Sporting Clays New York

A new website by the Lost Target.

Sporting Clays New York

The website is meant to be a gateway to registered sporting clays
shooting in New York.

The News Group "Welcome" message explains the purpose of the site.

Concealed Weapons Debate Heats Up

The U.S. Senate last week voted against a bill amendment that would allow concealed weapons to be carried across state lines, but the debate has shifted to be more about city safety vs. state rights.

Shotgun barrel length, whats the fuss?

I became aware of a club that has a rule where you can't shoot clay targets at the club with a shotgun with a barrel length of less that 26 inches.

We're not talking registered shooting in a discipline that may have such a rule, we're talking practice at the club, just dropping in to have a day at the range.

A safety issue?

I've easily shot at over 100 clubs and was the president of a gun club and never seen this as an issue or even considered a safety issue, especially in regard to visiting a clay target club for practice.

I did a quick google. A simi-auto is approximately 4 inches longer then an O/U. A simi-auto with a 24 inch barrel would be the same length as an O/U with a 28 inch barrel.

Granted, the longer the barrel the better in regard to gun swing, but that's not the discussion.

I gather they don't wish to encourage youth shooters, small stature women, and the thousands of hunters who own firearms with barrel lengths of less then 26 inches.

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen new shooters at a club with either a shotgun they use for hunting, or the fathers or grandfathers. Sure would have been some unhappy campers if the club turned them away because the club had a rule that the barrel had to be at least 26 inches long.

OK, educate me, tell me why this is a good rule!

Jul 25 2009 @ Valleyfield Gun Club

We shot practice trap & Skeet at the Valleyfield club today. A Canadian club.

We had shot practice a few times at another club in July, but I think the targets are set a little on the soft side. Thus, the visit to Valleyfield.

Much needed practice, as we once again start attending shoots next week.

Not a very good first round in trap, much better in the second. Timing was off...

Joann, a shooter I had last seen at the Vermont state shoot, shot a few rounds of trap with us. She still in the learning stage. I have no doubt she's going to turn into a very competent trap shooter as she seems very determined. Also, a very nice person who seems to get along with all! By the way, she is one of the ladies I featured in the 2009 Vermont State Shoot video that I posted.

She had her black lab with her and she was giving it a workout with a Retrieving Dummy Launcher. Neat to watch! A warm day and she made sure the dog was in the shade when she was shooting. Filled the dogs water bowl at least twice.

I mention the dog and how it was treated, as there is one shooter I won't talk to or have anything to do with from the time I observed how he treated his dog during a shoot.

We shot with a trio of shooters in skeet. One of the three was a lady duck hunter with a pump and not shooting the doubles, only singles. The gun seemed to fit her like a glove.

With a little encouragement, on the second round she shot the doubles and did very well. I think she surprised herself...

I've observed my share of shooters in my time and she's a natural. The perfect person to pay for a series of lessons before she picks up to many bad habits that are hard to break. She could also get someone at the local club that knows what there doing to work with here. Anyway, the potential is there...

I suggested, as all three were duck hunters, they should consider attending the upcoming sporting clays shoot at the La Roue du Roy, as they would really enjoy the target presentations.

From conversation, I see the club has authorized the purchase of two sets of voice release systems for trap. Talked about the past several years and much needed.

The club has been rebuilding for some time, as a past administration had run it into the ground with the club almost not being a viable operation.

We're talking the club house needing a new roof, machines that had not seen maintenance for a number of years, buildings on the fields needing to be replaced, power grid needing upgrade, fences down, and no money in the bank. It's nice to see the club put in place one of the last pieces of the rebuild, that included the purchase of skeet and trap machines. I think I mentioned in an earlier posting they were also planing on purchasing two machines for the 5-stand at the end of the year. A 5-stand that did not exist under the old administration.

Crossing the border coming and going saw border agents that I have seen a number of times. The conversation centered around clay target shooting when we crossed.

2010 Florida ATA Winter Schedule

2010 Florida ATA Winter Schedule

Jan 11-17: Dixie Grand - Silver Dollar

Mar 15-21: Southern Grand - Silver Dollar

Mar 23-28: Florida State Shoot - Silver Dollar


Chain Shoots

Jan 19-24: CCC Miami

Jan 27-31: Markham

Feb 3-7: Flagler

Feb 10-14: Jacksonville

Feb 16-21: Gator

Feb 22-28: Robinson Ranch,

Mar 2-7: Silver Dollar

The Florida ATA website is temporary off line as of this posting. The site is being moved to a new server after the host ISP went out of business. As part of the move the website is being reconfigured.

