Is there any clay target sports fanatics here?

[682bear]

Its one of my obsessions... I began shooting trap and skeet back in 2001 and quickly migrated into Sporting clays. By the end of 2001, I had pretty much went exclusively to sporting clays. There was a regional recreational Sporting club that I joined that sponsored 2 recreational shoots every month. In 2006 I joined the National Sporting Clay Association and began competing at NSCA registered events. I have been doing that for 12 years now and have close to 32,000 registered targets, plus somewhere between 75 and 100,000 practice targets behind me.

So... is there anyone else here that shares my obsession?

-Bear

 

[TTD]

I shot trap for a couple years at the local gun club & although I had a blast (no pun intended), I certainly wasn't as "obsessed" as you! 130,000+ shots?........your shoulder must be as calloused up worse than my hands!!! I still go out to the gravel pit a few times each summer with my two younger brothers & we pop off 2-300 clays on a Saturday afternoon, but that's about it anymore.

I love shooting & would do it every day if life would quit getting in the way, so what I did get somewhat "quasi-serious" about though was airgun Field Target comps (cheaper ammo, more of a challenge). I know, I know....BB guns are for little kids. Believe me, I've heard it before (and still hear it from time to time). But I can assure you, these aren't the $60 "Red Ryder" we had as a kid being used. Besides, with the low-powered, loopy trajectory compared to powder burners, I really like the challenge of trying to master putting that 10 grain .177cal pill into a 1.5" kill-zone @ 55 yards on a breezy day. Make it to a shootout in the finals (I never did) & now you need to hit 1/4" kill zone @ 50-55 yards (about the size of the end of a cigarette)...harder than you think!

 

[Long Roof]

I got introduced to Skeet and Sporting Clays last summer and got hooked. Picked up a used O/U Browning and have a lot to learn. Like Todd above, it is hard to find time with all the other stuff, but I am working on it.

 

[RVJimD]

Both me and my wife started shooting trap several years back. We shot enough between the two of us that I joined the gun club (just so i could go out to the range AFTER trap night to collect missed clays and hulls!) I bought an oscillating thrower and a MEC 12g progressive reloader.

 

[talvare]

Well, I certainly don't have the same level of obsession that you do, but I do get out and shoot Sporting Clays with friends about once a month. Back in the 80's I use to shoot a fair amount of Skeet but find that I enjoy the variety and challenge of Sporting Clays much more. I use to shoot Bullseye pistol competition and after several years of that I found that the stress was taking the fun out of it for me, so I no longer have any interest in competing. Just like to go out and have fun with my buddies.

Ted

 

[Ulma Doctor]

if it were up to me, i'd get paid to shoot
but unfortunately i chose the glamorous life ( ) of the stuntman/equipment repairman and don't get to squeeze the trigger at work

i still love the smell of Blue Dot in the morning!

 

[682bear]

I shot trap for a couple years at the local gun club & although I had a blast (no pun intended), I certainly wasn't as "obsessed" as you! 130,000+ shots?........your shoulder must be as calloused up worse than my hands!!! I still go out to the gravel pit a few times each summer with my two younger brothers & we pop off 2-300 clays on a Saturday afternoon, but that's about it anymore.

I love shooting & would do it every day if life would quit getting in the way, so what I did get somewhat "quasi-serious" about though was airgun Field Target comps (cheaper ammo, more of a challenge). I know, I know....BB guns are for little kids. Believe me, I've heard it before (and still hear it from time to time). But I can assure you, these aren't the $60 "Red Ryder" we had as a kid being used. Besides, with the low-powered, loopy trajectory compared to powder burners, I really like the challenge of trying to master putting that 10 grain .177cal pill into a 1.5" kill-zone @ 55 yards on a breezy day. Make it to a shootout in the finals (I never did) & now you need to hit 1/4" kill zone @ 50-55 yards (about the size of the end of a cigarette)...harder than you think!

Both of my daughters shot 4H bb... its 5 meters with a smoothbore Daisy Avanti 499 single shot. The center ring measures .160 if I remember correctly... thats smaller than the bb! My oldest daughter competed at the Daisy National BB Championship in Rogers, Arkansas, my youngest went twice.

My oldest went on to shoot 4H sporter rifle with a Crosman Challenger PCP pellet rifle... I now have it and have a lot of fun plinking with it.

-Bear

 

[Silverbullet]

Yes sir , I'm addicted to shooting , made All American Team in 2004 for trap . At the time I averaged 95.6 on 8,000 singles , 221/2 yards on handicaps on 6,000 targets , B class on doubles 2,500 doubles targets. Registered targets avg 25,000 per year and 30,000 practise . I have my mec hydraulic set up to hold over 75lbs of shot and could load 1,000 rds of 12 ga in a day .
I'm contemplating selling my loader set up with all the shot powder and wads an primers . Don't look like ill ever get back to it now. Traveled to several states and the grand American for years. I forgot I shoot skeet sporting clays , rifle pistol muzzle loader bow an arrow , pellet even sling shot. Hunted and fished my entire life till I couldn't.

 

[T. J.]

I love all the clay target sports, I just don't get to compete much. I've mostly shot trap.

 

[Richard White (richardsrelics)]

When I was a child, late 60's, my father worked for Olin Corporation, aka Winchester, they had this huge trap range and dad of course being an employee, was allowed to shoot there, as kids my brothers and I would walk back and forth while they were shooting picking up hulls so dad could reload for his own personal use...in my 20's dad and I shot at the local Conservation trap club and we had loads of fun, my brother's and I would get together after we all got out of the service and talk smack until the birds flew and it was all business.. It took dad nearly 20 + years to finally run 25 straight 16 yrd. I did it in less than 2, that last bird was nerve wracking. Dad bought a new Winchester Model 101 Field grade gun. Still in the family. Before dad passed he offered me his reloading "stuff" 4 reloaders, 12,000 hulls, 5,000 primers 10,000 wads. I split it with my brothers so we all had something...At one point dad had gotten into making his own shot, and sold literally tons of it to the shooters as they found little difference in quality but much difference in price. I would give anything to go out on the line one more time with him....