educate. If they get turned on to shooting, that’s a
bonus. If not, at least they see nice people pursuing an enjoyable
sport and understand the other side of gun control disputes.”

Peace Dale Preserve, Kingston, RI, ran a series of highly successful
women’s clinics. According to owner Richie Frisella, “We would usually
get 35 or more (first time) lady shooters. These were great days for
the ladies to get in here and learn to break targets. They loved it.”
Richie continues, “Here’s what we found: If the ladies were married,
but their husband didn’t shoot, they would give it up quickly. If they
had children, they wouldn’t be back. Shooting families couldn’t afford
the cost. The fact is, we were lucky to get one out of the 35 that
would continue the clay shooting game.”

A long-time cheerleader of women in shooting, Richie laments, “All you
have to do is look at our active and inactive ladies mailing list. Of
118 ladies that have shot, 18 are active.” A less partial observer
than Richie, however, might feel that a 15 percent success rate is
impressive.

Ginny Tennison observes that in the 12 years she has been shooting and
talking it up, only one woman expressed a serious interest in trying
it but she never found time for a lesson. “There was just too much
going on in her life,” Ginny observes. “That may be what happens to a
lot of women.”

The results may seem discouraging, but Katy Skahill has an optimistic
slant on the numbers. “I don’t think there is any particular trend
with women dropping out. People, both men and women, have lives that
at certain times permit them or do not allow them, to enjoy leisure
activities. The trick isn’t to try to make people stay. It’s to
introduce lots of people all the time, and a certain percentage will
stick, and some will drift in and out.”

Leagues may work better than one-day clinics because they promote
friendships, support, commitment and repetitive practice. Vicki Ash
relates that she ran a six-week ladies-only league that shot 50
targets each session. “I had 50 women show up and shoot. It was very
social, and they had a ball. Afterward, the ladies kept coming back
and all are still shooting. That is good for all. The clubs make more
money, and the ladies keep shooting and enjoying the sport.”

Stay tuned – next month – national programs that promote women in
shooting

MISS MANNERS AND SHOOTING (WITH) YOUR MATE...

There are a number of pursuits that, by their very nature, place the
participant at great risk. Bomb disposal, snake charming and tiger
tickling come to mind. However, all is child's play when compared to
that riskiest of all businesses- shooting with your mate. As usual,
Miss Manners comes to the fore with some common sense rules to help
you survive the ordeal of shooting sporting clays on the same squad as
your honey.

Note, as H.L. Mencken did in his classic In Defense of Women, that the
rules for boys and girls differ. Miss Manners knows that the sexes
are worlds apart. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. Some
minor differences are to be expected and even beneficial. Let Miss
Manners guide you over this rocky playing field.

Ladies' Rule #1: Shoot times are flexible. Getting to the shoot a
little late really does not matter. After all, it is the weekend.
Besides, when you arrive after everyone else is on the course,
registration goes so much more quickly.

Ladies' Rule #2: Forgetting some little item is not the end of the
world. Sending him back to the car to get your gloves, glasses or gun
after you have hiked out to Station One is probably the only exercise
he gets all week. He should be grateful. This also gives the rest of
the squad a chance to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Ladies' Rule #2A: As an alternative to #2, bring everything that you
can think of in your shoot bag. You never know when that hair dryer
or steam iron will prove invaluable on the course. Besides, he is
going to be the one carrying it around for you and it is "probably the
only exercise he gets all week. He should be grateful."

Ladies' Rule #3: While he is in the midst of shooting a particularly
demanding stand remind him that your mother is coming to stay with you
for the otherwise uninteresting month of October. Shooting in major
matches is one of the few times he concentrates, so he will be certain
not to forget this important visitation the way he often has in the
past.

Ladies' Rule #3A: Men often get excited and say things that they do
not really mean. What you just heard was probably the result of one
of these unaccountable moments. It has something or other to do with
testosterone. Smile, nod your head and ignore him.

Men's Rule #1: Since you left the house late, drive to the shoot fast.
This will show your wife that you are still the boss and in command.
A vigorous drive will prepare you mentally for the shoot. Besides,
the police go to church and are never out on Sunday mornings. Men's
Rule #1A: Bring some extra cash.

Men's Rule #2: If she is just starting out in shooting, there is no
need to get her a gun of her own. Your old Spanish double goose gun
will answer just fine. That ten pound weight will cut down on the
recoil and help her follow through. Leave the long stock alone. She
will work her way around it. The 3” magnums will give her a better
chance to hit the target. When she learns to love shooting, she can
get her own gun.

Men's Rule #3: Give your wife the questionable reloads. They have to
be shot up sooner or later and she will never know the difference.
Besides, she is always nagging you to economize. Most of them will
probably work just fine. The money saved might be best spent on your
new Perazzi.