You Decide: Gates Arresting Officer: Obama 'Way Off Base'

Gates Arresting Officer: Obama 'Way Off Base'

The white police sergeant who arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. said Thursday President Barack Obama was "way off base" claiming Cambridge officers acted "stupidly" during the incident.

Sgt. James Crowley responded to Gates' home near Harvard University last week to investigate a report of a burglary and demanded Gates show him identification. Police say Gates at first refused and accused the officer of racism.

"I acted appropriately," Crowley told WBZ Radio's Carl Stevens Thursday.

"Mister Gates was given plenty of opportunities to stop what he was doing. He didn't. He acted very irrational he controlled the outcome of that event."

"There was a lot of yelling, there was references to my mother, something you wouldn't expect from anybody that should be grateful that you were there investigating a report of a crime in progress, let alone a Harvard University professor."

Read the Complete Article

Concealed Carry Defeat , How your Senator Voted

60 Yes (YEAs) votes required to cut off debate so it can be brought to a vote!

Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---58

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagan (D-NC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reid (D-NV)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Vitter (R-LA)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs ---39

Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY) * Formally Pro-Gun
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Reed (D-RI)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3

Byrd (D-WV)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Mikulski (D-MD)

A slow July

After attending a ten shot per station ATA trap shoot, I didn't want to look at a gun for about ten days.

I remember reaching into my vest shell pocket a number of times and thinking, when is the ref going to call end...

Anyway, two shoots not attended since. It was time to take a break!

August 2nd looks like a likely date to get back in the saddle.

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Recently heard from Tom Tatum, former manager of the sporting clays operation at Waccasassa Plantation, Florida. If not mistaken, the first manager and the only one to throw registered targets.

From what I saw, he was ahead of his time on setting targets for registered events.

Let's just say that those who shot scores of 75-80 at there home club, were not happy campers when they shot at Waccasassa for the first time.

If you could shoot good at Waccasassa, you would more than hold your own at the more serious clubs.

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Seeing lead for $23 a bag.

Primers hard to get in some regions. Major on-line suppliers out of stock in regard to the Winchester 209 brand.

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Chipmunks were getting into the garage.

Let's just say, no more chipmunk problem!

-----

Here's a good audio...

Obama "Not Familiar" With Key Provision In Health Care Bill

Health Rations and You!

Satirical video reminds Americans what rationing is all about.

2009 Canadian Olympic Bunker Results

Canadian National Trap Championships

Olympic Bunker

July 5 - 7, 2009

Vancouver Gun Club

Shoot Results

* I received several inquiries on this shoot, so I'm providing a link to the forum where they are posted.

Wanted: Pneumatic Rossinis Trap Machines

WANTED WANTED WANTED

Saskatoon Gun Club - Canada - Olympic Bunker

We are looking for a used set of automatic machines.

Pneumatic Rossinis.

We have 3.

One deal has fallen through and we dont know where to get any more.

Lloyd Litwin
lloyd.litwin@usask.ca

A puff of feathers

Sitting in the house I saw a puff of feathers out of the corner of my eye off the top of the front yard bird feeder...



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Lost a hard drive.

Can't say I did not see it coming. I had been backing up data in anticipation of a hard drive crash.

The computer was maxed as it was, not able to easily handle newer programs. I be working on a project and the program would crash. As an example, I could not view a finished video project prior to conversion. On top of that the conversion could take a minimum of two hours.

Hardware updates was not an option, so a new computer was purchased.

That took a number of shoots off the calendar...


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Forum.

Registered users of the Lost Target Calendar and Information Forum now have the ability to post multiple photos in a posting from the newly installed Lost Target Gallery program.

Those who post firearms for sale should find this a handy option.

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Someone had a problem finding photos that were posted to Clays Vermont.

I think the problem was I had to many categories.

Deleting one page and combining two, I think I resolved the issue.

Selling Firearms to a Canadian

I receive several inquires each month about selling a firearm to a Canadian visiting the USA. I've posted on this in the past, but time to revisit the issue.