Men's Rule #4: All women need shooting instruction and all men are
natural born shooters and gifted instructors. The best time to
instruct the little lady is while she is on the stand and in the midst
of shooting. This will also enable the other shooters nearby to
benefit from your profound insight. Tell her exactly what to do
before each and every shot. The more detail the better. If she
misses a bird, she obviously was not listening. Bring this to her
attention. Speak loudly. The ear protection blocks much of the sound
and she might miss some important advice. Men's Rule #4A: Duck!


*** 2002 CONNECTICUT TRAVELERS SHOOT SCHEDULE ***

JUL 21 SANDANONA/ORVIS, NY-SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME
AUG 9~11 ADDIEVILLE EAST, RI-GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SEP 15 FAIRFIELD COUNTY F&G, CT-SMALL GAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
OCT 5~7* SITE PENDING-FALL TRIP
OCT 20 MILLBROOK ROD & GUN, NY- OKTOBERSCHUTZENFEST
NOV 17 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
DEC 1 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-KOEHLER SOC. FUNDRAISER THREE SHOT
DEC 15 MID-COUNTY, NY-DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

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

JUL 13,14 ADDIEVILLE EAST, RI (401-568-3185) NASCA ZONE 1 PRELIM & MAIN
JUL 14 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-455-9516) FUN SHOOT
JUL 18 ORVIS/SANDANONA, NY (845-677-9701) RGS NY CH SHOOT
JUL 28 WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012) 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT
AUG 3,4 MID-HUDSON, NY (845-255-7460) NSCA NY STATE SC CH
AUG 9~11 ADDIEVILLE EAST, RI (401-568-3185) SILVER CUP WORLD VETS SC CH
AUG 18 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-455-9516) FUN SHOOT
AUG 24 NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (800-414-2433 x 246) SHOOT FOR SCOUTING
AUG 25 WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012) 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT
SEP 8 MID-COUNTY, NY (845-677-5736) NSCA REGISTERED FUN SHOOT
SEP 8 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-455-9516) FUN SHOOT
SEP 22 WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012) 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT
OCT 27 WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012) 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT
DEC 8 WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012) 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT


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. Leave message.
Or Email shotguncyndi@prodigy.net

Guide Book questions, contact Dick Orenstein at <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 (worst way), fax
to 707-215-0668 (adequate way) or email <bcb23@columbia.edu>
(marvelous way, you clever Traveler you!).

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, JULY 21, 2002
SUMMER TIME, SUMMER TIME
ORVIS/SANDANONA
MILLBROOK, NY

“It’s summer time, summer time, sum- sum- summer time.” Doo-wah,
doo-wah, doo. Is golf clubbing you to death? Is sailing all wet? Are
the aunts worse than the ants at the family picnic? Well, take it
easy! Too much summer can be stressful. You will be a much happier
person if you come on out and shoot something. Really you will. There
is nothing like snapping a few caps to help you forget the grueling
hours you are forced to spend on the beach while pretending to read
the Sunday Times behind those mirrored sunglasses.

Always one of our biggest shoots of the year, Orvis/Sandanona once
again welcomes the Travelers to their superlative facility. You just
know that Brian Long’s course will be innovative and Peggy Long’s
organization will be flawless. Sandanona doesn’t need any selling.
It’s one of sporting’s crown jewels.

The drill should be familiar to all of you by now. Arrive by 9:00 AM
and find out which squad you’re on and where you start. You WILL have
pre-registered by Thursday, July 18, so everyone will be presquadded
with the usual Travelers eye-popping efficiency. We should be ready to
roll by 9:45 AM after the safety lecture. You can devote the
intervening minutes to ingesting all the coffee and doughnuts that the
human body can tolerate. After all, you have to survive until you are
served a magnificent al fresco luncheon under the Orvis marquee. That
restorative luncheon is also essential so that you have the strength
to walk to the front of the room to accept one of the lavish Orvis
gift certificate prizes. All this for a paltry, piddling pittance of
$60 for members and spouses, $70 for guests. That’s a lot less than
you tip the cabin boy when you take your yacht to Newport.

Guests ARE welcome at this shoot. The guest fee is $70. Bring a
friend. Just make sure that we have your paid reservations in our
hands no later than Thursday, July 18. No cancellations after that
date. You know the deal. The usual sub-gauge handicaps will apply.
Directions to Orvis/Sandanona, Millbrook, NY:

From Taconic parkway North take the NY Rte 44 (Millbrook) exit. Go
Right off exit ramp onto Rte 44 heading East for 1.5 miles to Rte
44-A. Bear Left onto Rte 44-A. Go 1.2 miles to Orvis/Sandanona sign
and driveway on Left. If lost, call Sandanona at 914-677-9701.

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