I'm not an FFL, nor an expert, I just do a bit of reading from time to time, so for what it's worth.

The short answer is NO!

You cannot sell directly to a visitor (Canadian) who is visting the USA for any reason; Attending a shoot, hunting, attending a gun show, vacation...

If the transaction does not go through an FFL, it's not legal under federal law!

An FFL can sell to a Canadian, but the FFL cannot let the Canadian take possession. The FFL must ship the firearm to Canada or transport it to the border after getting a US export permit and a International Import Certificate (IIC) issued by DFAIT Canada. Duties will have to be paid. Duties depend on country of manufacture.

The problem the seller will have is 99% of FFL holders will not handle an export transaction.

Leroy's Big Valley Gun Works has been exporting firearms to Canada for many years. Contact them and send them the firearm and they will do the rest. They charge a very reasonable rate.

Leroy's Big Valley Gun Works
Box 22, 527-2nd Avenue North
Glasgow, Montana 59230 USA
Phone: 406-228-4867
E-mail: leroygun

ATF Publication 5300.18

Having a third party purchase a firearm for you from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to possess in the United States

If you are not eligable to purchase a firearm from an FFL to possess in the United States, you MAY NOT have someone who is eligible purchase one for you. If you violate this prohibition, both you and the person who purchases the firearm for you could receive a maximum of 5 or 10 years of imprisonment, depending on the violation.

Purchasing a firearm from a nonlicensee to possess in the United States

A nonimmigrant alien generally MAY NOT purchase a firearm from a nonlicensee to possess in the United States. If you violate this prohibition, you could receive a maximum of 5 or 10 years of imprisonment, depending on the violation. If you have questions regarding possible exceptions to this prohibition, contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Nonimmigrant Aliens Purchasing Firearms and Ammunition in the United States - PDF

* The word GENERALLY means: The Canadian has resided in a State for 90 continuous days immediately before purchasing the gun (long gun) and intend to make a home in that State — it does NOT have to be the State where the long gun purchase is occurring. Only then can they take immediate possession. The rule for handguns is slightly different.

The publication I posted talks about ammunition purchased. The ATF has ruled not allowed unless the visitors is in possession of an ATF Form 6NIA and/or a stateside hunting license (from any state).

Speaking of ammunition. Ammunition purchased, won, or given as a gift cannot depart the USA without an approved export permit. Only ammunition brought into the USA on an approved ATF Form 6NIA can be taken out of the USA without an export permit.

I was just asked if an American could take a firearm into Canada and just leave it (sold to a Canadian).

The answer is NO!

All permanent exports of firearms must start with an FFL and an export permit, also an International Import Certificate (IIC) issued by DFAIT Canada must be in hand, as previously discussed.

One last item that is federal law in regard to visitors to the USA and firearms. A visitor to the USA, cannot borrow, possess or rent a firearm unless in possession of an ATF Form 6NIA and/or a stateside hunting license (any state).

The next time your at a shoot and a Canadian wants to purchase the firearm you have for sale and he tells you no big deal...

It will be the seller (you) who will have to tap dance if the firearm is involved in an incident or stolen in Canada or found not to be registered in Canada and it's traced back to the seller in the USA (you)and no FFL was involved nor export/import permits accomplished.

Time to withdraw from Afghanistan?

Vietnam II?

Have we already forgotten the lessons of Vietnam?

The unseen hands of the administration are setting the rules of engagement and telling the military how to fight the war.

No surprise that Commander-in-chief Obama has handpicked his generals and they are following his marching orders.

The FBI will be releasing Terrorist if rights were not read. Yes, Terrorist outside the USA now have rights and they must be read to them, just like you've see on Law & Order!

If civilians are nearby, no gun play allowed (without permission, if you can get it)!

We will see Americans and military members from other countries killed by terrorist who escaped capture or death because of the rules set in place by the administration.

How long will it be before we read that an officer or Sergeant has been relieved of duty because a civilian was shot or killed during a firefight with terrorist and permission was not sought before hand for permission to engage.

If I was bad guy, the first thing I would do is kidnap a few civilians and make them be with me at all times. No fear of being killed by the good guys, as by time they received permission to shoot, I would be long gone! The second thing I would do is to make sure I had a good American civil rights attorney on retainer, someone recommended by the ACLU.

Time to send the boys (and girls) home before the administration gets them killed...

A hard-charging Ranger special operations officer, Lt. General Stanley McChrystal, was purposely named to be commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR). He had express orders to push forward vigorously against the Taliban. Virtually immediately after this hand-picked warrior assumed command, he received new instructions from the White House via the Pentagon to avoid civilian casualties at all costs. If a firefight appears to be expanding so as to endanger "resident non-combatants," the engagement must be broken off. Air attacks must be limited to targets of strictly confirmed hostile character, with no civilian co-mingling.

The U.S. commander in Afghanistan will soon order U.S. and NATO forces to break away from fights with militants hiding among villagers, an official said Monday, announcing one of the strongest measures yet to protect Afghan civilians.

KABUL — Canadian commanders in Afghanistan received new fighting orders on Thursday which will prevent their troops from shooting at the Taliban if there is any risk of civilian casualties, even if it means allowing the enemy to escape.

The stricter rules of engagement were laid down in a "tactical directive" sent to all foreign forces in Afghanistan by U.S. army Gen. Stanley McChrystal who was President Barack Obama's recent choice to take over the NATO-led war here.

(CNSNews.com) – The Justice Department confirmed last week that FBI agents in Afghanistan are reading Miranda warnings to suspected terrorists captured there, a practice that Republican congressmen this week branded as "crazy" and "stupid."

Miranda warnings were mandated by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that said domestic law enforcement agencies must inform criminal suspects arrested in the United States of their rights under the 5th Amendment.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," says the typical Miranda warning. "You have the right to an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?"

The Obama administration's decision to make this statement to terror suspects captured on the battlefield in a foreign country has sparked outrage among several Republicans in Congress who spoke with CNSNews.com. It also contradicts what President Barack Obama said in March, when he indicated that Miranda rights did not apply to terror suspects captured overseas

UPDATE

July 19, 2009: The U.S. Marine advance into Helmand province is being slowed down by the new Rules Of Engagement (ROE), which forbid the use of bombs or missiles in any situation where there might be civilians. The Taliban will typically spend the night, or longer, in a village or walled compound, and that's where U.S. troops will typically trap them. But bombs and missiles cannot be used on these places, so U.S. troops have to besiege the place, or just move on, leaving the Taliban alone.

UPDATE

USA TODAY - Sep 9, 2009

Airstrikes by coalition forces in Afghanistan have dropped dramatically in the three months Gen. Stanley McChrystal has led the war effort there, reflecting his new emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties and protecting the population.

NATO fixed-wing aircraft dropped 1,211 bombs and other munitions during the past three months — the peak of the fighting season — compared with 2,366 during the same period last year, according to military statistics. The nearly 50% decline in airstrikes comes with an influx of more than 20,000 U.S. troops this year and an increase in insurgent attacks.

The shift is the result of McChrystal's new directives, said Air Force Col. Mark Waite, an official at the air operations center in southwest Asia. Ground troops are less inclined to call for bombing or strafing runs, though they often have an aircraft conduct a "show of force," a flyby to scare off insurgents, or use planes for surveillance, Waite said.

U.S. forces have been told to exercise extreme caution before ordering airstrikes.

By exercising so much restraint, the U.S. military may sacrifice a key firepower advantage on the battlefield and expose ground troops to more risk, some officers and analysts say.

"There is a tradeoff," said Col. Gian Gentile, a former battalion commander in Iraq who has publicly criticized counterinsurgency doctrine. "You reduce civilian casualties, but you potentially increase your own casualties."

Doug Macgregor, a retired Army colonel and military historian, says the emphasis on having conventional forces trying to win over the population is futile.

"You surrender whatever military advantage you have by compelling the U.S. conventional soldier or Marine to fight on terms that favor the enemy, not the American soldier or Marine," Macgregor said.


UPDATE

Nevada Appeal - Sep 11, 2009

While waiting for the helicopters to arrive, “U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.”

This over-lawyering of war has to stop. American Marines and soldiers are dying needlessly because of it. If we're not going to let our military do the job our nation has trained them and sent them to do, then they shouldn't be sent in the first place. Either take the handcuffs off and let them fight, or bring them home alive instead of in a box.

Enough is enough.